My rating:  5 out of 5

Marriage to a stranger plus a great murder mystery

A badly hurt woman is found outside a hospital in Pakistan.  This murder mystery is her story of how she came to be there.  Fast moving and suspense filled!

Afra is being brought up in a small village in Southern Punjab in Pakistan.  Her love for Jameel, who lives in the same village, is thwarted and she marries a wealthy stranger.    Afra and Jameel’s lives then proceed very differently, one finding success and purpose, the other following another path. 

Later we meet Ralph, a once successful reporter who has turned to alcohol.  Will he be able to overcome his alcoholic fog to get a world changing story, and will the police find a murderer.  Suspense, excitement and action mount as the police have no leads to go on, and the reader wonders about Afra’s involvement.

This is a book of two distinct halves.  The first half tells the deeply moving story of Afra and Jameel.   Characters who totally come to life through the pages, and show the reader a side of life that is rarely made public. 

The second half is all fast moving action as the police, and others, try to discover the identity of the murderer, taking the reader racing through the streets of Lahore.  The atmosphere, pace and bustle of Lahore are brilliantly described, and as is village life in the more remote areas of Pakistan. 

Afra has left an indelible mark on my heart, not only because I understand that her moving  tale was inspired by a true story, but that (according to the Internet) her life experiences are shared by so many others throughout the world. 

5*s from me for this personal story that is very much of today, and all too real.   It touched my heart, and was also a thrilling murder mystery. This is one of my all-time favourite books!

This is a Boldwood Books revised and re-edited version of the previous edition.

Other books I have read, and reviewed, by this author (click on book cover to see review) :