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Sam Wyndham #2
A Necessary Evil
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jan 35India, 1920. Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Calcutta Police Force investigate the dramatic assassination of a Maharajah's son.
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 moderniser whose attitudes - and romantic relationship - 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…
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 moderniser whose attitudes - and romantic relationship - 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…
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2017
About the author
Abir Mukherjee
8 books1,202 followersAbir Mukherjee is the Times bestselling author of the Sam Wyndham series of crime novels set in Raj era India. His debut, A Rising Man, won the CWA Endeavour Dagger for best historical crime novel of 2017 and was shortlisted for the MWA Edgar for best novel. His second novel, A Necessary Evil, won the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing and was a Zoe Ball Book Club pick. His third novel, Smoke and Ashes, was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 Best Crime & Thriller Novels since 1945. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in London with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 695 reviews
January 30, 2020
Really really good, and wonderful book.
Full of atmosphere of of the 1920s India, story tells of a 'British gentleman and policeman in India'. I enjoyed the first book, enjoyed this second one equally as much.
Wow... what a read! Loved it. Thus, five stars. Can't wait for the next one.
Highly recommended! Read this series!
Here's the story: this is the second book about Captain Sam Wyndham. I can really recommend the first book, A rising man (see my review). A necessary Evil: India 1920. The fabulously wealthy kingdom of Sambalpore is home to tigers, elephants, diamond mines and the beautiful Palace of the Sun. But when the Maharaja's son and 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 relationship with a British woman - 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. Wyndham and Banerjee 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...
This series... mystifies and intrigues me. Recommended & highlight 2017!
Full of atmosphere of of the 1920s India, story tells of a 'British gentleman and policeman in India'. I enjoyed the first book, enjoyed this second one equally as much.
Wow... what a read! Loved it. Thus, five stars. Can't wait for the next one.
Highly recommended! Read this series!
Here's the story: this is the second book about Captain Sam Wyndham. I can really recommend the first book, A rising man (see my review). A necessary Evil: India 1920. The fabulously wealthy kingdom of Sambalpore is home to tigers, elephants, diamond mines and the beautiful Palace of the Sun. But when the Maharaja's son and 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 relationship with a British woman - 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. Wyndham and Banerjee 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...
This series... mystifies and intrigues me. Recommended & highlight 2017!
May 30, 2018
After Mukherjee's stunning debut The Rising Man, he follows up with this equally brilliant sequel with the return of Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee in the India of the 1920s. Britain is trying desperately to keep their hold on a country where unrest bubbles everywhere. The Viceroy may be the most important man in India, but the civil servant is uneasy and merely treading water until his successor can take over, his goal to avoid the ignominy of being the man responsible for losing Britain its Jewel in the Crown. To this end he is pushing to establish the toothless Chamber of Princes as a fig leaf suggesting that change is underway. Banerjee's Harrow and Cambridge friend, Prince Adhir, is key in persuading other Princes to fall in line with these plans. Adhir, however, is a moderniser and contemptuous of this latest idea, and worried about notes he has received that warn he is in danger. Wyndham and Banerjee are in the car with Adhir when he is assassinated by a man dressed as a priest at the Rath Yathra, a procession of Lord Jaginnath, in Calcutta. The assassin is tracked down but after burning evidence, shoots himself dead. The Viceroy wants this to be the end but Wyndham knows the true perpetrators of the deed reside in the Prince's kingdom of Sambalpore in Orissa. With Lord Taggart, a plan is concocted where Banerjee is named the emissary to the Prince's funeral and Wyndam is accompanying him on the pretext of being on holiday.
Sambalpore is decadently wealthy, with a history of trading in opium but now reliant on its fabulous diamond mines and home of the opulent Palace of the Sun. The Royal Court is a hotbed of intrigue and plots, and the Anglo-Indian Diamond Company and its director, Sir Ernest Fitzmaurice, are negotiating to buy the diamond mines. Adhir's brother, the playboy and womanising Prince Punit will become Maharajah when his elderly and frail father dies. Derek Carmichael is the foreign office representative in the kingdom, trying to implement the Viceroy's orders for Sam to return to Calcutta. Wyndham is forced to confront his assumptions and prejudices of how the natives and royals are meant to behave. He is rocked to the core when he is confronted with Katherine Pemberley, an educated Englishwoman, patently in love with an Indian man, whilst it is rampant and accepted practice that white men have relationships with Indian women, it is unacceptable and beyond the pale that a native man be involved with a white woman. Annie Grant returns, although she has yet to forgive Sam for viewing her as a murder suspect previously, but his obsession with her merely grows to gargantuan proportions as does his jealousy of any man in her vicinity. Sam and Banerjee face a rising tide of dead bodies, where every theory they have proves to be inadequate in their difficult investigation in search of the truth. Even if they are successful, will justice be beyond their grasp?
