A Death in Sarajevo

Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak #3.5

by Ausma Zehanat Khan

Detectives Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty are asked to help unlock the secrets of a woman killed during the Bosnian war in this captivating story from acclaimed author Ausma Zehanat Khan.

An old friend from Esa’s past has reappeared in his life, reaching out to ask Esa for help solving a mystery about the woman he once loved. But before Esa can travel to Sarajevo to help his friend, he and his partner, Detective Rachel Getty, must make it through a government inquiry that will not only affect their futures on the police force, but also test the strength of their partnership. Ausma’s trademark complex characters, atmospheric writing, and intricate plotting will mesmerize fans and new readers alike.

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Short Stories, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Novella

70 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 17, 2017

About the author

Ausma Zehanat Khan is a British-born Canadian living in the United States, whose own parents are heirs to a complex story of migration to and from three different continents. A former adjunct professor at American and Canadian universities, she holds a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law, with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre as the main subject of her dissertation. Previously the Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl Magazine, Ausma Zehanat Khan has moved frequently, traveled extensively, and written compulsively. Her new crime series debuted with 'Blackwater Falls' in November 2022. She is also the author of 5 books and 1 novella in the Esa Khattak/Rachel Getty mystery series, including the award-winning 'The Unquiet Dead'. And she is the author of The Khorasan Archives fantasy series, beginning with 'The Bloodprint'. She has also written a middle grade non-fiction book called 'Ramadan'.

Reviews

[Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the numbering system for her works, 3.5, one can deduce that this is a short story or, perhaps, a novella and not a full length piece of work. It does, however, give the reader a bit of background of the series characters. More importantly, and what I find most compelling about Khan's writing, is the history and personal background that she adds regarding the horrific war in Sarajevo. For many western readers, very little is known about what is now known as Bosnia-Herzegovina. I always finish reading Khan's book knowing more than I did going into them, regardless of their length or subject matter.

I do not recommend this as a stand alone read, but I highly encourage you to join along with this well written, intelligent, detective series.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

With three successful novels in the series, Ausma Zehanat Khan takes her Canadian police procedural on a slightly different path with this short story. As the piece opens, some of the fallout from past cases has made its way up to the Parliament of Canada, with an inquiry into the actions undertaken by Inspector Esa Khattak. In what appears to be an attempted whitewashing by the committee chair, Khattak is forced to deflect the blame and ensure it is clear that the Ministry of Justice authorised his actions. Supported by his partner, Rachel Getty, Khattak seeks not to be the sacrificial lamb in an attempt to erase Community Policing from its perch within the larger police family. After a stunning revelation, Khattak is free to leave and sets his sights on Sarajevo, where a long-ago friend seeks his help. Amira Sarac was said to have died during the war in Bosnia, but there are some loose ends that lead some to believe that she may have worked with the Bluebird Brigade—comprised of female soldiers—for longer than first thought. Peeling back what little is known about Sarac’s final mission, Khattak is able to locate not only her final resting place, but also some interesting tidbits about her past. While nothing will bring Amira Sarac back to those who love her, there’s a chance that her memory will live on for many years. An interesting short story that will surely be of interest to those who have followed the series to date, though there are few major revelations to be found here. Recommended to those who enjoy the Khattak-Getty novels, as well as the reader who likes a quick read to fill a gap.

While Khan has used her three previous novels to tackle major issues with Canada’s acceptance of the Muslim community, this piece is a break from that intensity. Khan offers up the first portion to tie off some threads that have been dangling for a while, including how Khattak will do when faced with some of the revelations related to his actions. While that alone could have made for a great short story, adding the Sarajevo subplot not only lengthened the piece, but gave it some heartfelt depth. Khattak remains his usual self, determined to tell the truth and not allow anyone to derail what he knows to be true. His passion for others shines through, even when some would see him vilified for his actions. Rachel Getty takes a backseat, but it is apparent that her passion to see Khattak receive the accolades he deserves surely strengthens the relationship she has with her superior. The reader is also permitted another small glimpse into her personal life, when her father makes an appearance at the hearings. The story flew by and proved to be as entertaining as it was compact. While I would recommend reading the series from the beginning, this one could be tried as a standalone to get a handle on the writing, characters, and the larger themes that Khan wishes to put forward in her books. I am eager to get back to the novels, to see what else Khattak and Getty come across as they try to help those in need within Canada’s minority community.

Kudos, Madam Khan, for another great piece. I needed this short story to help me reset my mind, but am ready to dive right in to see what else you have in store for series fans.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do enjoy Khan's writing. While I rarely purchase stories written by series authors, this seemed a time to make an exception. Some plot developments did occur that I am pleased to know (and will be curious to see how/if she covers them as completely in the next book, Among the Ruins). I also appreciated the second part of the story, in which Esa travels to Sarajevo to help a friend with unanswered questions left from the Bosnian War. That is one conflict that has been dogging Esa for some time.

