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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I have had all of this series sat on my bookshelves for a few years. There is part of me that is kicking myself for waiting so long but I also have a feeling of relief. I have another three books to read whilst I wait for book five that is due to be published next year.
I enjoy historical crime but the majority of what I read is set in England. This is the first that I have read that takes place in India and I was fascinated by the culture and the people but horrified by the attitude of some of the British. Some of it made me cringe a little but I accept that it is a true description of what life was like when you know what the British were capable of in other countries.
Sam Wyndham was definitely a damaged character. Bad memories of the war and widowed after his wife died from flu he also has an addiction that could destroy his career. His colleague, Sargent Banerjee, known throughout as Surrender-not, is one I adored. I loved the author’s description of him. His acceptance of his nickname, because of a superior officers inability to pronounce his proper name, his humour and loyalty was everything I like in a character. .
This is definitely a book I would like to read again, armed with a little more knowledge about what it was like in India at this time. My knowledge all comes from a TV shows that I watched years ago. It’s a fantastic crime novel and a valuable history lesson
I enjoy historical crime but the majority of what I read is set in England. This is the first that I have read that takes place in India and I was fascinated by the culture and the people but horrified by the attitude of some of the British. Some of it made me cringe a little but I accept that it is a true description of what life was like when you know what the British were capable of in other countries.
Sam Wyndham was definitely a damaged character. Bad memories of the war and widowed after his wife died from flu he also has an addiction that could destroy his career. His colleague, Sargent Banerjee, known throughout as Surrender-not, is one I adored. I loved the author’s description of him. His acceptance of his nickname, because of a superior officers inability to pronounce his proper name, his humour and loyalty was everything I like in a character. .
This is definitely a book I would like to read again, armed with a little more knowledge about what it was like in India at this time. My knowledge all comes from a TV shows that I watched years ago. It’s a fantastic crime novel and a valuable history lesson
I’ve bumped this up but again, like my last read it’s probably closer to 3.5 stars.
I adore a good historical crime drama and when I spotted this series, totally new to me, I thought it sounded fascinating. Set in 1919 we have our detective, Sam Wyndham, fresh off the boat from England and on the hunt for the murderer of a high ranking British official.
I thought the setting was fantastic, it was easy to read and I can see how this debut potentially lays the foundation for much development as the series progresses. Also gave me itchy feet for wanting to visit India!
I was disappointed at the crime element; Wyndham is lauded as a great catch from Scotland Yard but actually seems pretty inept at his role, basically accusing everyone of murder with not much thought as to who or why...I’d guessed from the start what the outcome would be so as a reader it was frustrating to read as he blundered around. He also relies heavily on his ‘side kick’ Surrender-Not which is fine, but I felt this character could have been developed more. I’d have liked to have read from Surrender-Not’s POV to complement the storyline.
I also felt that the author made much of Wyndham being a war veteran. I get that it was shaping his character, and helping us to understand that he was troubled, but it was mentioned almost every few pages and I was nearly eye rolling by the end when I spotted it coming. Just felt heavy handed to me.
Will I pick up the next one? I have a feeling this series has the potential to just get better and better so I’d be willing to try the next book. And the setting is just glorious. Which is probably enough motivation!
I adore a good historical crime drama and when I spotted this series, totally new to me, I thought it sounded fascinating. Set in 1919 we have our detective, Sam Wyndham, fresh off the boat from England and on the hunt for the murderer of a high ranking British official.
I thought the setting was fantastic, it was easy to read and I can see how this debut potentially lays the foundation for much development as the series progresses. Also gave me itchy feet for wanting to visit India!
I was disappointed at the crime element; Wyndham is lauded as a great catch from Scotland Yard but actually seems pretty inept at his role, basically accusing everyone of murder with not much thought as to who or why...I’d guessed from the start what the outcome would be so as a reader it was frustrating to read as he blundered around. He also relies heavily on his ‘side kick’ Surrender-Not which is fine, but I felt this character could have been developed more. I’d have liked to have read from Surrender-Not’s POV to complement the storyline.
I also felt that the author made much of Wyndham being a war veteran. I get that it was shaping his character, and helping us to understand that he was troubled, but it was mentioned almost every few pages and I was nearly eye rolling by the end when I spotted it coming. Just felt heavy handed to me.
Will I pick up the next one? I have a feeling this series has the potential to just get better and better so I’d be willing to try the next book. And the setting is just glorious. Which is probably enough motivation!
Having read the second book first, I then read the first. I wish when people are writing a book review that they mention that the book they are reviewing is not the first in the series. This first book set the stage for the upcoming books. It explained a lot. Captain Sam Wyndham has been recruited by Lord Taggart. He is a former Scotland Yard detective who has come to India to forget the costs that the Great War of 1914-1918 have inflicted on him and is looking for a fresh start. Together with the arrogant Inspector Digby and Sgt Banerjee they are investigating the murder of an important government official. At first glance it looks to be a terrorist. India wants it’s independence and the tug between violence and Ghandi’s non violence is very real. To the British, though, it’s all about terrorists and violence. The official is found with his throat cut, stabbed and a note stuffed into his mouth. It soon becomes obvious that it is a setup. Then there’s a train robbery that yields nothing. The passengers aren’t robbed. What is going on? Wyndham finds that things and people are not what they seem and that is especially true in the precarious British sovereignty of an increasingly restless Indian population. This was a interesting and educational book. I’m looking forward to the third book in the series. I hope it’s as interesting as the first two.
