This review is written with thanks to Transworld for my copy of The Blood Divide via Netgalley.

Blurb:

The last thing Jack Baxi expected when a detective rang his doorbell in the middle of the night was that he’d be tortured and left for dead, with a young woman he’s never met before.

Now, running for their lives, Jack and Aisha frantically try to discover why the detective was so convinced they both have information on a missing person. Jack is a Sikh corner shopkeeper with a criminal record. Aisha is a Muslim medical student from a wealthy family. What could possibly connect them?

Their desperate hunt for answers will take them on a perilous journey, from the sprawling underground markets and dangerous red-light district of Delhi all the way to the most militarized zone in India.

But little do they know, a dangerous organisation is watching their every move – and they’ll do whatever it takes to stop Jack and Aisha learning the truth . . .

Review:

I have read a few of the novels in the Harry Virdee series, so I was interested to see how AA Dhand would handle new characters and approach a standalone plot. I really enjoyed The Blood Divide and felt that Jack and Aisha are really strong characters. They are not characters who would naturally be placed together but I loved their partnership and I was really rooting for them from the very beginning. I also can’t write about characters without mentioning Cruise! He added some much needed humour to some dark situations but he also helped to demonstrate what life can be like for families in India. 

The prologue of The Blood Divide takes us to India in 1947, making it clear that this story is rooted in Indian history. I know very little about the partition and I enjoyed learning more about it whilst being engaged in a very well written story. 

The Blood Divide is the first of Dhand’s novel that is set mostly overseas. However despite this, the sense of place is still exceptional. Dhand has said that many of the events in the novel are based on personal experiences. I felt as though I had been taken to India and was walking the streets and meeting the characters as Jack and Aisha were doing so. 

This novel is really fast paced and it was really difficult to be parted from it. There are some scenes which are quite graphic so it may not be for the faint hearted but I enjoyed the emotions and the tension that runs through the whole book and kept me on my toes until the end! 

The Blood Divide is available from Amazon.