Excerpt:
Zena had been following a murder trial in London with an interest verging on obsession."I really wanted to go to court myself but I can never risk going to the city and being seen by someone," she said.
"But I feel such a bond with other women who may have been through what I went through, even though you never meet these girls; you just hear about them when these 'honour killing' trials come up. I wish I could get involved with the support groups and help but you know, I'm just a coward."
Having first walked out of an abusive marriage at the age of 17 and then from a hostile family who had had a meeting to discuss whether or not she should die, Zena does not lack courage but she is still very scared.
She has every reason to be. Her Bangladeshi-born mother had suggested that Zena might be allowed to poison herself rather than be murdered for bringing shame on the family. Zena, born in England, is second-generation British Asian and her accent betrays where she was brought up although it is far from where she lives now.
"I'm sorry to be so cloak-and-dagger but you never know what they might be capable of, I know there are plenty of young men who would love to play bounty hunter just for a bit of kudos in the community."