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The Khan
'Bold, addictive and brilliant.' Stylist, Best Fiction 2021
Be twice as good as men and four times as good as white men.
Jia Khan has always lived like this.
A successful lawyer, her London life is a long way from the grubby Northern streets she knew as a child, where her father headed up the Pakistani community and ran the local organised crime syndicate. Often his Jirga rule - the old way - was violent and bloody, but it was always justice of a kind.
But now her father, Akbar Khan, has been murdered and Jia must return to take his place. In the past, the police relied on him to maintain the fragile order of the streets. But a power struggle has broken out amongst the various communities and now, nobody is safe.
Justice needs to be restored, and Jia is about to discover that justice always comes at a cost.
Be twice as good as men and four times as good as white men.
Jia Khan has always lived like this.
A successful lawyer, her London life is a long way from the grubby Northern streets she knew as a child, where her father headed up the Pakistani community and ran the local organised crime syndicate. Often his Jirga rule - the old way - was violent and bloody, but it was always justice of a kind.
But now her father, Akbar Khan, has been murdered and Jia must return to take his place. In the past, the police relied on him to maintain the fragile order of the streets. But a power struggle has broken out amongst the various communities and now, nobody is safe.
Justice needs to be restored, and Jia is about to discover that justice always comes at a cost.
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First published March 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 331 reviews
January 23, 2021
Saima Mir has written one of the best crime reads of 2021, set in the violent, blood drenched streets of Bradford, a city of contradictions where nothing is black and white and no-one's loyalties are straightforward. This dark and edgy novel has one of the most complex and mesmerising central protagonists in Jai, daughter of the undisputed, powerful crime kingpin of the city, Akbar Khan, a proud Pukhtan and Muslim, universally revered in the Pakistani community as The Khan, ruling with an iron will, through the power of ancient traditions, religion, rituals and sacrifice, and with others through his Jirga, the dispenser of justice, and one of the main providers of 'employment' in the community. Akbar is reconciled to the unpalatable aspects of his leadership, believing this to be an acceptable price to pay for the greater good, without sinners there can be no saints.
For 15 years, Jai has been estranged from her crime family, putting her belief in British justice, having built a successful career as a lawyer in London. She is unforgiving of her father's role in the death of her beloved brother, Zan, a death that destroyed her marriage to Elyas Ahmad, a man who singlehandedly raised their teenage son, Ahad, whom she has not seen since his birth. The time has come to return to the family to attend the wedding of her sister, Maria, only to find herself staying as her father is murdered, her brother, Benyamin in danger, her family is in disarray, the Jirga needs stabilising, an organisation crying out for renewal in the midst of the challenges it faces from within the community, and additionally from the Eastern Europeans, under Andrzej Nowak's 'Brotherhood' gang, ruthlessly intent on taking over their drug trade and other criminal activities.
Has Jai got what it takes to be the new Khan? She is, after all, a woman, the duplicitous world of men expect women to be draped in honour, and certainly not at the helm of the most powerful of criminal enterprises. However, Jai begins to realise she has misunderstood her father, a father who knew she was the one with the abilities required to take over from him, a position that demands blood be spilt. As events conspire to test her to her limits, Jai reaches for the ice cold resolve to be The Khan, but where does this all fit in with her desire to get to know her son? Mir incrementally depicts and reveals the rich tapestry of the intricate, complicated and contrary nature and dynamics of family, community, and crime, within a city, country, police force and judiciary historically steeped in a damning, bone deep racism, creating the scenario where crime provides the only route out of desperate poverty for the underclass.
This is a riveting, thought provoking, atmospheric, vibrant and twisted character driven novel of love, family, loss, betrayal, corruption, crime, race, power and being a woman in the mean streets of Bradford that simmer with tensions and death. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.
For 15 years, Jai has been estranged from her crime family, putting her belief in British justice, having built a successful career as a lawyer in London. She is unforgiving of her father's role in the death of her beloved brother, Zan, a death that destroyed her marriage to Elyas Ahmad, a man who singlehandedly raised their teenage son, Ahad, whom she has not seen since his birth. The time has come to return to the family to attend the wedding of her sister, Maria, only to find herself staying as her father is murdered, her brother, Benyamin in danger, her family is in disarray, the Jirga needs stabilising, an organisation crying out for renewal in the midst of the challenges it faces from within the community, and additionally from the Eastern Europeans, under Andrzej Nowak's 'Brotherhood' gang, ruthlessly intent on taking over their drug trade and other criminal activities.
Has Jai got what it takes to be the new Khan? She is, after all, a woman, the duplicitous world of men expect women to be draped in honour, and certainly not at the helm of the most powerful of criminal enterprises. However, Jai begins to realise she has misunderstood her father, a father who knew she was the one with the abilities required to take over from him, a position that demands blood be spilt. As events conspire to test her to her limits, Jai reaches for the ice cold resolve to be The Khan, but where does this all fit in with her desire to get to know her son? Mir incrementally depicts and reveals the rich tapestry of the intricate, complicated and contrary nature and dynamics of family, community, and crime, within a city, country, police force and judiciary historically steeped in a damning, bone deep racism, creating the scenario where crime provides the only route out of desperate poverty for the underclass.
This is a riveting, thought provoking, atmospheric, vibrant and twisted character driven novel of love, family, loss, betrayal, corruption, crime, race, power and being a woman in the mean streets of Bradford that simmer with tensions and death. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.
April 12, 2021
An enormous disappointment.
The ideas here are marvellous: material for a family crime saga set in a Bradford that's as dangerous, gritty and glamorous as any Gotham City Batman had to rescue. It could have been The Godfather transplanted to Yorkshire, a popular novel touched with greatness. Actually, it could have been two really good books: the first about how Jia came to leave Yorkshire and her family, the second about coming home. Instead, they're crammed into one poorly executed volume.
It's terrible. Clumsily written, in need of another draft and a vicious edit. Point of view lurches all over the place (there are worse sins); there's an intolerable deal of back-story to every tiny scrap of plot. Disagreements and dilemmas that could be the basis for major scenes and and entire chapters are thrown away in a sentence. Worst of all, major plot points depend on characters acting in ways that seem unbelievable in the light of who they are - for instance (Spoiler alert) one who's spent years being vigilant about security, who has bodyguards and CCTV and the full panoply, including an entire troupe of warrior foot-soldiers . . . suddenly wandering out entirely alone in the middle of the night, into a situation he knows is full of peril. It would have been more credible to have him abducted by aliens.
