I am always on the look out for new crime series to start reading, So when I came across Turn a Blind Eye by Vicky Newham on Netgalley I was really interested in reading the book.
Coming back to the UK after her brother suicide, DI Maya Rahman is drawn into a murder investigation at her old school. The day before the school open back up to students after the Christmas break, the Headmistress is found strangled in her office. The only real clue is a piece of card with a Buddhist precept: I Shall abstain from taking the ungiven.
At first it seems like an isolated case, but when another body turns up Maya will have to dig up what is truly going on this school. Maya must find out the secrets is this school and the community, and why it connects to the suicide of a young girl before someone else ends up dead.
I was fascinated in the community and the cultural in this book, it’s a true mixture with different religions and ethnicity. I was interesting to read about a lead character that has to deal with being female and ethnic in the police force and a community that isn’t happy if you are too british or to ethnicity and trying to get the right balance for her.
The story is compelling and fast paced, the story deals with murder, suicide and forced marriage with keeps the book very interesting. I was really interested in the forced marriage part of the story, and what the school and police dealt with this, and how people of different cultures see the definition arrange marriage differently. There are a lot of characters in the book, so I had to double-check parts of the story just to make sure I was remember correctly what connected to which character.
I admired Maya as a character, she works hard and wants to do the best for the people of the community, which is a stark contrast to ber boss DCI Briscall who is very old school in his thinking and behaviour. I am looking forward to find out more about Maya in the next books.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5.
Maya Rahman is a great addition to UK fictional detectives.
Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the e-book copy of this books, so I could give a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading
Gem x
