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A review by mg_in_md_
The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
4.0
I've been wanting to check out this series for awhile and am so glad that I finally did! This debut novel was incredibly complex and introduced two intriguing Canadian police detectives who I definitely want to spend more time with in the future. The case they are investigating centers around a man whose accidental death might not have been so accidental. The female lead, Detective Rachel Getty, can sense that her boss, Esa Khattak, is holding something back, but she still trusts him implicitly and tenaciously pursues the truth. Hints of Khattak's backstory are introduced, and made me want to learn more about him and his past in addition to solving the mystery.
As the investigation unfolds, possible links to past war crimes carried out in the 1990s in Srebrenica surface. The writing was engaging and the author did an excellent job of weaving in historical facts about what happened in Bosnia in the 1990s, citing quotes from real victims and perpetrators of war crimes, to provide a realistic story. Most of my favorite mystery series teach me something and this one checked the box in that regard. I was equally captivated by the case and the personal lives of the detectives, and look forward to continuing with this series. I'm about halfway through the second book in the series now, and believe that I've found a new "must read" mystery series that will challenge me in the best possible way. Any time a book makes me think about the world differently and teaches me something new is a plus and will keep me coming back to read more by that author.
As the investigation unfolds, possible links to past war crimes carried out in the 1990s in Srebrenica surface. The writing was engaging and the author did an excellent job of weaving in historical facts about what happened in Bosnia in the 1990s, citing quotes from real victims and perpetrators of war crimes, to provide a realistic story. Most of my favorite mystery series teach me something and this one checked the box in that regard. I was equally captivated by the case and the personal lives of the detectives, and look forward to continuing with this series. I'm about halfway through the second book in the series now, and believe that I've found a new "must read" mystery series that will challenge me in the best possible way. Any time a book makes me think about the world differently and teaches me something new is a plus and will keep me coming back to read more by that author.