This prize-winning debut takes us back to 1919 Calcutta, where Sam Wyndham, formerly of the British Army and of Scotland Yard, has arrived to start a new life in the colonial police force. He’s barely had time to wipe the sweat from his brow before a body turns up with its throat cut. Not just any body, though, that of a high ranking official in the colonial administration’s finance department. What was the man doing in a dark alley near a brothel, who would want him dead, and who is playing Wyndham as he struggles to solve the crime amongst all the social and racial mores of Bengal under the Raj. Why’s it great? Well one reason is that Abir Mukherjee makes the life of his victim really seem to matter, deep into the story, whereas many other crime novels tend to move on from the victim quite quickly and focus much more on the chase. Read the full review here.
