The Return of Faraz Ali

'A gripping read - everything beautifully evoked, from the alleys of the Old City to the atmosphere of corruption and secrets.' Kamila Shamsie A spellbinding debut set in Pakistan during the political upheavals of the late '60s - a propulsive tale of family, secrets and survival in a caste-ridden, patriarchal society. Pakistan, 1968. As riots erupt in the streets of Lahore, Inspector Faraz Ali returns to his birthplace, the red-light district in the walled inner city. Wrested from it as a child by his powerful father to be raised by a respectable family, Faraz has hidden his roots ever since. Now his father has sent him back: to cover up the murder of a young courtesan. It should be a simple task, but for once Faraz finds himself unable to obey orders - nor can he resist searching for the mother and sister he left behind. Chasing after answers that risk shattering his precariously constructed existence, Faraz is unaware that his sister also faces a return to the old city, and to the life she thought she had escaped. As riveting as it is thought-provoking, as profoundly intimate as it is wide in scope, The Return of Faraz Ali poses a timeless question: whom do we choose to protect, and at what price?