Layover in Dubai    by Dan Fesperman Order:  USA  Can Vintage, 2011 (2010) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Dan Fesperman's Layover in Dubai has just put visiting Dubai low on my Places to Go list. And the book is a must-read. Sam Keller, an auditor for a pharmaceutical company, is sent to Dubai, ostensibly to keep an eye on one of the company's top men known to be party-hearty. The two no sooner arrive in Dubai when Sam's colleague disappears. Sam finds the man shot to death. Now the intrigue begins. The company's top security officer arrives to keep Sam out of jail and to smooth the murder over. But whom should Sam trust? The ploy of sending an auditor to monitor a fellow employee's behavior seemed off kilter to Sam. Big-time prostitution prevails in Dubai – girls brought in from other countries by the plane load. The sordid back streets provide any kind of diversion anyone can possibly be interested in. Sam runs and hides. Is caught and released to Anwar, a policeman, someone he feels he can trust. He is hidden in Anwar's own house but his abaya-wearing daughter comes on the scene. How to save himself and at the same time protect Anwar's daughter? The tension in this exciting book escalates. Just when Sam, and you the reader, find a moment to breathe easily, another problem rears its ugly head. Fesperman's take on Dubai makes the place a character in its own right. Opulence runs cheek to jowl with poverty and degradation. Corruption is rampant as architecturally exquisite buildings arise from sand pumped from the ocean to build new islands. Fortunes made almost overnight are just as likely to disappear overnight. Languages of the world are heard daily as the natives struggle to maintain their own language and culture. Money changes hands as much illegally as legally. The camps are filled with the men who build these wondrous structures but live as slaves as do the prostitutes. Whatever one looks for can be found. Join Sam as he hurtles through the streets of Dubai in his action-packed adventure. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews