Guns and Almond Milk - by Mustafa Marwan (Paperback)

About the Book

Born to Egyptian parents and raised as a first-generation British Muslim, Luke Archer struggles to be from two worlds at the same time. He is working in a humanitarian mission in Aden, at the height of the Yemeni conflict. Max Gorsky, Luke's new patient, is a security contractor working for the government forces. Rebel forces have taken over the city, and Max's team is now taking refuge in the city's hospital, in preparation for their final stand. Luke and his team find themselves caught in a deadly clash between the ruthless rebel group and the desperate security contractors. At the same time, Max and Luke need to settle debts from their shared past in the UK where they joined forces in fencing a multi-million-dollar stolen artifact operation that went wrong.

Book Synopsis

An adrenaline-fueled journey into war-torn Yemen, this novel is the perfect read for fans of fast-paced fiction.

Luke Archer, a British Egyptian doctor, runs from his problematic past in the UK and becomes a war surgeon. When he is taken hostage by Western security contractors in a besieged hospital in Yemen, he realizes that after spending years saving the lives of others, he needs to face the demons of his past in order to save his own.

Guns and Almond Milk is a study of identity, war and redemption. It is The Sympathizer mixed with M.A.S.H by the way of Ramy.

Born to Egyptian parents and raised as a first-generation British Muslim, Luke Archer struggles to be from two worlds at the same time. He is working in a humanitarian mission in Aden, at the height of the Yemeni conflict. Max Gorsky, Luke's new patient, is a security contractor working for the government forces. Rebel forces have taken over the city, and Max's team is now taking refuge in the city's hospital, in preparation for their final stand. Luke and his team find themselves caught in a deadly clash between the ruthless rebel group and the desperate security contractors. At the same time, Max and Luke need to settle debts from their shared past in the UK where they joined forces in fencing a multi-million-dollar stolen artifact operation that went wrong.

Guns and Almond Milk is a fast-paced story of love, murder, and thrill that provides readers with a fresh perspective on humanitarian work, religion, assimilation, and Middle Eastern politics.

Review Quotes

"Guns and Almond Milk is a superb novel, deeply authentic and riveting, a harrowing and emotionally rich journey. Recommended with the highest enthusiasm."---- Lou Berney

"Told with real authority and pathos, in Guns and Almond Milk, Mustafa Marwan has created a timely and urgent work with a plot that will keep you gripped. An assured debut that deserves your attention. A fantastic read."----Abir Mukherjee

"Guns and Almond Milk crackles with the raw intensity of war-torn landscapes and the gritty allure of underworld capers, weaving a narrative that pulses with adrenaline and introspection, immersing readers in the depths of human complexity."---- Ibrahim Fawzy, Rowayat

"With its well-founded observations of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Mustafa Marwan's debut novel, Guns and Almond Milk, could not be more relevant to ongoing crises in the Middle East. Marwan's razor-sharp wit skewers all the parties involved when a hospital comes under siege: foreign aid workers seeking distraction from their lives, mercenaries without a common cause, diplomats distant from and ignorant of the crisis, and famished young men with guns. A complex and compassionate meditation on the often misunderstood themes of identity and belonging, Guns and Almond Milk sheds much-needed light on the continuing alienation of the global south."---- Ausma Zehanat Khan,

"Guns and Almond Milk is a thrilling odyssey that explores themes of identity, redemption, and the price of one's choices. Marwan's masterful storytelling, rich with cultural and psychological insights, is set against the vibrant backdrops of London and the tumultuous regions of the Middle East, where we follow Luke, a man caught in the crosshairs of his own conflicted existence."---- Ahmed Naji, author of Rotten Evidence

"Absolutely Amazing. I picked it up and literally couldn't put it down. Darkly comic and beautifully written with many plot twists. Guns and Almond Milk has all the elements of a fantastic story of Love, grit, thrill, murder, everything. A winner!"----Pamela Paterson, Amazon best-selling author

"If you can imagine being unconscious in an operating theater somewhere in Yemen while a hideous war without rules is raging around the bedraggled hospital and then suddenly coming awake on the metal table just long enough to glimpse two bloodstained surgeons working away furiously over you who greatly resemble Raymond Chandler and Thom Jones, then you will start to grasp the beautiful monstrosity that is Guns and Almond Milk, the brilliant noir debut of Mustafa Marwan both traditional and unheard of, and one worth celebrating darkly. Trust me when I say this book goes places you've never been. "----Lee Durkeeauthor of The Last Taxi Driver

"This un-put-downable thriller weaves together two stories: one among high-end thieves in London and another among mercenaries and aid workers in Yemen. The two stories come together through the narration of a sarcastic, sharp-eyed doctor who can see the world clearly - except when it comes to his own emotions."----Marcia Lynx Qualey, editor-in-chief of ArabLit

"Mustafa Marwan is coming out of the gate strong--Guns and Almond Milk is an incredible debut, with a gripping voice, enthralling action, and a unique take on geopolitics that introduces you to an often-forgotten part of the world while never forgetting to uncover the depths of humanity to be found there."----Rob Hart, author of The Paradox Hotel and class director at LitReactor

"Tense, fast-paced and propulsive, this novel takes you on an adrenaline-fuelled journey into war-torn Yemen where all bets are off. Packed with action and suspense, this book will have you at the edge of your seat as you race through it, devouring every last page. Marwan has truly arrived."----Awais Khan, award-winning author of No Honour and In the Company of Strangers

"This book takes the vibe and emotion of Jesus' Son and The Things They Carried, and shakes it up, telling a unique war-torn, medical thriller story infused with drugs, capers, and layers of trauma. It's Hunter S. Thompson via Usman T. Malik with a dash of Irvine Welsh."----Richard Thomas, author of Disintegration and Breaker (Thriller Award nominee and Bram Stoker Award finalist)