A Deadly Divide by Ausma Zehanat Khan

 Welcome to Day 6 of the Blogtour for Ausma Zehanat Khan's novel A Deadly Divide.

This is the latest in a series featuring the investigative team of Esa Khattak (who is Muslim) and Rachel Getty (Jewish). This time around they are called to a mass shooting at a mosque in Quebec. There are several dead. A Muslim man who is helping the wounded is arrested while a priest who is carrying a weapon is allowed to go free. And from this point on you can see the problems in the community. Their is a lot of hate and racism on the streets and the author really makes it a discomforting read at times - and that, in my opinion, is a good thing. All through the investigation the team are up against it with even the possibility of someone in their own team possibly a leak.

What really impressed me was the setting of Small Town Quebec - what a refreshing change from all the big city settings we usually get. It makes it a lot easier to create the tensions and threat, the feeling that you can't trust your neighbours although almost everybody IS your neighbour!

As for the perpetrator of the crime - well, it took me by surprise and I'm usually fairly good with this kind of thing.

Coming into the series part way through I didn't feel at any disadvantage (the story sits well enough on it's own) but I will be picking up the rest of the series as an author so good at bringing today's world problems to the stories she tells.

Ausma Zehanat Khan is going straight onto my list of authors I must have e wry book of.

4.7/5

Thank you, as always, to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and No Exit Press for providing the review copy. Please also try and find time to have a look at the posts by the other bloggers.