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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Unfortunately I've not read the first two in this series, hadn't heard of it but saw this one on the library's new book shelf. I might have to run down the first two. I enjoyed this. Unlike many mysteries, it didn't really give any of the back story from the first two books so I'm not sure how the point of view character, Sam Wyndham, ended up a detective in 1920s Calcutta nor how he ended up an opium addict (though one suspects his injuries in WWI had something to do with it). His partner is Surendranath Banjaree, a young Indian police man who they call Surrender-Not because they can't pronounce his name.
That leads into an observation about own voices. That name, Wyndham's occasionally unkind thoughts about the Indians (especially Gandhi's followers), and some other issues work with an own voices author where they would have been taken very different by one who isn't. While uncomfortable, this would have been true to form for a 1920s British man living in India (which is sometimes a dicey thing when writing historical fiction, things that would have been normal then are viewed as racist now and much of modern sensibilities would never have crossed anyone's mind back then).
It opens with Sam being rousted from an opium den so not to get caught up in a raid and he stumbles over a dead man with his eyes sliced out and stabbed in either side of his chest. To Sam's surprise no reports are made of the murder. He and Surrender-Not are assigned to deal with Das and Bose (two of Gandhi's followers, a real life national heroes) whose non-violent protests in the city might screw up the crown Prince's visit.
To be honest, that went on a little long for me (that was part of the reason I didn't go to the five stars for this) and it's obvious that the author wanted this history known (as well it should be) but it was a bit of a distraction from the mystery (though ties back in at the end).
Then a nurse ends up killed in the same way as the man from the opium den and Sam and Surrender-Not have to find her killer all the while dealing with the unexpected interference from Section H, the clandestine military group who have no trouble torturing Sam by locking him up until he's in the middle of withdrawal which brings up another problem for Sam. He can no longer pretend he's in control of his addiction. His need to get high keeps getting worse.
They have to find the killer fast because it might be the death of a prince or of the Indian protest leaders or both if they don't.
Sam is an interesting multifaceted character and I really enjoyed him. Surrender-Not too (it's first person Sam so we don't get to know him well but Sam is sympathetic to the fact that being a policeman and serving the British has isolated Surrender-Not from his friends and family). I plan on reading more of this series.
That leads into an observation about own voices. That name, Wyndham's occasionally unkind thoughts about the Indians (especially Gandhi's followers), and some other issues work with an own voices author where they would have been taken very different by one who isn't. While uncomfortable, this would have been true to form for a 1920s British man living in India (which is sometimes a dicey thing when writing historical fiction, things that would have been normal then are viewed as racist now and much of modern sensibilities would never have crossed anyone's mind back then).
It opens with Sam being rousted from an opium den so not to get caught up in a raid and he stumbles over a dead man with his eyes sliced out and stabbed in either side of his chest. To Sam's surprise no reports are made of the murder. He and Surrender-Not are assigned to deal with Das and Bose (two of Gandhi's followers, a real life national heroes) whose non-violent protests in the city might screw up the crown Prince's visit.
To be honest, that went on a little long for me (that was part of the reason I didn't go to the five stars for this) and it's obvious that the author wanted this history known (as well it should be) but it was a bit of a distraction from the mystery (though ties back in at the end).
Then a nurse ends up killed in the same way as the man from the opium den and Sam and Surrender-Not have to find her killer all the while dealing with the unexpected interference from Section H, the clandestine military group who have no trouble torturing Sam by locking him up until he's in the middle of withdrawal which brings up another problem for Sam. He can no longer pretend he's in control of his addiction. His need to get high keeps getting worse.
They have to find the killer fast because it might be the death of a prince or of the Indian protest leaders or both if they don't.
Sam is an interesting multifaceted character and I really enjoyed him. Surrender-Not too (it's first person Sam so we don't get to know him well but Sam is sympathetic to the fact that being a policeman and serving the British has isolated Surrender-Not from his friends and family). I plan on reading more of this series.
Delightful! After a run of a few DNF reads, slipping into this book, from the first page, gave me the same feeling as returning home after lengthy travel and sleeping in my own bed again. Just a wonderful feeling. Mr. Mukherjee's prose just gets better with each new novel. I liked the first book, really liked the second book, but I loved this third installment. This novel made me wonder why I read anything but historical detective fiction!
“Smoke and Ashes” is the third book in Mukherjee’s “Wyndham & Banerjee” historical crime fiction series, and it’s every bit as captivating as the earlier books. The author’s intimate knowledge of the city and its complex history is evident throughout, making the narrative both dynamic and authentic.
Mukherjee skillfully blends historical accuracy with a fast-paced, engaging plot that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. The story offers a balanced portrayal of India under British rule, impartially highlighting both the strengths and flaws of the era. What makes this installment particularly intriguing is its foundation in real historical events. This fusion of truth and fiction is both unsettling and fascinating, adding depth to the mystery and ensuring the reader’s interest never wanes.
As someone who typically isn’t drawn to history, I’ve been captivated by learning about Anglo-Indian history through this series. It has sparked a new interest in me, and I’ve already begun exploring additional reading on the subject.