The ideas here are marvellous: material for a family crime saga set in a Bradford that's as dangerous, gritty and glamorous as any Gotham City Batman had to rescue. It could have been The Godfather transplanted to Yorkshire, a popular novel touched with greatness. Actually, it could have been two really good books: the first about how Jia came to leave Yorkshire and her family, the second about coming home. Instead, they're crammed into one poorly executed volume.
It's terrible. Clumsily written, in need of another draft and a vicious edit. Point of view lurches all over the place (there are worse sins); there's an intolerable deal of back-story to every tiny scrap of plot. Disagreements and dilemmas that could be the basis for major scenes and and entire chapters are thrown away in a sentence. Worst of all, major plot points depend on characters acting in ways that seem unbelievable in the light of who they are - for instance (Spoiler alert) one who's spent years being vigilant about security, who has bodyguards and CCTV and the full panoply, including an entire troupe of warrior foot-soldiers . . . suddenly wandering out entirely alone in the middle of the night, into a situation he knows is full of peril. It would have been more credible to have him abducted by aliens.
October 9, 2022
After being massively disappointed in the way another writer wrote a book i finished recently I was completely sold on this novel from the start. Was very well written and intruiging the whole way trough. Different story from what I've read before and very interested to see if Saima Mir have written any more books
January 30, 2022
Rating: 5+ all the stars / 5
If someone had walked up to me a while ago and said, "Hey, you ever wonder what The Godfather would be like if it was the Pakistani mafia instead of Italian? And if the person running it was a Muslim woman wearing a chador?", I wouldn't have laughed.
No, the idea is, quite frankly, too bizarre to be funny.
I would, however, have been skeptical, and sniffed and scoffed. After which, I would have said something arbitruary like, "Oh, that doesn't sound like something that I or really anyone will want to read outside of the culture."
Anyway, that would have been a hypothetical scenario that I would have expected of myself, when really the reality is just that i liked this cover and this powerful-sounding title, so I added this book to my to-read list without really paying attention to what it was about.
I'll admit that when I couldn't find the book to buy online except as used copies on Amazon--because even the Kindle version is exclusive to Amazon UK for some reason--I was intrigued, and so I searched to see if there was a preview anywhere, so I'd know what I was in for.
Well, I read the preview. And then found an ebook copy online and just kept on reading.
My conclusion?
That this is the BEST book I have read so far this year!
(And I highly doubt that anything will top it anytime soon.)
That's right. You heard right. The BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN 2022 SO FAR!
(And granted, though it's only the end of January, again, I doubt that something will be topping this anytime soon.)
___________________________
Ahem, now let's talk about the book itself.
First off, and it must be said, I was IMPRESSED by the writing. I don't often say this, so when I do say it I mean it--I was I-M-P-R-E-S-S-E-D. This writing is almost inhumanly-fantastically good, captivating and raw from start to finish.
If this book ends up not being popular, it's not because the writing's not good...
...but because the writing's too honest.
Saima Mir tells it like it is, holding nothing back, and most people just can't handle that. Hey, I get it. It's why everyone from politicians to garbage collectors have to censor their talk when in polite company. There are things that are just "politically correct" and "polite", so I get the censors.
But I LOVE Saima Mir for not giving a damn about them and just saying it like it is.
We need more of that, seriously.
___________________________
As for the story contained within the book, the first thing readers will notice are obvious parallels to The Godfather, like
+ a powerful yet mysterious father figure for whom family is important, but so is the crime underworld that, try as he might, he can't keep completely separate
+ a protegee child of his (in this case, Jia Khan) that is nevertheless reluctant to take over the business but is just SO suited for it--and add an extra layer of intrigue and originality for the fact that Jia's a Muslim woman, so obviously being in charge of a Pakistani crime family in her position is unheard of and she's not taken seriously until she proves herself
+ "the day of my daughter's wedding", someone asks a favour
+ the gradual turning over of the crime rig from the older generation to a newer generation
+ sibling drama
+ crime drama with a rival gang
+ the innocent spouse who is completely uninvolved in the family business, but who gets dragged into it regardless
+ the cold, calm, and PERFECT calculation of the Khan
In short, Vito = Akbar Khan, and Michael = Jia Khan.
Clear?
Ahem, but anyway, putting the parallels aside, a lot of this book is focused on the philosophies of Islam, specifically with the Pakistani "Pakhtun" background of Jia and her family. To understand it if you don't have any background on some of the cultural terms, you'll have to do a bit of research, but the words are repeated so much that you really get a sense of what they mean even without that. And I especially found it captivating how loyalty equates to family and how the philosophies displayed in this book aren't ideal, but they are real.
Take, for example, this quote, that sums it up perfectly:
Sounds simple, right? And yet why haven't I ever read something quote in those words before?
___________________________
When it comes right down to it, this for me was a book to which I had nothing in common. Not culture, not religion, not background, not even knowledge of where it was taking place or what to expect of the system these characters are living in, nor the discriminating treatment they receive. None of it.
But it captivated me, got me thinking, held my attention, and thoroughly threw me for a loop. I can't praise it enough, honestly.
I only hope and wish that more people will read it and give it the praise is deserves.
If someone had walked up to me a while ago and said, "Hey, you ever wonder what The Godfather would be like if it was the Pakistani mafia instead of Italian? And if the person running it was a Muslim woman wearing a chador?", I wouldn't have laughed.
No, the idea is, quite frankly, too bizarre to be funny.
I would, however, have been skeptical, and sniffed and scoffed. After which, I would have said something arbitruary like, "Oh, that doesn't sound like something that I or really anyone will want to read outside of the culture."
Anyway, that would have been a hypothetical scenario that I would have expected of myself, when really the reality is just that i liked this cover and this powerful-sounding title, so I added this book to my to-read list without really paying attention to what it was about.
I'll admit that when I couldn't find the book to buy online except as used copies on Amazon--because even the Kindle version is exclusive to Amazon UK for some reason--I was intrigued, and so I searched to see if there was a preview anywhere, so I'd know what I was in for.
Well, I read the preview. And then found an ebook copy online and just kept on reading.
My conclusion?
That this is the BEST book I have read so far this year!
(And I highly doubt that anything will top it anytime soon.)
That's right. You heard right. The BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN 2022 SO FAR!