This is a short story and should not be expected to be more than that. But that was certainly plenty for me and it does fit well into the series story lines.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Short

Tears. Can't see to type through the tears. A beautiful short story of loss, love, and redemption. I need more!

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way too short and now I feel the need to read the new book, sooner rather than later!

[Kat Cloaked · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place between book 2 and book 3, so perhaps should be labeled 2.5 rather than 3.5.

[Fraser Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all of her books, you always come away with more information and perspective on a culture you probably aren’t familiar with. She always describes things so that they almost become cinematic, even using great specificity with meals and customs when it’s pertinent.

Had this been a bit longer it probably would have been 5 stars. As the first half is a reminder of what happened last time and the second half is this very sweet story with Esa and his friend, and his problem, which leads down a road I hadn’t expected, it’s hard to justify the 5 stars despite really loving the ending.

You learn a lot and it’s hard subject matter, as it is with all the books so far in this series, and it’s well worth your time and $2.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I have to admit that the only reason I picked this up has been the Reading Women Challenge 2019. I'm not a crime reader and also read mysteries very rarely. So I tried to find something I'm at least interested in (Sarajevo) and that is not too long.
I liked the main characters in here, but the plot suffered from the shortness of the book (in fact it is a short story or novella, but don't tell anyone) and the fact that everything just came together very easily, especially in the second part of the book. But the writing wasn't bad, so maybe other (longer) works by this author are better.

#ReadingWomenChallenge2019
#MysteryOrThrillerByAWomanOfColour

[Steven James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hard-to-access book (found it as an ebook, for free), is chronologically awkward to place in the Rachel Getty/Esa Khattak series, but it does serve to tie up some loose ends and supply some connective tissue to the other four Getty/Khattak books by Ausma Khan. It is very short -something like 60 pages - perhaps it was meant to be short story written years ago out of which all the other books sprang. All of the books in this series are very good - readable, politically compelling, smart, empathetic. I want the author to write more books along this line.

[Amra Pajalic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing short story set in Sarajevo. Esa Khattak returns to Sarejevo to help a friend solve the mystery of his fiance's death during the war twenty years before. It's a great read as it develops Esa's character further, and is about the Bosnian war. Through this story I learnt about the Bluebird Brigade, an all-female fighting unit during the war. I really loved this story as I have loved everything I've written so far from Khan.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really a short story rather than a book and some of it doesn't make any sense if you have read the earlier Getty/Khattak books. And it also doesn't make much sense structurally as well. I agree with the sobbing reviewer that the end is moving but there's still a "so what"factor to why the author wrote it.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Khan's short story "A Death in Sarajevo" fits in nicely between full-length novels The Language of Secrets and Among the Ruins and manages to take care of a little business that's not contained in either book. This makes it a good addition for fans already hooked on the series and a good introduction for those readers who have yet to read one of her excellent mysteries.

[Fayeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very short read and mostly a bridge between the second and third books by Khan. There’s no complex plot but a story of a tragic death and I was touched by the story especially reading it right now when the world is focused on Ukraine. It’s a reminder of the beauty of Bosnia and it’s people, and a genocide and suffering the world chose to ignore.

[Bonnie Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esa is on his own through much of this novel, as he travels to Sarajevo to help a friend determine not just how his fiancee died, but when, as the previous reports of her demise, seem to be in error. Of course, Esa figures out the mystery, with a little help long-distance from Rachel, and is able to help his friend find closure and a new oportunity.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after the 3rd book, but it would have fitted better before it, after the second.

It is a gorgeous short story, which looks at element's of Esa's past without being directly about him. It made me cry.

[Neeuqdrazil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella told a story of Esa's past, but not about him. As with all of Khan's books, it is beautifully written.

[Mary Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written novella to tide the reader until the next book.

[Eileen Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

am reading all her books. insight into a culture and different ways of thinking. good mystery stories

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a novella. The short length did not do the story justice. The characters needed more development and the ‘mystery’ was not well detailed.

[Nadhirah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expect nothing more than just a short read for those wanting a quick fix in between the books in the series.

[Desa Grivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Disappointed it was only a novella

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short read, filling out some background on the characters in this series.

[Holiday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too short. Ausma is at her best when she writes about Bosnia.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of short stories/novellas in general, but I do love these characters and the story fit with the overall arc of this world.

[Valerie Colquhoun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short read, what happens next?

[Taco Beta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and satisfying short read. The characters are interesting and complex. The historical context is absorbing. I look forward to reading more in this series.

[Jan Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but very moving story.

[Deb W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet vignette. I'm thinking she should've waited until she had more of a story before publishing.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I found this novella to tide me over till the next book comes out! Going ahead and counting it for my 2019 total, even though it's short, because I've re-read a few romances and haven't counted them twice, so I think it all balances. :)

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be aware that this particular offering is really a short story, not a full novel or even a novella. It does continue the story of Canadian terrorist detectives, Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty, but it is really just a fill in on background of Esa and some of his friends in Sarajevo.