Mukherjee skillfully blends historical accuracy with a fast-paced, engaging plot that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. The story offers a balanced portrayal of India under British rule, impartially highlighting both the strengths and flaws of the era. What makes this installment particularly intriguing is its foundation in real historical events. This fusion of truth and fiction is both unsettling and fascinating, adding depth to the mystery and ensuring the reader’s interest never wanes.
As someone who typically isn’t drawn to history, I’ve been captivated by learning about Anglo-Indian history through this series. It has sparked a new interest in me, and I’ve already begun exploring additional reading on the subject.
Twist at the end totally unnecessary. Fed up with the constant, unnatural, ‘squeezed in’ Indian references. It felt interruptive to the flow and generally wasn’t needed.
The Sam & Surrender-Not Saga meets Indian History in 1921
Review of the Vintage paperback edition (2019) of the original hardcover edition (2018)
This reading was part of my investigation of the novels nominated for the 2020 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America. Smoke and Ashes is a nominee for Best Novel. The winners are expected to be announced April 30, 2020.
I've been following the Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath (Surrender-Not) Banerjee adventures since the first one [b:A Rising Man|25686321|A Rising Man (Sam Wyndham, #1)|Abir Mukherjee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1460625686l/25686321._SX50_.jpg|45514378] (2016) and have enjoyed them immensely. Author Mukherjee has done his best work yet here in Smoke and Ashes which pits Sam and Surrender-Not into a serial-murder investigation set against the backdrop of a 1921 visit to India by the Prince of Wales (the later abdicating Edward VIII) in the midst of Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement.
They work to solve the case facing their usual conflicts with the diabolical Section H secret military police unit of the British Raj. Sam continues to battle his opium addiction which he uses to counter his PTSD from the First World War and is still drawn to his unrequited love of Annie Grant. Surrender-Not is put in conflict between his loyalties to family (who support the Non-Cooperation movement) and his duty to his career and his friend.
This was an excellent continuation of the series and shows how it will begin to incorporate the true-life stories of the end of the British Raj and the Indian Independence Movement into the crime mysteries of the duo. I very much look forward to the books yet to come.
Trivia and Link
If you want to get the atmosphere of the Prince of Wales visit to India in 1921 you can view some archival photographs here.
Review of the Vintage paperback edition (2019) of the original hardcover edition (2018)
This reading was part of my investigation of the novels nominated for the 2020 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America. Smoke and Ashes is a nominee for Best Novel. The winners are expected to be announced April 30, 2020.
I've been following the Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath (Surrender-Not) Banerjee adventures since the first one [b:A Rising Man|25686321|A Rising Man (Sam Wyndham, #1)|Abir Mukherjee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1460625686l/25686321._SX50_.jpg|45514378] (2016) and have enjoyed them immensely. Author Mukherjee has done his best work yet here in Smoke and Ashes which pits Sam and Surrender-Not into a serial-murder investigation set against the backdrop of a 1921 visit to India by the Prince of Wales (the later abdicating Edward VIII) in the midst of Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement.
They work to solve the case facing their usual conflicts with the diabolical Section H secret military police unit of the British Raj. Sam continues to battle his opium addiction which he uses to counter his PTSD from the First World War and is still drawn to his unrequited love of Annie Grant. Surrender-Not is put in conflict between his loyalties to family (who support the Non-Cooperation movement) and his duty to his career and his friend.
This was an excellent continuation of the series and shows how it will begin to incorporate the true-life stories of the end of the British Raj and the Indian Independence Movement into the crime mysteries of the duo. I very much look forward to the books yet to come.
Trivia and Link
If you want to get the atmosphere of the Prince of Wales visit to India in 1921 you can view some archival photographs here.
Murder in the Raj...
Roused from a drug-addled stupor in an opium den in the backstreets of Calcutta, Sam Wyndham, Captain in the Calcutta police, discovers the place is being raided. Discovery of his addiction will finish his career so he flees, only to stumble across the body of a horribly mutilated Chinaman. Or did he? Next day, when no report of the murder comes in, Sam is left wondering if he hallucinated the whole thing. That is, until he is called out to another murder, where the body has been mutilated in exactly the same way...
This series goes from strength to strength with each new instalment. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous two, but really think this one is the best yet.
Set in the early 1920s, the dying days of the Raj when the Indian Independence movement was well under way, Mukherjee always manages to work the political situation into his stories without allowing it to overwhelm them or feeling like a history lesson. In this one, after months of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance movement, the city authorities are struggling to maintain order. Many Indians have resigned from Government positions, leaving the police short-staffed and with the extra problem that those Indians who have remained have divided loyalties. Britain has decided to send the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward (later briefly Edward VIII) over to steady the nerves and rally the loyalty of the populace to the Empire, but Gandhi’s local representative is planning a major demonstration to coincide with the Prince’s visit.
The murders look as if they may have something to do with the heightened political tensions, especially since Section H – the secret service – are involved. But Sam is determined he won’t be sidelined from the investigation, and along with his loyal Sergeant, Surrender-not Banerjee, sets out to discover what links the victims...
