Midnight at Malabar House

Author: Vaseem Khan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1473685494
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
*** WINNER OF THE CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER 2021 *** 'The leading character is the deftly drawn Persis Wadia, the country's first female detective. She's a wonderful creation and this is a hugely enjoyable book' ANN CLEEVES 'This is historical crime fiction at its best - a compelling mix of social insight and complex plotting with a thoroughly engaging heroine. A highly promising new series'Mail on Sunday Bombay, New Year's Eve, 1949 As India celebrates the arrival of a momentous new decade, Inspector Persis Wadia stands vigil in the basement of Malabar House, home to the city's most unwanted unit of police officers. Six months after joining the force she remains India's first female police detective, mistrusted, sidelined and now consigned to the midnight shift. And so, when the phone rings to report the murder of prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot, the country's most sensational case falls into her lap. As 1950 dawns and India prepares to become the world's largest republic, Persis, accompanied by Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, finds herself investigating a case that is becoming more political by the second. Navigating a country and society in turmoil, Persis, smart, stubborn and untested in the crucible of male hostility that surrounds her, must find a way to solve the murder - whatever the cost.

Death of a Lesser God

Author: Vaseem Khan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1399707620
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 507

Book Description
In the fourth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House series, Persis and Archie travel to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where they collide head-on with the prejudices and bloody politics of an era engulfed in flame. 'Beautifully written and a fascinating insight into the turbulence of post independence India' PETER MAY 'A sumptuous, brutal, heart-stopping thriller. Vaseem Khan writes with charm and wit, and an eye for detail that transports the reader entirely. I couldn't love this series more' CHRIS WHITAKER Can a white man receive justice in post-colonial India? Bombay, 1950 James Whitby, sentenced to death for the murder of prominent lawyer and former Quit India activist Fareed Mazumdar, is less than two weeks from a date with the gallows. In a last-ditch attempt to save his son, Whitby's father, arch-colonialist, Charles Whitby, forces a new investigation into the killing. The investigation leads Inspector Persis Wadia of the Bombay Police to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where, with the help of Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, she uncovers a possible link to a second case, the brutal murder of an African-American G.I. during the Calcutta Killings of 1946. How are the cases connected? If Whitby didn't murder Mazumdar, then who did? And why? 'Post-partition India is subtle, intriguing and dynamic; the hero, Persis, is brave, intelligent and charming; the plot is complex and rewarding. I loved Death of a Lesser God' GREG MOSSE 'Blends a grippingly modern plot with gritty and unvarnished history. A vibrant thriller about belonging - and who gets to decide who belongs. A superb book and his best yet' WILLIAM SHAW Breathless and brilliant, Death of a Lesser God propels Persis Wadia into dangerous and deadly new territory. Highly recommended!' D.V. BISHOP 'Crime fiction is a brilliant way of tackling social issues and, in Death of a Lesser God, Vaseem Khan delivers a masterclass in how it's done. Full of tension and political conflict, Khan brilliantly weaves in history and a deft portrait of post-Raj life in Bombay and Calcutta. The result is an immensely rich book' ALIS HAWKINS 'Tense, gripping and impressively plotted; Death of a Lesser God is historical fiction at its finest' WILLIAM RYAN

The Dying Day

Author: Vaseem Khan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1529341078
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Book Description
'The Da Vinci Code meets post-Independence India. I'd be surprised if I read a better book this year' M. W. CRAVEN 'This is a crime novel for everyone; for those who love traditional mysteries there are clues, codes and ciphers, but it also had a harder edge and a post-war darkness. Brilliant' ANN CLEEVES A priceless manuscript. A missing scholar. A trail of riddles. For over a century, one of the world's great treasures, a six-hundred-year-old copy of Dante's The Divine Comedy, has been safely housed at Bombay's Asiatic Society. But when it vanishes, together with the man charged with its care, British scholar and war hero, John Healy, the case lands on Inspector Persis Wadia's desk. Uncovering a series of complex riddles written in verse, Persis - together with English forensic scientist Archie Blackfinch - is soon on the trail. But then they discover the first body. As the death toll mounts it becomes evident that someone else is also pursuing this priceless artefact and will stop at nothing to possess it . . . Harking back to an era of darkness, this second thriller in the Malabar House series pits Persis, once again, against her peers, a changing India, and an evil of limitless intent. Gripping, immersive, and full of Vaseem Khan's trademark wit, this is historical fiction at its finest. 'A delicious treat of a historical crime novel' OBSERVER 'Thoroughly enjoyable' DAILY MAIL *** Book one in this series, Midnight at Malabar House, won the CWA Sapere Books Historical Dagger and is an international ebook bestseller. *** 'A wonderful, pacy, literary mystery with a brilliant female protagonist. Vaseem writes books that are good for the soul' STEVE CAVANAGH 'A hugely entertaining, devilishly clever and immersive murder mystery. Inspector Persis Wadia is a brilliant creation and The Dying Day is a triumph. This is my favourite new crime series, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Treat yourself!' ANTONIA HODGSON 'In The Dying Day, Vaseem Khan paints an extraordinarily vivid picture of a Bombay in 1950 still reeling from the aftermath of Partition and suffering the legacy of Empire. Every single element of this complex and compelling story slots together perfectly in the most brilliant and gripping of riddles ... A masterclass in historical crime fiction' CHRIS LLOYD