Mukerjee has undertaken impeccable research as he writes atmospherically of the sweltering and vibrant India on the cusp of the monsoon rains, under the turbulent political climate of paranoia amongst the British, insisting the Princes play their part in supporting their rule. We get a glimpse into the world of the wildly rich and decadent powerful princes with their tiger hunts, sense of entitlement, concubines and many wives. Wyndam is a flawed man of this historical period, subject to the entrenched thinking of the time, despite his efforts to be a more liberal thinking man. His opium habit looks as if he is in on the path of becoming a prisoner of his need for the drug. What is wonderful to observe is that his relationship with Surrender-not is becoming more natural and equitable, developing into a partnership where the two trust each other and work well together. This is a superb, complex and totally gripping portrayal of India in the 1920s with an insightful and brutal picture of the culture, attitudes, and practices of the British and the Indian Princes with their divisions as to the way forward. I can only urge you to read this fantastic piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended!
Sambalpore is decadently wealthy, with a history of trading in opium but now reliant on its fabulous diamond mines and home of the opulent Palace of the Sun. The Royal Court is a hotbed of intrigue and plots, and the Anglo-Indian Diamond Company and its director, Sir Ernest Fitzmaurice, are negotiating to buy the diamond mines. Adhir's brother, the playboy and womanising Prince Punit will become Maharajah when his elderly and frail father dies. Derek Carmichael is the foreign office representative in the kingdom, trying to implement the Viceroy's orders for Sam to return to Calcutta. Wyndham is forced to confront his assumptions and prejudices of how the natives and royals are meant to behave. He is rocked to the core when he is confronted with Katherine Pemberley, an educated Englishwoman, patently in love with an Indian man, whilst it is rampant and accepted practice that white men have relationships with Indian women, it is unacceptable and beyond the pale that a native man be involved with a white woman. Annie Grant returns, although she has yet to forgive Sam for viewing her as a murder suspect previously, but his obsession with her merely grows to gargantuan proportions as does his jealousy of any man in her vicinity. Sam and Banerjee face a rising tide of dead bodies, where every theory they have proves to be inadequate in their difficult investigation in search of the truth. Even if they are successful, will justice be beyond their grasp?
Mukerjee has undertaken impeccable research as he writes atmospherically of the sweltering and vibrant India on the cusp of the monsoon rains, under the turbulent political climate of paranoia amongst the British, insisting the Princes play their part in supporting their rule. We get a glimpse into the world of the wildly rich and decadent powerful princes with their tiger hunts, sense of entitlement, concubines and many wives. Wyndam is a flawed man of this historical period, subject to the entrenched thinking of the time, despite his efforts to be a more liberal thinking man. His opium habit looks as if he is in on the path of becoming a prisoner of his need for the drug. What is wonderful to observe is that his relationship with Surrender-not is becoming more natural and equitable, developing into a partnership where the two trust each other and work well together. This is a superb, complex and totally gripping portrayal of India in the 1920s with an insightful and brutal picture of the culture, attitudes, and practices of the British and the Indian Princes with their divisions as to the way forward. I can only urge you to read this fantastic piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended!
March 29, 2022
This is a splendid, dazzling historical novel. It transports us from the hustle and bustle, and political and cultural intrigue from the city of Calcutta, firmly under the control of the British Raj but with a growing desire for home rule, to the princely state of Sambalpore in Orissa in 1920. This is one of the smaller, independent kingdoms ruled by a Maharajah, where the British lack jurisdiction. This is a picturesque, exotic location with fabulous wealth derived from the export of opium in the past and later from its rich diamond mines. There are richly adorned and bejewelled elephants, tiger hunts, and the elderly, dying Maharajah in his opulent, lavishly decorated Palace of the Sun. Within its walls are the home of his 3 wives (one now deceased) and a harem of numerous concubines guarded by palace eunuchs. His children number more than 200, but only the 3 sons by his actual wives are considered legitimate heirs to the kingdom.
The story begins in Calcutta in 1920. The Viceroy holds the power in the Raj invested by Britain. He is aware of the crumbling tolerance for British rule. He is concerned that he may go down in history as the Viceroy who lost its Jewel in its Crown, India to home rule. He is establishing a Chamber of Princes with the hopes of giving the independent princes a small place within the British government, making them more complacent. The long-term goal is to bring these independent states firmly under British control.
The Crown Prince, Adhir due to succeed his father, the dying Maharajah of Sambalpore, is in Calcutta. He is a modern, forward thinker, who attended Cambridge at the time Banerjee was there. Adhir is opposed to the Council of Princes. Back at the palace, there was controversy regarding his relationship with a British woman. Before he left home, he received notes warning him his life is in danger. Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Imperial Police Force are in a car with Prince Adhir when they caught up in a procession to honor Lord Jagannath, a Hindu deity. A shot rings out and Adhir is assassinated. The killer was dressed as a Hindu priest or saddhu, and when apprehended by Wyndham and Banerjee, shoots himself.
Wyndham believes the assassination plot originated in the kingdom of Sambalpore. Although the murder is outside the jurisdiction of the Imperial Police Force, their director, Lord Taggart, decides to send Sergeant Banerjee as a representative to Adhir's funeral with Wyndham accompanying him undercover pretending to be on holiday. It is good to see Captain Wyndham accepting the Indian Brahmin Banerjee more as an equal partner. This leaves the next eldest son, Prince Punit, first in line to become Maharajah. He has the reputation of a womanizing playboy, with little interest in affairs of state.
Captain Wyndham has gained the reputation of a dedicated and efficient detective but has a growing dependence on opium. He is also obsessed with Annie of mixed Indian and British ancestry. She tantalizes and torments him. He invites her to accompany them to the funeral but is turned down. She arrives in Sambalpore on her own. Wyndham is jealous of her flirtations and relationships with other men, and very upset when she and Prince Punit seem drawn to each other.
They find the palace and kingdom full of rumors, intrigue, and plots. There are negotiations to buy the diamond mines by Sir Ernest Fitzmaurice, Director of the Anglo-Indian Diamond Company, but the plans have disappeared along with the clerk who was finalizing the financial records. Wyndham tries to be a modern thinker, but has ingrained doubts and prejudice about how the races should behave towards one another, and pre-set ideas about how the privileged royals should behave. He struggles with his thoughts and is distracted by the need for opium and his rejection by Annie. The detectives are involved in a very complicated case with many theories that seem to make sense at the time, but they do not fully understand the culture and complexities of the royal house. Wyndham is ordered to return to Calcutta but plans to subvert that order. An attempt is made to assassinate Crown Prince Punit at a tiger hunt. What is going on?
The truth about all the mystery, conspiracies, and intrigue eventually comes from an unexpected source. Wyndham is told, "Your soul craves the truth. You have the truth now. Justice is the matter for the gods"
Highly recommended for anyone who wants a well-researched, informative historical thriller with a complex plot addressing decadent wealth, prejudice, the place of women, race, and religion in an exotic setting. Looking forward to the 3rd book in the series in the near future!
The story begins in Calcutta in 1920. The Viceroy holds the power in the Raj invested by Britain. He is aware of the crumbling tolerance for British rule. He is concerned that he may go down in history as the Viceroy who lost its Jewel in its Crown, India to home rule. He is establishing a Chamber of Princes with the hopes of giving the independent princes a small place within the British government, making them more complacent. The long-term goal is to bring these independent states firmly under British control.
The Crown Prince, Adhir due to succeed his father, the dying Maharajah of Sambalpore, is in Calcutta. He is a modern, forward thinker, who attended Cambridge at the time Banerjee was there. Adhir is opposed to the Council of Princes. Back at the palace, there was controversy regarding his relationship with a British woman. Before he left home, he received notes warning him his life is in danger. Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Imperial Police Force are in a car with Prince Adhir when they caught up in a procession to honor Lord Jagannath, a Hindu deity. A shot rings out and Adhir is assassinated. The killer was dressed as a Hindu priest or saddhu, and when apprehended by Wyndham and Banerjee, shoots himself.
