The Believer

Suspense. I expected to read an escapist thriller when I opened Joakim Zander’s novel titled, The Believer. Instead of escaping from the daily headlines, I found myself reading about characters dealing with global current events in ways both individual and communal. Zander offers the perspective of three main characters. Fadi is a young Swede who became radicalized and joins the Isis forces in Syria. His sister, Yasmine, works in New York for a company that helps spot trends and exploit them for clients. Zander reprises Kara Waldeen from an earlier novel. She now works as a researcher for a human rights organization. Zander draws us into the current and backstories of these characters and pulls us into a world in which manipulators are nudging consequential actions. I enjoyed the suspense and the ways in which Zander brings topics of terror and manipulation into human relationships. Readers who like thrillers are those most likely to enjoy reading this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Believer from amazon.com.