YASMINA KHADRA

Crime fiction authors come in all shapes and sizes. They range from lady like "dames" [Ruth Rendell and P.D.James] to hard ex convicts Massimo Carlotto, and from husband and wife teams such as Nicci French to a mother and daughter combo P.J.Tracy.

But surely one of the most interesting authors is Yasmina Khadra, which is a pseudonym of the Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul. A high ranking Algerian army officer who adopted a woman's name to avoid military censorship. He revealed his true identity in 2001 after going into exile and seclusion on France.

Yasmina Khadra joins Massimo Carlotto as that rarity, authors with some gritty real life experience of their subject.

I have just started his novel Double Blank, the subtle humour and new location already have me hooked.