Fantastic book. I read it so quickly. Post war Pakistan really comes to life in the gripping story set in the old city streets. A dark atmosphere amongst historic detail. I loved it. Such an assured debut

This books cover drew me in first and after reading the. Description I really wanted to read it .Set in Pakistan in the 60’s with family dynamics sounded a good read ..
As riots erupt on the streets of Lahore, Inspector Faraz returns to his birthplace, the red-light district in the ancient walled city where women still pass on the profession of courtesan to their daughters. Plucked from it as a small boy by his influential father, Faraz has kept his roots well hidden. Now his father has sent him back: to cover up the murder of a young prostitute.

It should be a simple task in the marginalised community, but Faraz finds himself unable to obey orders or to resist searching for the mother and sister he left behind. Chasing down the walled city's labyrinthine alleys for answers that risk shattering his carefully constructed existence, he is unaware that his sister faces having to return too, and to a life she thought she had escaped.

The personal and historical come together in this multi-layered novel of family and politics in 1960s Pakistan. Inspector Faraz is posted back to his birthplace, the Mohalla, or red-light district, of Lahore, to hush up the murder of a young girl. In the Mohalla, the women, the Kanjari, still pass on their profession to their daughters and Faraz’s mother was one such Kanjari. His father, however, came from a different class and took him away ensure him a better future. Now he wants this murder covered up and appoints Faraz head of the local police to organise it. Faraz hasn't been back to the Mohalla since childhood, but now all his memories are revived, memories he can’t put to rest, and he decides to track down his mother and sister. As time goes by he starts to question where his loyalties truly lie, to his birth family or his newly exalted life amongst the rich and powerful. Faraz’s story isn’t the only one we read about. His sister Rozina also managed to escape the Mohalla to embark on a career in the burgeoning film industry. Faraz’s father Wajid too has experienced many troubles over the years, including being a British Indian soldier and ending up in a POW camp in Libya. Politics and history are the background to all that happens, and some knowledge of this adds to the reader’s enjoyment, but how these real events impact the characters are clearly and deftly included and don’t deflect from the very human story at the heart of this gripping and compelling novel, which is ultimately a story of family, caste and identity, and of love and loss, all of which the debut author handles with great skill, profound insight and compassion. A truly immersive read.

I tried to enjoy this book but only 5% in and it is full of swear words and not very nice material.

I expected a better story, but I cannot connect with the characters or the storyline despite the synopsis.

Unfortunately, I cannot complete this book or give it any feedback.

Loved this!.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

As a small boy, Faraz was ripped from his home in Lahore’s red-light district. Many years later, he’s sent back to cover up the murder of a young girl. Corruption is rife and the life of a prostitute is seen as having little value, but Faraz can’t bring himself to obey orders. Meanwhile, Faraz’s sister is trying to escape their birthplace with her young daughter before it’s too late. An epic, historically rich story that will sweep you away.

This is rich in historical and geographical detail and I really enjoyed parts of it but it was confusing, jumping from one time to another and I did think it could have had some judicious editing to keep it on track and focussed. A bit too long and complicated for me.

The Return of Faraz Ali. I found this book to busy and jumped from one bit to another with no great plan was really looking forward to reading this but did not work for me

I was really looking forward to reading this as I wanted to be transported to mid 20th century Pakistan. However there is a lot of back and forth in every chapter with different places and dates, making it difficult to follow. I enjoyed getting to know some of the characters but found all the different plot lines and character development difficult to keep up with.

The Return of Faraz Ali is an impressive historical debut, set in post-partition Pakistan.

It's more of a family epic than a mystery, which threw me a little at first, but I was soon swept up by the complex characters and rich historical detail. While it's a very personal story of Faraz's journey, Ahmad also manages to take wider political landscape of this turbulent era as the characters, trapped by their different circumstances, fight to survive.

It's a smart and sometimes heavy-going novel: one I would describe as a rewarding rather than enjoyable read.

This is definitely a slow burner read that needs a lot of attention paid to it when it is being read, as there are a lot of characters nad information and the narrative is always bouncing back and forward. It was quite hard to know what was happening at times and also remember facts from before as it was quite lengthy however it was still an enjoyable read and I would like to read more from this author.

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I found it difficult to read with the time lines of all the characters jumping backwards and forwards throughout the book. Also I am not sure I fully appreciated how the caste system in Pakistan can create such hatred . The story moved quite slowly and I am please that I persevered and finished the book, although it was very long.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy of this book.