India, 1920. Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Calcutta Police Force investigate the dramatic assassination of a Maharajah's son, in the sequel to A Rising Man. 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 modernizer whose attitudes--and romantic relationships--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 . . .
Industry Reviews
An enthralling debut novel.--arilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review [Praise for A Rising Man] A splendid debut. Captain Sam Wyndham, is a winning creation. This stirring, entertaining first mystery bursts with lively, colorful historical details about colonial Calcutta. A fine start to a new crime series. A thought-provoking rollercoaster.--Ian Rankin, The Guardian [Praise for A Rising Man] A lip-smacking and highly entertaining mystery, set in a Calcutta so convincingly evoked that readers will find sweat bursting from their foreheads. An exceptionally good, and original, historical crime novel.--C.J. Sansom [Praise for A Rising Man] An enthralling debut novel.--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review [Praise for A Rising Man] Impressive. This successful evocation of the Raj in the service of a brilliant whodunit demonstrates that Mukherjee's debut was no fluke. The novel has a great sense of time and place (be prepared to mop sweat off your brow from the heat!), a fascinating mystery, and an intriguing ending. Definitely recommended! Brilliant. Wyndam is an intriguing protagonist, offering crisp narration that's sometimes slightly arrogant, sometimes amusingly self-effacing. Add in clever dialogue that's laden with double entendre, and what more can a hardcore whodunit fan ask for?
