Detective Ash Rashid Books In Order

Publication Order of Detective Ash Rashid Books

Author Chris Culver pens the “Detective Ash Rashid” series, which are from the genres of crime and thriller.

The first book of the series, “The Abbey” is the fourth novel Culver wrote, but the first he thought was good enough for publication. He sent out query letters to literary agents. Either they were unsure of the potential on the market, gave no response, or had no interest in the novel. It made him decide to self publish his work in the year 2011. It wound up staying on the New York Times bestseller list for sixteen weeks.

Culver was both surprised and pleased that the book had so well on its own. By the early part of the year 2013, sales were over 750,000 copies. This early success attracted a literary agent’s attention and a publisher, with whom he sold three Ash books. Late in the year 2014, he announced that his publisher would not be publishing the books anymore, but he would go back to self publication.

After completing his graduate school work, he taught classes in ethics, as well as the philosophy of religion and religious studies at a tiny university in Arkansas. During this time, he wrote the first novel that starred Ash Rashid. For the character’s inspiration, he credits the hardships his students went through.

For Ash himself, Culver says that the character is his idea of a hero. No special abilities or powers or anything, but just tries to do what is right. Despite not being based on any one person, he still hopes there are folks that are like him as the world needs guys like him.

He wanted to write about a Muslim detective to try and add some depth to the guy’s background, making him more human. Plus, Culver had gotten tired of seeing films and reading books that only show Muslims to be terrorists.

The series stars Ashraf Rashid, who is a homicide detective, and later works for the prosecutor’s office. Rashid does his best to do what is right, but his actions can be a bit unscrupulous when pursuing justice. He is an alcoholic, despite being a Muslim. He justifies his drinking as a necessity after seeing all that he has seen while on the job. With each book, he works on the problems he has and focuses more on family.

“The Abbey” is the first novel in the “Detective Ash Rashid” series, which was released in the year 2011. Ash Rashid (an Indianapolis detective) can’t stand the very thought of working another murder case. Just one more year and he is going to be out of the department altogether. This is his plan, anyway. That ends when his niece’s body is found in one of the city’s wealthiest citizens’ guest house. The case is not adding up, despite the coroner calling it an overdose.

He goes against orders and starts investigating who killed his niece. The more he hunts for her killer,. The more caught up he gets in the case that hits closer and closer to home. If he cannot solve it pretty quick, his niece is not going to be the only one of his family he will have to bury.

Fans of the novel found this to be well told and a good story. This book has a well plotted mystery with clean writing, and has an original and believable main character in Ash Rashid. For some, he is one of the best characters they have read about in some time. He is quite likable, despite some of the stupid things he does, and the type you don’t see enough of. You will root for the guy the entire time.

“The Outsider” is the second novel in the “Detective Ash Rashid” series, which was released in the year 2013. Ash is not the type to let rules stand in his way when he pursues justice on a case. Work has taken its toll on him emotionally and professionally. He wants out, after the twelve years he has spent on the force.
That is set aside though, when the mom of one of his daughter’s friends is killed right in front of her home. It is a crime that the other members in his department would rather ignore than try to catch the killer.

Ash starts an inquiry and is rapidly entangled in a case that involves a dangerous mix of crime, street justice, and election year politics. The dirt he digs up may have some repercussions for the whole city.

Fans of the novel found this to be another hard to put down read. It is full of plot intrigue and intense scenes and in combination makes for a great read. Ash’s character is expanded here, and grows throughout the book. He is made that much better by the end of the story as a result. When he cares for the victim’s family, it shows a softer side to the character, and he stays true to his own principles.

“By Any Means” is the third novel in the “Detective Ash Rashid” series, which was released in the year 2014. Ash thought his days investigating murders were over with. Now he is with the force’s community relations department, spending his time giving speeches at the local elementary schools, instead of hunting killers. When he finds two corpses during his evening drive, he finds that he back on active duty.

While he races to find out who the victims are and find an abducted witness. He quickly finds that nothing at all is as it appears to be. All the clues, all the suspects, leads to more questions and new threats. His quest to find the truth quickly leads him right into the middle of a mastermind’s brutal vendetta. He has sacrificed way too much to back away from this fight. Now, he may just have to pay with his very life.

Fans of the novel like the fact that Ash is a Muslim, as this provides a change of pace from the typical heroes of these books.