That Which May Destroy You follows the trial of Miriam Hassan who stands accused of her husband Zak’s murder and is a compelling dual narrative story in which the chapters set in the courtroom alternate with those which look back on Miriam’s marriage to Zak. Despite the evidence to the contrary, Miriam enters a plea of not guilty and the ensuing story gradually reveals the series of events which culminate in the brutal murder of Zak Hassan.
As a lawyer herself, Abda Khan describes the courtroom scenes with rich authenticity; she never allows the narrative to become too bogged down in procedure and there are plenty of tense moments throughout. Meanwhile, the flashbacks to the Hassan’s marriage are chillingly poignant with grand romantic gestures eventually giving way to gaslighting and coercive control. Miriam is evidently a strong, independent woman but nevertheless, becomes a shadow of herself as Zak takes control of every aspect of her life.
Abda Khan empathetically examines how somebody like her could find themselves in such a situation and it’s sadly only too believable. Already estranged from her family – for reasons which become clear later – he isolates her from her friends and manipulates her into a state of almost constant doubt where even a decision about something as apparently straightforward as choosing what to wear becomes littered with potential pitfalls. The raw honesty of the writing here means it’s not easy bearing witness to such behaviour and I would advise that anybody who might find this sort of issue difficult should proceed with caution.
Zak was a successful, popular restaurateur but it becomes obvious that his charisma hid a much darker side to his character and while Miriam is the person in the dock, she is certainly not the only one with reason to want him dead. The chapters which explore what may have led to his murder introduce other characters who he wronged in one way or another. However, the testimonies of several witnesses still seem to confirm that Miriam was the one responsible for her erstwhile spouse’s death. As well as being a compulsive mystery, That Which May Destroy You also challenges readers to examine their own consciences – it’s impossible not to sympathise with Miriam but how do we square that with our belief in a fair justice system?
Most of the novel is told in the third person but after the result of the trial is revealed, we finally hear from Miriam’s first-person perspective and there are still more surprises and moral quandaries here which ensure that this book is as thought-provoking as it is gripping. I raced through the pages of this cleverly plotted, entertaining read and highly recommend it.
Abda often writes about difficult themes, and is passionate about using fiction as a vehicle to amplify unheard voices and shine a spotlight on challenging social issues.
She was Highly Commended as a finalist in the Arts and Culture category of the Nat West Asian Women of Achievement Awards in 2017 and she won British Muslim Woman of the Year in 2019.
