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Harry Virdee #3
City of Sinners
It is an ordinary Yorkshire morning, cold and miserable.
The streets are not yet busy. Police cars hurriedly pull up in the centre of town, but none of their lights are flashing and the sirens are silent.
A body has been found, elaborately and painstakingly positioned to send a message. But what message? And to who?
It’s DI Harry Virdee’s job to find out. But Harry doesn’t know that the killer is watching him, that the killer is coming for him.
Because this is personal.
The streets are not yet busy. Police cars hurriedly pull up in the centre of town, but none of their lights are flashing and the sirens are silent.
A body has been found, elaborately and painstakingly positioned to send a message. But what message? And to who?
It’s DI Harry Virdee’s job to find out. But Harry doesn’t know that the killer is watching him, that the killer is coming for him.
Because this is personal.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2018
98 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
A.A. Dhand
11 books173 followersA.A. Dhand was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired his Harry Virdee novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
June 22, 2018
Wow! What an opening chapter - utterly chilling!
Bradford in the North of England is the setting, once one of the richest cities in Europe due to its textile production during the industrial revolution- but today ( like many cities) it is plagued by drugs and criminal gangs fighting for supremacy.
It's here that DCI Harry Virdee is about to face the mother of all serial killers. The M.O that the killer uses is unlike any that Harry will have faced before. When Usma Khan is found murdered in the shop where she works, it's clear that this was no spur of the moment killing, on the contrary it was methodically planned and the victim was carefully chosen. Her murder comes with a message, and it's a message that will affect Harry personally, in what will be his biggest challenge ever.
The subsequent autopsy on Usma Khan reveals even more shocks, when we discover in detail exactly how invasive this killing was, and what the perpetrator left behind!
This is the third in the DCI Harry Virdee series, ( incidentally it can be read as a standalone, as there is sufficient backstory for those of you who haven't read the previous two) and I've enjoyed them all, but with 'City of Sinners' A.A. Dhand has truly excelled himself. The character development has continued, and it was great to see Harry's wife Saima featuring even more prominently this time around. The plot was exceptionally good, with the narrative alternating between Harry and the killer. The tension is real, demanding that you turn the pages ever more quickly, as the killer leaps from said pages as a dark and threatening presence that will stay with you long after you put the book down. Exceptionally good and worth every one of those 5 stars!
*Thank you to Random House UK, and Transworld Publishers for my ARC. I have reviewed this honestly and voluntarily in exchange*
Bradford in the North of England is the setting, once one of the richest cities in Europe due to its textile production during the industrial revolution- but today ( like many cities) it is plagued by drugs and criminal gangs fighting for supremacy.
It's here that DCI Harry Virdee is about to face the mother of all serial killers. The M.O that the killer uses is unlike any that Harry will have faced before. When Usma Khan is found murdered in the shop where she works, it's clear that this was no spur of the moment killing, on the contrary it was methodically planned and the victim was carefully chosen. Her murder comes with a message, and it's a message that will affect Harry personally, in what will be his biggest challenge ever.
The subsequent autopsy on Usma Khan reveals even more shocks, when we discover in detail exactly how invasive this killing was, and what the perpetrator left behind!
This is the third in the DCI Harry Virdee series, ( incidentally it can be read as a standalone, as there is sufficient backstory for those of you who haven't read the previous two) and I've enjoyed them all, but with 'City of Sinners' A.A. Dhand has truly excelled himself. The character development has continued, and it was great to see Harry's wife Saima featuring even more prominently this time around. The plot was exceptionally good, with the narrative alternating between Harry and the killer. The tension is real, demanding that you turn the pages ever more quickly, as the killer leaps from said pages as a dark and threatening presence that will stay with you long after you put the book down. Exceptionally good and worth every one of those 5 stars!
*Thank you to Random House UK, and Transworld Publishers for my ARC. I have reviewed this honestly and voluntarily in exchange*
June 19, 2018
AA Dhand takes us back to Bradford, to the cop who makes a habit of crossing lines, DCI Harry Virdee, a Sikh, ostracised from his family when he married Saima, a Muslim nurse, blessed by a 3 year old son, Aaron. There is a serial killer roaming the city, killing young Asian women deemed to be sinners, involved with white partners, refusing to stick to prescribed cultural norms. The first grisly horrifying murder has the young Usma Khan strung up and publicly displayed in a bookstore with her eyes sewn up. Harry, a member of the Homicide Major Inquiry Team, is sickened by the act, especially when a message is found referencing him, he begins to understand this is personal, but who could the killer possibly be? A trawl through his history of arrests, looking for likely suspects, leads to one likely candidate, a man hard to locate. Harry is to be tested to his very limits, pushed every which way by a manipulative killer, keen to break him.
Saima plays the good Samaritan when she saves the life of Harry's father, a man who despises Muslims, and her in particular. This leads to her becoming closer to Jyoti, Harry's beloved mother, a woman who becomes besotted with Aaron, her grandson, the spitting image of Harry. Jyoti can no longer tolerate being separated from Harry and his family, wanting to see normal family relations begin. There is only one problem, her husband's resolute intransigence, fuelled by malice and hate. Ronnie, Harry's brother, has had no contact with Harry for a while, has plans for the future of Bradford's drug trade, a plan for which Harry is instrumental. The abduction of the Asian Home Secretary's daughter raises the stakes and tensions sky high for the police and a stressed pressured Harry. As Harry begins to get an inkling as to the identity of the killer, danger inexorably comes closer to him and his family. There are no rules Harry will not break to keep his family safe.
In the city of sinners, the only real sinners are the likes of the serial killer, and the parallels to be found with Harry's father, another sinner, hypocrites consumed by hate, peddling religion, culture and tradition, found wanting when it comes to humanity, real love, destroying families and futures with impunity. Dhand lays bare the fractures within the Asian community with an authenticity I can attest to, with elements that struggle to adapt when it comes to the position of women, promoting unacceptable religious divisions, implementing criminal notions of 'honour' that are anything but honourable. This is a brutal but compelling addition to the series, to be applauded in presenting social and political issues relevant to modern Britain and the Asian Community. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
Saima plays the good Samaritan when she saves the life of Harry's father, a man who despises Muslims, and her in particular. This leads to her becoming closer to Jyoti, Harry's beloved mother, a woman who becomes besotted with Aaron, her grandson, the spitting image of Harry. Jyoti can no longer tolerate being separated from Harry and his family, wanting to see normal family relations begin. There is only one problem, her husband's resolute intransigence, fuelled by malice and hate. Ronnie, Harry's brother, has had no contact with Harry for a while, has plans for the future of Bradford's drug trade, a plan for which Harry is instrumental. The abduction of the Asian Home Secretary's daughter raises the stakes and tensions sky high for the police and a stressed pressured Harry. As Harry begins to get an inkling as to the identity of the killer, danger inexorably comes closer to him and his family. There are no rules Harry will not break to keep his family safe.
