Reviewed by Karen Chisholm
Fatima Down Under is book three of the journeys of Dennis Bogdanovich, sanitary engineer and keen fisherman. Now Dennis is journeying painfully back towards New Zealand with his friend’s wife, Fatima.
Unfortunately, they are blocked and separated in Australian waters. Fatima despairs and adapts and copes. It’s been a long journey from England via Syria. Tragedy lurks, hope pushes on.
Book three in the journeys of Dennis Bogdanovich, a sanitary engineer and keen fisherman, the earlier books are Swimming with Big Fish and Swimming with Crocodiles. It's one of those trilogies that having started out with this, the third book, I'd have to recommend against that - I spent a reasonable amount of time in this one vaguely lost and feeling like I was definitely missing backstory and context.
Having said that, it's a series that I'm told is well worth pursuing in order, sitting somewhere in the middle of the definition of thrillers, with a distinct political and moral overtones.
Dennis, having been released from Guantanamo Bay in the second book, goes from events in England to journey back towards New Zealand, with his friend from the second book's wife Fatima. When they become separated in Australian waters, the focus in many ways shifts to Fatima and how she learns to adapt and cope with the circumstances, the after affects of the war in Syria, and the complications of life as a refugee.
There are moments in this book that really are profoundly moving, and deeply informative about the trauma inflicted on refugees, those struggling to travel to somewhere to start their lives over.
Because of that emotional component, it would be considerably more rewarding reading to know how Dennis got to where he is; what his connection is to Joe Farouki, his only friend from the prison is; and onwards to Fatima and her story. A trilogy well worth tracking down in its entirety then.
Karen Chisholm is one of Australia's leading crime reviewers. She created Aust Crime Fiction in 2006, a terrific resource - please check it out. Karen also reviews for Newtown Review of Books, and has been a regular judge of the Ned Kelly Awards and Ngaio Marsh Awards. This review was first published on Karen's website; she kindly shares some of her reviews of crime and thriller novels written by New Zealanders and Australians on Crime Watch as well as on Aust Crime Fiction.
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