Homegrown Hero by Khurrum Rahman #BookReview

Reluctant spy. Trained assassin.

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

JAY QASIM is back home in West London and in pursuit of normality. He’s swapped dope-dealing for admin, and spends his free time at the local Muslim Community Centre or cruising around Hounslow in his beloved BMW. No-one would guess that he was the MI5 spy who foiled the most devastating terrorist attack in recent history.

But Jay’s part in sabotaging Ghurfat-Al-Mudarris’ hit on London didn’t pass unnoticed.

IMRAN SIDDIQUI was trained to kill in Afghanistan by the terrorist cell who saved his life after his home was destroyed by war. The time has finally come for him to repay them – throwing him headlong into the path of Jay Qasim.

Now, they must each decide whose side they’re really on.

It's day two of my back-to-back reviews of Khurrum Rahman's Jay Qasim series and as much as I loved East of Hounslow, I thought Homegrown Hero was even better!

After the devastating events in the first book, Jay is desperate for a normal life and it looks as if he's serious about it. He has a proper job and has started attending sessions at the local community hall for Muslims to listen to talks and discuss current issues, without judgement. It's a place where anger is expressed but by people who just need somewhere to vent, not to plan extreme action. He's not exactly enjoying his life but he's not sorry to be cut loose from MI5 and with local drug lord, Silas still locked up thanks to his statement, he at least feels safe. However, it's soon obvious that Jay is actually anything but safe when he is named as a traitor by members of Ghurfat-Al-Mudarris, the terror organisation he infiltrated and a fatwa is placed upon his head. Danger is also closer at hand and Jay quickly realises his hope for normality is just an illusion.

The introduction of a new character, Imran - Imy - Siddiqui proves to be a masterstroke and he is equally as compelling as Jay. The contrast between the two young men is fascinating; on a superficial level they are remarkably similar - they're both products of Hounslow and though not friends, have a loosely shared history through Jay's drug dealing past. Imy was actually born in Afghanistan before a terrible tragedy eventually brought him to England and he has become a very different man to the one who first arrived here. The novel opens with a fantastic chapter that leads the reader into making immediate assumptions about Imy before learning more about who he is. We soon learn he seems to be living the sort of regular life that Jay craves, working as an estate agent, he drinks and smokes weed with his best mate, Shaz and is in a relationship with a white single mother, Steph.

There are early hints, however, that despite his apparent happiness, he is waiting with a fatalistic certainty for his life to change, and a text message received in the middle of the night proves to be the shattering catalyst which alters everything. Homegrown Hero explores some strikingly relevant contemporary topics, with the radicalisation of young people to extremist causes and the failure to prevent it happening being particularly notable. The retaliatory attacks perpetrated by Islamic fanatics and white nationalists seem especially hopeless while questions are asked of the difference between acts of terrorism and revenge.

The switching narrative follows Jay and Imy in the first person but also allows the reader to be privy to more information than either of the lead characters are aware of which ramps up the tension still further. Gritty and authentic, Homegrown Hero is a blistering thriller where the sense of terrible foreboding is almost as unbearable as the shocking violence. The exciting action scenes and suspenseful plotting ensure the book is an addictive page-turner throughout but it offers more besides and though the humour that is woven throughout the story is dark, it is also an affectionate nod to the local community.

It's the characters which really make Homegrown Hero such a memorable read and I was moved by how much I cared for both Jay and Imy despite their apparent cross-purposes. Khurrum Rahman has a real empathy for his characters and their quieter moments with friends and family are as powerful as the dramatic action scenes. I love the complex nature of the friendship between Jay and Idris, a drug squad detective and I adored Imy's family; Steph, her little boy, Jack and his wonderful Khala. 

Homegrown Hero can be read as a standalone but really I would recommend you read East of Hounslow first because this is an outstanding series which deserves to be enjoyed in its entirety. It takes an exceptional writer to set my pulse racing, make me laugh out loud and move me to tears within a few pages and Khurrum Rahman achieves that and more. I am immensely thankful to have Ride or Die lined up to read immediately and cannot recommend Homegrown Hero highly enough, it's an absolute must-read!

Homegrown Hero is published by HQ, purchasing links can be found here but please support independent bookstores whenever possible. 

About the Author

Born in Karachi and raised in West London, Khurrum Rahman now lives in Berkshire with his wife and two sons. His love for films and books influenced him to start writing. A hobby at first quickly became a passion. He spent any spare time in between a full-time job and being a hands-on parent to write stories inspired by his favourite screenwriters and authors.

Khurrum has written a movie screenplay which was acquired by a Danish Film Producer, but he is now concentrating on writing novels.

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