In the city of sinners, the only real sinners are the likes of the serial killer, and the parallels to be found with Harry's father, another sinner, hypocrites consumed by hate, peddling religion, culture and tradition, found wanting when it comes to humanity, real love, destroying families and futures with impunity. Dhand lays bare the fractures within the Asian community with an authenticity I can attest to, with elements that struggle to adapt when it comes to the position of women, promoting unacceptable religious divisions, implementing criminal notions of 'honour' that are anything but honourable. This is a brutal but compelling addition to the series, to be applauded in presenting social and political issues relevant to modern Britain and the Asian Community. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
March 1, 2022
City of Sinners by A. A. Dhand is the face of modern England or at least echoes some moods going around influenced by different cultures. People from all over the world or their ancestors once stepped on the British shores in the hope of a better life. However, the weather in England makes everyone want something, and as we read along, we can see that everyone has something to hide. The pages of this book are twisted, intriguing and captivating.
March 18, 2020
It’s been too long since I last read a Harry Virdee novel! Well, if you like dark and twisty then let me entice you to read this excellent Bradford based series!!! DCI Harry (Hardeep) Virdee is a really interesting fictional detective for several reasons. First of all, he’s a Sikh, married to Saima who is Muslim and both of them are rejected by their families for their mixed religious marriage. In this book Saima, a nurse, becomes closer to Joyti, Harry’s mother when she saves father, Ranjit Virdee’s life. Despite this, Ranjit refuses to open his heart to Saima and emphatically and cruelly rejects her overtures of friendship. Secondly, Harry for the right reasons often treads a very fine line between lawful and illegitimate methods of bringing perpetrators to justice and achieving results with the aid of his brother Ronnie. Ronnie has legal businesses and some that are mostly definitely not and he is quite powerful in the underbelly of the Bradford drug scene.
The City of Sinners is probably the grittiest of the series. There is a vicious serial killer in Bradford who is targeting women who he sees as ‘sinners’ which transpires to mean women ‘who do not stick to their own kind’. Harry and Saima are examples of what the killers twisted mind rejects and this case becomes very personal to Harry. This is a brutal case which has hatred and revenge at the heart of it. It is fast paced, very well plotted and exciting especially the audacious finale. This can easily be read as a stand-alone but the first two books are also good and it does help with understanding the back history of the Virdee family. Overall, an excellent read.
The City of Sinners is probably the grittiest of the series. There is a vicious serial killer in Bradford who is targeting women who he sees as ‘sinners’ which transpires to mean women ‘who do not stick to their own kind’. Harry and Saima are examples of what the killers twisted mind rejects and this case becomes very personal to Harry. This is a brutal case which has hatred and revenge at the heart of it. It is fast paced, very well plotted and exciting especially the audacious finale. This can easily be read as a stand-alone but the first two books are also good and it does help with understanding the back history of the Virdee family. Overall, an excellent read.
June 22, 2018
Harry Virdee #3
A body has been found, elaborately and painstakingly positioned to send a message, But what message? And to who? it's DI Virdee's job to find out.
A young Asian woman is found hanging for the rafters in the beautiful Waterstones, in Bradford. The ritualistic nature of her death, Harry knows they are hunting for someone on a mission. The note that was left with the body tells them that Harry is involved somehow. Meanwhile Harry's wife, Saima, is leaving her work at the hospital, she sees a wallet drop,from the stretcher from a man being rushed into A&E. The man turns out to be Harry's father who is having a heart attack and Saima helps to save his life even though they are estranged from him.
Well I'm quite happy to say I've Ben totally lost this afternoon in this book. I love this series and for me, this is the best one in the series so far. As always, there is plenty going on but not so much that it gets confusing. I don't want to say to much about the plot as I would just give far too much away. In fact I would probably tell you the full story. The main characters are all back from the last two books, and I love them all for different reasons. The book is fast paced, thrilling, tense and very very creepy. The plot line has been well researched. Although this book could be read as a standalone, don't miss out, start with book 1, otherwise you will miss out on a brilliant series!!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishiers and the author A. A. Dhand for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A body has been found, elaborately and painstakingly positioned to send a message, But what message? And to who? it's DI Virdee's job to find out.
A young Asian woman is found hanging for the rafters in the beautiful Waterstones, in Bradford. The ritualistic nature of her death, Harry knows they are hunting for someone on a mission. The note that was left with the body tells them that Harry is involved somehow. Meanwhile Harry's wife, Saima, is leaving her work at the hospital, she sees a wallet drop,from the stretcher from a man being rushed into A&E. The man turns out to be Harry's father who is having a heart attack and Saima helps to save his life even though they are estranged from him.
Well I'm quite happy to say I've Ben totally lost this afternoon in this book. I love this series and for me, this is the best one in the series so far. As always, there is plenty going on but not so much that it gets confusing. I don't want to say to much about the plot as I would just give far too much away. In fact I would probably tell you the full story. The main characters are all back from the last two books, and I love them all for different reasons. The book is fast paced, thrilling, tense and very very creepy. The plot line has been well researched. Although this book could be read as a standalone, don't miss out, start with book 1, otherwise you will miss out on a brilliant series!!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishiers and the author A. A. Dhand for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2018
I actually discovered A. A. Dhand whilst in a bookshop scouring the shelves for more books to purchase to add to my frankly ridiculous library. I am just as bad as one of those you see on a programme such as Hoarders From Hell! But like many of you bibliophiles out there and on this site, I can't help myself. I live by the mantra that you can never have too many novels, never. The A. A. Dhand I came across in the shop was "Streets of Darkness", the first in the Harry Virdee series which I bought and swiftly read. Superb and exactlywhat I look for from the crime genre - gritty and gripping. However, I have not had the chance to turn my attention to the second - "Girl Zero". I did in fact naively assume that this was the sequel to SoD.
I don't feel that having not read the second in the series made me any worse off or made any difference to my level of enjoyment. That said, although the story is wholly contained within this book and could easily pass as a standalone, I think it is best to have read the first two in chronological order. I say this because I particularly appreciate how the characters develop through the series and also hearing their background. I may have missed some of that information that was set out in "Girl Zero". So although not essential I would say it is preferable as it would be with regards to other series too.
The plot is action packed from beginning to end which holds your attention very well. There are a couple of threads to the story, one of the issues the book raises is just how prevalent rascism is and how bad it can get for some people who are victims of it. This was an eye-opener to say the least - I cannot stand any form of discrimination and am an opened-minded person about a lot of things so this upset me a little. Unfortunately, this is our reality right now and it may get progressively worse with the likes of Trump in power. I also appreciated that Harry's family also have quite a significant role in the plot.
