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sumedhaj's review against another edition
I get that the author is attempting to be historically accurate, but the constant racism in the main chanaracter's narration is a bit much to handle. Referring to Indians solely as "natives", misnaming the one Indian character etc.
Shouldn't have picked up a book set in colonised India narrated by a white British character.
Shouldn't have picked up a book set in colonised India narrated by a white British character.
sarec's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
jol69's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable. A nice change having a mystery in a different location and era.
booknick's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
paulreads's review against another edition
3.0
I loved spending time with this novel. Mukherjee blended different genres perfectly (historical fiction, crime/mystery) to create a well thought out, immersive storytelling experience. There are several non-english terms in the novel. I found that this helped to actualize the space and time of the text but caused the overall read to be slightly less seamless than I prefer.
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
I have just finished the entire Colin Cotterell series about Dr. Siri in Laos. Now I'm in Calcutta with Sam, and there are some parallels, especially some of the humour.
Sam isn't a particularly good detective, and I'm OK with that. His Scotland Yard background is apparently damaged by grief, drugs, and booze, but believably so. But golly, he told us twice that it was important to and then didn't do it. And he's obviously never read any detective stories or he'd have known that
Banerjee is as good as "old boy" Digby is cringeworthy. Dozens of past detectives would have punched Digby's lights out by page 100.
The mystery itself isn't all that great. The three main theydunits are so unpleasant, and so obviously involved in some way that it was just a matter of who did what.
But the view of 1919 Calcutta is what makes this interesting.
I'll read another if A.M. can dry Sam out a little and make sure there are no more Digbys
Sam isn't a particularly good detective, and I'm OK with that. His Scotland Yard background is apparently damaged by grief, drugs, and booze, but believably so. But golly, he told us twice that it was important to
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interview DeviSpoiler
Annie is looking out for #1.Banerjee is as good as "old boy" Digby is cringeworthy. Dozens of past detectives would have punched Digby's lights out by page 100.
The mystery itself isn't all that great. The three main theydunits are so unpleasant, and so obviously involved in some way that it was just a matter of who did what.
But the view of 1919 Calcutta is what makes this interesting.
I'll read another if A.M. can dry Sam out a little and make sure there are no more Digbys
emicaino's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
testaroscia's review against another edition
4.0
As a debut novel this is a very assured work. A fascinating period (1919 in India) with a interesting protagonist and side characters I found myself getting through this very quickly. Will definitely read the other ones.
emeraldgarnet's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
tombennett72's review against another edition
4.0
A well written story that moves at a cracking pace. Really enjoyed it.