Hunted by Abir Mukherjee #BookReview

 
YOU CAN'T SAVE YOUR KIDS... BUT CAN YOU STOP THEM?

It’s a week before the presidential elections when a bomb goes off in an LA shopping mall…

In London, armed police storm Heathrow Airport and arrest Sajid Khan. His daughter Aliyah entered the USA with the suicide bomber, and now she’s missing, potentially plotting another attack.

But then a mysterious woman called Carrie turns up at Sajid’s door after travelling halfway across the world. She claims Aliyah is with her son Greg, and she knows where they could be.

Back in the US, Agent Shreya Mistry is closing in on the two fugitives. But the more she investigates, the more she realises this case is far from as simple as it seems.

Hunted by the authorities, the two parents are thrown together in a race against time to find their kids before the FBI does and stop a catastrophe that will bring the world to its knees.

Discover the new TWIST-PACKED thriller from the author of The Shadows of Men.

As the author of the bestselling Wyndham and Banerjee series of novels set in 1920s India, Abir Mukherjee has made his name writing award-winning historical crime fiction. Hunted, however, is his first foray into contemporary action thrillers and it's an exceptional read throughout.
When a bomb explodes in a Los Angeles mall, the assumption is that it was an Islamic terror attack, especially as the bomber is identified as a young Muslim woman, Yasmin. The lead up to the explosion is incredibly tense; Yasmin is accompanied by Jack as they enter the mall and wait in a café until the moment comes for them to proceed with their plans. Having a brief insight into Yasmin's thought processes prior to the attack makes it all the more devastating but the breakneck speed of the plot soon moves on and readers are introduced to one of the primary characters; FBI agent Shreya Mistry.
Shreya is a fantastic character; it's immediately clear that she doesn't always follow orders and clashes with her superiors but her intuitive prowess and courageous determination to uncover the truth and prevent any further atrocities drives much of the plot. As a woman of South Asian heritage, Shreya reproaches herself when the pressure to identify those behind the bombing finds her resorting to narrowing down the search by concentrating on Muslim names. Hunted is an exciting, action-packed thriller but it is also a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to belong to more than one culture. Shreya comes from a Hindu rather than Muslim background but nevertheless, some of the choices she makes weigh heavily on her, even if the ends appear to justify the means. 
Meanwhile, in London, Sajid Khan's life suddenly takes a terrifying turn when armed police seize him amidst accusations that he must know more about the apparent radicalisation of his daughter, Aliyah who entered the USA with Yasmin and is now missing. His disbelief is compounded further after an American woman, Carrie, turns up and informs him she believes Aliyah is with her son, Greg. She eventually convinces Sajid that he must accompany her to Portland if they are to stand any chance to save their children from the police – and themselves. In a novel filled with memorable, empathetically drawn characters, Sajid is arguably my favourite. As a refugee who fled Bangladesh, he has lived in Britain for two decades and raised a family but as a brown man living in a world manipulated by divisive fears, he has grown accustomed to the feelings of dread and discomfort every time a terror attack is identified as Islamic and the subsequent extra scrutiny and looks of suspicion from fellow travellers and security officers. However, while Hunted piercingly examines how racism and privilege underpin the stark differences between how Sajid and Carrie negotiate the many challenges they face, it never shies away from acknowledging that some people do become radicalised. Sajid encouraged his daughters to become politically aware but is now tormented by guilt; his story is a tragic one and his desperate mission to protect his daughter is wholly relatable, regardless of what she may or may not be guilty of. 
Fraught relationships, lies and deception drive the propulsive plot as Shreya, Sajid and Carrie defy the odds and the authorities time and again in the race to find Aliyah and Greg. Greg, too, is an intriguingly nuanced character with a turbulent past, whose outward appearance proves that looks can be deceptive. What isn't in doubt though is that both he and Aliyah have been involved in planning terror attacks during a scarily plausible, embittered US presidential campaign featuring a Trump-like Republican nominee. The alternating narrative perspectives of Shreya, Sajid and Greg give readers a breathtakingly intense insight into the characters' lives and Abir Mukherjee skilfully us to root for both sides as tense chase scenes and near-misses eventually culminate in stunning revelations and a dramatic, agonising climax
Hunted is a superlative read; this multifaceted, suspense thriller marries the nail-biting, manipulative world of geopolitics and counterterrorism with the universal desire to protect our families and to find a sense of belonging. Penetrating, powerful and emotional – I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Hunted is published in the UK by Harvill Secker. Purchasing links can be found here.

About the Author 
Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India. His books have been translated into fifteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture.

Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons.


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