All in all, this is an exhilarating and exciting series that I will definitely continue with. I can't wait to immerse myself once more in the murky world that Harry Virdee has to deal with. There aren't many thrillers I can think of who use the setting of Yorkshire to explore and investigate crime. Dhand is another writer who illustrates exactly why British crime fiction is some of the best in the world.
Many thanks to Bantam Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I don't feel that having not read the second in the series made me any worse off or made any difference to my level of enjoyment. That said, although the story is wholly contained within this book and could easily pass as a standalone, I think it is best to have read the first two in chronological order. I say this because I particularly appreciate how the characters develop through the series and also hearing their background. I may have missed some of that information that was set out in "Girl Zero". So although not essential I would say it is preferable as it would be with regards to other series too.
The plot is action packed from beginning to end which holds your attention very well. There are a couple of threads to the story, one of the issues the book raises is just how prevalent rascism is and how bad it can get for some people who are victims of it. This was an eye-opener to say the least - I cannot stand any form of discrimination and am an opened-minded person about a lot of things so this upset me a little. Unfortunately, this is our reality right now and it may get progressively worse with the likes of Trump in power. I also appreciated that Harry's family also have quite a significant role in the plot.
All in all, this is an exhilarating and exciting series that I will definitely continue with. I can't wait to immerse myself once more in the murky world that Harry Virdee has to deal with. There aren't many thrillers I can think of who use the setting of Yorkshire to explore and investigate crime. Dhand is another writer who illustrates exactly why British crime fiction is some of the best in the world.
Many thanks to Bantam Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
June 15, 2024
I'm rereading all of the Harry Virdee stories as the BBC are currently filming the first series of Virdee, which is based on this particular novel & author A A Dhand is writing the script.
A A Dhand's third novel featuring DCI Harry (Hardeep) Virdee opens with the discovery of a dead body in a Bradford city centre bookshop. It's one hell of an opening (which I won't spoil here!) & from that moment on the tension increases chapter by chapter. Considering I was just reading a crime novel I felt pretty exhausted by the end of this one.
Dhand creates a superbly plotted crime story with multiple stories unfolding, but it never confuses the reader. Harry Virdee is a wonderful creation & the combination of his work as a rule breaking DCI & his complicated family life made this a compelling read.
A A Dhand's third novel featuring DCI Harry (Hardeep) Virdee opens with the discovery of a dead body in a Bradford city centre bookshop. It's one hell of an opening (which I won't spoil here!) & from that moment on the tension increases chapter by chapter. Considering I was just reading a crime novel I felt pretty exhausted by the end of this one.
Dhand creates a superbly plotted crime story with multiple stories unfolding, but it never confuses the reader. Harry Virdee is a wonderful creation & the combination of his work as a rule breaking DCI & his complicated family life made this a compelling read.
June 5, 2019
Another excellent Vidree story. Once again Harry has both crime and family to deal with. Dark and nasty at times I really enjoyed reading this. Dhand has become one of my favourite UK authors along with Tim Weaver. I do think he treads a very fine line with both the family stories and Harry's behaviour as a cop. It would be easy to cross that line into something that didn't work as well. Fortunately he has managed it very well for three books - can't wait for book 4!!
May 30, 2019
First of all I have to say, please don’t make the same mistake as I did by starting this on a nighttime. Also maybe not while eating either. The opening to this story really made me cringe and ever so slightly freaked me out. It is also that blooming well great, I didn’t want to put it down.
It never seems to just rain but pours down in Harry’s world. Even if I didn’t like him, which I do, I think he is a brilliant character, you wouldn’t be able to help but feel sorry for him and wish life would give him a bit of a break once in a while. Sadly it never seems to and he seems to dig himself further into a darker hole.
Harry’s family and background always play a substantial part in this series. At times what goes on with his parental family, infuriates me. Harry and his wife have both been outcast for daring to fall in love and go against both their different cultures. It’s quite sad to see in this day and age how backward thinking some people still are. Will certainly be interested to see how things go forward in the next book in the series.
The story line had me pounding through the pages to see what awaited me with every page I turned. The killer is an extremely twisted and sadistic one, of which scared and excited me at the same time. I love seeing how Harry works and how he zones in to discovering the killers identity. He is just brilliant and also isn’t scared to bend the rules every now and again.
City of Sinners is an intense and chilling reading experience and one that I couldn’t read fast enough. This is a truly brilliant crime series that just keeps on getting better. It is very dark and very twisted, leaving you desperate for more. Am literally counting down the days until the next book is released. Fantastically gripping!
It never seems to just rain but pours down in Harry’s world. Even if I didn’t like him, which I do, I think he is a brilliant character, you wouldn’t be able to help but feel sorry for him and wish life would give him a bit of a break once in a while. Sadly it never seems to and he seems to dig himself further into a darker hole.
Harry’s family and background always play a substantial part in this series. At times what goes on with his parental family, infuriates me. Harry and his wife have both been outcast for daring to fall in love and go against both their different cultures. It’s quite sad to see in this day and age how backward thinking some people still are. Will certainly be interested to see how things go forward in the next book in the series.
The story line had me pounding through the pages to see what awaited me with every page I turned. The killer is an extremely twisted and sadistic one, of which scared and excited me at the same time. I love seeing how Harry works and how he zones in to discovering the killers identity. He is just brilliant and also isn’t scared to bend the rules every now and again.
City of Sinners is an intense and chilling reading experience and one that I couldn’t read fast enough. This is a truly brilliant crime series that just keeps on getting better. It is very dark and very twisted, leaving you desperate for more. Am literally counting down the days until the next book is released. Fantastically gripping!
April 14, 2021
This book was a breath of fresh air for me. I loved the characters and the religious tension between the families of Harry and Saima is very poignant. I broke with tradition and read this, the third book in the series, first. It is a roller coaster, and difficult to put down. Anything I missed in the development of the characters I will make up as I downloaded the first two books in the series the minute I finished this one. I can’t fault this book: it can be read simply as a crime book, but also at many other levels.
May 23, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Randon House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of City of Sinners, the third police procedural to feature Bradford based DCI Harry Virdee.
When the body of Usma Khan is found hanging from the rafters of the bookshop where she worked the ritualistic nature of her murder tell Harry and the team that they are hunting a planner with a mission. The note left with the body tells them Harry is somehow involved.
Wow, what a read. This novel held me gripped from start to finish and I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. It is a potent mixture of thrills, action and the personal with never a dull moment. In fact, it is one of the best books I have read this year.