(And granted, though it's only the end of January, again, I doubt that something will be topping this anytime soon.)
___________________________
Ahem, now let's talk about the book itself.
First off, and it must be said, I was IMPRESSED by the writing. I don't often say this, so when I do say it I mean it--I was I-M-P-R-E-S-S-E-D. This writing is almost inhumanly-fantastically good, captivating and raw from start to finish.
If this book ends up not being popular, it's not because the writing's not good...
...but because the writing's too honest.
Saima Mir tells it like it is, holding nothing back, and most people just can't handle that. Hey, I get it. It's why everyone from politicians to garbage collectors have to censor their talk when in polite company. There are things that are just "politically correct" and "polite", so I get the censors.
But I LOVE Saima Mir for not giving a damn about them and just saying it like it is.
We need more of that, seriously.
___________________________
As for the story contained within the book, the first thing readers will notice are obvious parallels to The Godfather, like
+ a powerful yet mysterious father figure for whom family is important, but so is the crime underworld that, try as he might, he can't keep completely separate
+ a protegee child of his (in this case, Jia Khan) that is nevertheless reluctant to take over the business but is just SO suited for it--and add an extra layer of intrigue and originality for the fact that Jia's a Muslim woman, so obviously being in charge of a Pakistani crime family in her position is unheard of and she's not taken seriously until she proves herself
+ "the day of my daughter's wedding", someone asks a favour
+ the gradual turning over of the crime rig from the older generation to a newer generation
+ sibling drama
+ crime drama with a rival gang
+ the innocent spouse who is completely uninvolved in the family business, but who gets dragged into it regardless
+ the cold, calm, and PERFECT calculation of the Khan
In short, Vito = Akbar Khan, and Michael = Jia Khan.
Clear?
Ahem, but anyway, putting the parallels aside, a lot of this book is focused on the philosophies of Islam, specifically with the Pakistani "Pakhtun" background of Jia and her family. To understand it if you don't have any background on some of the cultural terms, you'll have to do a bit of research, but the words are repeated so much that you really get a sense of what they mean even without that. And I especially found it captivating how loyalty equates to family and how the philosophies displayed in this book aren't ideal, but they are real.
Take, for example, this quote, that sums it up perfectly:
"If you want to help good people, you have to learn to be bad. Because that’s what it takes in this world."
Sounds simple, right? And yet why haven't I ever read something quote in those words before?
___________________________
When it comes right down to it, this for me was a book to which I had nothing in common. Not culture, not religion, not background, not even knowledge of where it was taking place or what to expect of the system these characters are living in, nor the discriminating treatment they receive. None of it.
But it captivated me, got me thinking, held my attention, and thoroughly threw me for a loop. I can't praise it enough, honestly.
I only hope and wish that more people will read it and give it the praise is deserves.
July 27, 2021
Jia Khan has always lived with only one motto : "Be twice as good as men and four times as good as white men". The Khan by Saima Mir is a crime thriller about her father Akbar Khan, who was murdered and now Jia Khan must come back to his place and to her old roots and life which she left behind long back.
Akbar Khan was handling a Pakistani Community called Jirga, a Pukhtun Community and crime syndicate. Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London, but as she hears the new she has to return to her Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia Khan, has to prove her place in the community as a new leader and earn trust from all the men around.
The book deals with all the dark world atmosphere, we get to read about the crimes and how the other world functions in the start. The background is set very brilliantly. But as the story progresses, we loose the thriller essence to it. It becomes more contemporary, which is not bad but I would want to read more gripping and thrilling plot twists as well.
This one being I guess the debut novel of the author, it is written very well. The book has promising side characters as well such as Jia's uncle and Maira. All these have helped in building the plot well. Will she become The Khan that everyone is expecting her to be? Will she fulfill her father's expectations?
Akbar Khan was handling a Pakistani Community called Jirga, a Pukhtun Community and crime syndicate. Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London, but as she hears the new she has to return to her Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia Khan, has to prove her place in the community as a new leader and earn trust from all the men around.
The book deals with all the dark world atmosphere, we get to read about the crimes and how the other world functions in the start. The background is set very brilliantly. But as the story progresses, we loose the thriller essence to it. It becomes more contemporary, which is not bad but I would want to read more gripping and thrilling plot twists as well.
This one being I guess the debut novel of the author, it is written very well. The book has promising side characters as well such as Jia's uncle and Maira. All these have helped in building the plot well. Will she become The Khan that everyone is expecting her to be? Will she fulfill her father's expectations?
April 21, 2021
In Saima Mir’s mesmerizing debut novel, Jia Khan tells her son that life is about losing. She states that we lose time, the people we love, our ideals and our innocence. This vision permeates this crime thriller that has an action packed plot but raises questions that reverberate well beyond its specific genre.
Jia Khan is the daughter of Akbar Khan, a Pukhtan who reveres the traditions of his Muslim heritage and is the acknowledged crime leader in Bradford, a city in northern England that has been beset with urban and economic decay. He is acknowledged as The Khan and exerts a powerful hold on the city, controlling the criminal factions and forming an uneasy alliance with the city’s power structure.He is a figure of reverence in the Asian community, melding the religion and rituals of their home lands while providing a bridge to the institutions in an unfamiliar land.In tandem with his council, the Jirga, he dispenses justice and provides employment for his marginalized community. Although his methods can be harsh and not always legal, Akbar believes that his methods are necessary to protect his community and evolve future generations towards greater participation in the majority society.
His daughter Jia, on the other hand, has rejected this way of life. Although deeply imbued with a love for her family, she has broken with tradition and has become a successful barrister in London. A series of traumatic events have caused her estrangement from her family. She has not seen them for fifteen years and has pursued a career rooted in a belief in British justice that does not align with the views of her ethnic community.
At the story opens,Jia is preparing to return to her family home to attend her sister’s wedding. After the wedding but before she can return to London, her father is murdered and her brother is held hostage. Realizing that her family is shaken by Akbar’s death and that the Jirga is under threat from an Eastern European crime syndicate, Jia decides to remain in Bradford. Her father had always thought that she had the intelligence, will and intellect to assume leadership of the Jirga. Jia can see that the organization is crumbling and needs an infusion of modern ideas to combine with tradition..But tradition looks unfavorably on a woman assuming this role. The explication of Jia’s ability to navigate these obstacles immerses the reader into a story of gender,family, tradition, choices and consequences that has a surprising conclusion.
