The Shadows of Men
‘An unmissable series’ The Times
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4.6 • 39 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
*Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month*
**A 'Book of the Year' pick in The Times**
'An engaging, evocative thriller that captures the heat of Indian nights and heady days of a bygone era, without being sentimental or simplistic' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
'Abir Mukherjee is doing something uniquely different in the crime genre...breathtaking' PETER MAY, Sunday Times bestseller
Calcutta, 1923. When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can officers of the Imperial Police Force, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath?
Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay, the latest instalment in this 'unmissable' (The Times) series presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge. Will this be the case that finally drives them apart?
'The Shadows of Men finds the always reliable Crime Writers' Association Dagger Award-winner Abir Mukherjee on fine form' Financial Times
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PRAISE FOR THE WYNDHAM AND BANERJEE SERIES
'An exceptional historical crime novel' C.J. Sansom
'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin
'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Scottish Bengali author Abir Mukherjee opens a new, enthralling adventure for the fifth instalment in the best-selling Wyndham & Banerjee series. Set in Raj era Calcutta, 1923, police detective Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant ‘Surrender-Not’ Banerjee, are called to investigate the murder of a well-known Hindu theologist. And through alternating its point-of-view chapters, Mukherjee reveals their dedication and gritty resolve is key to the pair negotiating rising disorder in Bombay and Calcutta. Can they solve the crime and quell the threat of all-out religious war? To do so, they must inspect and query activity across the castes and corners of India. In the background: early rumblings of India’s independence movement add a rich, historical layer to proceedings for another dynamic slice of historical fiction.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Increasing tensions in 1923 colonial India provide the backdrop for Edgar finalist Mukherjee's superb fifth mystery featuring Capt. Sam Wyndham and Det. Sgt. Surendranath Bannerjee of the Calcutta CID (after 2019's Death in the East). Lord Taggart, the Calcutta commissioner of police, gives Bannerjee an assignment he's required to keep secret, even from his friend Wyndham: keeping track of the movements and activities of Muslim politician Farid Gulmohamed. Taggart fears Gulmohamed may stoke unrest in Calcutta before the upcoming municipal elections, called by the British following Mahatma Gandhi's incarceration. The surveillance mission goes awry, leaving Bannerjee suspected of murdering Prashant Mukherjee, a Hindu religious leader, after he was found near the corpse and took steps to conceal the homicide. Under these adverse conditions, the investigators must solve the crime while averting a cataclysm of ethnic violence should a Muslim be accused of committing it. The pacing and twists are among the author's best work. This is a sterling example of a riveting whodunit plot coupled with a vivid portrayal of a seminal historical moment.
Customer Reviews
Thrilling - a Must Read
Wow, what a read, so well crafted, can’t recommend it enough. I was hesitant in choosing the book (you know, oh no, not another in the series …) but once I started reading it I literally couldn’t put it down, it’s gripping. The historical detail, the occasional dig at imperialism and the twists, I felt truly engaged. You can taste the atmosphere of the time, wonderful. Thank you Amir.