The killer is smart, resourceful and audacious with all the angles covered and able to outsmart Harry and the team at every turn. This is where the thrills and action come in as Harry and the team are pushed from pillar to post with no time to breathe. It's high octane and compulsive and I felt as if I was constantly holding my breath. The reasoning behind it all is clever and says so much about Bradford culture. I was blown away by the elegant symmetry of it and would love to be able to discuss it more and at great length but, hey, no spoilers.
In the meantime Harry's wife, Saima, gets an unexpected jolt when Harry's estranged father is rushed into A&E with a heart attack and she has to help save his life. Ranjit has refused to speak to Harry since he married Saima as she's Muslim and not Sikh. The ramifications of "brown on brown" racism are well explained and explored in this plot strand. At points it's difficult and heartbreaking to read but again compulsive as the reader hopes for some kind of détente.
City of Sinners is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
When the body of Usma Khan is found hanging from the rafters of the bookshop where she worked the ritualistic nature of her murder tell Harry and the team that they are hunting a planner with a mission. The note left with the body tells them Harry is somehow involved.
Wow, what a read. This novel held me gripped from start to finish and I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. It is a potent mixture of thrills, action and the personal with never a dull moment. In fact, it is one of the best books I have read this year.
The killer is smart, resourceful and audacious with all the angles covered and able to outsmart Harry and the team at every turn. This is where the thrills and action come in as Harry and the team are pushed from pillar to post with no time to breathe. It's high octane and compulsive and I felt as if I was constantly holding my breath. The reasoning behind it all is clever and says so much about Bradford culture. I was blown away by the elegant symmetry of it and would love to be able to discuss it more and at great length but, hey, no spoilers.
In the meantime Harry's wife, Saima, gets an unexpected jolt when Harry's estranged father is rushed into A&E with a heart attack and she has to help save his life. Ranjit has refused to speak to Harry since he married Saima as she's Muslim and not Sikh. The ramifications of "brown on brown" racism are well explained and explored in this plot strand. At points it's difficult and heartbreaking to read but again compulsive as the reader hopes for some kind of détente.
City of Sinners is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
May 27, 2019
Dhand brings Bradford startlingly to life is a superior thriller largely set in the city's Asian community. Yes, in many ways it's over the top, but the reader is so tightly pulled in to the story that you're happy to suspend your disbelief. In that regard, he's reminiscent of John Sandford. Well worth discovering, an excellent, natural writer.
November 29, 2018
City of Sinners – A little too close to home
AA Dhand once again uses his knowledge of Bradford, racism to take the reader on a tour de force of a thriller. As an author Dhand has the wonderful ability of being able to draw in the reader, and in what seems five minutes you are one hundred pages in and cannot book the down. As someone that lives on the correct side of the Pennines, he actually makes Bradford, on the wrong side of the Pennines sound interesting.
Harry Virdee is called out to a case in the middle of Bradford, when he arrives, he asks his inspector what the call is about. Entering the bookshop dangling from the roof is a dead woman, it could be suicide he thinks, when he gets closer things take a turn. He notices there has been a struggle and that the victim besides being Asian has been hung with barbed wire.
It is during the autopsy that things take a turn for the weird, as they eyelids are moving while on the table, and they all know she is dead. When then unpick and open the eyelids a wasp flies out of each eye socket, where the eyes once were. These wasps were definitely not the common sort of wasp that is seen in Britain. When a message is also pulled out of the window socket addressed to Harry, he has no idea what he is about to embark on.
As another dead body turns up, it appears that Harry is being taunted by the murderer, who is accusing him of knowing the reason why the murders are happening. Pity Harry cannot see it just yet, but when it comes closer to home, he starts to ask the right questions, but then he may need to go beyond the law.
Once again AA Dhand has crafted a brilliant thriller which leaves you questioning all the time. It also shows that every family in every community, no matter the heritage can be dysfunctional. He tackles issues that where others fear to tread and does it brilliantly.
An excellent thriller and Harry Virdee as a character continues to develop and I cannot wait for his next outing.
AA Dhand once again uses his knowledge of Bradford, racism to take the reader on a tour de force of a thriller. As an author Dhand has the wonderful ability of being able to draw in the reader, and in what seems five minutes you are one hundred pages in and cannot book the down. As someone that lives on the correct side of the Pennines, he actually makes Bradford, on the wrong side of the Pennines sound interesting.
Harry Virdee is called out to a case in the middle of Bradford, when he arrives, he asks his inspector what the call is about. Entering the bookshop dangling from the roof is a dead woman, it could be suicide he thinks, when he gets closer things take a turn. He notices there has been a struggle and that the victim besides being Asian has been hung with barbed wire.
It is during the autopsy that things take a turn for the weird, as they eyelids are moving while on the table, and they all know she is dead. When then unpick and open the eyelids a wasp flies out of each eye socket, where the eyes once were. These wasps were definitely not the common sort of wasp that is seen in Britain. When a message is also pulled out of the window socket addressed to Harry, he has no idea what he is about to embark on.
As another dead body turns up, it appears that Harry is being taunted by the murderer, who is accusing him of knowing the reason why the murders are happening. Pity Harry cannot see it just yet, but when it comes closer to home, he starts to ask the right questions, but then he may need to go beyond the law.
Once again AA Dhand has crafted a brilliant thriller which leaves you questioning all the time. It also shows that every family in every community, no matter the heritage can be dysfunctional. He tackles issues that where others fear to tread and does it brilliantly.
An excellent thriller and Harry Virdee as a character continues to develop and I cannot wait for his next outing.
November 8, 2021
Fantastic thriller. I've never read this author before and I'm so impressed with the plot building, the detailing and the layers of character sketch.
At face value it is a crime thriller with lots of parallel but extremely coherent storylines. But it also deals with the issues of racism, cultural differences and the challenges of being an immigrant.
From the first chapter the book had my complete attention. The short chapters work in its favour. And even though this is part of a series, it worked well as a stand alone.
Highly recommend it to anyone interested in crime, mystery, race against time sort of thrillers.
At face value it is a crime thriller with lots of parallel but extremely coherent storylines. But it also deals with the issues of racism, cultural differences and the challenges of being an immigrant.
From the first chapter the book had my complete attention. The short chapters work in its favour. And even though this is part of a series, it worked well as a stand alone.
Highly recommend it to anyone interested in crime, mystery, race against time sort of thrillers.
