Out of the Ashes

Out of the Ashes is the second in Vicky Newham’s impressive police procedural series starring DI Maya Rahman, following her well received debut with Turn a Blind Eye. Set in London’s East End, Maya is at home in the multi-cultural world of Brick lane – literally at home as she was born there and understands its way of life.

It isn’t Maya whom we meet first, however; it’s Rosa Feldman, the old lady who runs the Brick Lane newsagent, alone now as her husband has died. Today is different though and not just because it’s the Sabbath. For a start, the shop opposite has not opened and there is no sign of the young Lithuanian couple who run it. More dramatically the street is unexpectedly taken over by loud music as a group of youngsters takes over the street and show no signs of moving on. No one seems to be organising it nor is there any obvious source for the music. But that doesn’t matter as more and more people of all ages join in and Rosa is about to join them until explosions and flames stop her. The building opposite is engulfed in flames and acrid smoke and panic are turning a fun event into a nightmare.

 DI Rahman and her sidekick Dan are soon on their way, for this is no normal fire and there is at least one body inside. What follows taxes Maya’s skills as with no leads to follow she begins to tackle the dangerous task of tracking down a killer. It taxes her both professionally and emotionally for this is a familiar landscape to her, peopled with both good citizens like Rosa Feldman and ruthless criminals.

Vicky Newham has the knack of bringing not only her characters to life as everyday human beings but her East End setting too. I felt I was right there in Brick Lane with Maya and Rosa – which makes the disaster that follows even more vivid.  This is a thriller combined with a whodunnit element and I look forward to Maya Rahman’s next case.