Reluctant spy. Trained assassin.
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?
After preventing the most devastating terrorist attack in recent history, Jay Qasim is back home in West London. And, despite invitations to go back undercover, all he wants is a quiet life.
He’s got a job in a call centre, has blocked MI5’s number, and has put his brief career as an under-cover jihadist behind him.
But the game is far from over. And Jay’s about to learn that – no matter how hard he tries – it’s going to be hard to keep his head down now there’s a price on it.
Whip-smart, laugh-out-loud and fiendishly addictive, Homegrown Hero is the second in a series of thrillers starring Jay Qasim: West London’s most reluctant hero.
Make sure you’ve read all the books in the Jay Qasim series:
1. East of Hounslow
2. Homegrown Hero
3. Ride or Die
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.
My Review:
This is the second book in this wonderfully funny, topical and brilliant series featuring Jay Qasim, reluctant spy, former drug dealer and accidental terrorist and whilst I know there are some people out there happy to read books in any sequence I think you really need to read book 1 East of Hounslow first as Homegrown Hero follows on picks up immediately after the cliff hanger of book 1.
After all the excitement / horror that Jay went through in book 1, he has decided to change his life style and get a proper 9-5 job, stop the drug dealing and remove himself from M15, however certain characters from book 1 won’t let him and before long there are people out there who want Jay dead.
This time the book is told from a new character’s point of view – Imran Siddiqui or Immie to his friends. He works in an estate agents, likes getting stoned and drunk with his best friend Shaz most nights and is in the midst of a “complicated” relationship with a white women. Immie is coasting through life when he gets a phone call he has been dreading and waiting for in equal measures. This call changes everything in an instant and suddenly Immie has to work out where his priorities lie.
Jay is the same mouthy, amusing, young man, still hurt and deeply affected by what happened in book 1 and determined not to repeat the same mistakes, but it isn’t long before he finds himself involved in a similar situation caught between a gang of white racists and angry young Muslims extremists determined to settle scores.
This book made me laugh, gasp and cry throughout and the authors ability to bring these two main characters, Immie and Jay to life in a way that I could hear them talking, see their inner turmoil, feel their fear and confusion proves what a talented writer Khurrum Rahman is.
Another superb 5 star book for me and I’ve downloaded book 3 to start soon.