October 14, 2021
Ersilia F. - per RFS
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L’autore britannico di origine asiatiche A.A. Dhand ci porta a Bradford, cittadina inglese un tempo importante centro tessile dove oggi prostituzione, droga e conflitti interreligiosi sono all’ordine del giorno. E lo sa bene l’ispettore della squadra omicidi Harry Virdee che ha sposato Saima, una donna pakistana di origine musulmana. Essendo lui sikh, i due giovani sono stati banditi dalle rispettive famiglie: secondo i genitori ognuno di loro ha sposato il demonio. Entrambi i ragazzi vorrebbero ricucire i rapporti ma le tradizioni, i pregiudizi e le convinzioni in cui fermamente credono i loro parenti ostacolano il loro desiderio.
In questo clima conflittuale, Harry è chiamato a investigare su un caso di omicidio: una giovane donna è stata trovata impiccata sul posto di lavoro. Sul corpo della ragazza è stato lasciato un messaggio proprio per Virdee (in un modo che ho trovato raccapricciante). Il serial killer, infatti, ha qualcosa contro di lui: è una faccenda personale che affonda le sue radici nel passato e, finché l’ispettore non lo fermerà, ogni giovane donna asiatiche che l’assassino riterrà una “peccatrice” sarà punita.
In una spirale di efferati omicidi, Virdee cercherà di dargli un volto in una sfrenata corsa contro il tempo.
La città del peccato è un thriller dai tratti sociologici. Affronta il problema delle comunità locali della città di Bradford, in cui il razzismo tra indiani e musulmani è più feroce che verso i bianchi: le diverse religioni hanno eretto un muro invalicabile. Ma c’è un altro lato della medaglia in questo libro: le giovani nate in Inghilterra, una nazione che insegna la libertà e l’indipendenza, non la vedono allo stesso modo dei loro parenti più anziani e vogliono vivere la propria vita inseguendo i loro sogni.
Mi ha molto disturbata questo aspetto della storia: le donne devono stare al proprio posto e sposare chi gli viene imposto dalla famiglia. E anche se tali famiglie hanno accettato gli usi e i costumi di questa società così diversa da quella d’origine, vogliono che vengano rispettate le tradizioni legate alla loro fede, arrivando persino a minacciare di morte i propri figli se questi non sono d’accordo.
È su questo aspetto che si focalizza il romanzo, che viene descritto in modo così incisivo, dimostrando non solo le contraddizioni ma anche l’impossibilità di dialogo tra i diversi credi religiosi.
Ho apprezzato tantissimo il personaggio di Virdee: eroe anticonformista e sopra le righe, disposto ad aggirare i limiti della legge per garantire la giustizia. Una storia costruita attorno all’ispettore e al killer, caratterizzati nei minimi particolari, e che rappresentano il bene e il male, in una sorta di contrapposizione con l’altra protagonista della storia: Bradford, la città che opera nell’ombra, una Gotham City unica, dove bisogna capire la sua energia nella luce e nel buio. Un luogo in cui le azioni di alcuni pregiudicano l’esistenza di altri.
Una scrittura avvolgente, dal ritmo serrato e dalle descrizioni cupe che lo rendono un noir vecchio stampo.
Un romanzo per gli amanti dei thriller al vetriolo.
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L’autore britannico di origine asiatiche A.A. Dhand ci porta a Bradford, cittadina inglese un tempo importante centro tessile dove oggi prostituzione, droga e conflitti interreligiosi sono all’ordine del giorno. E lo sa bene l’ispettore della squadra omicidi Harry Virdee che ha sposato Saima, una donna pakistana di origine musulmana. Essendo lui sikh, i due giovani sono stati banditi dalle rispettive famiglie: secondo i genitori ognuno di loro ha sposato il demonio. Entrambi i ragazzi vorrebbero ricucire i rapporti ma le tradizioni, i pregiudizi e le convinzioni in cui fermamente credono i loro parenti ostacolano il loro desiderio.
In questo clima conflittuale, Harry è chiamato a investigare su un caso di omicidio: una giovane donna è stata trovata impiccata sul posto di lavoro. Sul corpo della ragazza è stato lasciato un messaggio proprio per Virdee (in un modo che ho trovato raccapricciante). Il serial killer, infatti, ha qualcosa contro di lui: è una faccenda personale che affonda le sue radici nel passato e, finché l’ispettore non lo fermerà, ogni giovane donna asiatiche che l’assassino riterrà una “peccatrice” sarà punita.
In una spirale di efferati omicidi, Virdee cercherà di dargli un volto in una sfrenata corsa contro il tempo.
La città del peccato è un thriller dai tratti sociologici. Affronta il problema delle comunità locali della città di Bradford, in cui il razzismo tra indiani e musulmani è più feroce che verso i bianchi: le diverse religioni hanno eretto un muro invalicabile. Ma c’è un altro lato della medaglia in questo libro: le giovani nate in Inghilterra, una nazione che insegna la libertà e l’indipendenza, non la vedono allo stesso modo dei loro parenti più anziani e vogliono vivere la propria vita inseguendo i loro sogni.
Mi ha molto disturbata questo aspetto della storia: le donne devono stare al proprio posto e sposare chi gli viene imposto dalla famiglia. E anche se tali famiglie hanno accettato gli usi e i costumi di questa società così diversa da quella d’origine, vogliono che vengano rispettate le tradizioni legate alla loro fede, arrivando persino a minacciare di morte i propri figli se questi non sono d’accordo.
È su questo aspetto che si focalizza il romanzo, che viene descritto in modo così incisivo, dimostrando non solo le contraddizioni ma anche l’impossibilità di dialogo tra i diversi credi religiosi.
Ho apprezzato tantissimo il personaggio di Virdee: eroe anticonformista e sopra le righe, disposto ad aggirare i limiti della legge per garantire la giustizia. Una storia costruita attorno all’ispettore e al killer, caratterizzati nei minimi particolari, e che rappresentano il bene e il male, in una sorta di contrapposizione con l’altra protagonista della storia: Bradford, la città che opera nell’ombra, una Gotham City unica, dove bisogna capire la sua energia nella luce e nel buio. Un luogo in cui le azioni di alcuni pregiudicano l’esistenza di altri.
Una scrittura avvolgente, dal ritmo serrato e dalle descrizioni cupe che lo rendono un noir vecchio stampo.
Un romanzo per gli amanti dei thriller al vetriolo.
August 22, 2018
A brilliant crime thriller with a dark, unique setting and engaging characters
Detective Inspector Hardeep ‘Harry’ Virdee is used to dealing with lowlife criminals, having worked on the streets of Bradford as a homicide detective for several years. However, when he is called to a murder scene one morning, the painstaking positioning of the body to send a brutal message and the subsequent chilling autopsy findings are enough to shock even the hardest of police officers. With ongoing struggles in his personal life – mainly his Sikh family’s rejection of his Muslim wife Saima and their three-year-old son Aaron – Harry must use all his skills to try and find the killer. But when another girl is found dead, and a message is found referencing Harry directly, the police realise that what they’re dealing with may be more dangerous than they first thought – a manipulative serial killer, with a personal vendetta against Harry and his family.
