The Night Bird by Algerian Amara Lakhous is a tale of political and historical intrigue. In downtown Oran, north-west Algeria, on the morning of the anniversary of the country's independence, a former fighter in the struggle for freedom is found murdered. Kerim Sultani, head of the anti-terrorism unit, cuts short his holiday to take charge of the case. Three questions are on his mind: who killed Miloud Sabri? Why on this day in particular? And does this mean a return to the 1990s years of terror and the killings of opponents?
Long-listed for the 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction