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willrefuge's review
4.0
4.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/01/09/smoke-and-ashes-by-abir-mukherjee-review/
Please beware minor spoilers for previous Wyndham and Banerjee mysteries, or just skim the reviews of them below:
Kolkata, British India - 1921
India has become more of a home to Sam than England ever was. After his return from the Great War, at least. Still haunted by the memories of war, his friends dying all around him, and the wife he barely knew, Wyndham has known vices to cope. What started out as morphine has turned to opium, and what was initially a habit has become a full-blown addiction. But before he can attempt to kick this vice, he must see the error of his ways.
For Sam, this error takes the form of a dead Chinese man in an opium den.
At first he thinks this corpse a figment of his drug-addled imagination, but once he touches it, examines it, Wyndham is forced to reconsider. Though he can’t consider it for very long. There are police in the den, and Sam must escape unseen if he wants to keep his job. Still, even after leaving, he can’t get the corpse off his mind. Nor his obligation to the man.
And so Wyndham returns to the opium den. But there’s no corpse to be found. Instead, Sam is summoned to the scene of another grisly murder, this one an Englishman. And yet he’s struck by the manner in which the man was killed—the same that the Chinese man had been struck down the night before.
It smacks of a ritualistic killing—and is not the last body to drop before the week is out. Now Wyndham and Banerjee must find the killer and unravel the case before more bodies drop, and the killer slips away into the night.
—
As with the two British India novels before it, I was once again impressed by the scope of Smoke and Ashes, and just how well early 20th century Kolkata is reproduced. Racism and apartheid rule the city, with the Indians (treated as a lump sum) seen as generally decent workers—for colored barbarians—and bodies to die in war, but little more. The British are the undeniable saviors of the Raj, unless of course one were to ask the natives. Which one wouldn’t, of course. It’s just the kind of attitude I’d expect from the days of the Empire (or the US at that time, to be fair)—and comes across quite well in the text. The tensions, the opposition to British rule, the start of a movement against it. While the roots of this were evident in previous novels—the non-cooperation, the protests—really take form in this book. It’d be an interesting time to revisit even without the undercurrent of a murderer loose in the crowds.
Connecting the two murders takes some time, but that time is thoroughly enjoyable. Wyndham sees the Indians as people in their own right (helps that he’s in love with one of their own), and the rightful rulers of the continent besides. But while they may have a point about who should lead them, fact is that the British do. And Sam’s a native son of England, after all. So, while he’s become conflicted, it’s not difficult to tell where his loyalties lie. Banerjee is a much more conflicted case. While he and Sam are friends, the young man’s Kolkata-born and a native of the peninsula. He may work for the Empire, but it’s really hard to go against one’s family, one’s people, one’s loved ones. But so long as he and Wyndham agree on one thing, they can still work together. That the murderer must be stopped.
The mystery element of Smoke and Ashes may just be the best it’s ever been. Ritual killings. Interconnected murders. How do a Chinese man, an Englishman, and a Portuguese nurse fit together? And why would someone want them dead? This is what drives the tale. And, if I may say so, it has a satisfying conclusion. So many times you’ll reach the end of a mystery/thriller only to find the antagonist has some psychopathic logic, something that only adds up if you have one too many screws loose. The conclusion of Smoke and Ashes reveals a rather normal, human assailant, albeit one who would resort to murder.
The mystery itself, the conclusion, the ending all support the continuation of the Wyndham and Banerjee mysteries, as this may well be their strongest case yet. Still not sure it justifies the price, however. But I can do very little to ever rationalize a $17 ebook. At least in the UK it’s more reasonable: £5. But if I were you, I’d pick it up in paperback (where you can probably find it under $10), or audio, or at your local library. But you do need to pick this up—that much is for certain.
TL;DR
Smoke and Ashes is the best Wyndham and Banerjee yet. With the movement of noncooperation in the background, the race to catch a killer is all the more desperate and all the more difficult in the crowds of natives. And if India does one thing well, it’s CROWDS. A nation of over a billion (well, ~300 mil in the 1920’s), the subcontinent is packed with so many different beliefs, ethnicities, cultures, and histories that it was a powder keg even before the British arrived. Especially when factoring in that it was an incredibly RICH powder keg. The series continues to illustrate this quite well—especially when capturing the heightening tensions between all the sides. The Indian people may agree on the British Empire, but it’s only a temporary truce, and a partial one at that. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/01/09/smoke-and-ashes-by-abir-mukherjee-review/
Please beware minor spoilers for previous Wyndham and Banerjee mysteries, or just skim the reviews of them below:
Kolkata, British India - 1921
India has become more of a home to Sam than England ever was. After his return from the Great War, at least. Still haunted by the memories of war, his friends dying all around him, and the wife he barely knew, Wyndham has known vices to cope. What started out as morphine has turned to opium, and what was initially a habit has become a full-blown addiction. But before he can attempt to kick this vice, he must see the error of his ways.
For Sam, this error takes the form of a dead Chinese man in an opium den.
At first he thinks this corpse a figment of his drug-addled imagination, but once he touches it, examines it, Wyndham is forced to reconsider. Though he can’t consider it for very long. There are police in the den, and Sam must escape unseen if he wants to keep his job. Still, even after leaving, he can’t get the corpse off his mind. Nor his obligation to the man.
And so Wyndham returns to the opium den. But there’s no corpse to be found. Instead, Sam is summoned to the scene of another grisly murder, this one an Englishman. And yet he’s struck by the manner in which the man was killed—the same that the Chinese man had been struck down the night before.
It smacks of a ritualistic killing—and is not the last body to drop before the week is out. Now Wyndham and Banerjee must find the killer and unravel the case before more bodies drop, and the killer slips away into the night.
—
As with the two British India novels before it, I was once again impressed by the scope of Smoke and Ashes, and just how well early 20th century Kolkata is reproduced. Racism and apartheid rule the city, with the Indians (treated as a lump sum) seen as generally decent workers—for colored barbarians—and bodies to die in war, but little more. The British are the undeniable saviors of the Raj, unless of course one were to ask the natives. Which one wouldn’t, of course. It’s just the kind of attitude I’d expect from the days of the Empire (or the US at that time, to be fair)—and comes across quite well in the text. The tensions, the opposition to British rule, the start of a movement against it. While the roots of this were evident in previous novels—the non-cooperation, the protests—really take form in this book. It’d be an interesting time to revisit even without the undercurrent of a murderer loose in the crowds.
Connecting the two murders takes some time, but that time is thoroughly enjoyable. Wyndham sees the Indians as people in their own right (helps that he’s in love with one of their own), and the rightful rulers of the continent besides. But while they may have a point about who should lead them, fact is that the British do. And Sam’s a native son of England, after all. So, while he’s become conflicted, it’s not difficult to tell where his loyalties lie. Banerjee is a much more conflicted case. While he and Sam are friends, the young man’s Kolkata-born and a native of the peninsula. He may work for the Empire, but it’s really hard to go against one’s family, one’s people, one’s loved ones. But so long as he and Wyndham agree on one thing, they can still work together. That the murderer must be stopped.
The mystery element of Smoke and Ashes may just be the best it’s ever been. Ritual killings. Interconnected murders. How do a Chinese man, an Englishman, and a Portuguese nurse fit together? And why would someone want them dead? This is what drives the tale. And, if I may say so, it has a satisfying conclusion. So many times you’ll reach the end of a mystery/thriller only to find the antagonist has some psychopathic logic, something that only adds up if you have one too many screws loose. The conclusion of Smoke and Ashes reveals a rather normal, human assailant, albeit one who would resort to murder.
The mystery itself, the conclusion, the ending all support the continuation of the Wyndham and Banerjee mysteries, as this may well be their strongest case yet. Still not sure it justifies the price, however. But I can do very little to ever rationalize a $17 ebook. At least in the UK it’s more reasonable: £5. But if I were you, I’d pick it up in paperback (where you can probably find it under $10), or audio, or at your local library. But you do need to pick this up—that much is for certain.
TL;DR
Smoke and Ashes is the best Wyndham and Banerjee yet. With the movement of noncooperation in the background, the race to catch a killer is all the more desperate and all the more difficult in the crowds of natives. And if India does one thing well, it’s CROWDS. A nation of over a billion (well, ~300 mil in the 1920’s), the subcontinent is packed with so many different beliefs, ethnicities, cultures, and histories that it was a powder keg even before the British arrived. Especially when factoring in that it was an incredibly RICH powder keg. The series continues to illustrate this quite well—especially when capturing the heightening tensions between all the sides. The Indian people may agree on the British Empire, but it’s only a temporary truce, and a partial one at that. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
desolation73's review
4.0
Set in 1920s India I've really enjoyed these historical crime books. These are a short read but very enjoyable for me .
rosieclaverton's review
5.0
Another stunning addition to the series, with the tight-woven web of politics, addiction, relationships, and murder all bringing Calcutta and its denizens to startling life.
My favourite tidbit was the headline in an English newspaper that simply read "Taking Back Control", at which I laughed out loud. (To avoid crying, obviously.)
The audiobook narrator Simon Bubb is exceptionally talented and really brings the characters to life. I could listen to him read these books all day.
More please?
My favourite tidbit was the headline in an English newspaper that simply read "Taking Back Control", at which I laughed out loud. (To avoid crying, obviously.)
The audiobook narrator Simon Bubb is exceptionally talented and really brings the characters to life. I could listen to him read these books all day.
More please?
thechemicaldetective's review
5.0
I bought "Smoke and Ashes" after hearing Abir speak at Theakston’s crime festival. Within a chapter I had to put it down.
The third in the series, and although perfectly readable as a stand-alone story, I loved the opening so much that I went back and bought the first two books in order to start at the beginning.
