Murder in Victorian India!
Blood Caste (Murder in the Deccan #1) by Shylashri Shankar
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I’m particularly enamoured of mysteries set during the British Raj occupation of India. The British deviousness of the times, the Indian nobles seeking to hold onto their territories, all ripe for murder and intrigue, injustice and corruption. Of course it’s not all that simplistic.
Several women have been murdered after the style of Jack the Ripper leading to sensationalism and fear that Jack the Ripper had arrived in Nazim and was loose in the city.
One man, Acting Chief Inspector Soobramania, knew this was impossible. He’d been in London at the time working for a secret Whitehall Police unit. A Brahmin, Soob has returned to Hyderabad and now is in charge of the Nizam City Police.
His English counterpart, Inspector Bill Wilberforce in charge the Residency Police enclave had also been in London at the time working on the case. He disagreed with the findings, kept hidden. That becomes a contentious point between the two men that plays into the investigation.
Soob discovers the first body. It’s his doggedness that helps break the case, with Wilberforce displaying the same strength of purpose, even as he opposes Soob.
We also see into Soob’s soul. His anguish at having to part ways with his Brahmin faith when overseas, his anguish at being gone when his wife dies, his care for his best friend’s widow, and for a female Doctor practising at a local hospital. Then there’s Soob’s nephew, Natraja, who he’s guardian of, who too is an outcaste unless Soob expedites his sin according to Brahmin law and takes up his place once again amongst the faithful.
A strong cast of characters who are easy to b involved with. I particularly liked the young street urchin Ram Rahim, eking out an existence, and yet helping the action along with what he sees.
Murder in a charged atmosphere has every page reeking of what’s to come.
A fantastic new series!
A Canelo ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
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