From the first few chapters, this story draws the reader into the dark, gritty underworld of Bradford and simultaneously shocks you with the brutality of the murder and emotionally affects you with the sorrow that Harry feels being estranged from his family. Harry himself is a unique and likeable character who never once feels like a stereotypical ‘rebel cop’, and the other characters in the story feel fleshed out and real as well. The setting of Bradford is an unusual one for crime novels, but it works exceptionally well; the author creates a bleak and sadly probably accurate portrayal of both the criminal underworld of the city and the unfortunate attitudes held by many Asians and British people living there. The killer has a very dark and threatening presence throughout the novel, and the ending is dramatic and unexpected, providing a satisfying conclusion to the story.
As with his previous novel, the author touches heavily on issues of race relations and integration of Asian families into British communities, something which is an unusual topic to encounter in crime novels but also extremely interesting and thought-provoking. The author further develops the characters of Saima and of Harry’s father, and the rift between Harry and his family is explored in a way that is hugely emotive and believable. While this is the third book in the DCI Harry Virdee series (of which I have only read the previous instalment) it includes enough backstory that it can be enjoyed as a standalone.
In conclusion, this was an excellent and atmospheric crime thriller that has made me keen to get my hands on both the first DCI Virdee novel and any subsequent instalments. I would recommend this series to fans of crime thrillers and look forward to reading more by this author.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Detective Inspector Hardeep ‘Harry’ Virdee is used to dealing with lowlife criminals, having worked on the streets of Bradford as a homicide detective for several years. However, when he is called to a murder scene one morning, the painstaking positioning of the body to send a brutal message and the subsequent chilling autopsy findings are enough to shock even the hardest of police officers. With ongoing struggles in his personal life – mainly his Sikh family’s rejection of his Muslim wife Saima and their three-year-old son Aaron – Harry must use all his skills to try and find the killer. But when another girl is found dead, and a message is found referencing Harry directly, the police realise that what they’re dealing with may be more dangerous than they first thought – a manipulative serial killer, with a personal vendetta against Harry and his family.
From the first few chapters, this story draws the reader into the dark, gritty underworld of Bradford and simultaneously shocks you with the brutality of the murder and emotionally affects you with the sorrow that Harry feels being estranged from his family. Harry himself is a unique and likeable character who never once feels like a stereotypical ‘rebel cop’, and the other characters in the story feel fleshed out and real as well. The setting of Bradford is an unusual one for crime novels, but it works exceptionally well; the author creates a bleak and sadly probably accurate portrayal of both the criminal underworld of the city and the unfortunate attitudes held by many Asians and British people living there. The killer has a very dark and threatening presence throughout the novel, and the ending is dramatic and unexpected, providing a satisfying conclusion to the story.
As with his previous novel, the author touches heavily on issues of race relations and integration of Asian families into British communities, something which is an unusual topic to encounter in crime novels but also extremely interesting and thought-provoking. The author further develops the characters of Saima and of Harry’s father, and the rift between Harry and his family is explored in a way that is hugely emotive and believable. While this is the third book in the DCI Harry Virdee series (of which I have only read the previous instalment) it includes enough backstory that it can be enjoyed as a standalone.
In conclusion, this was an excellent and atmospheric crime thriller that has made me keen to get my hands on both the first DCI Virdee novel and any subsequent instalments. I would recommend this series to fans of crime thrillers and look forward to reading more by this author.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
March 2, 2021
Hooked from page 1. You never know what you're going to get from Harry Virdee......one of my favourite fictional detectives that's for sure!
After growing up in Bradford....I love the background and history of the city described in Dhand's books......and I like the way he isn't afraid to address the City's problems head on. Great read...already on with the next one 😁
After growing up in Bradford....I love the background and history of the city described in Dhand's books......and I like the way he isn't afraid to address the City's problems head on. Great read...already on with the next one 😁
February 19, 2019
This is the third in the Harry Virdee series and does not let up. The death toll rises almost with each chapter and the way the victims are killed show different methods, so, although there is a serial killer on the loose, their MO is different each time and it starts the cat and mouse game between the killer and Harry and becomes more personal with each killing with Harry at a loss as to how he can bring this killer to justice,(his own justice).
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because there was a little too much about the conflict between his and his wife's family/religion and this distracted from the crime part of the novel.
If Dhand brings out any more books I will definitely be reading them as they bring to life the conflict taking place on the streets of Bradford and between the different Asian communities as well as between the Asian and white communities a mixture of racial, cultural, religious and criminal conflicts.
Keep going Mr Dhand
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because there was a little too much about the conflict between his and his wife's family/religion and this distracted from the crime part of the novel.
If Dhand brings out any more books I will definitely be reading them as they bring to life the conflict taking place on the streets of Bradford and between the different Asian communities as well as between the Asian and white communities a mixture of racial, cultural, religious and criminal conflicts.
Keep going Mr Dhand
August 5, 2024
The climax and resolution of this book was incredible. However, I didn’t think the bulk of the story was as gripping as the first two books in this series. The style of chasing the killer instead of chasing the event (I thought) didn’t display the authors incredible writing skills as much. The other books I couldn’t put down whereas there were parts where I found myself a bit bored as there weren’t as many flickers between perspectives and (until the climax) I didn’t feel invested and it felt slightly predictable. In saying all of that, the climax and resolution took it from a 3 star to a 4 for me.
August 7, 2019
This series of books leave you wanting to read on and wondering what the next twist to the plot will be, as sub plots emerge and the story gains pace. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster of emotions with the main protagonist, as the need to catch the killer reaches it conclusion.
December 10, 2020
Don't judge me.
August 6, 2021
And, above all, that last acknowledgement 🙂💞💞
June 7, 2018
A book which opens in the actual shop I work in? Where I'm actually namechecked as a character? Of course I love it! And the fact that it is a fantastic crime thriller with a sting in the tail and a plot as twisted as barbed wire makes it even better...
October 27, 2024
As a bradfordian I really enjoyed reading this as I didn’t have to imagine the area as all locations I was extremely familiar with which in my eyes made this book so much more interesting and exciting! Gripping story many twists and turns, truly couldn’t put this done! Can’t wait to read the next in the series!
September 2, 2021
A gruesome, public murder of a young girl with messages for the police and particularly DCI Harry Virdee and the killer is watching. The killer is always watching and the killing has only just begun, but why?
From the opening chapter this book doesn’t stop, a really terrifying serial killer who always seems to be one step ahead, secrets that have been kept and now discovered and all set against the backdrop of Bradford. Harry Virdee is a really great character, a strong sense of truth and justice but enough grey areas for him to do what’s required, to stretch the rules and to scare the criminals as they don’t know what he could do. The racism he experiences as well from his own family and community gives these stories a new dynamic. This is a great series.
