Scan barcode
A review by thechemicaldetective
Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee
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!