The Motive: Quick Reads 2021

A Jay Qasim short story and prequel to EAST OF HOUNSLOW written for Quick Reads 2021 Business has been slow for Hounslow’s small time dope-dealer, Jay Qasim. A student house party means quick easy cash but it also means breaking his own rules. But desperate times lead him there – and Jay finds himself in the middle of a crime scene. Idris Zaidi, a Police Constable and Jay’s best friend, is having a quiet night when he gets a call out following a noise complaint at a house party. Fed up with the lack of excitement in his job, he visits the scene and quickly realises that people are in danger after a stabbing. Someone will stop at nothing to get revenge . . . In the gritty urban landscape, Jay Qasim's story unfolds, a tale steeped in heritage and cultural nuances. The world of espionage and terrorism is not far from his small-time dope-dealing business, adding a thrilling edge to his otherwise mundane existence. For fans of Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London), Tana French (The Searcher), Emily St. John Mandel (Last Night in Montreal), Terry Hayes (I Am Pilgrim), and Belinda Bauer (The Shut Eye).