Wyndham believes the assassination plot originated in the kingdom of Sambalpore. Although the murder is outside the jurisdiction of the Imperial Police Force, their director, Lord Taggart, decides to send Sergeant Banerjee as a representative to Adhir's funeral with Wyndham accompanying him undercover pretending to be on holiday. It is good to see Captain Wyndham accepting the Indian Brahmin Banerjee more as an equal partner. This leaves the next eldest son, Prince Punit, first in line to become Maharajah. He has the reputation of a womanizing playboy, with little interest in affairs of state.
Captain Wyndham has gained the reputation of a dedicated and efficient detective but has a growing dependence on opium. He is also obsessed with Annie of mixed Indian and British ancestry. She tantalizes and torments him. He invites her to accompany them to the funeral but is turned down. She arrives in Sambalpore on her own. Wyndham is jealous of her flirtations and relationships with other men, and very upset when she and Prince Punit seem drawn to each other.
They find the palace and kingdom full of rumors, intrigue, and plots. There are negotiations to buy the diamond mines by Sir Ernest Fitzmaurice, Director of the Anglo-Indian Diamond Company, but the plans have disappeared along with the clerk who was finalizing the financial records. Wyndham tries to be a modern thinker, but has ingrained doubts and prejudice about how the races should behave towards one another, and pre-set ideas about how the privileged royals should behave. He struggles with his thoughts and is distracted by the need for opium and his rejection by Annie. The detectives are involved in a very complicated case with many theories that seem to make sense at the time, but they do not fully understand the culture and complexities of the royal house. Wyndham is ordered to return to Calcutta but plans to subvert that order. An attempt is made to assassinate Crown Prince Punit at a tiger hunt. What is going on?
The truth about all the mystery, conspiracies, and intrigue eventually comes from an unexpected source. Wyndham is told, "Your soul craves the truth. You have the truth now. Justice is the matter for the gods"
Highly recommended for anyone who wants a well-researched, informative historical thriller with a complex plot addressing decadent wealth, prejudice, the place of women, race, and religion in an exotic setting. Looking forward to the 3rd book in the series in the near future!
November 6, 2018
Superb! 5 stars!
This is wonderfully plotted and paced, with just the right balance of action, description and dialogue, steeped in a amazing variety of Indian culture and history, and seasoned with colourful characters and a dash of romance.
As in the first book, A Rising Man (my review), the mystery is complex, and we (and Sam) are presented with far more possible solutions than we can manage. Clues are presented frequently, along with red herrings, but it's so hard to tell the difference! Delightful and challenging.
This book is more courageous, confident and better than book #1. Well done!
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Book epigraph before page one:
You can’t make an omelette without breaking heads.
Quotes and thoughts below:
In Calcutta, Prince Adhir to Sam ...
We’ve surrendered this land to you and for what? A few fine words, fancy titles and scraps from your table over which we bicker like bald men fighting over a comb.’
Sam to Adhir as they ride in a silver Rolls Royce, plated with solid silver!
‘A prince, a priest and a policeman drive past the Bengal Club in a Rolls-Royce …’ I said. ‘It sounds like the opening to a not very amusing joke.’
‘On the contrary,’ said the prince. ‘If you think about it, it is actually most amusing.’
The lovely Annie Grant appears again, although Sam somewhat blew up their romance in the previous book, stupid git.
I imagine most women would go off a man who’d accused them of complicity in murder. I had of course tried to explain that I hadn’t technically accused her of anything; but it’s difficult to resurrect a romance by resorting to technicalities.
According to Surrender-not, Calcutta was where the science of modern fingerprint detection was born. He claimed it was two Bengalis –one a Hindu, the other a Mohammedan –who’d done the work. Of course the classification system they’d devised bore not their names, but that of their supervisor, Edward Henry. He’d gone on to receive a knighthood and become commissioner of Scotland Yard.
(Wikipedia does remember and credit their names, but like most bosses of any race or nationality, the technique bears his name. In fact, one of my bosses during my research at MIT tried to steal my work, as well as that of three other graduate students in following years.)
"The Henry Classification System is a long-standing method by which fingerprints are sorted by physiological characteristics for one-to-many searching. Developed by Hem Chandra Bose, Azizul Haque and Sir Edward Henry in the late 19th century for criminal investigations in British India, it was the basis of modern-day AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) classification methods up until the 1990s."
The monsoon. Far more than just rain, it sustained life, brought forth the promise of new birth, broke the heat and vanquished drought. It was the country’s saviour, India’s true god.
