Murder in Old Bombay: A Mystery

In 1892 Bombay, two young women commit suicide by jumping off a tower at the university. The women are from the Framji family- a wealthy Parsee family. The Framjis feel justice is not served by the sham of a trial and the final analysis that it was suicide. Captain Jim Agnihotri has just been released from a local hospital after suffering wounds from a fight in Karachi. He has read in the newpapers about the dual suicides and is convinced it was murder when no witnesses come forward. He approaches Adi Framji, the widower of one of the women, and is soon hired to look into the event. As Jim investigates, he is soon beaten and battered as someone wants to keep him from the truth. He also begins to fall in love with Diana, Adi’s sister, knowing they could never marry for religious reasons. As Jim gets closer to the truth, he places himself and the Framji family increasingly in harm’s way. I dreaded reading this book among the Edgar shortlists. It is a very long novel and I assumed, with its horrific title, that I was facing another extremely long dull, dreary British style police procedural. I was very wrong. This ambitious novel is so much more than a simple investigation of a baffling crime. It is an epic adventure novel and moves around the country highlighting the history of India in the late 19th century. Jim adores Arthur Conan Doyle and there is much Holmesian references. The book is part mystery, part historical novel, part thriller and part romance. It all blends together into a totally compelling novel reminiscent of thrillers of the past. (The author states she was influenced by Ridyard Kipling’s KIM). Characters are overall well developed and sympathetic creations but the villain, Akbar, is a cardboard cutout. There is so much to this novel that it leads me to think that with adventure novels- they just don’t write them like this anymore. Very well done and easily the best debut novel of the year.

This tale is based on a true incident and has a complicated plot but lacks the degree of edginess one might expect from such a challenging mystery. A baffling concurrent double death in a family of well-heeled upper class Indians has been declared by the local authorities to be a double suicide. The family, however, especially the husband of the older "sister" (the younger was adopted into the family) is unable to accept that determination. By a series of odd occurrences, Captain James Agnihotri turns up in their lives and is hired to investigate the deaths which do turn out to be murder.The Captain's personality and character are far and away the best thing about this story. He is a recently retired young man mustered out of the British Army for medical injuries sustained during combat on the untamed northern frontier. By virtue of his history as an orphaned Anglo-Indian he is regarded as a second class citizen of the Empire, a real fish out of water, accepted neither by one side nor the other, making his life difficult as he tries to navigate the cultural prejudices and restrictions of the time period and locale. In spite of the problems he is saddled with by ethnicity and his semi-amnesiac state due to a serious head injury, what we find in Captain Jim is an honorable human being capable of great compassion and love in whom we readers cannot help but delight. While his is not a mighty intellect like his idol, Sherlock Holmes (whose inclusion here is head-scratching since there is so little reference to Holmesian methodology), the Captain is intelligent and clever enough to figure out what happened and rush to prevent a third family tragedy in the same vein.The author does a good job of creating singularly delineated and memorable characters overall, especially the young widower Adi and his one remaining sister Diana who the Captain comes to love. Several other minor characters also stick in my mind so I have to say that Ms. March has a definite talent for characterization.There is not much in the way of annoying glitches, like typos or word oopsies or other technical language misusage. This is worth mentioning since there is so much of that rampant in way too many books released these days.The author also does a credible job of weaving the political minefields of the time and place that simmer not far from the surface of polite Indian society with the sometimes open hostility towards to British Raj. Where things get a bit bogged down is in her descriptions of the ambience of colonial India in the 1890s that do not quite meet the bar of evocative lyricism found in some other mystery books I have read recently set in similar exotic locales on the sub-continent. There is also the matter of several instances of tell rather than show. This has undoubtedly been done to familiarize western readers today with certain cultural terms and historic occurrences that might have proven a different kind of mystery without explanation, but these are not always well integrated.Nonetheless, The story was better than good and I look forward to following the additional adventures of Captain Jim and his new bride as they work toward making justice prevail under difficult circumstances in the next book in the series.

This is a very well written debut novel set in the late nineteenth century India. The story has an exotic location, mystery, and romance. The novel is of medium length. The more I read this novel, the more I liked it. I ended up savoring the reading experience and took my time.The writing style is consistent with the late nineteenth century. This is a matter of taste, and it appealed to me very much. There is violence, but it is not graphically depicted. Many of the individuals conduct themselves in a very upright manner. Obviously at this time in history India was part of the British Empire.I have read a number of mystery novels, wherein a female protagonist of modest means, begins the story as a non investigator, encounters others who are rich and need the assistance of an investigator. The female ends up doing the investigation, while receiving funds and clothing of the wealthy class, and then travels in the social circles of the wealthy. That formula is followed here, but with the change that the protagonist in this situation is a male. I found that an interesting twist.The story is fairly easily comprehended as written. There are a variety of characters that did cause me to become slightly confused at times, but only temporarily. I purchased a hard back copy and an audiobook. I felt the audiobook was particularly well narrated. I listened and read simultaneously. Parts of the novel were particularly touching, and the narrator did a fine job at these moments.In summary I really liked this fine debut work. The story allows the possibility of a sequel. I fully intend to read the next novel of this author. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.

Interesting story that took a long time to get into the core of why the murders happened. The characters are great. The story could move faster.

A very absorbing book that kept me waiting to see what would happen next. The main character was created as a Superman that outmaneuvered every object in his way!

Really enjoyed this book. An easy read, lots of twists and loved the characters. Will be reading the next in the series shortly

I read this book in one night and wished that it were longer. Loved the feel and rhythm of the setting and the characters. I highly recommend this author!

Nev March is fearless in the lucidity of her writing. The prose flows and undulates, bringing characters to life and paints an indelible picture of an era.

The storytelling is great

Being a big fan of Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan, i hoped to find something akin. A slight disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's well written, and by moments exciting. The hero is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and it shows. It's all a bit slow and ladida, a whodunnit/ a possible double suicide in highParsee circles and a former cavalry officer of doubtful origins in caste ridden India, a super overromanticRomeo and Juliet story. By moments too romantic and too Sherlock. Then why the four stars you ask. Wellapart from the small negative comments, like Sherlock it's a good detective and you are drawn in the story.Plus Mrs.March doesn't hesitate to bring the caste disease, the complete lack of womenpower and the British racist view on their colonial subjects to the fore. Honestly i didn' dislike the book, but i won't stand in line for the second, Vaseem and Abir bring all the crime and India's social problems to the fore in a less Victorian romance style.