'Outstanding' Lee Child on A. A. Dhand

‘Dhand is a fearless writer’ Sunday Times

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Two brothers. One empire. A city ready to fall.

‘We can do what no one’s ever done before. We can become gods in a game built for the devil.’

Idris Khan is no longer the man he used to be. How can he be? Murder changes people – and it has changed him. Once a respected pharmacist, Idris now walks a fine line between survival and destruction. He craves something normal in a world gone to hell – but then Zidane, his estranged brother, walks through the door. Freshly released from prison, Zidane’s presence is radioactive. Truths are laid bare. New alliances are formed. And Zidane has an offer for Idris that could blow his whole world apart: he wants them to take over the entire drug trafficking network in Leeds and Bradford, and rule together.

Now, Idris has a choice to make. Leave Leeds forever, or become the very thing he’s always feared … The Kingpin.

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Praise for A. A. Dhand:

‘Terrific … dispensing thrills and tension from start to finish’ Trevor Wood, author of The Man on the Street

‘With an authentic voice, relentless tension and high-octane action, this will have you hooked’ CRIME MONTHLY

‘Adrenaline-filled, dark and propulsive, this fresh thriller will keep you turning the pages’ PLATINUM

'Genuinely gripping' The Times

‘A brilliantly chilling thriller set in the north, this gritty read is packed full of suspense’ HEAT

‘An outstanding and clever read that we couldn’t put down’ BELLA

‘A gritty brilliant read, we couldn’t turn the pages fast enough’ CLOSER

‘This is exemplary North of England urban noir' CRIMETIME

‘Dark, daring and utterly propulsive … blurs the lines between hero and villain’ Kia Abdullah, author of Those People Next Door

‘Gritty, dark, and visceral … If I read a better book in the next year, it's probably because I've read this one twice’ Neil Lancaster, author of Dead Man’s Grave

A. A. Dhand is the Sunday Times bestselling author of several novels and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. The Chemist was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and his DI Harry Virdee novels have been adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels.

As a pharmacist, A. A. Dhand was surrounded by drugs, dealers, and incredible stories of maverick drug deals, which on one hand blew his mind in their ingenuity, and on the other sickened him with how easily they preyed on the most vulnerable. His experiences inspired the writing of The Chemist and The Kingpin.

For more information follow him on X @aadhand