BOOK I : THE MOON OF MASARRAH

“The Moon of Masarrah is a literary treasure, an exciting adventure that both children and adults can get lost in. The author’s style of writing is both beautiful and captivating. You will not be disappointed.” — Candace L. Rahaman

“A tantalizing tale of adventure and mystery. Farah Zaman has taken a YA book and given it an exciting spin of daring intrigue that both me and my children found irresistible. Wow! Highly recommend.” — Sharron Yaffai

“The biggest reason I like the Moon of Masarrah, is it is well written. There aren't confusing passages, or too many characters or boring preachy paragraphs. The plot is good, the dialogue believable and the fact that they are Muslim children, just adds depth to the story. I would love to do this as a Book Club book for 5th through 8th grade. The writing quality and the different characters the students would be able to identify with, would make it a lot of fun.” — Kirin Nabi, The Islamic School Librarian

“The Moon of Masarrah, set in an exotic location, begins with suspense and follows Layla, Adam, Zaid and Zahra as they get roped into solving the mystery. I have to say it was a fun ride and I kept guessing until the very end.” — Aneela Siddique

“This is a wonderful book for young readers. The suspense will keep you wanting to read for hours. I like how it includes the basic daily life of a Muslim, like the kids always pray their salah and the girls are dressed in their hijab. It's encouraging for young readers, showing them that they can have fun.” — Sherry Mandol

“Clever story with very likable characters. Very glad to have fiction that's appealing, adventurous, and "normal" with Muslim main characters that my children will be able to relate to.” — Nihaad Zaman

BOOK II : THE SIGN OF THE SCORPION

“I loved every bit of this book. The kids arrive at a foreboding castle as guests of an immensely wealthy sheikh only to find the family haunted by unexplained deaths. The kids are plucky, funny, real and ready to uncover the mystery behind the family tragedies. Zaman has a wonderful sense of plotting. It moves quickly with surprises at every turn. I really wish this series would be turned into a TV show or a cartoon. It had me going right back to my days watching Scooby Doo. Absolutely lovely.” — Laury Silvers

“Zahra, Zaid, Layla and Adam went to visit their friend in a castle on an oasis and stumbled onto a mystery that follows them wherever they go or rather they followed it until all becomes clear. Beautifully written descriptions make you feel like you are in this strange land. The mystery is so intriguing you suspect everyone around the kids but in the end the culprit was completely unexpected and comes to an unexpected end. And just when you think the climax has passed another big revelation is made to surprise you. I love books that are not predictable and this one isn't. I also love the fact that these types of mystery books from my youth now have Muslim characters with small interesting stories from the Quran. I hope it will be more relatable for my kids and I can't wait to follow these 4 friends on their next adventure.” — Aneela Siddique

“I thoroughly enjoyed this adventurous romp, filled with mysteries and suspicious characters at every turn. Set in an ancient castle in a verdant oasis, the four brave teens showed admirable courage and grit. Author Farah Zaman proves herself once again to be a proficient writer. Her vivid descriptions and colorful imagery immerse the reader into that time and place. I would highly recommend "The Sign of the Scorpion" to any avid reader, and eagerly await this fantastic writer's next gift.”—Indira Nandoo

“Second installment in "The Moon of Masarrah" series is out and once again the author, Farah Zaman, deserves high praise. As with the introductory volume, this chapter in the series opens strong and propels the reader into a wild and woolly adventure with unexpected, delicious twists and turns along the way, If "Masarrah" harkened back to the rollicking Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys type romps characterized by the exuberance of youth, this second novel shows growth and sophistication not only in the familiar characters who grace its pages but in Ms. Zaman as an author.” — Chuck Collins

BOOK III : THE HOUR OF THE ORYX

“This was a fun YA book to read, featuring a quartet of teenage detectives from the United States who have arrived at an international orphanage in a Middle Eastern country. Parents of two of the teens are a doctor and nurse and are volunteering at the orphanage. Zaman’s characters have depth and are a joy to meet. The four teenagers—Adam, Layla, Zaid, and Zahra (friends of Adam and Layla)—are smart, kind, generous, and inquisitive. But they are still teens. They sneak out of the house, keep secrets from adults, and sometimes act before thinking. I absolutely love them. The book is the third in a series. I’ve added the other two books— The Moon of Masarrah (which won the 2019 Daybreak Press Young Adult Award) and The Sign of the Scorpion—on my to-read list. I recommend this book to all who enjoy YA stories, from the young to the old.” — Diane Riley

“Dark, funny, and intriguing.” — Papatia Feauxzar

“Another brilliantly written book by Farah Zaman. If you’re looking for fun, adventure, mystery and crime, this is the book! I was pulled in from the first chapter, flipping through pages like no tomorrow, wanting answers. It was great to see Muslims teens comfortable with who they are, with excellent characteristics. They were polite, loving and respectful. They offered salams, they made time to pray. They were a joy to follow through the story. The highlight for me is the use of sorcery, Muslims practice dark stuff too! I don’t want to mention too much, as it’ll spoil the story for others. With mystery and crime books, I think less is more. This is the third in the series. Keep your eyes peeled for others.” — Shoohada Khanom

“In Farah Zaman’s newest YA preteen mystery-adventure, The Hour of The Oryx, the author wastes no time dropping the reader splat into a new and intriguing world. The story begins with a group of teenagers touring an orphanage called Dar-as-Sakinah, a dwelling used to shelter orphaned children from around the world who were left homeless, frightened, and alone. Many of these children were rescued from war-torn, blighted, or poverty-stricken lands. But the orphanage is also a place brimming with haunted lakes, whispers of roaming jinn, and a recent, unsolved sudden death. It doesn’t take long before the curious four teens [Zaid, Zahra, Layla, and Adam] find themselves knee-deep in their next exciting mystery when their guide, an orphan herself, reveals to them her sadness concerning her uncle’s unsolved murder––a man slain over a book called, ‘The Hour of the Oryx.’ ” — Sahar Abdulaziz

BOOK IV: BENEATH THE CRIMSON CIRCLE