Monsoon in Calcutta
Walking into Howrah station was akin to entering Babel before the Lord took issue with their construction plans. All the peoples of the world, gathered under the station’s soot-stained glass roof.
Howrah Train Station
The murder weapon, a Colt Paterson revolver, patented by Samuel Colt in 1836
45%
Some delightful, ribald humour here in the provenance of Carmichael's golf bag! Well done, Mukherjee!
Annie and Sam:
It's interesting how Mukherjee has placed Annie more out-of-reach of Sam now. She started as a mere secretary, although a beautiful and important one, in the first book. Their's was a gentle romance of almost-equals in societal terms, although clouded by her involvement with the shady industrialist, Buchan.
In this book though, Annie's newly wealthy status has elevated her into circles above Sam, and the heartache he feels is poignant. She is not unkind to Sam, her respect and attraction still remain, but she clearly relishes her increased power and freedom, and the romantic attentions of the powerful and wealthy here. The loss of his dead wife and the possible loss of Annie are dangerously dark clouds in Sam's life, especially with his growing addiction to the escape of opium.
Colonel Arora's pick for the midnight run: Alfa Romeo 20/80
Before the tiger hunt...
A bearer handed out the guns. Good ones, too. Made by Purdey’s of Mayfair -gunmakers to the King, as well as to international aristocracy and any other rich bastard who felt a need to shoot things that didn’t shoot back.
And to end, an outstanding, breakneck climax, and a masterfully complex and satisfying resolution. Once again, we arrive at the surprising solution just as Sam does - wonderful!
She took my hand. ‘I hope we meet again some day, Captain. In the meantime, remember what I told you. Your soul craves the truth. You have that now. Justice is a matter for the gods.’
This is wonderfully plotted and paced, with just the right balance of action, description and dialogue, steeped in a amazing variety of Indian culture and history, and seasoned with colourful characters and a dash of romance.
As in the first book, A Rising Man (my review), the mystery is complex, and we (and Sam) are presented with far more possible solutions than we can manage. Clues are presented frequently, along with red herrings, but it's so hard to tell the difference! Delightful and challenging.
This book is more courageous, confident and better than book #1. Well done!
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Book epigraph before page one:
You can’t make an omelette without breaking heads.
Quotes and thoughts below:
In Calcutta, Prince Adhir to Sam ...
We’ve surrendered this land to you and for what? A few fine words, fancy titles and scraps from your table over which we bicker like bald men fighting over a comb.’
Sam to Adhir as they ride in a silver Rolls Royce, plated with solid silver!
‘A prince, a priest and a policeman drive past the Bengal Club in a Rolls-Royce …’ I said. ‘It sounds like the opening to a not very amusing joke.’
‘On the contrary,’ said the prince. ‘If you think about it, it is actually most amusing.’
The lovely Annie Grant appears again, although Sam somewhat blew up their romance in the previous book, stupid git.
I imagine most women would go off a man who’d accused them of complicity in murder. I had of course tried to explain that I hadn’t technically accused her of anything; but it’s difficult to resurrect a romance by resorting to technicalities.
According to Surrender-not, Calcutta was where the science of modern fingerprint detection was born. He claimed it was two Bengalis –one a Hindu, the other a Mohammedan –who’d done the work. Of course the classification system they’d devised bore not their names, but that of their supervisor, Edward Henry. He’d gone on to receive a knighthood and become commissioner of Scotland Yard.
(Wikipedia does remember and credit their names, but like most bosses of any race or nationality, the technique bears his name. In fact, one of my bosses during my research at MIT tried to steal my work, as well as that of three other graduate students in following years.)
"The Henry Classification System is a long-standing method by which fingerprints are sorted by physiological characteristics for one-to-many searching. Developed by Hem Chandra Bose, Azizul Haque and Sir Edward Henry in the late 19th century for criminal investigations in British India, it was the basis of modern-day AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) classification methods up until the 1990s."
The monsoon. Far more than just rain, it sustained life, brought forth the promise of new birth, broke the heat and vanquished drought. It was the country’s saviour, India’s true god.
Monsoon in Calcutta
Walking into Howrah station was akin to entering Babel before the Lord took issue with their construction plans. All the peoples of the world, gathered under the station’s soot-stained glass roof.
