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annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I discovered this series last year and fell in love with it as it's brilliant, a crash course what was India in the 20s, how people lived, and the political tension of that age.
The mix of historical facts and characters with the fictional parts always works creating one of the best historical mystery series.
Sam and Suren are two great characters, I like how they interact, how Sam came to accept Suren as a peer and how Suren grew as a character.
The mystery is complex, there's plenty of twists and we visit different places and type of people. The solution surprised me and I found it satisfying.
The author is a talented storyteller and this gripping and riveting book kept me on the edge till the end.
Even if it can be read as a standalone it's better to read the rest of the series to better understand the character's evolution.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The mix of historical facts and characters with the fictional parts always works creating one of the best historical mystery series.
Sam and Suren are two great characters, I like how they interact, how Sam came to accept Suren as a peer and how Suren grew as a character.
The mystery is complex, there's plenty of twists and we visit different places and type of people. The solution surprised me and I found it satisfying.
The author is a talented storyteller and this gripping and riveting book kept me on the edge till the end.
Even if it can be read as a standalone it's better to read the rest of the series to better understand the character's evolution.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
wendoxford's review against another edition
4.0
Another chapter for this fabulous Anglo-Indian pairing. Another narrative style used. This book alternates between the viewpoints of Wyndham and Banerjee in a parallel time frame. Whilst I can understand this for access to different parts of the plotting, the transitions move so quickly that it took a while for me to settle in.
The story is now overwhelmingly political and I felt completely immersed in the realities of Empire and the layers of societal injustice. There are bad eggs in every camp and it falls to our double act to crack open and evidence the truths after a murder acts as a catalyst for Hindu/Muslim rioting and Banerjee is framed.
I am loving this series which exposes so much about the shame of our imperial legacy through characters who positively leap from the page.
The story is now overwhelmingly political and I felt completely immersed in the realities of Empire and the layers of societal injustice. There are bad eggs in every camp and it falls to our double act to crack open and evidence the truths after a murder acts as a catalyst for Hindu/Muslim rioting and Banerjee is framed.
I am loving this series which exposes so much about the shame of our imperial legacy through characters who positively leap from the page.
janettedv's review against another edition
5.0
This is the fifth book in the series featuring Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee in colonial India in the late 1920’s and I think it’s the best one yet. Tensions are rising as India begins to move towards independence. Sam and Suren are in Calcutta when Suren is given a top secret task to perform. As a result of this, he becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. To prove his innocence, he and Sam have to ask their old friend Annie Grant for help. The case is complicated and directly linked to the political turmoil in the country and for a long while neither they or the reader can see where things are leading.
The book is full of historical detail which is essential to the plot and never feels like a history lesson but makes the story seem very real. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and Suren becomes a master of disguise as he tries to keep one step ahead of those seeking him as well as trying to prove his innocence. I love the way that the chapters alternate between the viewpoints of Sam and Suren. This gives us a much stronger insight into Suren’s feelings than in previous books in the series and is a definite improvement. I loved the ending which I felt was a great resolution to this story.
This was a brilliant book and I am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book is full of historical detail which is essential to the plot and never feels like a history lesson but makes the story seem very real. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and Suren becomes a master of disguise as he tries to keep one step ahead of those seeking him as well as trying to prove his innocence. I love the way that the chapters alternate between the viewpoints of Sam and Suren. This gives us a much stronger insight into Suren’s feelings than in previous books in the series and is a definite improvement. I loved the ending which I felt was a great resolution to this story.
This was a brilliant book and I am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ptaradactyl's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite so far? I have always liked Suren as a character, so I enjoyed getting his exasperation with Sam more directly. You knew he had to be rolling his eyes and keeping his opinion to himself frequently. Both characters are maturing in the series
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, this was FANTASTIC!
For one, I was happy to see to what lengths Sam is going to go to keep Surendranath safe and free. But also because the danger was personal and I think that, as much as I love Sam, Surendranath is my favourite character.
But there are also political intrigues, betrayals, and, as always, a deep immersion in the time and place in which the story is happening. India is boiling with tension and the death of a minor religious leader has the power to set it on fire. Having an Indian member of the Imperial Police pointed as the killer doesn't really help.