This novel is notable because it provides a portrait of the political and cultural landscape in Britain that I have not often encountered in crime novels. Samir Mir provides an alternative perspective on justice in the legal system, suggesting that the perception in minority communities is much different than the views promulgated by the majority culture. Underlying this theme is the question of how does a marginalized ethnic community assimilate with the predominant culture. What does the minority culture have to give up to achieve assimilation? Does the trade off justify the hoped for benefits? Although these are age old questions, “The Khan” frames them in a way that is relevant as the world is evolving into a new geopolitical realm that is altering long held sensibilities.
Jia Khan is the daughter of Akbar Khan, a Pukhtan who reveres the traditions of his Muslim heritage and is the acknowledged crime leader in Bradford, a city in northern England that has been beset with urban and economic decay. He is acknowledged as The Khan and exerts a powerful hold on the city, controlling the criminal factions and forming an uneasy alliance with the city’s power structure.He is a figure of reverence in the Asian community, melding the religion and rituals of their home lands while providing a bridge to the institutions in an unfamiliar land.In tandem with his council, the Jirga, he dispenses justice and provides employment for his marginalized community. Although his methods can be harsh and not always legal, Akbar believes that his methods are necessary to protect his community and evolve future generations towards greater participation in the majority society.
His daughter Jia, on the other hand, has rejected this way of life. Although deeply imbued with a love for her family, she has broken with tradition and has become a successful barrister in London. A series of traumatic events have caused her estrangement from her family. She has not seen them for fifteen years and has pursued a career rooted in a belief in British justice that does not align with the views of her ethnic community.
At the story opens,Jia is preparing to return to her family home to attend her sister’s wedding. After the wedding but before she can return to London, her father is murdered and her brother is held hostage. Realizing that her family is shaken by Akbar’s death and that the Jirga is under threat from an Eastern European crime syndicate, Jia decides to remain in Bradford. Her father had always thought that she had the intelligence, will and intellect to assume leadership of the Jirga. Jia can see that the organization is crumbling and needs an infusion of modern ideas to combine with tradition..But tradition looks unfavorably on a woman assuming this role. The explication of Jia’s ability to navigate these obstacles immerses the reader into a story of gender,family, tradition, choices and consequences that has a surprising conclusion.
This novel is notable because it provides a portrait of the political and cultural landscape in Britain that I have not often encountered in crime novels. Samir Mir provides an alternative perspective on justice in the legal system, suggesting that the perception in minority communities is much different than the views promulgated by the majority culture. Underlying this theme is the question of how does a marginalized ethnic community assimilate with the predominant culture. What does the minority culture have to give up to achieve assimilation? Does the trade off justify the hoped for benefits? Although these are age old questions, “The Khan” frames them in a way that is relevant as the world is evolving into a new geopolitical realm that is altering long held sensibilities.
July 27, 2021
Jia Khan has always lived with only one motto : "Be twice as good as men and four times as good as white men". The Khan by Saima Mir is a crime thriller about her father Akbar Khan, who was murdered and now Jia Khan must come back to his place and to her old roots and life which she left behind long back.
Akbar Khan was handling a Pakistani Community called Jirga, a Pukhtun Community and crime syndicate. Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London, but as she hears the new she has to return to her Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia Khan, has to prove her place in the community as a new leader and earn trust from all the men around.
The book deals with all the dark world atmosphere, we get to read about the crimes and how the other world functions in the start. The background is set very brilliantly. But as the story progresses, we loose the thriller essence to it. It becomes more contemporary, which is not bad but I would want to read more gripping and thrilling plot twists as well.
This one being I guess the debut novel of the author, it is written very well. The book has promising side characters as well such as Jia's uncle and Maira. All these have helped in building the plot well. Will she become The Khan that everyone is expecting her to be? Will she fulfill her father's expectations?
Akbar Khan was handling a Pakistani Community called Jirga, a Pukhtun Community and crime syndicate. Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London, but as she hears the new she has to return to her Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia Khan, has to prove her place in the community as a new leader and earn trust from all the men around.
The book deals with all the dark world atmosphere, we get to read about the crimes and how the other world functions in the start. The background is set very brilliantly. But as the story progresses, we loose the thriller essence to it. It becomes more contemporary, which is not bad but I would want to read more gripping and thrilling plot twists as well.
This one being I guess the debut novel of the author, it is written very well. The book has promising side characters as well such as Jia's uncle and Maira. All these have helped in building the plot well. Will she become The Khan that everyone is expecting her to be? Will she fulfill her father's expectations?
July 27, 2021
Jia Khan has always lived with only one motto : "Be twice as good as men and four times as good as white men". The Khan by Saima Mir is a crime thriller about her father Akbar Khan, who was murdered and now Jia Khan must come back to his place and to her old roots and life which she left behind long back.
Akbar Khan was handling a Pakistani Community called Jirga, a Pukhtun Community and crime syndicate. Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London, but as she hears the new she has to return to her Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia Khan, has to prove her place in the community as a new leader and earn trust from all the men around.
The book deals with all the dark world atmosphere, we get to read about the crimes and how the other world functions in the start. The background is set very brilliantly. But as the story progresses, we loose the thriller essence to it. It becomes more contemporary, which is not bad but I would want to read more gripping and thrilling plot twists as well.
This one being I guess the debut novel of the author, it is written very well. The book has promising side characters as well such as Jia's uncle and Maira. All these have helped in building the plot well. Will she become The Khan that everyone is expecting her to be? Will she fulfill her father's expectations?
Akbar Khan was handling a Pakistani Community called Jirga, a Pukhtun Community and crime syndicate. Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London, but as she hears the new she has to return to her Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia Khan, has to prove her place in the community as a new leader and earn trust from all the men around.
The book deals with all the dark world atmosphere, we get to read about the crimes and how the other world functions in the start. The background is set very brilliantly. But as the story progresses, we loose the thriller essence to it. It becomes more contemporary, which is not bad but I would want to read more gripping and thrilling plot twists as well.
This one being I guess the debut novel of the author, it is written very well. The book has promising side characters as well such as Jia's uncle and Maira. All these have helped in building the plot well. Will she become The Khan that everyone is expecting her to be? Will she fulfill her father's expectations?
May 19, 2021
I had this book recommended to me and I can see why. The Khan is an utterly powerful and complex novel, a gripping tale of the criminal underworld, set in a bleak northern city where our main protagonist Jia Khan returns to a life she had fully intended to leave behind.
