The Fertility of Evil - Paperback

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by Amara Lakhous (Author), Alexander E. Elinson (Translator)

A criminal investigation plumbs the seedy underbelly of Oran in this heady psychological thriller spanning the history of postcolonial Algeria.

Oran, July 5, 2018. Independence Day. Colonel Soltani of the Anti-Terrorism Unit reluctantly gives up his holiday after his superior officer tracks him down at his girlfriend's home. A former National Liberation Front fighter and Algerian power broker has been found dead, his throat slit and face mutilated. Pressured to close this high-profile case quickly, Soltani and his team delve into the victim's past from the 1950s, uncovering the secrets of a revolutionary cell whose three remaining members have become prime suspects.

Set in a post-independence era marred by corruption, this dark, captivating novel unfolds in contrasting landscapes of dilapidated historic quarters and opulent new districts, revealing Algeria's struggle against deceit and betrayal.

Author Biography

Amara Lakhous was born in Algeria in 1970 and lived in Italy for eighteen years before moving to the United States in 2014. A bilingual novelist in Arabic and Italian, he is the author of Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio, a bestseller translated into ten languages and adapted into a film in 2010. He is currently a professor in the practice in the Department of Italian Studies at Yale University.

Alexander E. Elinson is a Professor of Arabic and head of the Arabic program at Hunter College of the City University of New York. His translations include Youssef Fadel's A Beautiful White Cat Walks with Me and A Shimmering Red Fish Swims with Me, Yassin Adnan's Hot Maroc, Khadija Marouazi's History of Ash, and Saïd Khatibi's The End of the Sahara.

Number of Pages: 272

Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN

Publication Date: February 24, 2026