WAREHOUSE, THE Paperback – 11 July 2016

'The Warehouse' is a debut noir thriller about post 9/11 Pakistan & Afghanistan written by local Bay Area writer and documentary director Saqib Mausoof and is published by Hachette India.Through Syed Qais Ali Qureshi's first person narration, we are taken into the world of the god forsaken lands of war in the tribal regions of Pakistan. Qais or otherwise known as Cash is a Syed (descendent from the line of the Prophet), an insurance surveyor, a widower, a father, son of an Olympian gold medalist, a Punjabi, an almost Military man, a Sufi Poet, and unlike the people around him-highly sympathetic to the suffering of humans. He is hailed to survey the burning of a warehouse (godown) located in Tank Waziristan housed with duty free cigarettes for the American Military, owned Malik Awan who is considered to have ties to the Taliban. Qais is promised lofty remunerations if he is able to complete the task and he desperately needs the money to send his daughter to a good engineering school and purchase a decent place to live.Qais then penetrates into region of drones, deception, and double dealings. His eyes like a flaneur uncover for the reader all that is around him; poverty, disease, and death. He expounds the predilections of these men to be universal; whether Taliban or Military.Qais's journey is Odyssean in nature; just like Odysseus of Homer's epic The Odyssey, Qais is met with monsters, tempted by sirens, and even shown generous hospitality. Another Odyssean trait that Qais possesses is that of reason; Qais is not shy to expostulate his opinions and is able to get out of unnerving situations. He is not strong like the Taliban warriors or equipped with arms like the American or Pakistani military, but he is a man with sensibility and this alone ends up being his saving grace.'The Warehouse' hence uncovers the region of Pakistan and Afghanistan most talked about in the news yet never seen with humanistic eyes. For that we need the artistry of a writer and Saqib Mausoof does it brilliantly.

I couldn't connect to the book since it was written by a Pakistani! Returned the book after reading a couple of pages!

This book is a travelogue of a somewhat restless mind that hopscotches its way around Pakistani, Afghani and American stereotypes, blending Bournesque attitude with wry humor, and bringing 1980’s memories of Pro-American Pakistan to the forefront of our minds. The result leaves you with a disturbed feeling for loss of innocence, a not-so-appreciative understanding of trauma, and a sour taste for all things considered political. The author does not provide you with unique stories - you have seen these headlines before. But he weaves and layers each stereotype, identity, and power dynamics in a sequential fashion and then shatters those stereotypes through the eyes of the protagonist. It is this power that he bestows upon “Qais” – a not-so-Bond-like hero – that makes this book a must read. There are only a handful of writers who dare to breakdown the geopolitical mess news pundits serve us every day. Mausoof achieves this by employing a descriptive style in an energized atmosphere and does it just good enough to keep you awake at night.

A gritty yet modern noir that includes a tragic hero and a femme fatale but in the dusty settings of Afghanistan and Pakistan, The Warehouse presents a gripping story highlighting the politics of treachery behind the War on Terror and how it affects the locals and the not-so-locals. It is an easy read and yet provides some intricate insights into the region and its ongoing conflicts, blurring the perceptions of who is good and who is bad.

Brilliant and courageous writing that transverses through contemporary Pakistan, religious ideologies and an illuminating journey of a protagonist trying to eke out purpose in life. The writing is articulate and crafts memorable characters that are inspired by suspense, a gritty plot and insights that blur the lines between reality and fiction. The narrative is witty and breeds a certain Pakistan-ness that captures sights, sounds and pleasures that leaves the readers captivated.

Wow, what a joyride of a book! Loved the main character and all his flaws and quirks. Had a bit of romance, danger, intrigue and also conveyed the regional political and social climate of today. Great writing and the story keeps you hooked!

Fast paced descriptive narrative that immerses the reader into Waziristan and Karachi. Mausoof's writing is crisp and peppered with spicy one-liners. You will not be able to put this one down!

Takes one of the world's most violent places, an unconventional protagonist and spins an engrossing story of agendas and motivations far divorced from what we read in the headlines.. Vikas Datta