Blackwater Falls

Girls from immigrant communities have been disappearing for months in the Colorado town of Blackwater Falls, but the local sheriff is slow to act and the fates of the missing girls largely ignored. At last, the calls for justice become too loud to ignore when the body of a star student and refugee--the Syrian teenager Razan Elkader--is positioned deliberately in a mosque.

Detective Inaya Rahman and Lieutenant Waqas Seif of the Denver Police are recruited to solve Razan’s murder, and quickly uncover a link to other missing and murdered girls. But as Inaya gets closer to the truth, Seif finds ways to obstruct the investigation. Inaya may be drawn to him, but she is wary of his motives: he may be covering up the crimes of their boss, whose connections in Blackwater run deep.

Inaya turns to her female colleagues, attorney Areesha Adams and Detective Catalina Hernandez, for help in finding the truth. The three have bonded through their experiences as members of vulnerable groups and now they must work together to expose the conspiracy behind the murders before another girl disappears.

Delving deep into racial tensions, and police corruption and violence, Blackwater Falls examines a series of crimes within the context of contemporary American politics with compassion and searing insight.

"Stunning . . . Kahn brilliantly depicts the complexities of her characters and the tensions of a multicultural American community struggling with bias, fear, and corruption. At once suspenseful, moving, and thought-provoking, this is not to be missed."

―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"An extremely timely and original thriller."

―Buzzfeed, "20 New Mystery and Thriller Novels Coming Out This Fall"

“Clear your calendar―there's a new crime series from Ausma Zehanat Khan! Khan’s brilliant balance of propulsive thought-provoking storytelling and timely themes resonates in every riveting book; with her tight plotting, intense characters, cinematic settings, and focus on social justice. Readers are not only entertained and satisfied--but also inspired and changed. Blackwater Falls is the first in what is sure to be an acclaimed and long-running series―do not miss this!”

―Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The First To Lie

“No one has a greater talent for exploring complex global issues through beautifully drawn, nuanced characters than Ausma Zehanat Khan. Blackwater Falls is a triumph, bringing to life an intricate mystery that features diverse characters with differing interpretations of justice. This is an exceptional novel that engaged both my head and heart.”

―Hilary Davidson, bestselling author of Her Last Breath

“Ausma Zehanat Khan’s Blackwater Falls is a novel you will read in one sitting; a compelling, tense thriller from one of the most exciting, authentic voices in suspense fiction. This masterful series debut will leave you impatiently waiting for the next installment.

―Jennifer Hillier, bestselling author of Things We Do in the Dark

“Timely, haunting, and immersive, Blackwater Falls is a powerful opening chapter to Khan’s evocative series. While it honors the tropes and elements of the genre, Blackwater Falls deftly pushes things forward, creating a character and setting that feels fresh and wholly original. An of-the-moment crime novel that you shouldn’t miss.”

―Alex Segura, acclaimed author of Secret Identity and the Anthony Award-nominated Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series

“Poignant and powerful, this brilliant new series by Ausma Zehanat Khan is set at the intersections of race and identity, policing and community, global and local. Blackwater Falls is a page-turning, pulse-racing headlong jump into a complicated, nuanced community―one that Detective Inaya Rahman and her colleagues are determined to shake up. An astonishing, moving story. I can't wait for more!”

―Uzma Jalaluddin, bestselling author of Hana Khan Carries On

“In the timely novel Blackwater Falls, a trio of women investigators face an onslaught of discrimination and racial tensions not only from within their own ranks but also their small-town community, making the task of solving two disappearances and the murder of a teenage girl incredibly dangerous. With multi-faceted characters you’ll cheer for, and a taut, propulsive storyline Blackwater Falls is as surprising as it is evocative. This is crime fiction at its absolute finest.”

―Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Never Coming Home