A Deadly Divide by Ausma Zehanat Khan ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

This year I'm trying to add a bit of diversity to my reading. I thought this was important as I often use reading to explore issues, cultures, and time periods that I would have little contact with in my real life. A Deadly Divide, the fifth book in the Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak series, features two Canadian officers with Community Policing. Their mandate is to work with minority groups.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

February 2019; Minotaur; 978-1250298287
audio, ebook, print (394 pages); mystery

I don't know much about Canadian politics. Being the U.S. the rhetic we often hear is how welcoming and nice and progressive they are (at least in comparison to the U.S.). So it was interesting to read about the tensions between white Canadians and the Muslim community. An added twist was having the story set in Quebec which has a long history of being at odds with the rest of Canada as they identify more as French while the rest of Canada is British or Anglo.

Even though this is book 5, I didn't feel like I was lost with the characters or the plot. There are references to other cases and incidences, but they have little bearing on the current case. However, a plot thread is revealed in this book that will probably require the reading of the other books in order to unravel the mystery on your own.

The story was very well-written. It read smoothly and was engaging. I might not have felt a rush to get back to the story, but when I did pick it up I would quickly find myself immersed into their world and turning the pages rapidly. It helped that Rachel and Khattak are characters who are easy to like.

I found myself often comparing the book and characters to my favorite British crime shows (Endeavor, Inspector Lewis, Unforgotten). I actually kept picturing the main characters from Unforgotten whenever I thought of Rachel and Khattak, though the ranks are reversed. In A Deadly Divide, Khattak is the senior officer.

As I said, I don't know much about the political climate of Canada, so it was interesting to see they are dealing with many of the same issues regarding immigration and national security that we are; that they have white supremacist and neo-Nazis just as we do. Perhaps, they just aren't as open about their opinions as those in the United States so they don't make the news here. I also found it interesting that the mass shooting in the book remained focused on the hate surrounding the immigrant community and not on gun control. I wonder if that is deliberate on the author's part or if gun control is more of a non-issue in Canada.

If you are looking for a well-written, enjoyable novel that explores sensitive issues of race, hate, corruption, and violence, then I highly recommend A Deadly Divide. I will be going back and reading the previous books in the series in anxious anticipation of the next book in the series.

Buy A Deadly Divide at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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