I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ, and the Author Vicky Newham.
This book started out really well, with a strong initial story arc and a gripping premise. However, it dragged on for much too long, the last quarter felt fluffed out with unnecessary events and details, and the resolution was incredibly unsatisfying, with a culprit that felt plucked out of thin air.
Another frustrating element was the under development of the characters, which means that it was often difficult to remember who was who. Only the major players were given recognisable cues that were easy to pick up on as the novel progressed. The narrative also seem disjointed at times as the perspective switched so regularly.
An ‘ok’ read, but not one I would go out of my way to recommend. 2.5 stars.

Well, that was good! Extremely well written with incredible characters and loads of twists I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed the reading, the story, the writing style. Plus it was such a quick read which is something I am always looking for. I will definetely keep reading this series.

Murdered: head of multicultural school.

This is a really engaging murder investigation of a school head teacher - the story embraces many threads - the politics of school management, multicultural students and teachers, cultural and religious beliefs and perspectives etc.

The senior investigating officer is a Bangladeshi born woman, substantially brought up in London by a mother who spoke no English and who’s father disappeared when she and her two siblings were young, and who is fighting the conflicts of the recent suicide of her brother.

The story of the investigation is well told - some from the perspective of the detective and some from that of a new teacher at the school, and eventually, as one would expect, the murderer is revealed.

My only criticism, and this may be my fading memory as it is not the first time I have said it with crime investigation books, there were too many characters to keep tabs on and remember who they are when they reappear later in the story. Also, in many instances characters when they reappear in the story are referred to sometimes by their first names and sometimes by their surnames and sometimes by both, but all too rarely as “Joe Bloggs, the caretaker” - maybe I should have been taking notes from page one!

I started this but just wasn't feeling it. There was nothing inherently wrong with it I just wasn't feeling it at the time, however having been really excited about this book beforehand I would like to try again another day.

DI Maya Rahman is a new detective in town. Of Bengali descent she finds she has many battles to fight on a daily basis, not least one of loss which affects her deeply.

A headmistress has been murdered in her study in a multicultural secondary school. The murder sends shockwaves through the whole local community not least amongst the teachers themselves who look to each other with unease. DI Rahman is an ex pupil of the school and knows the school and the local community well. As a reader we learn much about Rahman's background and what leads her to become a detective. Newham clearly knows the area and working in such an environment well and that really shines through throughout the book. It is well researched and the look back into Rahman's past is fascinating.

Turn a Blind Eye is essentially a police procedure that is multi faceted. There's a good array of characters to keep the reader guessing as well as plenty of laying down of foundations into what could potentially be a terrific series.

It's an accomplished debut from an author that cares passionately about her protagonist. That's clear to see!! I look forward to getting to know DI Rahman more. Recommended.

When the headmistress of an East London high school is found dead with a note stating ‘I shall abstain from taking the ungiven’, an ancient Buddhist precept, DI Maya Rahman is called in to investigate. For Maya this case is personal, as this is her former high school. A girl close to Maya’s family recently killed herself at this school as well. With these tragedies coming right after an ‘insufficient’ school inspection rating, the school is fighting to stay open, trying to convince teachers, students and students’ parents that there is no danger. Maya instantly feels that there is more going on than meets the eye, but runs into roadblocks everywhere, having to battle police department sexism and misogynist teachers at her old school. But when more bodies are found, again with Buddhist precepts, it becomes clear that no one at, or connected to, the school is safe. DI Rahman dives deep into the world of high school rivalries, cultural differences, teachers’ room politics, well-protected rapists and grieving parents, all the while dealing with her own complicated family situation and grief due to a recent family tragedy. While the case progresses, we also learn about Maya's childhood in Bangladesh and her family's journey to and beginnings in London.

This is the first book in Newham's DI Maya Rahman series and I would most likely read a second book in the series. The case is interesting and you can definitely tell that the author has lived and worked in East London. I loved the very complex character of Maya, which develops nicely, and the unexpected twists in the search for the killer. While the changing narrators, including the killer, were a good idea, at times it was a bit difficult to discern right away who was speaking.

Thank you for letting me read Turn a Blind Eye by Vicky Newham. I immediately took to the character of DI Maya Rahman but did find the story a bit slow in places. It did however bring to the forefront problems with arranged and forced marriages. All in all a good read and would definitely look out for more from this author.

Turn a Blind Eye by Vicky Newham, April 2018, 368 pages, HQ, ISBN: 0008240671

I've been eagerly awaiting reading Vicky Newham's debut, having followed her progress via Facebook and in person at CrimeFest, and I'm pleased to report that it doesn't disappoint.

TURN A BLIND EYE introduces DI Maya Rahman, who is based in East London where she grew up after arriving from Bangladesh at a young age. The book opens with scenes in Bangladesh at the funeral of Maya and her sister's brother.

Returning to London, she is thrown into a murder case at the school she went to as a young girl. The headmistress has been killed and a cryptic message has been left. A message which indicates that there has been or will be more linked deaths.

Maya also has a new team member, a fast-tracked Australian, DS Dan Maguire, whose family is back in Australia. Chapters are told from the points of view of Maya and Dan with occasional chapters from the teacher who found the body.