The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction Volume 2

Author: Various
Publisher: Hachette India
ISBN: 9357312846
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 420

Book Description
A detective delves into a cold case; a ship that disappeared in the Bay of Bengal in the year 1913. A man is bludgeoned to death in an apartment and a piece of paper with the word 'STOP!' is nailed to his forehead. Six deaths under mysterious circumstances and the only common link is a box of arsenic-laced sweets. A soldier's homecoming dredges up memories of a murder that took place a decade ago in the family. And more... The first-ever anthology of its kind, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction compiles more than 30 compelling whodunits spread across two volumes. Hybrid, self-reflexive and experimental forms of writing that blur the boundaries between genres, with supernatural mysteries, serial murders and at times absurd crimes jostling for the attention of both amateur and professional detectives in these stories. Red herrings simmered in blood gravy, served up with family feuds, ancient curses, long-haired lady sleuths and many other typical subcontinental chutneys provide a rare feast for the avid reader of crime fiction!

The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction Volumes I and II

Author: Tarun K. Saint
Publisher: Hachette India
ISBN: 935731587X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 793

Book Description
The professionals meet the amateurs in this first–ever anthology of Indian detective fiction. Volume 1 An elite squad detective from the future travels back in time to hunt down a time escapee. Across the city of Tokyo, liquids are turning blue, and elsewhere a Tamil actress is kidnapped. The gruesome murder of an adult industry star spirals into a web of deceit and leads to a bizarre revelation. A journalist races against time to find the missing link between the deaths of a daily soap actress, a classical vocalist and a famous painter. And more... Volume 2 A detective delves into a cold case; a ship that disappeared in the Bay of Bengal in the year 1913. A man is bludgeoned to death in an apartment and a piece of paper with the word 'STOP!' is nailed to his forehead. Six deaths under mysterious circumstances and the only common link is a box of arsenic–laced sweets. A soldier's homecoming dredges up memories of a murder that took place a decade ago in the family. And more... The first–ever anthology of its kind, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction compiles more than 30 compelling whodunits, supernatural mysteries, serial murders and absurd crimes spread across two volumes. Through hybrid, self–reflexive and experimental forms of writing (including translations from Bengali and Tamil), this collection invites readers to unravel mysteries with every turn of the page, masterfully showcasing distinctive instances of the genre. Red herrings simmered in blood gravy, served up with family feuds, ancient curses, long–haired lady sleuths and many other typical subcontinental chutneys provide a rare feast for the avid reader of crime fiction! Featuring the works of: Volume 1 Satyajit Ray * Gopa Majumdar * Saradindu Bandopadhyay * Gopa Majumdar * Ambai * Gita Subramanian * Ankush Saikia * Meeti Shroff Shah * Suchitra Bhattacharya * Radha Chakravarty * Sujan DasGupta * Chandana Dutta * Anirudh Kala * Tamilvanan * Rabindranath Tagore * Shampa Roy * Anil Menon * Tanuj Solanki * Timeri Murari * Navin Weeraratne * Kehkashan Khalid * Sumit Bardhan * Kiran Manral * Shweta Taneja * Saad Z. Hossain Volume 2 Rajarshi Das Bhowmik * Arunava Sinha * Vikram Chandra * Giti Chandra * Swati Kaushal * Ajay Chowdhury * Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay * Debaditya Mukhopadhyay * Vish Dhamija * Salil Desai * Mahendra Jakhar * Sharatchandra Sarkar * Shampa Roy * Vaseem Khan * Nev March * Anuradha Kumar * Madhulika Liddle * Arjun Raj Gaind * Shashi Warrier * Avtar Singh For detailed content, please look inside the book. * Illustration continuity across covers and spine * 2–volume collectible (Royal 8vo hardback set) * A magnetic clasp box–wrap * Detective–element themed sprayed edges * Endpaper artwork by Manjula Padmanabhan

The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction Volume 1

Author: Various
Publisher: Hachette India
ISBN: 935731282X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 383

Book Description
An elite squad detective from the future travels back in time to hunt down a time escapee. Across the city of Tokyo, liquids are turning blue, and elsewhere a Tamil actress is kidnapped. The gruesome murder of an adult industry star spirals into a web of deceit and leads to a bizarre revelation. A journalist races against time to find the missing link between the deaths of a daily soap actress, a classical vocalist and a famous painter. And more... The first-ever anthology of its kind, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction compiles more than 30 compelling whodunits spread across two volumes. Hybrid, self-reflexive and experimental forms of writing that blur the boundaries between genres, with supernatural mysteries, serial murders and at times absurd crimes jostling for the attention of both amateur and professional detectives in these stories. Red herrings simmered in blood gravy, served up with family feuds, ancient curses, long-haired lady sleuths and many other typical subcontinental chutneys provide a rare feast for the avid reader of crime fiction!

