The Blackbird Conspiracy by Tariq Ashkanani

 

When Callie Munro discovers her colleague and friend has been murdered, she's convinced he must have known his killer. As she hunts for the reason behind the attack, she uncovers a government conspiracy that puts her own life at risk.

I loved the first book in the Callie Munro series, The Night Watcher (you can read my review here), so I approached the second book in the series with high expectations and lots of excitement. The Blackbird Conspiracy from Tariq Ashkanani turned out to be even better than the first book.

The book opens shortly after the events of the previous book. Callie is still coming to terms with the horror of what happened, but she knows she has to work if she's to survive, and work will keep her occupied. A visit to her friend Martin, who helps Callie with the technical side of her job as a private investigator, leads to the horrifying discovery of his body.

Martin's home was a fortress, so Callie is convinced he knew his killer. As she digs into possible reasons for his murder, she uncovers a video, one that someone is keen to keep secret. Callie is tenacious. As we found in the first book, she refuses to back down from anything. Her obstinacy leads her in to ever increasing danger. The writing is sparse, and as a result, the pace never lets up. I found myself holding my breath as I quickly turned the pages. Not only is Callie trying to avoid a brutal killer intent on covering up a conspiracy, but she's also staying one step ahead of the police, who have determined she's a prime suspect in her friend's murder.

Mystery surrounds Callie; she was abandoned as a baby. The quest to find her birth mother still plays a part in the storyline, but it never breaks the pace of this adrenaline-fueled thriller. The secrecy surrounding the conspiracy proves to be both shocking and entirely probable, but it's the aftermath that will leave the reader gasping as events take an extremely dark turn. I can't wait to see what happens next.

The Blackbird Conspiracy by Tariq Ashkanani will be published on the 14th August 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a review copy.

Author Details

Tariq Ashkanani is a writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His debut thriller, Welcome to Cooper, won the Bloody Scotland Debut Award and was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger. His third book - THE MIDNIGHT KING - won the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Award.

When he's not writing, his dulcet tones can be heard interviewing other writers on the podcast Page One, which he co-hosts.