Detective Aunty: A Critically Acclaimed, Twisty Whodunnit (Detective Aunty Investigates, 1)

Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, The Washington Post, Library Journal, The Globe and Mail, and the Chicago Public Library

“I’ll read anything Uzma Jalaluddin writes.”—New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn

When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.
After her husband’s unexpected death eighteen months ago, Kausar Khan never thought she’d receive another phone call as heartbreaking—until her thirty-something daughter, Sana, phones to say that she's been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique. Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years.
Returning to the Golden Crescent suburb where she raised her children and where her daughter still lives, Kausar finds that the thriving neighborhood she remembered has changed. The murder of Sana’s landlord is only the latest in a wave of local crimes which have gone unsolved.
And the facts of the case are troubling: Sana found the man dead in her shop at a suspiciously early hour, with a dagger from her windowfront display plunged in his chest. And Kausar—a woman with a keen sense of observation and deep wisdom honed by her years—senses there’s more to the story than her daughter is telling.
With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth. Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty? But even Kausar can’t predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way…

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Published May 6, 2025

336 pages

Average rating: 6.17

6 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Gias_BookHaven
Dec 30, 2025
4/10 stars
Really disappointing. Sana's voice was the only character whose dialogue match her age. Kauser's observation abilitites seemed to come from thin air. Where did these skills clme from when she was married off young and spent her entire life as a work from home mothrer?

 Couldn't any of that talent have been sourced to a relative or an instance she learned before being married?

I felt the story was more about broken relationships and marriages rather than a murder mystery. Kausar asked questions but passively and only seemed to be more invested in the case against her daughter after the 50% mark when things were taking a serious turn. There were things about her character and the relationship she has with her kids that I called and were confirmed just a few pages after. 

And Kausar came into Toronto with a chip on her shoulder and suspicion of her daughter on her tongue before hearing anything about the case. 

I took more away from how poorly men do in marriages over anything else. I liked the idea and concept of the book. Execution  and delivery were really disappointing.

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