Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve
The image of the chemist as a meticulous, hard-working valued member of a community is drastically altered by the chemist, Idris Khan, in this exceptional thriller. Initially, he is the respected and caring professional but he is forced to shed this stereotype and ultimately becomes a murderer.
His pharmacy is located in a part of Bradford that is gripped by drugs, crime and violence. Much of his income derives from supplying methadone to heroin addicts attempting to break their addiction. This connection and delivering to The Mews, a grim block of flats where many addicts exist, means he already has a foot in the door to the criminal activities that thrive there.
There is tragedy in his personal life and his gloomy financial state impels Idris to take steps that lead to fearful consequences. Rebecca, once an addict but still dear to him, complicates the situation as does his friend Al-Noor, a Syrian refugee with a beloved little son.
Rival drug barons and their henchmen introduce a gallery of minor characters, but Dhand handles this with great skill. The unfolding dramas are sharply drawn and the action is never blurred. Idris faces a string of challenges that is heart stopping.
More admirable is the clever plot. The rival camps dominate but the erratic and unpredictable Amy and Liam bring added tension to the life threatening situation; and steadily hovering and preparing to close in, is the Parkinson’s wracked detective, Pitchford.
Underlying it all is the personal conflict that Idris suffers. He is torn between remaining as the quiet law abiding pharmacist, and complying with the villains’ demands, in order to survive and protect those he cares about.
The most riveting aspect of The Chemist is the actual chemistry involved. A.A.Dhand is a pharmacist so his knowledge is not merely textbook. The reader learns extensively of side effects and the dangers of careless use. As a pharmacist, Idris is able to access medical records of some of the criminals and he employs his ingenuity and skill to cleverly kill them.
Idris has a brother, Zidane, a jailed convicted criminal, so all is not dark as we realise Idris himself managed to escape that pathway but alas now is entangled in the criminal world of drugs and violence.
We may pose the question ‘Is it ok for a man to kill if he has a good reason?’ as Idris continues to murder men who are obviously guilty of shattering lives and vastly profiting from their illegal activities. To a degree this has a reply when, towards the end of the book, Pitchford makes a pact with the chemist to somehow ‘bring to justice’ four criminals he had unsuccessfully pursued for years.
The gripping, adrenaline inducing pace, the unusual use of chemistry as a silent weapon against the darkness of a sick society, guarantees to be a hit with thriller lovers.
A television streaming series beckons…and with the ending suggesting a new book, A.A. Dhand is deservedly assured of a bright publishing future.
The Chemist
[2025]
by A. A. Dhand
Harper Collins
ISBN: 978 000864 584 7
$34.99; 425pp