Good story - but this book needs proof reading before it is released all the errors contained within ruined the enjoyment of reading it

The third outing for Jay Qasim, wise talking reluctant spy. We join Jay shortly after the end of the second book and, while I won’t spoil anything, I would strongly suggest that these books should be read in order to understand the complexity of plot and the character development.

Hugely enjoyable, bang up to date and with an irreverent take on the genre, this is a series which keeps getting better.

With thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an advanced copy in consideration of an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Ride or Die, the third novel to feature Hownslow’s most reluctant spy, Javid “Jay” Qasim.

Through no fault of his own Jay is dragged back into the jihadi fray and forced By MI5 to partner with Imran “Imy” Saddiqi, the man who tried to kill him and who blames him for the loss of his family. They may have a common goal but everyone has their own agenda so trust is scarce.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ride or Die which is an exciting thriller that is also extremely funny. The novel is told from several points of view but mainly Jay and Imy in the first person. Imy is a man on a mission so his voice is uptight, vengeful and scheming and not a little self-righteous. Jay, on the other hand, is a mixed up, overgrown teenager with a cynical yet optimistic attitude that will make the reader laugh out loud. He falls into situations and manages to extricate himself on a regular basis, not through forward thinking or planning but by serendipity in one form or another. As Imy says, he has no “discernible skill-set” but he is an excellent creation and one of my favourite new characters.

The plot is exciting with plenty of tension and dangerous situations although Jay’s take on events cuts through the tension by offering a laugh. As the theme is Muslim terrorism the action moves from the mundane (Dubai) to the exotic (Hownslow) and a couple of other dangerous spots. I found sorting out the motives of the various characters quite difficult as they’re rather different to my life experiences but I’m not sure that it matters overly much as I just hooked on to Jay’s narrative and went along for the ride. I found it difficult to put the book down with it’s exciting action scenes, my curiosity about motives and where it would lead and my enjoyment of Jay’s take on life.

Ride or Die is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Two sworn enemies. One deadly mission

‘A brilliant thriller. You’d be mad not to buy this’ 
BEN AARONOVITCH
–––––––––––––––––––––––––
JAY QASIM is finally out of the game and trying to lay low. But then he gets news that rocks his world and drags up everything that he thought he’d left behind. Jay must break his vow never to work with MI5 again and turn to the person who sold him out. But this time he’s determined to do it on his terms.
IMRAN SIDDIQUI once tried to kill Jay but now they have a common adversary. The one thing worse than death is watching the people closest to you die. And after the happiest day of Imran’s life becomes the most tragic, he will stop at nothing to take revenge on the people that have taken away his family.
But when everyone has their own agenda, who can you really trust?
Your most deadly enemy is about to become your closest ally.

My thoughts about this brilliant explosive conclusion 3 part to the fast moving thriller to the brilliant trilogy Jay Qasim series Ride Or Die was beyond excellent talented author Khurrum Rahman has delivered yet another power packed spy action thriller that packs a punch with action and suspense brilliant characters fast moving locations team up of Jay Qasim and Imran Siddiqui was mindblowing stopping the villains loved each an every character some new ones and some old characters returning all an all an this is one of the best trilogy endings that will be known as the best series ever looking forward to buying the final part in the series I would like to say thank you to Khurrum Rahman Hq Stories and Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read and review this fast moving explosive spy thriller that is an epic conclusion to the Jay Qasim series trilogy well done 💥💥💥💥💥⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why does Khurrum Rahman enjoy ripping my heart out and stamping on it so much? But that aside, is he still my new favourite author? Abso-fucking-lutely. The Jay Qasim series has so far given me three of the best books I have ever read. If it wasn’t for the lockdown, I’d be standing outside Waterstones right about now with a megaphone, screaming at everyone to buy these books. Okay, maybe my social anxiety would stop me from doing that, but that’s what my blog, Goodreads and Amazon is for. For me to hopefully put across just how incredible these books have been. I was happy with my reviews for East of Hounslow and Homegrown Hero, but I don’t think I’ve got the words to do Ride or Die justice.

