Review: Blackwater Falls

Blackwater Falls by Ausma Zehanat Khan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Booklist for the ARC and the opportunity to review this title.

Detective Inaya Rahman is a Muslim woman and a police officer, which she knows puts her in a precarious position in Blackwater Falls, Colorado. As part of the Community Response Unit, Inaya and her colleagues are tasked with looking after the needs of the community by holding the existing police force accountable. When an immigrant Syrian teen, Razan Elkader, is found murdered in the town’s mosque, Inaya is put in charge of the investigation. Soon the suspects are climbing in number, including local law enforcement, a Christian biker gang, and the pastor of the Resurrection Church. Connecting the earlier disappearance of two Somali girls to Razan’s murder, Inaya finds herself thrown into the middle of a raging, racially-inspired war. Khan’s novel, the first in a series, offers a fine portrait of female power under adversity. Inaya projects strength through vulnerability, which endears her immediately to readers. Enthralling and intense, the plot unfurls a perceptive exploration of faith, race, gender roles, immigration, intolerance, and community. This is a masterfully crafted thriller that doesn’t disappoint from beginning to end. Readers who enjoy strong female leads and compulsive police dramas will want to read this one and will look forward to more from Khan.

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