"A Rising Man" introduces Captain Sam Wyndham and his sidekick Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee. Set in Calcutta, India in the 1920s, the complex tangle of loyalties: opium, duty, empire, independence, makes for terrific tension. A splendidly contrived plot, with a plethora of false leads and blind alleys, leads to a satisfying conclusion (no spoilers!).
A Necessary Evil takes the crime fighting duo from Calcutta into a princely state. Trouble is, the princes keep getting murdered. A few years ago, I visited Madhya Pradesh and was enchanted by the extraordinary true history of the Begums of Bhopal, a muslim matriarchy that ruled for over a century. Abir gets right under the skin of the shifting loyalties, betrayals and power struggles. The grisleometer is ratcheted up to 11, with elephants in a starring role.
So finally, I was able to get back to Smoke and Ashes. I’m so glad I waited, because it is undoubtedly the best yet. I’ve said enough. Read it for yourself!
The third in the series, and although perfectly readable as a stand-alone story, I loved the opening so much that I went back and bought the first two books in order to start at the beginning.
"A Rising Man" introduces Captain Sam Wyndham and his sidekick Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee. Set in Calcutta, India in the 1920s, the complex tangle of loyalties: opium, duty, empire, independence, makes for terrific tension. A splendidly contrived plot, with a plethora of false leads and blind alleys, leads to a satisfying conclusion (no spoilers!).
A Necessary Evil takes the crime fighting duo from Calcutta into a princely state. Trouble is, the princes keep getting murdered. A few years ago, I visited Madhya Pradesh and was enchanted by the extraordinary true history of the Begums of Bhopal, a muslim matriarchy that ruled for over a century. Abir gets right under the skin of the shifting loyalties, betrayals and power struggles. The grisleometer is ratcheted up to 11, with elephants in a starring role.
So finally, I was able to get back to Smoke and Ashes. I’m so glad I waited, because it is undoubtedly the best yet. I’ve said enough. Read it for yourself!
kifkathleen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
prestonj662's review
4.0
Sam Wyndham number three. The narratives and plots are getting better as the series goes on. At times it felt like a Raymond Chandler story - the wit, the commentary about the other actors in the tale set within Wyndham’s thoughts. I learn a lot about Indian history brought through this series - set in 1921 context - with Gandhi’s call for strikes and the exodus of some of the British and its associated growing anti-English sentiment amongst the indigenous population. The burgeoning independence movement still has several more decades to achieve its aims. In the meantime criminals need to be brought to justice regardless of the ethnic origin of their victims. The complementary pairing of English educated Surender-not Bengali national - the Sergeant and Captain Sam Wyndham jaded from WW1 - white Scotsman is a formidable offering and Smoke and Ashes sees the twosome becoming more and more respectful of each other and their respective talents in the Imperial Police Force.
Highly recommended as is the Red Hot Chilli Peppers podcast of which Abir Mukharjee the author is the co-host.
Highly recommended as is the Red Hot Chilli Peppers podcast of which Abir Mukharjee the author is the co-host.
mwgerard's review against another edition
4.0
The adventures of Sam Wyndham and Surrender-Not continue in this third installment of the series by Abir Mukherjee. I haven’t read the other two but I had no trouble jumping right into the adventure in 1920s Calcutta.
Set in the uneasy era between Queen Victoria’s stabling reign and the uprising of anti-colonial leaders, Sam Wyndham has the unenviable job of keeping the peace among rising tensions. His partner, Surrender-Not Banerjee is a native and must walk the thin line of being an Indian and working for the colonizers.
Read my full review at: https://mwgerard.com/smoke-and-ashes-by-abir-mukherjee/
Set in the uneasy era between Queen Victoria’s stabling reign and the uprising of anti-colonial leaders, Sam Wyndham has the unenviable job of keeping the peace among rising tensions. His partner, Surrender-Not Banerjee is a native and must walk the thin line of being an Indian and working for the colonizers.
Read my full review at: https://mwgerard.com/smoke-and-ashes-by-abir-mukherjee/
liberrydude's review against another edition
4.0
Wyndham’s opium habit almost ends his career as he narrowly escapes a raid, a raid that was a surprise to him because the police were not behind it. Naturally it’s military intelligence, the secretive rivals who do whatever is necessary, who were behind the raid. While fleeing the raid he comes across a murder victim with his eyes gouged out. Days later there are no reports of the victim and he is assigned to a homicide out of the city near a military installation. The victim is a French-Indian woman from Goa who worked at the base hospital as a nurse. Her eyes are also gouged out. While this is playing out there is much civil unrest and disobedience occurring. To complicate matters HRH the Prince of Wales is arriving for a visit. Mukherjee links the two plot lines brilliantly and keeps the reader in a state of suspense until the last page.
sapphirelain's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.75
Maybe this book deserves a 4 star? I’m not even sure. I started it what might have been 6 months ago, but I didn’t get to finish it, and kept stopping and starting. Not sure if it was the book or me.