I don’t even know where to start. Maybe with the pure and real emotion that is packed into these stories. And how that emotion is brought out of me as a reader. The characterisation is just so brilliantly done. Khurrum Rahman has a real talent to bring to the fore the beliefs of some truly evil people. Some of the people we read about are just so beyond evil that it is scary to read about. But what’s scarier is these aren’t just villains within a fictional story. They exist in our real world, and the realism of these characters shines through and makes for a truly uncomfortable read in places. But on the flip side of that, we have the good guys. The ones who put their lives on the line to protect ours. But sometimes that backfires, resulting in the deaths of those closest to them. I really can’t say too much more than that, especially for those yet to read the previous two books but the characterisation here is some of the best I have ever read about.

In terms of the plot here in Ride or Die, it is nothing short of incredible. The ending to Homegrown Hero had my jaw dropping. Normally a cliche, this time it actually dropped when the finale of that book just knocked me for six. And so I just could not wait to get my hands on Ride or Die, reading it in just two action-packed sittings. We see our protagonist Jay Qasim having to team up with Imran Siddiqui, the man who blames him (and others) for the devastation that happened in Homegrown Hero. Imy’s character has been one of my favourites so far this series. He is a character who I feel I have gone through every emotion with as I’ve read about him. As the story opened here, it felt almost perverse to be given such an insight into his mind and his through processes. Those thoughts, emotions and feelings being palpable as I read. To see him having to work with Jay added a whole new dynamic not just to the story, but also to their fractured relationship as a whole. Could Jay trust Imy? Could Imy trust Jay? Khurrum does such a good job with Imy’s character, especially in terms of his relationship with Jay. The hatred, but the confusion. The thirst for revenge, but the somehow still trying to protect Jay where he can. As duos go, these are two of the best that I’ve read about. Never once do these characters feel fictional, it is like reading about real people.

Jay is just fantastic. I could just read about him for a thousand pages rather than just the 400 that flew by here. This series deals with some massive stories, however throughout there’s that underlying humour infused into the story the whole way through. Before we get into the meat of the story, the book opens with Jay in Qatar, soon having to make a rapid return to the UK. I’ve said in the past how unlucky he is, to find himself in these situations. We now know that it’s not just bad luck that brought him to the radar of some nasty people but still, I was asking myself just how much can one man have thrown at him. One of the elements of the story I enjoyed most was the introduction of a female love interest for Jay with the character of Sophia. Well, possible love interest. I have to say that Khurrum does write the comedy elements here just brilliantly. Jay’s outlook on life, the way he acts around Sophia, just everything about how he approaches the normalities of his abnormal life are just so brilliantly done that they just flow perfectly with the story, the comedy softening in places but never detracting from the seriousness of the entire narrative.

The plot moves at breakneck speed and I couldn’t read quick enough to see how things were going to conclude. As each chapter ended I instantly needed more, and as I started to near the end I was torn between wanting to finish the story and never wanting it to end. The last 40 or so pages I read on the edge of my seat. Well, the edge of my bed to be precise. I sat up, completely locked out the world around me and finished these closing pages almost forgetting to blink and breathe. When written words on a page can have that effect, you know you’ve discovered one incredible author. And that author is Khurrum Rahman. I finished the final chapter and immediately pressed to get to the next page, only to see an Acknowledgment page. I had finished the book. I almost screamed out 'No!', because I instantly wanted more. The ending to Ride or Die was just phenomenal. The whole book was outstanding. I finished Homegrown Hero in awe, and I finished Ride or Die even more in awe. I read the closing pages and had actual goosebumps. I might have even, almost, shed a tear. I can say nothing more other than this is a must-read series. It also has some of my favourite covers ever with the new paperback versions, and so I am hoping to pick them up soon. Please, please if you have this series on your TBR, do not leave it languishing, but move it straight to the top of that TBR and read them now. Thank me later. You won’t regret it.

