The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Kind of an odd tale. Not one that could have been published five years ago, and certainly not one that could have been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize then. I picked this up to see what it was about, started to read the synopsis on the back and next thing I knew, I'd already finished two chapters. If nothing else, the narrative will keep stringing you along.

The story centres around a young Pakistani man who has lived in the US for several years. He went to university in Princeton and then got a job as an analyst with a prestigious company in New York. He has fallen in love with a beautiful woman and his world seems to be coming together just nicely. Then September 11 happens and everything changes.