Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalauddin

 

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalauddin

Reviewed by Jeanne

After a tragedy, Kausar Khan left Toronto and had never thought to return.  She and her husband had built a life in North Bay, away from friends, family, and most of all, reminders.  Even after her husband passed away, Kausar was unwilling to consider returning until she got a phone call that her daughter Sana is in trouble—and not just simple trouble.  There has been a murder in Sana’s boutique.

While Kausar knows her daughter would not had committed murder, she comes not only to help with the household but to ask questions of her own. This turns out to be more difficult than anticipated because Sana is angry and evasive; Sana’s older daughter seems suspicious of Kausar; and Sana’s husband Hamsa is definitely lying about something. The police, however, seem sure they have their murderer: Sana.

I don’t quite know where to start to say how much I enjoyed this book, which is the first in a new series.  Kausar is a character who really comes to life.  She is a woman of a certain age, a Southeast Asian Muslim immigrant who had an arranged marriage, but who has always met challenges with kindness, empathy, and a shrewd intelligence that allowed her to notice small details that revealed larger truths.  Her race and her age lead people to underestimate her and to make certain assumptions which Kausar uses to her advantage. She’s a warm and empathetic individual, but also with steely resolve to help and protect both her family and her community.  She has a sense of humor as well as humility, but she also has a sense of guilt.  Mired in grief, she now feels that she has let her family down.  She has no idea about the details of Sana’s life or the lives of her granddaughters, and now must try to build more of a relationship with them.  

The book also touches on subjects like gentrification, racism, and generational divides. Kausar and her friends were brought up with certain expectations and views which are not necessarily shared by their children or grandchildren.

The mystery itself is very well constructed.  As Kausar begins to investigate, she discovers some shady financial dealings going on in the neighborhood that may or may not have had a bearing on the murder, not to mention the secrets within her own family.   

I also loved learning more about an unfamiliar culture and place.  Jaladdin writes well, and is able to impart information organically, without lengthy explanations.  In fact, she writes so well that I’m almost tempted to read one of her other books—all of which are romances, which is not my genre.  That says a lot right there!