A.A. Dhand Books In Order

Publication Order of Harry Virdee Books

A. A Dhand is a reputed British-Asian author of crime fiction, thriller, and mystery novels. He is particularly popular for writing the Detective Hary Virdee series, which is a renowned series of crime fiction books. The recent books written by Dhand take place in Bradford’s West Yorkshire city. Dhand has described this city as a former industrial city and a shadow of its past. He has also shown that West Yorkshire is rife with crime, complex inter-communal obstacles and social deprivation, and therefore, a perfect setting for his crime fiction stories. Dhand was brought up in Bradford. His father migrated from Asia and owned a corner shop in the city. Originally, Dhand is a trained pharmacist and has worked for a brief period of London. Later, he came back to his home town to run his own pharmacy business and also write books from the comfort of his home.

As of today, Dhand is a regular contributor to numerous fora of crime and British Asian writers. His work has helped him to get accepted as Bradford’s true son. The first novel penned by Dhand featured the lead character in the role of Ranjit Singh. It was set against the backdrop of the Indian Independence of 1947 and the subsequent partition of India & Pakistan. In spite of selecting such a well known and attractive topic, the book did not fare very well. Then, Dhand went on to create his much-loved character of the Bradford based police detective named Harry Virdee and achieved great success. The Harry Virdee books not only did good business, but also helped Dhand to win critical acclaim. Dhand has depicted Harry Virdee as a progressive Sikh living in Britain, who struggles with his family loyalties and cultural identity.

All the Virdee novels are filled with hot topics of violence, exploitation, and racial discrimination. In addition to all this, Dhand has also included the controversial issues of tension among the British-Asian communities as well as the ‘grooming’ of many vulnerable females at the hands of organized gangs controlled by men in the Harry Virdee novels. Author Dhand seems to have developed a unique style of setting his protagonists with Asian traits in a British setup. Currently, his first book, Streets of Darkness, is in the process of being adapted into a TV drama. Dhand has stated that it was the diversity, history, and darkness of Bradford that inspired him to write his books. He received critical acclaim for the first time in 2016 for his debut novel. Since its publication, the book has been selected for 2017’s Read Regional and World Book Night.

In the same year, it succeeded in appearing on the bestseller lists of the United Kingdom. As of now, Dhand is focusing mainly on the TV adaptation of his book and is working with determination with a UK-based broadcaster. He continues to work as a pharmacist on a full-time basis and manages to use the evenings and nights to work on his novels. Author Dhand says that is was very important for him to set his debut series in his hometown of Bradford as he was well aware of its amazing history, glory from the industrial boom, and darkness. The character of Harry Virdee was being created in his mind for over ten years. Dhand says that there is no other character like him in literature who gives primary importance to the British values of democracy, acceptance, and tolerance instead of the cultural and traditional melodrama. It makes him happy to know that there are no caricatures of cliches in Harry Virdee’s psyche.

Another groundbreaking character created by Dhand is that of Harry’s wife Saima. She comes from a British Muslim family and helps Harry to keep his balance with her fierce personality. Author Dhand finds it quite satisfying to know that his hard work and determination have finally paid off. He is grateful to all the genuine reviews by the critics and hopes to keep entertaining readers with his unique storytelling abilities for many more years to come.

The Detective Harry Virdee series written by author A.A. Dhand began in 2016. It features the central characters in the form of Harry Virdee, Lucas Dwight, Ron Virdee, Saima, and several others. The debut book of this series is entitled ‘Streets of Darkness’. It was released by Bantam Press in 2016. The book opens by showing that a dead body is discovered in Bradford and causes people to worry. Harry Virdee could have been given the charge of the investigation if he was not suspended. He knows that it is an important case and would have proved beneficial to his career. But, more than the case, he is focused on looking after his pregnant wife. In spite of being suspended, Harry Virdee is unable to keep himself from indulging in the investigation. With the determination of restoring his reputation, he begins watching the movements of the prime suspect, an ex-convict named Lucas Dwight. Later, Harry comes across some shocking revelations that not only shook him from within, but also unravel the motive behind the murder. He decides to keep the entire investigation a low affair to prevent the city from turning into riotous anarchy.

The second installment of the series is called ‘Girl Zero’. It was also published by Bantam Press in 2017. This novel opens by mentioning that DI Harry Virdee gets a new murder case in which the victim is his own niece. When Harry learns about his niece’s murder, he feels as if it is the beginning of the end. Seeing Harry’s state of mind, his boss tries to make him give up the investigation and get involved in some other case. But, he is adamant about working on it and finding the culprit. Harry Virdee begins by diving into the depths of the underworld in Bradford. With each step, he keeps getting closer to the monster who took the life of his innocent niece. Harry Virdee worries about how he is going to break the shocking news of his niece’s murder to his brother Ron. He knows that Ron will be shattered and will act without thinking. Harry tries to take further steps very carefully or else his brother will end up becoming a murderer and he cannot let that happen.