The Language Of Secrets by Ausma Zehanat Khan @ausmazehanat @noexitpress #randomthingstours #review #blogtour #languageofsecrets

It may be the height of summer here in the UK (well it was but let’s see what the day brings) but today, I’m taking you to the depths of winter in a rather snowy Canada!!

Massive thanks to the lovely Katherine Sunderland of No Exit Press for my copy of The Language of Secrets and to the fabulous Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour!

The Blurb

AN UNDERCOVER INFORMANT HAS BEEN MURDERED… BUT WHOSE SIDE WAS HE ON?

TORONTO: A local terrorist cell is planning an attack on New Year’s Day. For months, Mohsin Dar has been undercover, feeding information back to Canada’s national security team. Now he’s dead.

Detective Esa Khattak, compromised by his friendship with the murdered agent, sends his partner Rachel Getty into the unsuspecting cell. As Rachel delves deeper into the unfamiliar world of Islam and the group’s circle of trust, she discovers Mohsin’s murder may not be politically motivated after all. Now she’s the only one who can stop the most devastating attack the country has ever faced.

What Did I Think?

“Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done”

Oh my! Canada is so set up for the snow! 200 salt trucks and 600 ploughs for Toronto alone!! I’m a slight obsessive when it comes to snow as I’ve always been a bit of a nervous driver.  I’ve got better over the years, even managing to correct a skid whilst on my own earlier this year. But anyway back to The Language of Secrets.

How personal is this case for Khattak? His old friend murdered, his rival and his ex partner involved in the investigation, and then his sister!  I thought The Unquiet Ones was personal but this cuts close to the bone for Khattak.  Can he keep his personal feelings separate to his professional logic and investigation?  I don’t want to talk to much about the plot as I really don’t want to spoil the story.  No one likes a review that even if its gives a hint of what is to happen.

As the book’s blurb suggests, Getty plays a key part in the investigation of Mohsin’s death.  She has to grasp her inner strength to play the part in her undercover mission, gaining the trust of the suspicious members of the cell. I did fear for Getty as she got herself deeper into the group. Would she be rumbled?

And don’t you love it when the title of the book suddenly makes sense? The Language of Secrets definitely fits into that category.  The title has a multitude of possible meanings and as the story progresses, there are plenty of secrets to be uncovered!

Yet again, Ausma Zehanat Khan has written a fictional crime thriller inspired by real life events making the story feel rather real and feasible. This is a murder mystery intertwined with a terrorist plot and what would seem a group heading towards a kind of cult status.

It was a proper whodunnit and it kept me guessing right to the end. Sinister themes running through an addictive follow up to The Unquiet Ones.  And I for one am glad to see that Khattak and Getty will be back next year!!

Don’t forget to catch the rest of the blog tour posts!

Who Is Ausma Zehanat Khan?

Ausma Zehanat Khan holds a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law with a specialisation in military intervention and war crimes in the Balkans. She has practised immigration law and taught human rights law at Northwestern University and York University. Formerly, she served as Editor in Chief of Muslim Girlmagazine, the first magazine to cater to young Muslim women. Her debut novel, The Unquiet Dead, won the Barry Award, the Arthur Ellis Award and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Novel. She is a longtime community activist and writer. Born in Britain, Ausma lived in Canada for many years before recently becoming an American citizen. She lives in Colorado with her husband. The Language of Secrets will be followed by Book 3 in the series, Among the Ruins, in early 2019.