From the opening chapter this book doesn’t stop, a really terrifying serial killer who always seems to be one step ahead, secrets that have been kept and now discovered and all set against the backdrop of Bradford. Harry Virdee is a really great character, a strong sense of truth and justice but enough grey areas for him to do what’s required, to stretch the rules and to scare the criminals as they don’t know what he could do. The racism he experiences as well from his own family and community gives these stories a new dynamic. This is a great series.
July 22, 2022
Sinning you would just not believe
AA Dhand is certainly a brilliant thriller writer. Hardeep "Harry" Virdee is also a coppers cop. Wants to put those who commit crime behind bars and ensure people can live a decent life. However Harry has a secret that is the weakness he fears. Harry is asked to investigate the death of a young Asian woman in a book shop. The death is made to look like suicide but at the post mortem Harry discovers it isn't. What a great book and such depth of knowledge as to how police processes work along with a view into Asian society. I could not put it down, fantastic writing, great setting and a great insight into how Asian society works.
Well worth the read and a fantastic ending.
AA Dhand is certainly a brilliant thriller writer. Hardeep "Harry" Virdee is also a coppers cop. Wants to put those who commit crime behind bars and ensure people can live a decent life. However Harry has a secret that is the weakness he fears. Harry is asked to investigate the death of a young Asian woman in a book shop. The death is made to look like suicide but at the post mortem Harry discovers it isn't. What a great book and such depth of knowledge as to how police processes work along with a view into Asian society. I could not put it down, fantastic writing, great setting and a great insight into how Asian society works.
Well worth the read and a fantastic ending.
August 25, 2019
What is this about?: Someone is kidnapping, and killing Asian (read Indian/Muslim) girls in Bradford -- with wasp stings. DI Harry Virdee is on the case, but soon finds out he *is* the case.
What else is this about?: Family, on the toxic nature of religion and tradition in Asian culture. It is by no means saying that tradition is something to be ignored, but it should be an excuse to cause harm to women (or men).
For someone for whom pacing can make or break a book, City of Sinners is perfectly paced, with Dhand’s efficient writing propelling even the quieter moments ever forward.
Dhand launches right into the case that Harry is investigating with the death of a young woman, in a particularly gruesome way. The autopsy quickly establishes that this is a meticulous killer, one who knows his victims – in this case, he knew that she was allergic to wasps because she died from an allergic reaction to a wasp sting. From there the case moves forward full steam ahead, because the killer is a binge killer, with women being kidnapped and killed quickly over a short space of time – at least until he kidnaps Ayesha, the daughter of Home Secretary, who is Asian too, and who proves to be an ally in unexpected ways.
The case is confusing, brutal and takes a toll on Harry. But while he is chasing down leads, Dhand turns our attention to Saima, Harry’s wife, and his estranged family, bringing the theme of tradition to the fore.
Tradition and Brown on Brown racism
This book explores the ugliness of tradition, on the chasms that it causes families when it is blindly followed with no room for movement. It’s a theme that has persisted from the first book, when we find out that Harry has been estranged from his family since he married Saima, his Muslim wife. He still maintained contact with his older brother Ronnie, who essentially runs the criminal underground in Bradford, and Harry knows this. When this book opens however, it’s been two years, since the death of Ronnie’s eldest daughter Tara, that they have been in contact.
Which means when Saima, a nurse, saves the life of his bigoted father in her hospital, she throws them all back together.
Harry’s father hates Muslims. It’s as simple as that. He violently attacked Harry when he announced he was marrying Saima – that’s how deep, and ugly his bigotry runs. When Saima saves him, she is brought back into Jyoti’s (Harry’s mother) orbit, introducing her to Aaron, her grandson and letting them bond. But, hovering in the background is Harry’s father, and the fact that he doesn’t know who Saima is. For her part, she cannot understand why he would hate her so – and the book doesn’t explain it. Harry’s father is a bigot, -- he hates Muslims and that’s all there is to it for him. And that’s at the core of this – that blind following to tradition or to a hate, without thinking for yourself is the cause of so much horror and heartache.
As ugly as his father is, his mother is treat to see interact with Saima, to give her something of a relationship she’s never had with her parents – who basically went off to Pakistan, ashamed when she told them she was marrying Harry. In this book though we’re introduced to Nadia, her sister and the fact that they’ve reconnected in the two years since the last book.
Their relationship, like Saima’s interaction with Jyoti shows the beauty of tradition, shows that it does not need to be lost in a new culture or country, and that there’s a balance of old and new that can be achieved.
So it makes sense when Jyoti begins to work on a plan to introduce Saima to her husband, to try and make him see sense – and without telling Harry.
Harry and Ronnie
While this is going on, Harry’s case progresses to the point that he realises how personal it actually is, and that the killer is out to make him suffer. He suspects it might be because Ronnie confessed to someone that 19 years ago, Harry killed someone in self defence and Ronnie took the blame – it’s this that brings the brothers back together, with Harry suspecting that whoever Ronnie told is behind the killing. Except, Ronnie would never do that to him. This re-introduction of the brothers shows their bond, that family bond that runs deeper than anything. It also expertly sets up the next book in the series.
It draws the brothers ever closer together, but honestly guys, I’m in awe of how it all comes together in the end. I’m trying very hard not to go into more detail and spoil bits in this book, because I want to yell about it from the rooftops and tell everyone to read this series now.
Dhand has given a searing commentary on tradition in this book, on those people who hold on to it like their shield against change – whether it’s a new country, or a new way of doing things. It’s an excuse for people not to change, to stagnate and actually lose out on so much because they will not change. Tradition is what drives the killer in the ugliest of ways when everything is revealed. Harry has never lost his tradition, but he and Saima are holding on to the traditions of both their faiths in their own way.
Did I mention how Dhand sets up the next book in the series in this one, so subtly I didn’t even realise it until the end? Because he totally does and I wish more authors were as good as that. I waited too long to read this one, and you can bet I will be on pins and needles for the next one.
What else is this about?: Family, on the toxic nature of religion and tradition in Asian culture. It is by no means saying that tradition is something to be ignored, but it should be an excuse to cause harm to women (or men).
For someone for whom pacing can make or break a book, City of Sinners is perfectly paced, with Dhand’s efficient writing propelling even the quieter moments ever forward.