It is totally gripping from the start, Jia is a complicated, intuitively drawn character whose true centre becomes slowly clearer as Saima Mir unravels her layer by layer. Oft melancholy and with an underlying social sense to it, The Khan is a novel of both violence and peace, of choices made and choices taken away, set against the backdrop of a culture and community about which I knew nothing going in.
The writing is superb, the complicated relationships hugely compelling. I'm not in any way qualified to try and explain the nuances, I know only that it made me feel a range of emotions whilst caught up in it which is what I look for in my reading.
Violently vivid and unrelentingly honest, The Khan is superb and I highly recommend it.
It is totally gripping from the start, Jia is a complicated, intuitively drawn character whose true centre becomes slowly clearer as Saima Mir unravels her layer by layer. Oft melancholy and with an underlying social sense to it, The Khan is a novel of both violence and peace, of choices made and choices taken away, set against the backdrop of a culture and community about which I knew nothing going in.
The writing is superb, the complicated relationships hugely compelling. I'm not in any way qualified to try and explain the nuances, I know only that it made me feel a range of emotions whilst caught up in it which is what I look for in my reading.
Violently vivid and unrelentingly honest, The Khan is superb and I highly recommend it.
March 29, 2021
There was a tasty kernel in this book, somewhere. Absolutely no momentum in what I thought was a thriller, of sorts, because of unnecessary descriptive passages. We don't need a paragraph (or more) to explain what fear is, love is, suspicion feels like etc. The plot felt completely overwhelmed by all this fluff. This could have been a far more intense female take on the Godfather but, for me, far too many far too many diversions.
I was surprised to learn that the author is a journalist. Journalists usually adept at paring back and letting the story speak for itself. A competent editor should have made this is a good read, but it's not!
I was surprised to learn that the author is a journalist. Journalists usually adept at paring back and letting the story speak for itself. A competent editor should have made this is a good read, but it's not!
July 11, 2021
The cover was great, the synopsis sounded thrilling but what a major disappointment.
There is a definite trend developing in fiction by the new generation of UK writers- at least one cliche on every page, rambling repetitive filler, papering over the lack of a plot and next to no character development. Do editors still exist?!
There is a definite trend developing in fiction by the new generation of UK writers- at least one cliche on every page, rambling repetitive filler, papering over the lack of a plot and next to no character development. Do editors still exist?!
August 10, 2021
Written to show the perspective of a woman in a otherwise man's position, the story was very detailed. The narrative style was quite advanced and the pace was dicey, that made this book a bit difficult to read. I wasn't able to relate to a character, the emotional build up was lost. The concept of the story is amazing and the premise had me hooked. Yet, the writing and characters didn't work for me. Many a times the decisions and the way a character behaved felt unreal and unpredictable.
Talking about the plot, the revelation at the end was the highlight. The ending suggested more books in this setting, so I'm looking forward to reading them.
Talking about the plot, the revelation at the end was the highlight. The ending suggested more books in this setting, so I'm looking forward to reading them.
April 21, 2021
The great family crime series - The Sopranos, The Godfather, Peaky Blinders - all work on that moral ambiguity between loyalty to family and the destruction that can wreak on a broader society. The Khan is firmly in that tradition, a tale of a family-run crime syndicate based in Bradford, but by placing itself in a modern Britain it manages to be a story that takes that ambiguity and uses it to ask really deep questions about gender and racial equality. I love crime fiction. It's such a powerful genre. In the hands of a writer like Saima Mir it shows how powerful it can be at holding a mirror up to society.
I'm not a huge fan of flash-back-y fiction and there are a lot of looping narratives here, especially in the first third, but they kind of justify themselves in the big reveal at the end.
I'm not a huge fan of flash-back-y fiction and there are a lot of looping narratives here, especially in the first third, but they kind of justify themselves in the big reveal at the end.
July 3, 2023
This could have been a great book about a female gangster but I just didn't really understand any of it. The potentially exciting parts about gangs and crime are short, unrealistic and feel really rushed. They're mixed in with long chunks of clunky prose where nothing really happens and there are way too many characters. Most importantly, so many things just don't make sense? How can a young man be repeatedly be run over by a car and have no broken bones? Jia goes from preparing to be a judge to taking over a family crime business she hates? And the entire part about her son is completely absurd - very frustrating book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2021
Normally, I avoid books and films about gangsters. I couldn't watch 'The Sopranos' because I disliked the people so much and didn't want to get close enough to them to share their mindset or see their way of life romanticised or even normalised.
In some ways, 'The Khan' is like 'The Sopranos'. It's an insider view of a crime family and it's filled with violence, conflicts with other gangs and complex struggles within the family. Three things drew me to it.
Firstly, the tone of the writing is unsensational. It's gritty and real without being melodramatic. It takes the Khan's world for granted in the way we all take the peculiarities of our own families for granted. Saima Mir never drops into distant documentary mode but she does share the tale while keeping an emotional distance. The result is a story focused on real people that's a little heavier on insight than empathy and which reserves judgement as it peels away the layers of intrigue, betrayal and revenge.
Secondly, this story is about first and second generation immigrants to the North of England. It shows the tension between a first-generation that left their homeland to make a better life, carving a place for themselves in a new country while trying to hold on to the culture and traditions of the old one and a second-generation, trying to find an identity for themselves in the land they were born and raised in while still honouring their family and their history. It gives a clear-eyed view of how racism, social exclusion and regional poverty push both generations to be inward-looking and self-reliant to the point where they have no expectation of safety or justice unless they can deliver it themselves.
Thirdly, the background of this gangster culture isn't some faded memory of a long-left-behind Sicilian code of honour but a translation of a strong warrior culture to a new environment by those who lived the old ways from their birth. This crime family are Pushtuns, emigrants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Khyber Pass region of Pakistan. The model that the crime family works on: having a Khan who rules via a Jirga made up of family heads, loyal to him is a mutation on life as it was lived in Pakistan. Saima Mir shows how such a system can protect a community, creating a kind of safety through mutual support and administering its own justice. She doesn't romanticise or defend it. She just presents it as the framework within which the first and second generation of immigrants are operating.
These three things would have been reason enough to read the book but what kept me turning the pages was the dark twisty plot and the ruthless woman at the heart of it, Jia Khan. She is the oldest daughter of the Khan and he has raised her to be fierce and competitive, urging her to:
"Be twice as good as men and four times as good as white men."
