Published by Bitter Lemon Press

Publicity contact: alex@ahipcoxpr.co.uk

              

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The End of the Sahara

Saïd Khatibi

Illustrated by Eleanore Rose

Translated by Alexander Elinson

Bitter Lemon Press

Paperback

332pp

ISBN: 9781916725225

Fiction

Publication date: 26 February 2026

£10.99

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On an early autumn morning in 1988, on the outskirts of an Algerian city on the edge of the desert, a shepherd stumbles upon the lifeless body of Zakia Zaghouani, the stunning nightclub singer at the Sahara Hotel. Suspicion immediately falls on her lover, who is thrown into prison. The incompetent Inspector Hamid begins an investigation. So does the defence lawyer of the main suspect. Family, friends, and close ones share their testimonies, confronting their past. Secrets, betrayals, grudges, but also dreams and hopes shed light on their connection to the victim. So, who really killed Zakia? And what if, behind this woman’s murder, lie secrets so unbearable they could tear an entire community apart.