The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan : Review

I've said it before and I'll say it again that being asked to review a book is a treat,

but what if I miss something?

Strange things started arriving in my post. Then when I was asked if I would like to review and join in the #BlogTour for The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan I have to admit the title was intriguing so I jumped on in.

One man is dead.

But thousands were his victims.

Can a single murder avenge that of many?

Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto: the body of Christopher Drayton is found at the foot of the cliffs. Muslim Detective Esa Khattak, head of the Community Policing Unit, and his partner Rachel Getty are called in to investigate. As the secrets of Drayton’s role in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide of Bosnian Muslims surface, the harrowing significance of his death makes it difficult to remain objective. In a community haunted by the atrocities of war, anyone could be a suspect. And when the victim is a man with so many deaths to his name, could it be that justice has at long last been served?

In this important debut novel, Ausma Zehanat Khan has written a compelling and provocative mystery exploring the complexities of identity, loss, and redemption.

The story starts with Esa Khattak, who I could well imagine as a surly senior officer with a history, being informed about the death of a local man Christopher Drayton, together with Rachel Getty a junior member of the team they head up an investigation which is shrouded in secrecy and intrigue. There's a lot of back story which helps build up the characters in my mind. There's certainly a lot to keep you on your toes! Christopher is dead and his grieving fiancée is both ghastly and greedy, why did her children say he wanted them to move in? What's the hidden history between Khattak and Nate. So many questions arose during the book and the characters' stories that trundle and unfold along the way are fascinating.

If you're looking for a book to pick up and put down then this isn't the book for you, if you're looking for a book to get you thinking then this is for you. I will readily admit to taking a few chapters to get into this book but when I did I truly didn't want to put it down. There are huge gaps in my retention of world history and this book has inspired me to read more and take more notice of the world around me

About the Author:

Ausma Zehanat Khan is the author of The Unquiet Dead, published by St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and winner of the Barry Award, the Arthur Ellis Award and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Novel. Her widely acclaimed second novel, The Language of Secrets, was published in 2016. Among the Ruins, her third mystery was published in February 2017. She is also at work on a fantasy series, to be published by Harper Voyager, beginning October 2017. The Bloodprint is Book One of the Khorasan Archives. A frequent lecturer and commentator, Ms. Khan holds a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law with a research specialization in military intervention and war crimes in the Balkans. Ms. Khan completed her LL.B. and LL.M. at the University of Ottawa, and her B.A. in English Literature & Sociology at the University of Toronto. Formerly, she served as Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl magazine. The first magazine to address a target audience of young Muslim women, Muslim Girl re-shaped the conversation about Muslim women in North America. The magazine was the subject of two documentaries, and hundreds of national and international profiles and interviews, including CNN International, Current TV, and Al Jazeera "Everywoman". Ms. Khan practiced immigration law in Toronto and has taught international human rights law at Northwestern University, as well as human rights and business law at York University. She is a long-time community activist and writer, and currently lives in Colorado with her husband.

Thank you so so much to Ausma Zehanat Khan and No Exit Press for the opportunity to read, review and join the #BlogTour for The Unquiet Dead.

#TheUnquietDead