Jia is the dark heart of this book. At the start of the story, we know Jia has made a life for herself in London as a sought-after barrister, living apart from her family and taking no part in its business. Yet, when we first meet her, when a driver comes to take her to her father's house for the first time in many years, the driver finds her not at her Chambers or her posh apartment but at an illegal cage fight in a warehouse. The fighter she backed wins, she collects her winnings from a bookie who knows her well and fears her a little and then, before she lets the driver take her north, visits the mother of a man who works for her and gives her her winnings to help her look after her sick son.
At that point I thought I understood that Jia was a strong, unconventional woman, successfully straddling the gap between the world she was born to and the world she has forced her way to the top off.
I was wrong, of course. Jia is something quite different. Something ruthless, relentless and remorseless. Discovering her history, her personality and her plans are what carry the reader forward. Every twist of the plot gives a new surprise and reveals more of Jia's nature and ambitions.
This was one of those books that I had to stay up late to finish. It was also a book that was about much more than its plot.
'Samia Mir is a well-known journalist. 'The Khan' is her debut novel. In a recent interview ‘The Things We Do To Survive’, Saima Mir explains what her book is about, saying.:
“At the end of the day, the book is about family and loyalty and it’s about love and the things we have to do to survive when we are not on a level playing field.”
You can find the whole interview here:
May 23, 2021
The cover has a Godfather feel to it and the edges of the pages splattered with blood. Turn the book over and the top review is by Will Dean, "Authentic, immersive and powerful. Hints of The Godfather". It's good to know that both the cover and the words of one of my favourite authors leave the same first impression.
So I was expecting to feel like I'd been kicked in the stomach whilst laying on the floor, but it was very calm and calculated. There is brutality and Will Dean was right, there definitely a Godfather feel to the book.
"BE TWICE AS GOOD AS MEN AND
FOUR TIMES AS GOOD AS WHITE MEN"
Jia Khan, a successful London lawyer lives by the above motto, however if author Saima Mir lived by this motto also, she would have succeeded with her debut novel.
Jia Khan, the focal character is cold, but you can imagine her carrying an aura around with her. She receives a message from her father, Akbar Khan, AKA The Khan to come home. Jia Khan has lived away from her family for a long time, however is respectful of her fathers wishes.
Akbar Khan is the leader of the Pakistani community, heading up the crime syndicates in the area. He has a trusted twelve, the Jirga, who regularly meet to keep the streets in order. His way of doing so would often be violent and involving his brother Bazigh Khan.
Akbar Khan was the reason why Jia moved to London and on her return, not all her family are pleased to see her. There is Benyamin, who is eager to impress his Dad. Maria, who is very balanced and level headed and has always kept in contact with Jia. Jia's mother Sanam Khan, who has never got over the premature death of her other son Zan.
If you think the balance of the immediate family will lead to conflict, there is plenty more with the extended family. The ex husband, the son and her cousins.
The first five or six paragraphs introduce a lot of characters, all set in a number of places, which was starting to become a little overwhelming. It turned out to be beautifully judged, like riding a rollercoaster rising to its peak before dropping, although here you do not get the immediate exhilaration of the fall. Saima Mir is just setting the scene, providing enough background to make the plot work, enough to make the book memorable and enough to put the book in the higher echelons of its genre. Expect khan - age !! (apologies for the shit pun).
This novel could work as a standalone, however I hope there is more to come from Jia Khan. Even if there is not, Saima Mir is a name to look out for with future releases.
I recently wrote a previous blog ( https://www.floydreadsbooks.com/post/... ), about how a strong debut novel can help a new author build an early following. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for her future work. And where would The Khan rate in my debut chart, it would be somewhere between two and four.
This is easily a 9 out of 10 book.
So I was expecting to feel like I'd been kicked in the stomach whilst laying on the floor, but it was very calm and calculated. There is brutality and Will Dean was right, there definitely a Godfather feel to the book.
"BE TWICE AS GOOD AS MEN AND
FOUR TIMES AS GOOD AS WHITE MEN"
Jia Khan, a successful London lawyer lives by the above motto, however if author Saima Mir lived by this motto also, she would have succeeded with her debut novel.
Jia Khan, the focal character is cold, but you can imagine her carrying an aura around with her. She receives a message from her father, Akbar Khan, AKA The Khan to come home. Jia Khan has lived away from her family for a long time, however is respectful of her fathers wishes.
Akbar Khan is the leader of the Pakistani community, heading up the crime syndicates in the area. He has a trusted twelve, the Jirga, who regularly meet to keep the streets in order. His way of doing so would often be violent and involving his brother Bazigh Khan.
Akbar Khan was the reason why Jia moved to London and on her return, not all her family are pleased to see her. There is Benyamin, who is eager to impress his Dad. Maria, who is very balanced and level headed and has always kept in contact with Jia. Jia's mother Sanam Khan, who has never got over the premature death of her other son Zan.
If you think the balance of the immediate family will lead to conflict, there is plenty more with the extended family. The ex husband, the son and her cousins.
The first five or six paragraphs introduce a lot of characters, all set in a number of places, which was starting to become a little overwhelming. It turned out to be beautifully judged, like riding a rollercoaster rising to its peak before dropping, although here you do not get the immediate exhilaration of the fall. Saima Mir is just setting the scene, providing enough background to make the plot work, enough to make the book memorable and enough to put the book in the higher echelons of its genre. Expect khan - age !! (apologies for the shit pun).
This novel could work as a standalone, however I hope there is more to come from Jia Khan. Even if there is not, Saima Mir is a name to look out for with future releases.
I recently wrote a previous blog ( https://www.floydreadsbooks.com/post/... ), about how a strong debut novel can help a new author build an early following. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for her future work. And where would The Khan rate in my debut chart, it would be somewhere between two and four.
This is easily a 9 out of 10 book.
April 12, 2021
The strong side of the book is its language. Rich, thought-provoking, full of Pashto/Urdu sayings which are interesting from the sociological point of view. The book reveals some fascinating facts about the British Muslim community.
However the story is not captivating. What promises to be a crime novel turns into descriptive picture of a distinguished family with very little action! For a thriller that is unforgivable! The Godfather of the city, The Khan, dies only halfway through the book!