Dhand launches right into the case that Harry is investigating with the death of a young woman, in a particularly gruesome way. The autopsy quickly establishes that this is a meticulous killer, one who knows his victims – in this case, he knew that she was allergic to wasps because she died from an allergic reaction to a wasp sting. From there the case moves forward full steam ahead, because the killer is a binge killer, with women being kidnapped and killed quickly over a short space of time – at least until he kidnaps Ayesha, the daughter of Home Secretary, who is Asian too, and who proves to be an ally in unexpected ways.
The case is confusing, brutal and takes a toll on Harry. But while he is chasing down leads, Dhand turns our attention to Saima, Harry’s wife, and his estranged family, bringing the theme of tradition to the fore.
Tradition and Brown on Brown racism
This book explores the ugliness of tradition, on the chasms that it causes families when it is blindly followed with no room for movement. It’s a theme that has persisted from the first book, when we find out that Harry has been estranged from his family since he married Saima, his Muslim wife. He still maintained contact with his older brother Ronnie, who essentially runs the criminal underground in Bradford, and Harry knows this. When this book opens however, it’s been two years, since the death of Ronnie’s eldest daughter Tara, that they have been in contact.
Which means when Saima, a nurse, saves the life of his bigoted father in her hospital, she throws them all back together.
Harry’s father hates Muslims. It’s as simple as that. He violently attacked Harry when he announced he was marrying Saima – that’s how deep, and ugly his bigotry runs. When Saima saves him, she is brought back into Jyoti’s (Harry’s mother) orbit, introducing her to Aaron, her grandson and letting them bond. But, hovering in the background is Harry’s father, and the fact that he doesn’t know who Saima is. For her part, she cannot understand why he would hate her so – and the book doesn’t explain it. Harry’s father is a bigot, -- he hates Muslims and that’s all there is to it for him. And that’s at the core of this – that blind following to tradition or to a hate, without thinking for yourself is the cause of so much horror and heartache.
As ugly as his father is, his mother is treat to see interact with Saima, to give her something of a relationship she’s never had with her parents – who basically went off to Pakistan, ashamed when she told them she was marrying Harry. In this book though we’re introduced to Nadia, her sister and the fact that they’ve reconnected in the two years since the last book.
Their relationship, like Saima’s interaction with Jyoti shows the beauty of tradition, shows that it does not need to be lost in a new culture or country, and that there’s a balance of old and new that can be achieved.
So it makes sense when Jyoti begins to work on a plan to introduce Saima to her husband, to try and make him see sense – and without telling Harry.
Harry and Ronnie
While this is going on, Harry’s case progresses to the point that he realises how personal it actually is, and that the killer is out to make him suffer. He suspects it might be because Ronnie confessed to someone that 19 years ago, Harry killed someone in self defence and Ronnie took the blame – it’s this that brings the brothers back together, with Harry suspecting that whoever Ronnie told is behind the killing. Except, Ronnie would never do that to him. This re-introduction of the brothers shows their bond, that family bond that runs deeper than anything. It also expertly sets up the next book in the series.
It draws the brothers ever closer together, but honestly guys, I’m in awe of how it all comes together in the end. I’m trying very hard not to go into more detail and spoil bits in this book, because I want to yell about it from the rooftops and tell everyone to read this series now.
Dhand has given a searing commentary on tradition in this book, on those people who hold on to it like their shield against change – whether it’s a new country, or a new way of doing things. It’s an excuse for people not to change, to stagnate and actually lose out on so much because they will not change. Tradition is what drives the killer in the ugliest of ways when everything is revealed. Harry has never lost his tradition, but he and Saima are holding on to the traditions of both their faiths in their own way.
Did I mention how Dhand sets up the next book in the series in this one, so subtly I didn’t even realise it until the end? Because he totally does and I wish more authors were as good as that. I waited too long to read this one, and you can bet I will be on pins and needles for the next one.
January 12, 2019
Amit Dhand's books are no less than 5 stars.
August 29, 2021
A superb crime novel. Harry is such a brilliant character. I would recommend this series highly
June 19, 2021
L’autore britannico di origine asiatiche A.A. Dhand ci porta a Bradford, cittadina inglese un tempo importante centro tessile e dove oggi prostituzione, droga e conflitti interreligiosi sono all’ordine del giorno. E lo sa bene l’ispettore della squadra omicidi Harry Virdee che ha sposato Saima, una donna pakistana di origine musulmana. Essendo lui sikh, sono stati banditi dalle rispettive famiglie: secondo i genitori ognuno ha sposato il demonio. E nonostante entrambi vorrebbero ricucire i rapporti, le tradizioni, i pregiudizi e le convinzioni dure a cambiare ostacolano il loro desiderio. In questo clima, Harry sarà chiamato a investigare su un caso di omicidio: una giovane donna asiatica è stata trovata impiccata nel posto in cui lavora. E, in un modo raccapricciante, il corpo della ragazza ha un messaggio proprio per l’ispettore Virdee. Il killer ha qualcosa contro di lui, è una faccenda personale e finché non lo fermerà ogni donna che l’assassino riterrà “peccatrice” sarà punita perché il vero obiettivo è proprio lui: secondo il serial killer la colpa del poliziotto ha radici nel passato.
In una spirale di efferati omicidi, le cui vittime sono tutte giovani donne asiatiche, Virdee cercherà di dargli un volto in una sfrenata corsa contro il tempo.
La città del peccato è un thriller dai tratti sociologici. Affronta il problema delle comunità locali della città di Bradford, dove il razzismo tra indiani e musulmani è più feroce che tra i bianchi. Dove le diverse religioni hanno eretto un muro invalicabile, ma così non è per le giovani nate in un paese che insegna la libertà e l’indipendenza, e vogliono vivere la propria vita inseguendo i loro sogni.
Mi ha molto disturbata questo aspetto della storia: le donne devono stare al proprio posto e sposare chi impone loro la famiglia. E tali famiglie hanno accettato gli usi e i costumi di una società diversa, ma non che non vengano rispettate le tradizioni della propria fede, arrivando anche a minacciare di morte i propri figli. È su questo aspetto che si focalizza il romanzo, descrivendolo in modo così incisivo, dimostrando le contraddizioni e l’impossibilità di dialogo tra i diversi credi religiosi.
Ho apprezzato tantissimo il personaggio di Virdee: eroe anticonformista e sopra le righe, disposto ad aggirare i limiti della legge per garantire la giustizia. Una storia costruita attorno all’ispettore e al killer, descritti nei minimi particolari, rappresentando il bene e il male, in una sorta di contrapposizione con l’altra protagonista della storia: Bradford, la città che opera nell’ombra, una Gotham City unica, dove bisogna capire la sua energia nella luce e nel buio.
Un luogo in cui le azioni di alcuni pregiudicano l’esistenza di altri.
Una scrittura avvolgente, dal ritmo serrato e dalle descrizioni cupe che lo rendono un noir vecchio stampo.
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