I was immediately drawn in to this story of intrigue. The main characters were very appealing and realistic. Detective Khattak struggles with his traditional Muslim identity which often conflicts with his strong willed sisters, an underlying sense of discrimination against Muslims by the law enforcement community and his duty to investigate other member of the Toronto Muslim community. His partner, Rachel struggles with her duty to her dysfunctional family and her own happiness and professional success.

The duo are investigating the murder of Khattaks childhood friend who has become entangled with radical Islamists suspected of planning a terrorist attack. Khan's cast of characters run the gamut of those who are dedicated to the cause of jihad to those who get swept of with the promise of a cause or the attraction to the groups handsome and charismatic leader.

Khattak is asked to assist with the investigation of the murder because of his ties to the Muslim community and his knowledge of customs and in this case, literature. However his Muslim identity is also the reason he is not trusted to be all the details of the case which undermines his effectiveness and demonstrates the conundrum that Khattak faces as a Muslim trying to do his job in law enforcement against other Muslims. His devotion to the cause of justice is mistrusted by both communities.

The strength of Rachel's relationship with her boss, Detective Khattak and their ability to work seamlessly together demonstrate the authors optimism that discrimination can be overcome and that morality exists in all religions. However other aspects of the story are less optimistic and demonstrate the author's cynicism about the ability of Muslims to find acceptance and success due to the deep seated suspicions of Muslims.

The plot is engrossing from the start and provides twists and red herrings that keep you guess till the end. The literary references ("language of secrets") are a great insight into the Muslim traditions and make this book more than just a mystery.

Devil in Jerusalem captures the reader immediately and keeps them captivated throughout the book. This is partially due to the horror of the tale being told and partially due to the effective use of multiple narrators and well written text. My hesitation about fully recommending this book is due to the the main character of the book, Daniella Goodman. At times she seems very confident and is described initially as an extremely loving and dedicated mother. So it is very difficult to understand how she transforms into her utilmate character. Naomi Ragen adds testimony at the end of the book which attempts to better describe this transition, but that testimony is also filled with contradictions . . . if in fact Daniella is so caught up with this cult that she loses her grip on reality that why does she express her regrets about being a part of it while she is still under the cult's power. It seems like you would either be completely under the spell or not and if you aren't under the spell you would certainly come to the aid of your children. This is really the part of the story that I was not sold on. While I understand Daniella's desire to find greater meaning and her being overwhelmed with the life she has chosen, i do not grasp how she turns into the monster she is described as. The author does detail Daniella's initial resistance to the messiah, but she too quickly turns over herself and her children in a completely unbelievable way. I am sympathetic to the author's desire to provide a cautionary tale about the fraudulent religious groups and how vulnerable truth seekers can be taken advantage of. But this story takes a leap that I cannot make.

One of the best i have read!

Kept my attention throughout with fast paced story and good writing.