The characters are built on well-known cliches, the scenes are long and often repeating themselves, there is no continuous logic in people’s character.
The characters are so strong, the description of them so detailed that you end up having no urge to find out what is going to happen because ...you can guess.
The baddie, the Polish guy... He is not even stereotypical. He is not credible. Just some loose ideas put together to build an opponent in the story.
You might find the book captivating, I don’t.
However the story is not captivating. What promises to be a crime novel turns into descriptive picture of a distinguished family with very little action! For a thriller that is unforgivable! The Godfather of the city, The Khan, dies only halfway through the book!
The characters are built on well-known cliches, the scenes are long and often repeating themselves, there is no continuous logic in people’s character.
The characters are so strong, the description of them so detailed that you end up having no urge to find out what is going to happen because ...you can guess.
The baddie, the Polish guy... He is not even stereotypical. He is not credible. Just some loose ideas put together to build an opponent in the story.
You might find the book captivating, I don’t.
May 23, 2023
Interesting novel based in a northern city to find a killer and bring justice
October 22, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ really enjoyed this, will be reading ‘vengeance’!
March 23, 2021
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
This book didn't quite hit the right beats for me. I was very intrigued by the premise, and was hoping for a mystery thriller with a woman in a position traditionally held by men in these kind of stories. But it doesn't end up being that. There's not much focus on the mystery aspect, or much focus on how Jia came to rule the crime syndicate in her father's place. We get a scene where she confronts her father's men, and then we skip ahead two months without seeing any of the smaller steps in between. I didn't get the high stakes I was expecting either, but I did appreciate the ending.
Ultimately I think the book was trying to do too much, which didn't leave enough room for a cohesive narrative. There are transitions to unimportant characters so we can see one thing happen before we quickly switch to someone else's point of view. The plotline related to Jia and Elyas and what happened between them is dragged out needlessly. I also had a difficult time suspending my disbelief. Jia has been a lawyer for years, but for all that and for all her critique of her father, she finds it surprisingly easy to start ignoring the law and take matters into her own hands. The same can be said for Elyas--as a reporter, I would've expected him to have more scruples about a crime syndicate. But decisions are made and nobody freaks out about it. I can't speak about whether the premise is or isn't realistic, but these two elements definitely dragged me out of the story at times.
2.5 stars
This book didn't quite hit the right beats for me. I was very intrigued by the premise, and was hoping for a mystery thriller with a woman in a position traditionally held by men in these kind of stories. But it doesn't end up being that. There's not much focus on the mystery aspect, or much focus on how Jia came to rule the crime syndicate in her father's place. We get a scene where she confronts her father's men, and then we skip ahead two months without seeing any of the smaller steps in between. I didn't get the high stakes I was expecting either, but I did appreciate the ending.
Ultimately I think the book was trying to do too much, which didn't leave enough room for a cohesive narrative. There are transitions to unimportant characters so we can see one thing happen before we quickly switch to someone else's point of view. The plotline related to Jia and Elyas and what happened between them is dragged out needlessly. I also had a difficult time suspending my disbelief. Jia has been a lawyer for years, but for all that and for all her critique of her father, she finds it surprisingly easy to start ignoring the law and take matters into her own hands. The same can be said for Elyas--as a reporter, I would've expected him to have more scruples about a crime syndicate. But decisions are made and nobody freaks out about it. I can't speak about whether the premise is or isn't realistic, but these two elements definitely dragged me out of the story at times.
April 24, 2021
Jai Khan, the protagonist of Saima Mir's book 'The Khan' didn't work for me as a character. She read like a woman written by a man who doesn't understand women - if you see what I mean. She's not. Saima Mir is a woman.
The Khan is set in a crime-stricken ethnically diverse northern town (was it Leeds or Bradford? Forgive me, I forget) where two groups - one Muslim, the other Eastern European - are competing over the local organised crime. Jai's father, Akbar, has long been the head of the Jirga and his daughter had rejected the underworld of crime for life as a top London lawyer many years earlier. With her father's death, there's a vacancy at the head of the organised crime group and Jai wants it.
I didn't believe that a character like Jai would be acceptable to a bunch of elderly traditional Muslim men. I didn't believe the way her brother got up and walked away from being run over by multiple range rovers. I didn't believe most of her reactions to most of the things that happened in the book. And when it got to the end, I didn't believe that either.
For me, the book rambled around without that much actually happening. It just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
The Khan is set in a crime-stricken ethnically diverse northern town (was it Leeds or Bradford? Forgive me, I forget) where two groups - one Muslim, the other Eastern European - are competing over the local organised crime. Jai's father, Akbar, has long been the head of the Jirga and his daughter had rejected the underworld of crime for life as a top London lawyer many years earlier. With her father's death, there's a vacancy at the head of the organised crime group and Jai wants it.
I didn't believe that a character like Jai would be acceptable to a bunch of elderly traditional Muslim men. I didn't believe the way her brother got up and walked away from being run over by multiple range rovers. I didn't believe most of her reactions to most of the things that happened in the book. And when it got to the end, I didn't believe that either.
For me, the book rambled around without that much actually happening. It just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
September 28, 2024
ich habe es mehr enjoyed als erwartet. es ist sehr gut geschrieben und auch wenn in der mitte eher wenig passiert ist man doch dir ganze zeit gespannt wie es enden wird. das ende hat mich überrascht und nachdem ich die letzten seiten geblättert habe, sitze ich nun auf einem boot in laos und pondere über das buch. Ich bin fast versucht es nun noch einmal zu lesen um herauszufinden wieviel ich beim ersten mal überlesen hab und nicht als hinweis wahrgenommen habe. somit eine empfehlung meinerseits. jedoch wundere ich mich trotzdem ob sie einfach komplett aufgehört hat anwalt zu sein??? von heute auf morgen? naja es sei ihr gegönnt. all in all gutes buch über thematik die man sonst nicht oft in büchern hat
January 31, 2021
I have mixed feelings about The Khan. It paints a vivid picture of the world of the gangsters, and is a fresh take on a familiar trope. However it does feel weighed down by exposition, in the dialogue and especially in the thoughts of the characters. Most people don't go through their day reflecting on how cultural and socio-economic factors have led them to their current state. It would make for a pacier, more interesting story if these conflicts were dramatised.
However, I appreciate it's a first novel. The ending suggests that this might be part of a series. If so, I'd be interested to see how it goes. And the cover is gorgeous!