Reading the first in the series after the second; it doesn't sound ideal but I often find that authors get better as series go on so I don't think it's that bad an approach. Here I had an inkling that something was up with one of the characters based on the fact that they hadn't featured in the second book but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. The author didn't make me care very much about the victim here, it was more figuring out the logic of the puzzle of who killed him and why, which is interesting and there's no reason every fictional murder victim should be a nice guy but it just felt a bit uninvolving at times here. Darren's reading this at the moment and pointed out that Sam seems to be far too liberal a character for the time and place (1920ish colonial India) but I think that if he wasn't then he'd be insufferable to a twenty-first century readership so I'm glad he's a bit anachronistic.
medium-paced
Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. Desperately seeking a fresh start after his experiences during the Great War, Wyndham has been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. But with barely a moment to acclimatise to his new life or to deal with the ghosts which still haunt him, Wyndham is caught up in a murder investigation that will take him into the dark underbelly of the British Raj.
A senior British official has been murdered, and a note left in his mouth warns the British to quit India: or else. With rising political dissent and the stability of the Raj under threat, Wyndham and his two new colleagues–arrogant Inspector Digby, who can barely conceal his contempt for the natives and British-educated, but Indian-born Sargeant Banerjee, one of the few Indians to be recruited into the new CID–embark on an investigation that will take them from the luxurious parlours of wealthy British traders to the seedy opium dens of the city.
The attack on police by dacoits and revolutionaries in between case make it difficult to decipher and character are complex and elaborated in such a way that it makes easy for reader to know and guess the murder intension and why and what went wrong..
A senior British official has been murdered, and a note left in his mouth warns the British to quit India: or else. With rising political dissent and the stability of the Raj under threat, Wyndham and his two new colleagues–arrogant Inspector Digby, who can barely conceal his contempt for the natives and British-educated, but Indian-born Sargeant Banerjee, one of the few Indians to be recruited into the new CID–embark on an investigation that will take them from the luxurious parlours of wealthy British traders to the seedy opium dens of the city.
The attack on police by dacoits and revolutionaries in between case make it difficult to decipher and character are complex and elaborated in such a way that it makes easy for reader to know and guess the murder intension and why and what went wrong..
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
☀️☀️
▪️ An historical crime novel that wants so badly to be a classic that it engages every trope imaginable without providing anything unique, surprising or interesting
▪️The historical period of 1920's India was what attracted me to this story initially, but the white perspective was overshadowed with racist undertones that are undoubtedly appropriate for the era but made reading this book difficult for me. The refusal to call Sergeant Surendranath by his real name and resorting to "Surrender-not" like the other British characters set this story on a path that barely deviated and the lack of growth on Sam's part really let the novel down
▪️ There were some decent one-liners throughout but generally the prose was descriptive without really adding much to the emotional drive of the story. In contrast I found the action sequences lacking in description and therefore their pacing felt off compared to the rest of the book
▪️ Overall this was not for me at all. I wasn't emotionally engaged in this story at any point. It felt like a box-ticking novel that didn't even attempt to veer from the stereotypical path it copied from more interesting authors.
"The stairwell smelled of respectability. In truth, it smelled of disinfectant, but in Calcutta that's pretty much the same thing."
☀️☀️
▪️ An historical crime novel that wants so badly to be a classic that it engages every trope imaginable without providing anything unique, surprising or interesting
▪️The historical period of 1920's India was what attracted me to this story initially, but the white perspective was overshadowed with racist undertones that are undoubtedly appropriate for the era but made reading this book difficult for me. The refusal to call Sergeant Surendranath by his real name and resorting to "Surrender-not" like the other British characters set this story on a path that barely deviated and the lack of growth on Sam's part really let the novel down
▪️ There were some decent one-liners throughout but generally the prose was descriptive without really adding much to the emotional drive of the story. In contrast I found the action sequences lacking in description and therefore their pacing felt off compared to the rest of the book
▪️ Overall this was not for me at all. I wasn't emotionally engaged in this story at any point. It felt like a box-ticking novel that didn't even attempt to veer from the stereotypical path it copied from more interesting authors.
"The stairwell smelled of respectability. In truth, it smelled of disinfectant, but in Calcutta that's pretty much the same thing."
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I haven’t read much about the Raj, and aside from being a fairly gripping whodunnit with political intrigue and classic noir overtones, this story does a wonderful job immersing the reader in the historical setting. The characters chosen to advance the narrative put the focus mainly on the experience of the colonized and oppressed, which I appreciated, as well as the complexity of Bengali and broader Indian culture. I did have a hard time believing the self-awareness of the main character when it came to his ability to observe, analyze, and criticize the racist dynamics of the Raj. But even though it felt like a reach to me in terms of what someone inured in the mores of that time would be capable of, I appreciated the nuance present in the relationships between British and Indian characters and the examination of the constant tension there. Sam Wyndham not only navigates a minefield of crime and political corruption. Throughout the story, he is also working his way through relentless moral conundrums. In all, an enjoyable exploration of geopolitical history and personal conscience. I’m looking forward to further books in the series.
A great crime story, an insight into British Raj.
Entertaining and educating in equal measures.
For a complete review please click on the link below:
https://onerightword.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-rising-man-abir-mukherjee.html
Entertaining and educating in equal measures.
For a complete review please click on the link below:
https://onerightword.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-rising-man-abir-mukherjee.html