Ride or Die is the 3rd book in Khurrum Rahman's superb Jay Qasim series. This is a great series, from being a low level drug dealer,with a ranking police officer for a best friend, the hapless Jay's descent into the murky world of Jihadism and then working as an M15 asset is an entertaining and thought-provoking one.
I wouldn't recommend this as a standalone read, there's far too much backstory of just about every character in the series in this book and you'll get much more out of it if you read the first 2 in the series as well, and if you haven't yet you're missing out on a couple of very good books.
In Ride or Die Jay has largely moved on from his previous misadventures and is looking to lead a more normal life. Of course anyone knowing Jay also knows that if anyone is going to end up embroiled in the machinations of the Intelligence World and Muslim Fundamentalism in various world hotspots when all they want is a quiet life in Hounslow it's always going to be Jay.. Someone else trying and failing the same thing is Imran Siddiqui whose family are wiped out in revenge for him failing to kill Jay ,who he blames for the atrocity. Jay is courted once again by the Jihadis then MI5 after a typically "Jay" series of events. Mi5 somehow manage to team up Jay and Imran, and the pair find themselves travelling to Afghanistan to resolve a situation ,each with a different motive. Their bitter dislike of each other gives the tale added spice, Imran the trained killer,Jay the hapless buffoon way out of his depth.
The series as a whole is a valuable insight into how young Muslim men can be attracted to Muslim fundamentalism, it never preaches but shows that slanted news coverage and stereotyping leads to misunderstanding and prejudice leading to alienation and a search for belonging. It's exciting and often thought-provoking with laugh out humour as a bonus. Jay and Imran work well together in Ride or Die as a pair of totally mismatched characters whose dislike and suspicion of each other adds to the tension and unpredictability of the book. The latter parts of the book set in Afghanistan read very much like one of the old Spaghetti Westerns plot-wise, not least the grand finale. Talking of which, Khurrum Rahman's signature with this series is that they always end with a cliff-hanger so once again readers are left in suspense but also in the knowledge that the story is far from done. Indeed there are changes for Jay in this book,a love interest and a psychotic foe on the loose that along with several new threads to to the ongoing tale of Jay and his divided loyalties bode well for the next instalment. Great stuff and a highly recommended read but if you haven't done already do yourself a favour and read the previous couple of books in the series first.
Thanks to Khurrum Rahman, HQ books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved Mr Rahman’s East Of Hounslow, a refreshingly different thriller with an unusual reluctant hero in Javid “ call me Jay” Qasim, working undercover for MI5 to uncover a terrorist plot. In his second book, Homegrown Hero, Jay’s story continued and the reader was introduced to Imran.
In this latest novel we catch up with both characters as they are brought together in a search for Jay’s estranged terrorist father “The Teacher” who was supposedly killed in the earlier book. Is he still alive and what will Jay do if he finds him?
Jay and Imran are both sympathetic characters and gel well together. At the end of Homegrown Hero there was an explosion at Imran’s wedding and Ride or Die reveals what happened to Imy and his family. I’ve been waiting over a year for this information so was excited to see this book up for review!
Jay is his indomitable self and despite his lack of espionage experience he manages to keep going throughout the quest. Imy’s and Jay’s unlikely alliance becomes stronger as the two jet off to Pakistan to continue the search.
The introduction of a possible girlfriend for Jay was great and the manner of her appearance was as ever very well done. Sophia is also an interesting character and I look forward to hearing more about her in the next book-Hopefully there will be another one as the ending was a proverbial cliffhanger!!
A thoroughly enjoyable and exciting read which kept me entertained throughout. Ride Or Die was the perfect distraction from what is happening in the real world at the moment.One of the few positives from the current situation is that it has given me plenty of time to read books by my favourite authors of which Khurrum Rahman is definitely one!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Ride or Die (Jay Qasim, Book 3)

by Khurrum Rahman (Goodreads Author)

Read 

Read in April 2020

Another wildly entertaining whilst also being extraordinarily insightful novel here from Khurrum Rahman featuring once again one of my favourite main characters currently in fiction.

Jay is a delight to read about, when he's being funny, when he's being serious, all the time. Backed up by an eclectic and intriguing group dynamic in more ways than one, he sits at the centre of a realistic world that totally blows away preconceptions of many kinds.

But hey, we read for entertainment a whole lot of the time and this series offers up action, a rather ironic occasional dose of romance, plots that are pacy and often edge of the seat, a brilliantly clever underlying humour and almost total unpredictability. What's not to love?

This is an ongoing storyline in a lot of ways so for practical and enjoyment purposes I'd recommend reading in order, starting with the excellent East of Hounslow, but mostly I just simply recommend them.

This author is pretty much a shoe in for my top ten of 2020 later this year which would make it third book in a row that has.

If you want both excellent writing and excellent storytelling look no further.