Drawn into Danger: Living on the Edge in the Sahara

Drawn into Danger: Living on the Edge in the Sahara by Keith Costelloe is a tale of surviving in very austere and dangerous conditions in a foreign country. Twenty-four-year-old Dave accepts his first job as an English teacher in Algeria. That is 1978. He is just so happy to leave the UK and its doldrums behind. Going to Algeria offers the prospects of a new start, adventure, and an encounter with new cultures. But Algeria is not what he has imagined it to be. Everything changes for the worst when he helps a friend get revenge and finds himself at the center of a secret police operation. Can he face the consequences?

Keith Costelloe's novel is a fictional story that reflects some of what he saw and experienced in Algeria, a compelling tale with an elaborately written protagonist and a setting that cleverly captures the pulse and culture of this desert country. Dave is a complex protagonist, a character who is out to explore his bisexuality. For him, Algeria takes the form of a character in its own right in this spellbinding tale — fun, stimulating, dangerous, and the awakening of more intense sexuality. The author's dazzling prose is enriched by lively dialogues and captivating imagery. It is easy for readers to imagine the bright, warm, and invigorating sun, Sue sitting at a café table, laughing and talking to a young French man, and people riding horses on the beach. Themes of innocence and sexuality, crime and freedom, and friendship and solitude are recurrent in this tale. Drawn into Danger is a fun, rollicking ride for readers who love adventure.