Sam is doggedly trying to prove Surendranath's innocence by finding the real culprits, all of that when both of them are on the run. Sam has proven here his friendship, risking everything for his friend and yet... he still doesn't really understand him ~sigh~
Another great choice was that, this time, we have both points of view narrating the story, which gives us a better insight into the motives of the characters. And shows in a brighter light the conflict between these two friends, which is, in essence, the conflict between the British Empire and India.
And, by the end of the book, there is still a lot left unresolved on a personal level.
I really hope there will be more books coming. *sits anxiously waiting for more books*
For one, I was happy to see to what lengths Sam is going to go to keep Surendranath safe and free. But also because the danger was personal and I think that, as much as I love Sam, Surendranath is my favourite character.
But there are also political intrigues, betrayals, and, as always, a deep immersion in the time and place in which the story is happening. India is boiling with tension and the death of a minor religious leader has the power to set it on fire. Having an Indian member of the Imperial Police pointed as the killer doesn't really help.
Sam is doggedly trying to prove Surendranath's innocence by finding the real culprits, all of that when both of them are on the run. Sam has proven here his friendship, risking everything for his friend and yet... he still doesn't really understand him ~sigh~
Another great choice was that, this time, we have both points of view narrating the story, which gives us a better insight into the motives of the characters. And shows in a brighter light the conflict between these two friends, which is, in essence, the conflict between the British Empire and India.
And, by the end of the book, there is still a lot left unresolved on a personal level.
Spoiler
The day was grey and the seagulls called out in complaint against the rain. I pulled my overcoat tight, grabbed my case and descended the gangplank onto the soil of France. Taggart’s return had vindicated me. In the eyes of the British, I was exonerated. That though did not mean that all was forgiven; at least not from my side. I had worked these past years for a system which I now realised was built to keep my people in subjugation, regardless of morality, regardless of the cost. It was a system I would no longer work for.
I would go home.
But not just yet.
I really hope there will be more books coming. *sits anxiously waiting for more books*
nocto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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? No
5.0
I can't fault this one. It's another excellent entry in the series. I like that this series doesn't have the thing going on that makes some mystery series feel like sitcoms - where nothing is allowed to change, where you know whatever decisions the characters make they are going to be reset by the end of the episode so that you can eventually watch/read all of them out of order without noticing that anyone has aged or changed. I'm probably being unfair on sitcoms (which aren't really one of my specialist subjects) there, especially since even I can think of counter-examples without trying very hard! Anyway, what I mean is that this series feels like one you want to read in order as things just might change enough that one book out of order would spoil the others.
And I love that we get more than just Sam Wyndham in this book. His sergeant Surendranath Banerjee gets to narrate a lot of this book and it's very much his story. Suren gets accused of murder and things get complicated fast! I really enjoyed the story and how it came together. The two handed narration keeps the suspense up and the plot moving at all times. I think it helped that I read most of the book by candlelight in a power cut which cut me off from all the distractions of the modern world and let me concentrate on 1920s Calcutta and Bombay. I wouldn't exactly recommend having no power and no mobile signal but it's great for getting on and reading and having little else useful that you can do. It was lovely to be absorbed in a book and not at all bothered about the power coming back.
Great characters, evocative setting and a cracking plot. Well written to boot. Not sure I can ask much else of a book.
And I love that we get more than just Sam Wyndham in this book. His sergeant Surendranath Banerjee gets to narrate a lot of this book and it's very much his story. Suren gets accused of murder and things get complicated fast! I really enjoyed the story and how it came together. The two handed narration keeps the suspense up and the plot moving at all times. I think it helped that I read most of the book by candlelight in a power cut which cut me off from all the distractions of the modern world and let me concentrate on 1920s Calcutta and Bombay. I wouldn't exactly recommend having no power and no mobile signal but it's great for getting on and reading and having little else useful that you can do. It was lovely to be absorbed in a book and not at all bothered about the power coming back.
Great characters, evocative setting and a cracking plot. Well written to boot. Not sure I can ask much else of a book.
debsd's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.25