-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
A Thriller (Blackwater Falls Series, 1)
by Ausma Zehanat Khan
From critically acclaimed author Ausma Zehanat Khan, Blackwater Falls is the first in a timely and powerful crime series, introducing Detective Inaya Rahman.
Girls from immigrant communities have been disappearing for months in the Colorado town of Blackwater Falls, but the local sheriff is slow to act and the fates of the missing girls largely ignored. At last, the calls for justice become too loud to ignore when the body of a star student and refugee--the Syrian teenager Razan Elkader--is positioned deliberately in a mosque.
Detective Inaya Rahman and Lieutenant Waqas Seif of the Denver Police are recruited to solve Razan's murder, and quickly uncover a link to other missing and murdered girls. But as Inaya gets closer to the truth, Seif finds ways to obstruct the investigation. Inaya may be drawn to him, but she is wary of his motives: he may be covering up the crimes of their boss, whose connections in Blackwater run deep.
Inaya turns to her female colleagues, attorney Areesha Adams and Detective Catalina Hernandez, for help in finding the truth. The three have bonded through their experiences as members of vulnerable groups and now they must work together to expose the conspiracy behind the murders before another girl disappears.
Delving deep into racial tensions, and police corruption and violence, Blackwater Falls examines a series of crimes within the context of contemporary American politics with compassion and searing insight.
"Stunning ... Kahn brilliantly depicts the complexities of her characters and the tensions of a multicultural American community struggling with bias, fear, and corruption. At once suspenseful, moving, and thought-provoking, this is not to be missed." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Enthralling and intense, the plot unfurls a perceptive exploration of faith, race, gender roles, immigration, intolerance, and community. This is a masterfully crafted thriller that doesn't disappoint from beginning to end." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Readers who enjoy a meatier mystery that grapples with contemporary themes, along the lines of a James Lee Burke thriller, will find much to admire." ―Library Journal
"Inaya is a complex, compassionate protagonist perfectly poised to helm a new series." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Clear your calendar―there's a new crime series from Ausma Zehanat Khan! Blackwater Falls is the first in what is sure to be an acclaimed and long-running series―do not miss this!" ―Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The First To Lie
"Blackwater Falls is a triumph, bringing to life an intricate mystery that features diverse characters with differing interpretations of justice. This is an exceptional novel that engaged both my head and heart." ―Hilary Davidson, bestselling author of Her Last Breath
This information about Blackwater Falls was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ausma Zehanat Khan holds a Ph.D. in international human rights law with a specialization in military intervention and war crimes in the Balkans. She is the author of the award-winning Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty mystery series, which begins with The Unquiet Dead, as well as the critically acclaimed Khorasan Archives fantasy quartet. Her new crime series, featuring Detective Inaya Rahman, debuted with Blackwater Falls. Blood Betrayal, her follow-up novel, won the Colorado Book Award and was a Finalist for the WILLA Literary Award for Multiform Fiction. Ausma is also a contributor to the anthologies Private Investigations, Sword Stone Table, The Perfect Crime and A Thousand Nights. She is the founder of the Muslim Writers Index, and the author of the middle grade book, Ramadan. A British-born Canadian and former law professor, Ausma now lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband.
If you liked Blackwater Falls, try these:
Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for ...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
