BOOK REVIEW: A Deadly Divide by Ausma Zehanat Khan @AusmaZehanat #bookbestiesadeadlydivide #adeadlydivide @minotaurbooks

Riveting, influential, and terrifying—A Deadly Divide by Ausma Zehanat Khan is a socially conscious thriller with an incredibly powerful storyline and characters that will be hard to forget. I not only loved the mystery and the characters, I also would have never guessed the twist at the end! A stand-out book that needs to be read, especially now.

About the Book

From the critically acclaimed author Ausma Zehanat Khan, A Deadly Divide is the devastatingly powerful new thriller featuring beloved series detectives Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty.

In the aftermath of a mass shooting at a mosque in Quebec, the local police apprehend Amadou Duchon—a young Muslim man at the scene helping the wounded—but release Etienne Roy, the local priest who was found with a weapon in his hands.

The shooting looks like a hate crime, but detectives Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty sense there is more to the story. Sent to liaise with a community in the grip of fear, they find themselves in fraught new territory, fueled by the panic and suspicion exploited by a right-wing radio host.

As Rachel and Esa grapple to stop tensions shutting the case down entirely, all the time, someone is pointing Esa in another direction, a shadowy presence who anticipates his every move.

A Deadly Divide is a piercingly observed, gripping thriller that reveals the fractures that try to tear us all apart: from the once-tight partnership between detectives Esa and Rachel, to the truth about a deeply divided nation.

Reflection

The latest novel from Ausma Zehanat Kahn starring detectives Rachel Getty and Esa Khattak is a moving and gripping mystery revolving around issues of racism, religious persecution, and cultural divides. This is actually the fifth book in a series featuring Rachel and Esa, and the second book from the series I’ve read. A common theme in Zehanat Kahn’s work is socially-relevant, impactful storylines. Each book is a standalone, though there is character progression I missed between the first book I read (The Unquiet Dead) and this one. I wouldn’t be put off by knowing it is a series, this one can be read alone and is so powerful as a solo novel!

I really loved seeing Esa and Rachel’s relationship in it’s mature form in this book. They are so different as characters, and Kahn is able to subtly show how much they care for one another. They work different aspects of the case here, and they each have their own story developing, outside of but related to the case they are working.

In a small town in Quebec, a mass shooting seems to be a hate crime. And yet, locals are quick to point the finger at a member of the mosque. Strangely, this man was seen helping victims, not hurting them. Meanwhile a Catholic priest is found with a weapon and his hands, and is seen as a victim. Underlying the story are the tense relations between religious groups in this town, further exacerbated by race.

I found the topic of this book to be so relevant and timely. It takes place in Canada, but here in the U.S. we also see issues of class, race, and religion. Muslims have a more challenging time here than many other religious and non-religious groups. And because of that, I wondered when reading this if it is harder to view an attack on Muslims as terrorism, when the same attack on Christians would likely be viewed that way? A Deadly Divide really made me ponder the idea of privilege and how it related to feeling safe.

The twist at the end really shocked me, and it also seemed quite fitting! I loved this story, and I’m excited that Ausma Zehanat Khan is going to an uncomfortable but important place with her novels. It is the mark of a great writer that she can make convey such a powerful message, but do so without being preachy or judgmental. I hope others find this as thought-provoking as I did!

I read this with my book besties Jennifer at Tarheel Reader and Berit at Audio Killed the Bookmark! Make sure to check out their reviews to hear more about this wonderful book.

Thank you to Minotaur for my copy of this book! Opinions are my own.

Mackenzie