Among the Ruins - BookWyrm

paperback, 368 pages

Published Jan. 9, 2018 by Minotaur.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-09674-6

"On leave from Canada's Community Policing department, Esa Khattak is traveling in Iran, reconnecting with his cultural heritage and seeking peace in the country's beautiful mosques and gardens. But Khattak's supposed break from work is cut short when he's approached by a Canadian government agent in Iran, asking him to look into the death of renowned Canadian-Iranian filmmaker Zahra Sobhani. Zahra was murdered at Iran's notorious Evin prison, where she'd been seeking the release of a well-known political prisoner. Khattak quickly finds himself embroiled in Iran's tumultuous politics and under surveillance by the regime, but when the trail leads back to Zahra's family in Canada, Khattak calls on his partner, Detective Rachel Getty, for help. Rachel uncovers a conspiracy linked to the Shah of Iran and the decades-old murders of a group of Iran's most famous dissidents. Historic letters, a connection to the Royal Ontario Museum, and a smuggling operation …

"On leave from Canada's Community Policing department, Esa Khattak is traveling in Iran, reconnecting with his cultural heritage and seeking peace in the country's beautiful mosques and gardens. But Khattak's supposed break from work is cut short when he's approached by a Canadian government agent in Iran, asking him to look into the death of renowned Canadian-Iranian filmmaker Zahra Sobhani. Zahra was murdered at Iran's notorious Evin prison, where she'd been seeking the release of a well-known political prisoner. Khattak quickly finds himself embroiled in Iran's tumultuous politics and under surveillance by the regime, but when the trail leads back to Zahra's family in Canada, Khattak calls on his partner, Detective Rachel Getty, for help. Rachel uncovers a conspiracy linked to the Shah of Iran and the decades-old murders of a group of Iran's most famous dissidents. Historic letters, a connection to the Royal Ontario Museum, and a smuggling operation on the Caspian Sea are just some of the threads Rachel and Khattak begin unraveling, while the list of suspects stretches from Tehran to Toronto. But as Khattak gets caught up in the fate of Iran's political prisoners, Rachel sees through to the heart of the matter: Zahra's murder may not have been a political crime at all. From Ausma Zehanat Khan, the critically acclaimed author of The Unquiet Dead and The Language of Secrets, comes another powerful novel exploring the interplay of politics and religion, and the intensely personal ripple effects of one woman's murder"--

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barbara fister reviewed Among the ruins by Ausma Zehanat Khan

Review of 'Among the ruins' on 'LibraryThing'

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In the third volume of the Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty series, author Ausma Zehanat Khan once again explores current and past events that have shaped Canada's pluralistic society. Khattak, originally from Afghanistan, has left Canada to search for peace. Fluent in Farsi, he has traveled on his Pakistani passport and wants to explore the beauties of the country as a tourist. But a strange letter has been delivered to his guest house door, one that promises he will soon have a story to tell â and advises him to hide the letter or risk great danger. Someone knows who he is and wants something from him. "We are bound together, chained" it says.returnreturnWhile he wants only to heal himself, he soon meets a Canadian woman who has a job for him to do - an official job, but done in secret. A Canadian-Iranian filmmaker whose documentary about the stolen …

In the third volume of the Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty series, author Ausma Zehanat Khan once again explores current and past events that have shaped Canada's pluralistic society. Khattak, originally from Afghanistan, has left Canada to search for peace. Fluent in Farsi, he has traveled on his Pakistani passport and wants to explore the beauties of the country as a tourist. But a strange letter has been delivered to his guest house door, one that promises he will soon have a story to tell â and advises him to hide the letter or risk great danger. Someone knows who he is and wants something from him. "We are bound together, chained" it says.returnreturnWhile he wants only to heal himself, he soon meets a Canadian woman who has a job for him to do - an official job, but done in secret. A Canadian-Iranian filmmaker whose documentary about the stolen election of 2009 and the fate of young protestors who thought they could make a difference has recently returned to Iran to make another film. She was arrested when filming outside a notorious prison. Days later, her body was left outside her family's house in Teheran, with signs that she had been tortured, raped, and beaten to death. The Canadian government is quite sure who is responsible for her murder, but they need proof. Khattak's vacation is over, but having a case to pursue may be just the redemption he seeks.returnreturnWith the help of his partner, Rachel Getty, digging up clues at home and the assistance of a group of brave young dissidents in Iran, he begins to untangle the clues that reach back to the reign of the Shah and the legacy of Western intervention, all while courting invisible threats. Meanwhile the letters keep coming, describing what it's like inside the prison where the filmmaker was killed, describing what happens there with devastating detail.returnreturnKhan has created a twisty mystery and a well-paced investigation, but the portrayal of Iran is the heart of this story. The author, who holds a PhD in international human rights law, doesn't hold back as she brings the country's contradictions vividly to life â the serene beauty of ancient mosques and classic poetry alongside the savage brutality of a repressive regime â providing just enough of modern Iran's recent history to give readers grounding as they travel with Khattak through the slippery, shape-shifting society where somebody is always watching and things are rarely what they seem. returnreturnReposted from Reviewing the Evidence

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March 22, 2020