In Ahmed Tiabs Karimdesert or sea the readers follow Algerian Commissioner Kémal Fadil in the city of Oran as he investigates the discovery of the bodies of African migrants that washed up on the city's shores. Together with his colleague, the investigator tries to understand the background to the often fatal escape from afar. The investigations lead the detective on the trail of a criminal ring that makes money by smuggling people. At the same time, the author takes the reader on the flight of the migrant Fatou, who is making her way from Niger to Algeria. The journey leads Fatou on a path of surviving the challenges of the desert, forging friendships and fighting stubborn battles.

Translated from the French by Christine Bellakhdar