Neena Halle Abdi
stories soaked in suspense

Mystery and suspense rooted in the Muslim experience.
Stories that take you somewhere you've never been—and keep you there.

Explore the Stories The Authors
The World
Kingdom of Al-Kauthar
مَمْلَكَة الكَوْثَر

A fictional desert kingdom in the Arabian Gulf. Not a fantasy land but contemporary. Opulent, hierarchical, and beautiful in the way that dangerous things are.

Enter the Kingdom
Debut Novel  ·  Actively Seeking Representation
Inquire
Arabian Bachelor×Knives Out

Blood Red Sands

Nurain Island  ·  Kingdom of Al-Kauthar
#ArabianMurderMystery

Shahrazad joined a reality show determined to steal the prince's heart and win the cash prize to save her family home, but when someone starts killing the competition, the only way out is to escape—or die trying.

Setting

Nurain Island—a royal estate accessible only by water. Exclusive, glamorous, inescapable.

Comps
Arabian Bachelor×Knives Out
Dubai Bling×One by One
And Then There Were None×Real Housewives of Dubai
Themes
  • Desert palace
  • Locked island
  • Reality TV drama
  • A competition. A cover.
  • The show that never aired
  • Every moment filmed
  • Suspects everywhere
  • Contestants dying, one by one
  • Beauty masking blood
  • Class warfare
  • Wild card
  • Kauthari pride vs Somali nerve
  • The unsettled amir
  • The vigilant security chief
  • Eldest daughter MC
  • Chosen for a reason
  • Trust no one
  • Nowhere to run
  • Survival
The Authors

Neena Halle Abdi

Neena and Halle Abdi are Somali-American sisters and co-writers of atmospheric mystery and suspense. Separated by oceans and time zones—one a night owl, one an early bird—they write together across shared documents and borderless calls, crafting stories where blood is masked by beauty and darkness is sometimes the only safe place.

Their short story The Pursuit at Dawn was published in OvertlyLit Magazine, Issue 2 (April 2022). They are currently querying their debut novel.