A solid story. It wasn't a slow burn but not too fast past either. I liked the balance of dialogue and description as it set the scene well.

I think this author's future work will be promising as she has a compelling writing style.

Nobody is who they seem. Everybody has secrets best kept hidden. Everybody can get it if they don't watch their step.

Really enjoyed this murder mystery set in Colorado with themes surrounding immigration, race and police corruption. Thank you to Recorded Books for the ALC!

Mixed emotions. I consider this novel as a big eye-opener concerning the lives of muslim people and generally the Brown (and in the lesser regard the Black) people in the U.S.. The authoress relatably pictures their way of life, specifics and concerns - and various prejudices they face. Combined with very good storytelling, this part of the novel is truly fascinating and I really want to know more. But the story is HEAVILY politically influenced - and even this would be okay if the political opinions were not one of the main arcs in the story. It has been so heavy-handed that it influenced my otherwise quite enjoyable reading experience. In my opinion certain neutral stance and more objectivity in approach would enhance the quality of the murder mystery more.

I did not like the narration, I found it sleepy and non-engaging.

This one was exactly what I expect from a modern detective novel, with a great diverse cast of characters. The writing was interesting and engaging. I appreciate the main character, Inaya Rahma's, perspective and I'm interested to see where this new series goes.

I usually pick a book based of the description of the story but this I picked because of the title alone. BLACKWATER FALLS by Ausma Zehanat Khan, and narrated by Fareeda Pasha. Here in West Virginia we have a Blackwater Falls state park that has a beautiful waterfall that people flock to see all the time.

This book is set in a Colorado town that has a large immigrant population, and a town sheriff that ignores the harassment they have to contend with, and the missing girls whose fates are being ignored. Two detectives are brought in to delve deep into racial tensions, and police corruption and violence.

I did enjoy reading about other cultures that I’m not familiar with. I did feel the story was a bit slow in places but overall it was a good read. 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for letting me review this book.

Blackwater Falls gives readers a new crime series featuring Inaya Rahma, an American Muslim detective. The book revolves around a string of missing girls from immigrant communities. The cast of characters is well drawn and the book establishes a great detective series. I can’t wait to read more.

If you’re looking for a great diverse cast of characters, with women at the center of the narrative, look no further.

I WAS HERE FOR THIS ONE SO MUCH! The Muslim representation was really hitting the bullseye for me, as I can imagine it’s probably so hard for women to get jobs in government positions. Still, factor in a religion that’s not your average joe in America, and I’m sure her place in the police force was casting judgmental gazes left and right.

This story will appeal to those like plots with a strong political and social justice theme. I appreciated the cultural references in this mystery book, which inspired some insightful societal criticism. With regard to the plot itself, I found the murder and case to be interesting.
The blurb for the book makes it obvious that this book contains racial conflicts. For many BIPOC, especially women of color, this representation is important. To some readers, the author may seem to be going too far but it is designed to make the reader uncomfortable, to make them question their own prejudice and privilege.

This book bridges a gap that has existed in the crime genre since it's very beginning, with women of color finally in the investigator role limelight. While I found the writing to be somewhat amateurish, I feel like there is so much potential, and hopefully this will be a long-spanning crime series that continues to pull back the curtain on discrimination and they way the justice system erases the experiences of vulnerable people, or contributes to their pain in general.

As a Denverite, I loved the Colorado setting and would be very excited to read more from Khan in the future!

This book is so timely and relevant. Set in fictional Blackwater Falls, CO, Muslim and brown girls are disappearing and being found murdered. But, there doesn’t seem to be much rush to figure out what is happening.
The investigators are up against it all - a backwards, good-ole-boys sheriffs department, an influential church, a MC gang, and a general distrust of outsiders.

Well-written and nuanced, this layered detective novel is more than your typical “investigators ‘whodunit’. There are religious themes and references, the explicit racism of a small town, and cultural considerations and complicated family dynamics throughout. I can’t wait to read more books featuring Detective Inaya Rahman.

An outstanding debut audio for the Blackwater Falls series from Ausma Zehanat Khan. Tackling hot button issues of race, gender, religion and police work in a compelling narrative. Well developed characters inhabit this timely and engaging thriller. Listeners will be left anxious for book two in Blackwater Falls series.

I really liked this book and am so excited that it's going to be a series! I can not wait to watch how the relationship between Inaya and Waqas develops b/c you can just feel it happening. They both are so reserved and feel committed to their cultural beliefs it will be interesting to see how they handle it all. The book is so timely and current with all of the racism and MAGA bullshit happening in the country and the world right now that I could totally see this happening. But it is also a reminder that there are good people on the inside working to make things better. Can't wait for the next book!