The Lost Man of Bombay

Author: Vaseem Khan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1529341132
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 504

Book Description
THE THRILLING NEW MYSTERY FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF MIDNIGHT AT MALABAR HOUSE 'A delightful book, well-researched, complex and hugely entertaining' ANN CLEEVES 'A twisting plot and an intriguing cast of characters, together with vivid glimpses of the vibrant, complex world of post-Independence Bombay - and a narrative that thunders along with the pace and drama of an elephant on the rampage' ANDREW TAYLOR Bombay, 1950 When the body of a white man is found frozen in the Himalayan foothills near Dehra Dun, he is christened the Ice Man by the national media. Who is he? How long has he been there? Why was he killed? As Inspector Persis Wadia and Metropolitan Police criminalist Archie Blackfinch investigate the case in Bombay, they uncover a trail left behind by the enigmatic Ice Man - a trail leading directly into the dark heart of conspiracy. Meanwhile, two new murders grip the city. Is there a serial killer on the loose, targeting Europeans? Rich in atmosphere, the thrilling third chapter in the CWA Historical Dagger-winning Malabar House series pits Persis against a mystery from beyond the grave, unfolding against the backdrop of a turbulent post-colonial India, a nation struggling to redefine itself in the shadow of the Raj. 'A stunning, richly imagined and downright thrilling mystery. Vaseem Khan has that rare ability to transport you wholly to a bygone time, and he does so with such skill and charm. I loved it' CHRIS WHITAKER 'A compelling historical thriller ... Codes, crime and conspiracies collide in post-colonial India' D.V. BISHOP 'One of my top reads this year. A peerless portrait of early independent India through the eyes of new crime fiction star, India's first police detective, Persis Wadia' BARBARA NADEL "The brilliant Persis Wadia is one of the most electrifying figures in crime fiction today. Vaseem Khan keeps getting better and better' WILLIAM SHAW 'Outstanding' IMRAN MAHMOOD 'This is historical crime fiction at its best - a compelling mix of social insight and complex plotting with a thoroughly engaging heroine. A highly promising new series' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'This is historical crime fiction at its sharpest' SUNDAY TIMES 'The Lost Man of Bombay is the latest outstanding entry in the Malabar House series. Persis Wadia is shaping up to be a giant of the scene - a detective as dogged and determined as any out there, with a point to prove and a chip on her shoulder as deep as it is justified. Her latest case is as beautifully written and evocative as you've come to expect from Vaseem Khan, a gripping and engrossing mystery that draws deeply on its setting and time period but nonetheless reads as fresh and original. This is a writer at the top of his game and a series that just keeps getting better' ROD REYNOLDS

Bad Day at the Vulture Club

Author: Vaseem Khan
Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN: 1473685397
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 428

Book Description
In the gripping new Baby Ganesh Agency novel, Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigate the death of one of Mumbai's wealthiest citizens, a murder with ramifications for its poorest. The Parsees are among the oldest, most secretive and most influential communities in the city: respected, envied and sometimes feared. When prominent industrialist Cyrus Zorabian is murdered on holy ground, his body dumped inside a Tower of Silence - where the Parsee dead are consumed by vultures - the police dismiss it as a random killing. But his daughter is unconvinced. Chopra, uneasy at entering this world of power and privilege, is soon plagued by doubts about the case. But murder is murder. And in Mumbai, wealth and corruption go in hand in hand, inextricably linking the lives of both high and low...

Death Comes at Christmas

Author: Marie O'Regan
Publisher: Titan Books (US, CA)
ISBN: 1803369434
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 349

Book Description
18 festive stories of murder and mystery in the grand tradition of Christmas crime fiction, from the masters of the genre. Including the New York Times bestselling JT Ellison, USA Today bestseller Sam Carrington, Sunday Times bestseller C.L. Taylor, and many more... The award-winning Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane invite you to a festive gathering of bestselling, critically acclaimed and award-winning writers in tribute to classic crime stories. From locked room mysteries on Christmas Eve to devilish whodunits and tales of simmering rivalries unfolding at the dinner table, these eighteen seasonal tales will delight and shock at every twist and turn. So, unwrap the presents, pour a mug of mulled wine and follow the bloodstained footprints through the freshly fallen snow as winter descends and darkness lurks in the shadows. Featuring stories by: Fiona Cummins Angela Clarke A. K. Benedict Susi Holliday J. T. Ellison David Bell Sarah Hilary Claire McGowan Tina Baker Sam Carrington Liz Mistry C. L. Taylor Helen Fields Russ Thomas Tom Mead Vaseem Khan Samantha Hayes Belinda Bauer

Someone Like Her

Author: Awais Khan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 8194643074
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 370

Book Description
A young Pakistani woman is the victim of an unthinkable act of vengeance, when she defies convention for love, facing seemingly insurmountable challenges and danger as she attempts to rebuild her life. Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family. Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family's reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents' prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge… Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever.