Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and Historical Dagger 2018.
Chosen for the Zoe Ball Book Club.
It’s not often you see a man with a diamond in his beard. But when a prince runs out of space on his ears, fingers and clothes, I suppose the whiskers on his chin are as good a place as any.
Captain Sam Wyndham, the troubled, morphine-dependent survivor of the Great War, makes a hugely welcome return in the sequel to our previous Thriller of the Month, A Rising Man. The dark heart of the British Raj beats once again as Wyndham and the redoubtable Sergeant 'Surrender Not' Banerjee uncover a network of evil behind the assassination of a Maharajah's son.
India, 1920.Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Calcutta Police Force investigate the dramatic assassination of a Maharajah's son. The fabulously wealthy kingdom of Sambalpore is home to tigers, elephants, diamond mines and the beautiful Palace of the Sun.
But when the heir to the throne is assassinated in the presence of Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-Not' Banerjee, they discover a kingdom riven with suppressed conflict.
Prince Adhir was a moderniser whose attitudes - and romantic relationship - may have upset the more religious elements of his country, while his brother - now in line to the throne - appears to be a feckless playboy. As Wyndham and Banerjee desperately try to unravel the mystery behind the assassination, they become entangled in a dangerous world where those in power live by their own rules and those who cross their paths pay with their lives.
They must find a murderer, before the murderer finds them...
You can order the third Sam Wyndham mystery, Smoke and Ashes, now.
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9781784704773
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 266 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 24 mm
Even better than his first… What is most striking about Mukherjee’s novels is his infectious enjoyment of the human oddity of the British in India… Even better is his portrayal of the mix of opulence and spirituality that characterises Sambalpore under its sybaritic but benevolent maharaja… I can’t imagine anyone failing to enjoy it - Jake Kerridge, Daily Telegraph
A year ago I welcomed the arrival of Captain Sam Wyndham and his faithful Sergeant… and I am delight to report that his return is every bit as engaging - Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail
A richly detailed period gem boasting the British Raj’s exotic setting and a gripping "whydunit" spun around an intriguing cast - Christine Tran, Booklist
An intriguing and enjoyable crime novel - Sarah Shaffi, Stylist
He writes beautifully, bringing the colourful kingdom of Sambalpore to vivid life and taking the reader on a highly entertaining journey to unearth the dark secrets as its core, with unexpected twists on the way to a satisfying finale - Jon Coates, Daily Express
Following the inclusion of Abir Mukherjee’s debut A Rising Man in my Top 5 of 2016, obviously I was as keen as mustard to read A Necessary Evil, the next in the series. This time our indomitable duo of Englishman... More
We continue our story of Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergant " Suurender -Not " Banerjee in the wealthy kingdom of Sambalpore. When the heir to the throne is assassinated, it's tasked our duo to unravel... More
Thoroughly entertaining read with the added interest of the period and location. Moves along at a cracking pace and remained interesting throughout. I read lots of crime/thriller type novels and found this most... More
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