A Tapestry of Tainted Truths

by Mishel Zara

Haunted by his past, Arsalan Wani goes back to his old coping mechanism of painting under the streetlight in a park at midnight after he finds himself at a desk job, many years since his retirement from the police force.

He keeps running into his co-worker Julie Chen, whose husband has died in mysterious circumstances, and soon enough, fate binds them together as husband and wife.

Both of them are faced with choices to make when they find out a little bit about each other's dark pasts. Their peaceful life is shattered when time reveals truths like why Arsalan really retired and what happened the night Julie's husband died.

Will Arsalan be able to live in peace after finding out the truth? Will Julie leave when she finds out what he knows?

242 pages, Paperback

Published December 9, 2025

About the author

Mishel Zara is a teen indie author with a huge obsession with reading and writing. When not reading or writing, she’s daydreaming about her favorite characters. As a Pakistani Muslim student, she speaks Urdu, English, intermediate Korean, and is learning Japanese. Connect with her and explore her work @authormishelzara on social media.

Reviews

[Parsa Raza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alhamdulillah an excellent read.

The strength of the narrative lies in its exploration of the bond between the two protagonists, Julie and Arsalan. Julie, a Chinese revert Muslim and a widowed mother, and Arsalan, a devout Pakistani Muslim and former police officer, embark on an arranged marriage that defies significant cultural and familial conventions

The book offers a raw yet sensitive portrayal of enduring trauma. Julie’s history of domestic abuse by her late husband, Henry, is not merely a backstory but a persistent force shaping her interactions, particularly her struggle to trust Arsalan and her need to protect her child.

The narrative skillfully uses Julie’s proactive investigation into Henry’s suspicious, drug-related death to illustrate a crucial component of trauma recovery: the need to reclaim agency. This investigative arc serves as a powerful metaphor for her journey from victimhood to empowerment. The dramatic revelation of Arsalan's prior, professional involvement in finding Henry's body, an almost fated intersection of their pasts, adds immense emotional weight, intensifying the challenge of trust and ultimately deepening the foundation of their love.

While the book’s narrative drive is commendable and highly engaging, the pacing is occasionally accelerated. The transition from the initial, hesitant stages of the arranged marriage to the intense, dramatic climax involving the murder investigation felt rapid. A slightly more deliberate pace in certain sections might have allowed the reader greater opportunity to fully absorb the significant emotional milestones, particularly the development of mutual affection, before the introduction of such high-stakes external conflict. This is, however, a minor observation that does not diminish the overall quality of the work.

A Tapestry of Tainted Truths is a captivating and emotionally rich novel. I highly recommend for readers who love reading halal love stories (ME!) .

Trauma isn't just nothing. And after reading this novel, a candle has flickered in the darkness, so thank you Mishel Zara.

[Aminah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whole murder case which is connected with the male lead’s wife? This novel was quite crazy to say the least.

Arsalan is an ex police officer who struggles with PTSD. He often has nightmares that plague him during his sleep. Julie is a single mother who works hard to provide for her son. She has trauma from her ex-husband who used to abuse her and her child. Julie doesn’t trust men at all. Even

The two get married, courtesy of Arsalan’s mother. They face troubles on all fronts, but they push through. I really loved the halal romance here, and how they fell in love with each other during marriage.

A few favourite quotes of mine:

- "Darling, I said yes. You shouldn't need words from me to know how I feel about you."
"So, that means.."
"Wo ài nì." I smiled and she turned beet red. 🤭🫶

- "Oh my God, the pretty lady just called me cute." I acted all baffled.
"Wha-what did you just call me?" She appeared startled.
"So you can call me sweetheart, darling and love... but I can't call you what you are?' 😆

- “Wherever I see tulips, they remind me of you." (Julie Chen is so cute 😌)

- "Thank you? For what?"
"I don't know." She chuckled softly, wiping her tears.
"You don't need to thank me."
"Who will we thank if not those that we call our own?" She smiled, showing off her dimples. 🌷

Side note: Mishel Zara, thank you so much for the arc read!

[tin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was honoured to receive this as an ARC and felt extremely excited to begin reading it. Thank you so much for this opportunity :)
After finishing the book, I can clearly affirm that I adore this story so much!! Often, in romance books, protagonists can feel bland because authors sometimes focus solely on the relationship aspect. However, I did not find this problem applicable in this novel, thankfully! These two characters, Julie and Arsalan, have depth to them and are very dear to my heart. Additionally, their love story was powerful, and it was beautiful to watch them fall in love. The character development was clear, as they both have endured traumatic things. Yet, by the end of the book, they were able to overcome their trauma in a heartwarming way. The author does a wonderful job of portraying one's inner turmoil in this dunya, but emphasizes the importance of remembering Allah in tough situations. Julie and Arsalan's various acts of vulnerability towards each other were also so moving to read. They both are there for each other constantly and are definitely soulmates!
The plot was also captivating, due to the pacing. I found myself wanting to continue reading after finishing one chapter, which led me to finish the book quickly, compared to other novels. The writing is easy to follow.
Overall, I would recommend this book to romance readers interested in an emotional yet sweet read.

[Laiba Asim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Mishel's writing is so easy to read and how she manages to make even a murder mystery into a comfort book.
Mishel has a talent for weaving emotions and humor together in every sentence and for describing the scenes beautifully so it feels like we're watching a movie instead of reading a book.
Now coming to the novel, I loved it, of course, judging from my five stars.
Arsalan and Julie's relationship is so cute and heart-warming, in this era when books are so focused on spice, it feels like a breath of fresh air to read a clean, halal romance.
Also, being a Pakistani and Lahori, I loved Pakistani representation and the mention of Lahore.
I hope lots of people from all over the world read and connect with "A tapestry of tainted truths" because it deserves all the recognition.
Wishing Mishel Zara loads of success and happiness in the future.

[Afza Hanifa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing novel! Felt like home in a book♡ Loved it all the way, and the suspense was awesome!!