I love Mukherjee’s depiction of Calcutta – it always feels entirely authentic to me. Mukherjee treats both sides with empathy – although he shows the evils of some aspects of the Raj as a form of government, he depicts his British characters largely as good people trying to do their best in difficult circumstances, and he manages to do this without making them feel anachronistic in their attitudes. Equally, while his sympathies might lie with the idea of independence, he doesn’t portray the Indians as uniformly saintly either. The Indian sergeant, Surrender-not (the nickname given to him by the Brits who can’t pronounce his real name, Surendranath), provides a kind of bridge that allows the reader to move between the two cultures, as we see him negotiate his often clashing duties to his family and his job.
The historical background too is always sound and Mukherjee brings real people into his stories in ways that feel accurate to their real lives. In this one, as well as Prince Edward, we meet Deshbandhu, a leader of the Independence movement in Bengal, and his young follower Subhas Bose, who would go on to be a major, if controversial, player in the events that finally led to the achievement of Independence.
As always, though, the plot is founded much more on human nature than on politics. I feel this is his strongest plot so far, which unfortunately I can say very little about for fear of spoilers. But it takes us into some dark episodes in the dealings between the Raj and their subjects – Mukherjee’s notes at the end show that, while he has fictionalised dates and people, the fundamental basis of the story comes from real events. There’s a good deal of moral ambiguity in there, and some excellently complex characterisation to carry it off. And it all builds to a first-rate, entirely credible thriller finale that I found fully satisfying.
I love the characters of Sam and Surrender-not, and the historical setting Mukherjee has chosen for the series. Top-quality historical crime fiction – highly recommended. But if you’re new to the series, do read them in order, starting with the excellent A Rising Man.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Harvill Secker.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Roused from a drug-addled stupor in an opium den in the backstreets of Calcutta, Sam Wyndham, Captain in the Calcutta police, discovers the place is being raided. Discovery of his addiction will finish his career so he flees, only to stumble across the body of a horribly mutilated Chinaman. Or did he? Next day, when no report of the murder comes in, Sam is left wondering if he hallucinated the whole thing. That is, until he is called out to another murder, where the body has been mutilated in exactly the same way...
This series goes from strength to strength with each new instalment. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous two, but really think this one is the best yet.
Set in the early 1920s, the dying days of the Raj when the Indian Independence movement was well under way, Mukherjee always manages to work the political situation into his stories without allowing it to overwhelm them or feeling like a history lesson. In this one, after months of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance movement, the city authorities are struggling to maintain order. Many Indians have resigned from Government positions, leaving the police short-staffed and with the extra problem that those Indians who have remained have divided loyalties. Britain has decided to send the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward (later briefly Edward VIII) over to steady the nerves and rally the loyalty of the populace to the Empire, but Gandhi’s local representative is planning a major demonstration to coincide with the Prince’s visit.
The murders look as if they may have something to do with the heightened political tensions, especially since Section H – the secret service – are involved. But Sam is determined he won’t be sidelined from the investigation, and along with his loyal Sergeant, Surrender-not Banerjee, sets out to discover what links the victims...
I love Mukherjee’s depiction of Calcutta – it always feels entirely authentic to me. Mukherjee treats both sides with empathy – although he shows the evils of some aspects of the Raj as a form of government, he depicts his British characters largely as good people trying to do their best in difficult circumstances, and he manages to do this without making them feel anachronistic in their attitudes. Equally, while his sympathies might lie with the idea of independence, he doesn’t portray the Indians as uniformly saintly either. The Indian sergeant, Surrender-not (the nickname given to him by the Brits who can’t pronounce his real name, Surendranath), provides a kind of bridge that allows the reader to move between the two cultures, as we see him negotiate his often clashing duties to his family and his job.
The historical background too is always sound and Mukherjee brings real people into his stories in ways that feel accurate to their real lives. In this one, as well as Prince Edward, we meet Deshbandhu, a leader of the Independence movement in Bengal, and his young follower Subhas Bose, who would go on to be a major, if controversial, player in the events that finally led to the achievement of Independence.
As always, though, the plot is founded much more on human nature than on politics. I feel this is his strongest plot so far, which unfortunately I can say very little about for fear of spoilers. But it takes us into some dark episodes in the dealings between the Raj and their subjects – Mukherjee’s notes at the end show that, while he has fictionalised dates and people, the fundamental basis of the story comes from real events. There’s a good deal of moral ambiguity in there, and some excellently complex characterisation to carry it off. And it all builds to a first-rate, entirely credible thriller finale that I found fully satisfying.
I love the characters of Sam and Surrender-not, and the historical setting Mukherjee has chosen for the series. Top-quality historical crime fiction – highly recommended. But if you’re new to the series, do read them in order, starting with the excellent A Rising Man.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Harvill Secker.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
These are great simple mysteries. The best part is the locale and the time frame: when the raj is about to implode. The protagonist is interesting and his foil, a Bengali educated in England is a great contrast.
Now waiting for the next book as I've read the next in this series.
Now waiting for the next book as I've read the next in this series.