*
I received a copy of The Khan from Netgalley.
However, I appreciate it's a first novel. The ending suggests that this might be part of a series. If so, I'd be interested to see how it goes. And the cover is gorgeous!
*
I received a copy of The Khan from Netgalley.
October 6, 2022
Very good read
April 4, 2023
The Khan was something that I have never read before. The book is a crime/mystery where Jia (our m/c) has come to her childhood home which she left behind because she must be the matriarch in her family because her father was murdered and she has to now take his place. Akbar Khan- Jia’s father- is ‘The Khan’ the man who was respected, feared and was the leader of the crime syndicate their Pakhtun/Pakistan community which is called the Jirga.
I listened to this as an audiobook and I didn’t really know what to expect. So far fiction audio books haven’t worked for me so will this. I have to say it totally did. Mina Anwar did an amazing job at all the characters she got each character and I have to say I couldn’t stop listening, the characters, the plot I got invested. The book follows Jia as she takes over her fathers role and basically questions can she hold her own in a man’s world.
I really loved this book it was gritty and dark and really dealt with heavy themes that are taboo and not spoken about especially in a South Asian community. I wish I read this (not that I didn’t like the audio) just because there were so many passages and quotes I would have love to taken note of. I loved the first half of the book more than the latter, Maria’s wedding and the backstory of Jia’s childhood, Zan’s death, her marriage to Elyas and her relationship with her father-and mother and her fraught relationship with Benyamin. Also (me and my side characters) but I love her uncle so much. The second half of the book I didn’t like as much but was equally gripping to listen to. Jia’s rise as ‘The Khan’ but being the ice queen towards Elyas and Ahad and the revelation at the end of the book made me kind of hate her it really messed with me. I still can’t get over it and it has been a couple of weeks. It is character driven, a family story that deals with heavy themes, race, corruption, betrayal, loss, grief, power, being a woman in a man’s world. 4.5 (just because I still can’t find myself to forgive Jia, maybe I need to read the book to understand it better). Loved it highly recommend it.
I listened to this as an audiobook and I didn’t really know what to expect. So far fiction audio books haven’t worked for me so will this. I have to say it totally did. Mina Anwar did an amazing job at all the characters she got each character and I have to say I couldn’t stop listening, the characters, the plot I got invested. The book follows Jia as she takes over her fathers role and basically questions can she hold her own in a man’s world.
I really loved this book it was gritty and dark and really dealt with heavy themes that are taboo and not spoken about especially in a South Asian community. I wish I read this (not that I didn’t like the audio) just because there were so many passages and quotes I would have love to taken note of. I loved the first half of the book more than the latter, Maria’s wedding and the backstory of Jia’s childhood, Zan’s death, her marriage to Elyas and her relationship with her father-and mother and her fraught relationship with Benyamin. Also (me and my side characters) but I love her uncle so much. The second half of the book I didn’t like as much but was equally gripping to listen to. Jia’s rise as ‘The Khan’ but being the ice queen towards Elyas and Ahad and the revelation at the end of the book made me kind of hate her it really messed with me. I still can’t get over it and it has been a couple of weeks. It is character driven, a family story that deals with heavy themes, race, corruption, betrayal, loss, grief, power, being a woman in a man’s world. 4.5 (just because I still can’t find myself to forgive Jia, maybe I need to read the book to understand it better). Loved it highly recommend it.
July 26, 2022
What a stinker.
It starts well and the plot should be great. A barrister is sucked back into the criminal family she had left behind. So why unreadable.
The author has one pitch most kindly described as histrionic. It’s constant, it’s wearying, and page by page it saps your will to turn the next page. All the joy seeps out of you, as your head sinks in despair and in a last ditch spasm of self respect you fling the book aside before sobbing the bitter tears of loneliness that no man can bear.
It starts well and the plot should be great. A barrister is sucked back into the criminal family she had left behind. So why unreadable.
The author has one pitch most kindly described as histrionic. It’s constant, it’s wearying, and page by page it saps your will to turn the next page. All the joy seeps out of you, as your head sinks in despair and in a last ditch spasm of self respect you fling the book aside before sobbing the bitter tears of loneliness that no man can bear.
July 1, 2021
A great premise for a story, an organised-crime setting of modern first-generation Asian Britain. Scenarios I’m not familiar with so I’m prepared to be really interested in. Great scenario, interesting cast list, okay plotting, terrible writing. I finished it for the story despite the cliched prose.
April 11, 2021
A fascinating lead character who finds hereof in charge of a powerful criminal empire is she seeking revenge or power?
Great worldbuiliding and ambiguity as to can we ever sympathise with such a character
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Great worldbuiliding and ambiguity as to can we ever sympathise with such a character
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 26, 2021
Jia Khan is the daughter of the Khan, leader of the Pukhtan Muslim community in Bradford and head of an organised crime group that distributes drugs around Yorkshire. She initially rejects her upbringing, studies at Oxford and becomes a well-paid respected lawyer before her sister's wedding draws her back to Bradford where she becomes embroiled in that life once again.
Part of the interest in this book is the description of this community: its customs and morality which holds young Muslims more tightly than British justice which has always treated them badly. It is also a thriller and a family saga with much on the position of women in the Muslim community and the wider world, as well as reflections on white privilege and justice.
I would describe it as a cross between The Godfather, a Harold Robbins (there is some description of expensive watches, Rolls Royces, beautiful bags and what money can bring) and Catherine Cookson, there's certainly a bit of family saga here too.
Overall I was interested and wanted to finish the novel, but found it a cold book. Any questions around the morality of drug dealing are not really dealt with beyond the notion that this provides a service to people who need them to cope, and Jia certainly emerges as a strong character but not sympathetic.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
Part of the interest in this book is the description of this community: its customs and morality which holds young Muslims more tightly than British justice which has always treated them badly. It is also a thriller and a family saga with much on the position of women in the Muslim community and the wider world, as well as reflections on white privilege and justice.
I would describe it as a cross between The Godfather, a Harold Robbins (there is some description of expensive watches, Rolls Royces, beautiful bags and what money can bring) and Catherine Cookson, there's certainly a bit of family saga here too.
Overall I was interested and wanted to finish the novel, but found it a cold book. Any questions around the morality of drug dealing are not really dealt with beyond the notion that this provides a service to people who need them to cope, and Jia certainly emerges as a strong character but not sympathetic.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
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