Reviews

The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee

grrlbrarian's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

aindrila's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

amazonanne's review against another edition

5.0

Definitely his best to date! This latest in the Sam/Surrender-Not series is fantastic. Told from the viewpoint of both Sam and Suren, the story takes a lot of twists and turns and is edge-of-your-seat exciting! Absolutely top notch.

mbc007's review against another edition

5.0

A series that gets progressively better. Self-aware characters who are able to laugh at themselves. And examine, ever more deeply, the British occupation of India.

mlynes's review against another edition

3.0

'Even with the facts becoming clear, I still struggled to comprehend,' I sympathize with Suren's assessment of the preposterous plot. It's well written and evocative but this series seems to have peaked with the quite brilliant third novel, 'Smoke and Ashes.' The last book, 'Death in the East' was an homage to the Golden Age locked room mysteries and this is reminiscent of a James Bond movie. It's a tired outing for Suren and Sam but writing five books in five years is a major challenge. Perhaps Mukherjee should take a couple of years off?

pamela1221's review against another edition

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed the fifth installment of Sam Wyndham. This book was especially good as half of the book was from Suren's POV and while a lot of the story was when the pair were separated it made the parts when they teamed up all the sweeter.

By the end of the book I wasn't competely satisfied as I have no idea what will come next for this twosome, that and the fact that book 6 seems a long way off.

piyali's review against another edition

4.0

Every time I read a Sam Wyndham mystery, I feel this is Mukherjee's best one yet. The Shadows of Men was fantastic as usual in terms of plot, writing but more so in character development. I love how with each book, the character of Suren gets stronger, more confident. As an Indian who has strong feelings about being colonized only 75 years ago by the British, the rise of Surendranath Banerjee as an Indian man rattling the shackles of the British Raj is very satisfying. Oh yes, the mystery part is fun too but for me, that is almost secondary.

njw2's review against another edition

4.0

These books are a slow burn.

truculence's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Colonisation

legohelmet's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0