TURN A BLIND EYE is a detailed and authentic feeling police procedural. The introduction of an outsider – Dan – gives Maya a natural opportunity to expand on the history, geography and background to the case and area that they're working in. Maya comes across as a serious, capable individual and there is a mystery in her childhood which could be resolved in one book or teased out over more. I'm looking forward to finding out which.

This was an ok read but nothing outstanding.

A debut featuring DI Maya Rahman, I can see how the character will be built up in subsequent books but for this there seemed to be far too much attention on her past. I know this is to establish her character but it was so disjointed as these excerpts/chapters would be written in past tense and often with no precursor that they were about to occur. Really interrupted the flow of the reading.

There was also too much prevalence by the author to mention just how diverse London is. The cultural melting pot of Britain is hardly a new phenomenon but it seemed Newham tried her hardest to fit in a character from every ethnic group she could think of (although I can't remember coming across anyone Irish) and quite frankly it soon became a bore to read. Due to the number of characters this added, it made them all rather indistuingishable from one another.

The plot itself is rather lacklustre, bumping along on an all too familiar format of blaming anyone for the murders with a slightest motive whilst also focussing heavily on school policy. Due to this the ending was incredibly banal and rather abrupt.

I love a crime novel and this one did not disappoint. The twists and turns of why and how keep me reading and couldn't put it down.

I would recommend reading this.

Turn a Blind Eye is an intriguing contemporary crime mystery set in London. A hardworking, pioneering headmistress is murdered in her office setting off a chain of events. The talented lead investigator and former pupil at the school, finds the investigation brings back memories of her early introduction to life in Britain as a new immigrant. An honest, fast paced novel with believable characters. This was a satisfying read.

I loved the setting of this novel, an East End school embroiled in conflict from multi-culturalism. You can tell the author worked in this environment, she describes it vividly and sensitively. The main character, the policewoman, being Bangladeshi is a nice change from the usual white male. Whilst I quite enjoyed the book, I think it relied too heavily on cliches, such as the incompetent boss, and I dislike the use of calling cards by a serial killer, from which the policewoman deduced the identity of the killer. For a first book, though, it was good and I'll look out for the author's future books.

This is my usual style of book - proper crime detective stuff - with the additional (unusual) setting of school life. Thought on paper I was going to lap this up. I'm afraid it wasn't so though. I made it to the end, just. It's a long time since I've given up on a book part-way through but I came very close with this one.
I didn't get to feel engaged with the story or any of the characters as much as I tried! Apart from the part where her boss embarrasses himself deep into the book I just felt distant to the whole thing. From the reviews already posted I can see others (in the minority) have had the same problem, which is reassuring for me. However, I'm glad to see that it has suited others much more and remain grateful for the preview copy. It's a case of straight onto the next book for me.

Really great read, loved the way the characters were written and how the story kept giving. Would definitely recommend this title.

Vicky’s Newham’s debut police-procedural novel is a cracker! DI Maya Rahman is Bangladeshi but has been living in London for most of her life, and this novel explores the strands of racial diversity that make up London’s Tower Hamlets. The school mentioned in the blurb above is Maya Rahman’s old school; she knows it well, and she knows the problems its pupils face. But Rahman’s own life is complicated too. The story starts following the death of her own brother, and this is the first glimpse we get into the issues of culture and identity that Rahman herself is trying to feel more comfortable with.

The book delves deeply into racial and cultural diversity and it’s clear that it draws on the author’s experience of having been an East End teacher herself. Even Rahman’s sidekick, Aussie Dan Maguire, has an aboriginal wife and family back home in Australia.

There’s a large cast of characters here, and we are given a number of different viewpoints. This could easily have been confusing, but skilful writing and structuring stopped that from happening – not an easy task.

I’m not from London, but from an outsider’s perspective, the atmosphere felt very real indeed, and the plot kept me guessing until the end. A great start to what is undoubtedly going to be a successful series.

This was an interesting story into the problems that occur in multicultural schools and how these are managed. The mismanagement of the school in the story, resulted in the death of several people. Fascinating story, with very good descriptions of the participants, which made the story so real.

A tense and well paced story that keeps the reader guessing.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

DNF at 16%.

This was such a confusing book. The chapters ranged from half a page to five pages and felt incredibly hard to get into. The writing itself wasn't brilliant and felt quite casual due to the over expressive nature. It frequently reverts to the childhood of the main character, which disrupted the flow of the novel and made it even harder to follow the actual story line of the book.

There were so many characters introduced (this book did very well on the multi-cultural front at least) that it was difficult to remember who was who and for the most part, I gave up trying to remember. The main characters themselves weren't particularly enjoyable.

There were also so many issues with grammar, logical errors and the police work itself felt quite shoddy.

There were murders galore in this book set in gritty east London and Detective Maya Rahman cuts short her compassionate leave after her brother dies to get on the case.

First person to be murdered is school head teacher at her old secondary school which brings back many painful memories for her. All the staff at the school are suspects until more of them are murdered one by one. The killer has left some cryptic clues lying around that point to a message they are trying to convey.

The modern-day issues highlighted in the story are well thought about and dealt with in a sensitive manner.

I really didn’t suspect who was the killer until the last moment and it had me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this first installment of Vicky Newham’s and I cannot wait until the next episode.

Thank you to Vicky Newham and netgalley for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinions. This was a real page turner and didn’t take long for me to get through it at all! Definitely recommend