Khurrum Rahman - Homegrown Hero

Born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1975, KHURRUM RAHMANmoved to England when he was one. He is a west London boy and now lives in Berkshire with his wife and two sons.

Khurrum is currently working as a Senior IT Officer but his real love is writing. He has a screenplay which has been optioned by a Danish TV producer but is now concentrating on novels.

Khurrum’s first novel, and the first book in the Jay Qasim series, East of Hounslow , was shortlisted for both the CrimeFest Last Laugh award and the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger award.

Copyright

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018

Copyright © Khurrum Rahman 2018

Khurrum Rahman asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © November 2018 ISBN: 9780008229610

Version: 2019-02-19

PRAISE FOR KHURRUM RAHMAN

‘Told with striking panache. Announces the arrival of a fine, fresh new thriller writer.’ Daily Mail

‘Combining humour and tragedy is one of the hardest literary challenges, but Khurrum Rahman succeeds.’ TLS

‘A very funny but tense thriller ... think Four Lions meets Phone Shop .’ Red

‘As much a coming-of-age story as a full-on action thriller, East of Hounslow is thought-provoking and entirely gripping.’ Guardian

‘Sweary, funny and, above all, an absolutely cracking thriller that you’ll tear through, this is the anti-James Bond that the 21st century needs.’ Emerald Street

‘ East of Hounslow , in which a young Muslim finds himself forced to become an MI5 plant in a group of jihadists, is as British as Nelson’s Column. A superb and exciting debut novel.’ Telegraph

ISBN: 978-0-00-822960-3

‘Clipped dialogues, staccato sentences and the hilariously brilliant prose set the pace of this excellent unputdownable crime thriller. The climax will leave you breathless.’ New Indian Express

‘A brilliant thriller. You’d be mad not to buy this.’ Ben Aaronovitch, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Rivers of London series

‘Excellent book. Phenomenal writing.’ B A Paris, Sunday Times bestselling author of Bring Me Back

‘I loved it. More please.’ Mel McGrath, author of Give Me the Child

‘Builds to a heart-constricting climax.’ Times Crime Club

‘The best thriller I’ve read in ages.’ Stephen Leather, author of the Spider Shepherd series

SHORTLISTED for the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award 2018

SHORTLISTED for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger 2018

To my very own Mischief & Mayhem,

and the one I call Jaan

Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

PRAISE

Dedication

Prologue

PART 1: TWO DAYS EARLIER

1. Imran Siddiqui (Imy)

2. Javid Qasim (Jay)

3. Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai

4. Thames House

5. Hounslow High Street

6. Imy

7. Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai

8. Imy

9. Jay

10. Imy

11. Jay

12. Jay

13. Heathrow Airport: Arrivals

14. Imy

15. Derelict Building Site, South London

16. Jay

17. Isleworth and Syon School

18. Imy

19. Imy

20. Jay

21. Imy

22. Jay

23. Imy

24. Jay

25. Imy

PART 2

26. Jay

27. Imy

28. Jay

29. Imy

30. Jay

31. South London

32. Imy

33. Jay

34. Kingston, Southwest London

35. Jay

36. Imy

37. Jay

38. Imy

39. Jay

40. Maimana‚ Afghanistan

41. Jay

42. Imy

43. Jay

44. Hounslow Police Station

45. Imy

46. Jay

47. Imy

48. Jay

49. Imy

50. Jay

51. Heston, West London

52. Jay

53. Imy

54. Jay

55. Lampton Park, Hounslow

56. Jay

57. Imy

58. Jay

59. Imy

60. Afghanistan-Pakistan Border

PART 3

61. Heston, West London

62. Jay

63. Port Gwadar, Pakistan

64. Hounslow Police Station

65. Jay

66. Hounslow Police Station

67. Jay

68. Imy

69. Hounslow Police Station

70. Imy

71. Jay

72. Imy

73. Derelict Building Site, South London

74. Jay

75. Derelict Building Site, South London

76. Jay

77. Derelict Building Site, South London

78. Derelict Building Site, South London

79. Jay

80. Derelict Building Site, South London

81. Derelict Building Site, South London

82. Jay

83. Derelict Building Site, South London

84. Jay

85. Imy

86. Jay

87. Hounslow, West London

88. Jay

89. Imy

90. Jay

91. Imy

92. Jay

93. Abu Dhabi

94. Jay

95. Eight months later…

Extract from East of Hounslow

Acknowledgments

About the Publisher

Prologue

Parking my Beemer in my driveway‚ I killed the engine and took a deep breath. Leaning back‚ I sank into the driver’s seat and closed my eyes‚ enjoying the cool evening breeze coming in through the car window.

In the distance‚ I heard the low growl of a diesel engine. At first barely perceptible‚ the sound moved closer‚ louder‚ the vehicle picking up speed then humming idly as it came to a standstill close by.

A car door opened‚ and closed.

I opened my eyes and turned.

He was standing beside me‚ smiling down through my open car window. Like seeing a ghost.