The Bethlehem Murders by Matt Rees

This is the first in a new series of detective stories, set in (you may have guessed) Palestine.  Although it's not brilliantly written (contrary to the claim by a certain Colin Dexter on the front) I'd definitely recommend reading it.  The prose is workmanlike, and I only say it's not particularly well written because the characters spend a lot of time explaining things to each other.  Without getting into the politics, the novel gives a convincing idea of what life is like for ordinary Palestinians, caught between the Israelis on one side and the Palestinian gunmen on the other. 

The characters are good, especially the detective, who is a history teacher on the point of retiring (or being sacked for being too liberal).  He gets involved because one of his old pupils, a Christian, is being set up for a murder that he clearly didn't commit.  The author asks how you can maintain humanity or the semblance of a legal system in the face of the overwhelming pressures of life in Palestine at the moment.  And the answer is a depressing one.  I think the book is well worth reading, and I'll look out for the next in the series, but I think I'll pick my moment to read it - not when I'm feeling a bit low, for instance.