![Ayesha's Gift, by Martin Sixsmith.](/web/20170211031520im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/4/9/6/8/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gu49gy.png/1486354567643.jpg)
Ayesha's Gift
Martin Sixsmith
Simon & Schuster, $32.99
Like Martin Sixsmith's Philomena, which was turned into the film of the same name, Ayesha's Gift is about a woman's quest for the truth and the journalist who brings her story to the world. Ayesha, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants and chief executive of a successful IT consultancy in London, suddenly learns that her father has died during a visit to Pakistan. The police claim it was suicide but it quickly becomes apparent to Ayesha that he has been murdered. She approaches Sixsmith to help her find out what happened and write a book about it. Reluctantly drawn in by the emotion and murkiness of the story, Sixsmith deftly explores his reservations. When the Pakistani private detective that Ayesha employs to investigate is shot, the quest turns into a dangerous expose of corruption and the dark side of family honour. Sixsmith untangles this complex, topical drama with clarity and compassion.