#BlackwaterFalls
#NetGalley

I almost didn't request this audiobook, but the choices were few that week and I thought I'd give it a try. The story focuses on Inaya, a female Muslim detective who investigates the brutal hate crime murder of a teenage Syrian immigrant in a Colorado town. The local police and an evangelical church group are thought to be somehow behind this crime, but it is difficult to penetrate their boundaries. She encounters obstacles from local industries that employ Somali and Syrian refugees, her supervisor who keeps throwing roadblocks in her path, and also from the refugees who are distrustful of police. She encounters lots of prejudice and hate as she investigates.

I've read/listened to scores of books in the past year, but this one tops my list of recommended books. It's not a feel-good book, but it will make you think about similarities with events that happen today in our society. It allows us to see things from the perspective of immigrants and cultures other than our own. I highly recommend this book--it's an eye-opener and very compelling. This is the best book I've seen/heard all year!

There are actually two stories going on in this book. The mystery and crime solving of missing and murdered women and the second story highlighting the discrimination received by women, immigrants and people of color. This author did an amazing job with the character and made you feel what they experienced. Very sad but beautifully written story.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for accepting my request to audibly read and review Blackwater Falls.

Author: Ausma Zehanat Khan
Published: 11/01/22
Narrator: Fareeda Pasha
Genre: Multicultural Interest -- Mystery & Thrillers

High expectations that left me unfilled. This is the first book in a new series, and that appealed to me. The genre of multicultural interest fit with my personal reading goals for 2023. Unfortunately, I am left with more questions than answers.

None of the cultural references were explained, and that is what I was looking for. I wasn't in a position to Google things. Raghead was used in a way that I knew it was not nice. However, a little reference as to why I expected. Several times showing hair was an issue, why? There were so many whys, it made the story harder to follow. This is the first book in a series. The stories are going to be different than commonplace Mystery & Thrillers.

There are several conversations with regards to religion, Muslim, Christian and I think at one point Catholicism. (I had trouble with the narration.) Elements of faith, with religion equalled political involvement. I understood, and had the author not touched on these elements, I would have questioned why. Again, the reader was expected to have knowledge? If that is true, the audience is certainly limited.

There is profanity dispersed throughout.

My problem with the actual protagonist was the relationship and actions she had with those in authority. I wasn't buying her dialogue. I worked my whole life, and never argued with a supervisor nor did I ever go against policy.

While obviously I was bothered with several issues, I did find the mystery to be written for smart people. It wasn't juvenile nor was it like every other mystery on the shelf.

For those well-versed in cultures you may enjoy this.

I'm giving this 2.5 stars and after a lot of thought am rounding up. My issues are with no explanations on the cultural references which is what the book is marketed on.

This is my #currentaudiobook . Riveting. Amazing respect and representation to a group often overlooked - not just refugees but also young women.
The body of Razan, a young woman refugee who attended a local private school as a scholarship recipient.
The community fails to aid the investigation, already taught to fear the local police - calling Inaya a traitor.
Discovering two other young women are missing, Inaya becomes obsessed - pushing hard for answers.
Very complicated suspense plot. Well done - kept my interest, my empathy and thankful to have such a glossed over issue brought to the forefront.
I really enjoyed the narrator - brought the characters to live, along with their culture.

Thanks to NetGalley & RB Media for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I have purchased this author's titles for my library's Mystery section and they do well, and I was interested in reading a story from a female Muslim POV. Inaya is an interesting character, but this book has A LOT going on. There are essentially to whodunnits, a massive cast of characters, tons of family dynamics (for both Inaya and her boss, Qas Seif (we are meant to understand that no one in the department realizes that he is Muslim, which strikes me as unlikely), not to mention all of the religious information floating around, both Christian and Muslim. Unfortunately, for me, there was so much going on that it muddled the story. It made it hard to keep track of characters who had been mentioned several chapters previous and were suddenly brought up again without a reminder of who they are (and you can't really back track for info in an audiobook).

Add to this the fact that 2 of the major players are actually undercover. This despite them both living with their family members, who could be harmed if the undercover officers' covers were blown - not particularly realistic (but I admit I could be misinformed!). Inaya's and Qas' mutual interest feels a bit of a cliché, also. Is it ever a good idea to date your boss when you're a police officer?

Fareeda Pasha nails the accents, but differentiating between characters who are not Inaya's mom and day (who speak accented English) was very challenging.

I might go back and try one of the Esa Khattak/Rachel Getty books, but I won't be going further in this series.

I liked the audio narrator on this one.

The story put a spotlight on the treatment that people of color receive when they are victims but also officers of the law or in power positions. It was written in such a way that it was productive and didn’t have heavy political or accusatory tones. It’s was more like…here is good, interesting story and also…society you need to do better. I appreciated that. There are so many books that are overly political and it can sometimes take away from the overall story.

So I think this was well done and stayed true to the point of the story while still giving insight into other cultures that people may not be as familiar with and the obstacles they overcome just to exist in the US.

Thanks # netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was a breath of fresh air for me. A police thriller with a twist of religious freedom vs conservative viewpoint. Loved this book. Highly recommend