Howrah Train Station
The murder weapon, a Colt Paterson revolver, patented by Samuel Colt in 1836
45%
Some delightful, ribald humour here in the provenance of Carmichael's golf bag! Well done, Mukherjee!
Annie and Sam:
It's interesting how Mukherjee has placed Annie more out-of-reach of Sam now. She started as a mere secretary, although a beautiful and important one, in the first book. Their's was a gentle romance of almost-equals in societal terms, although clouded by her involvement with the shady industrialist, Buchan.
In this book though, Annie's newly wealthy status has elevated her into circles above Sam, and the heartache he feels is poignant. She is not unkind to Sam, her respect and attraction still remain, but she clearly relishes her increased power and freedom, and the romantic attentions of the powerful and wealthy here. The loss of his dead wife and the possible loss of Annie are dangerously dark clouds in Sam's life, especially with his growing addiction to the escape of opium.
Colonel Arora's pick for the midnight run: Alfa Romeo 20/80
Before the tiger hunt...
A bearer handed out the guns. Good ones, too. Made by Purdey’s of Mayfair -gunmakers to the King, as well as to international aristocracy and any other rich bastard who felt a need to shoot things that didn’t shoot back.
And to end, an outstanding, breakneck climax, and a masterfully complex and satisfying resolution. Once again, we arrive at the surprising solution just as Sam does - wonderful!
She took my hand. ‘I hope we meet again some day, Captain. In the meantime, remember what I told you. Your soul craves the truth. You have that now. Justice is a matter for the gods.’
January 5, 2018
4.5 Stars. This one shines!
Prince Adhir of of Sambalpore has been assassinated and Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Calcutta Police were in the prince's car with him when it happened. In spite of their best efforts, the assassin escapes and the chase begins. Who would have wanted the highly intelligent, forward thinking heir of the Maharaja eliminated? Was it political, personal or religiously motivated? Is someone hoping to gain control of the enormous riches of Sambalpore?
A Necessary Evil is set in 1920s colonial India when the British were still determined to maintain their hold over the jewel in the crown and the author does a excellent job of explaining the political climate of the time. India is another character in the story; the sights, sounds and smells of the country come alive, you can feel the humidity. There is fascinating information about religious practices, culture and history scattered throughout; I felt like an armchair traveler.
There is a sinister undercurrent running throughout the mystery, but Mukherjee's great sense of humor and talent for characterization balance out the violent murder and political unrest. From the flawed hero Captain Wyndham with his drug addiction and his partner, the well educated and kind Sergeant Banerjee, to the funny side characters like Mrs Mitter, the author has created people so real they pop up instantly in your minds eye.
The pleasure of this book is in the details, feeling of discovery and complex characterizations. I'm now impatiently awaiting the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.
Prince Adhir of of Sambalpore has been assassinated and Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of the Calcutta Police were in the prince's car with him when it happened. In spite of their best efforts, the assassin escapes and the chase begins. Who would have wanted the highly intelligent, forward thinking heir of the Maharaja eliminated? Was it political, personal or religiously motivated? Is someone hoping to gain control of the enormous riches of Sambalpore?
A Necessary Evil is set in 1920s colonial India when the British were still determined to maintain their hold over the jewel in the crown and the author does a excellent job of explaining the political climate of the time. India is another character in the story; the sights, sounds and smells of the country come alive, you can feel the humidity. There is fascinating information about religious practices, culture and history scattered throughout; I felt like an armchair traveler.
There is a sinister undercurrent running throughout the mystery, but Mukherjee's great sense of humor and talent for characterization balance out the violent murder and political unrest. From the flawed hero Captain Wyndham with his drug addiction and his partner, the well educated and kind Sergeant Banerjee, to the funny side characters like Mrs Mitter, the author has created people so real they pop up instantly in your minds eye.
The pleasure of this book is in the details, feeling of discovery and complex characterizations. I'm now impatiently awaiting the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.
February 20, 2019
This was my second book by Mukherjee and the second in this series, but I am already looking forward to reading the next one. I like Sam, the detective and the way the author describes the setting makes 1920s India feel like a character in itself. The story was engaging and I was guessing until the end. I also like the relationship between Sam and his sidekick, Banerjee and the way Sam's experiences in the First World War carry over into his "new" life in India. Recommended!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
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October 1, 2017An excellent detective novel, streets ahead of the first, which was damn good itself. The writing is stellar, the atmosphere and setting of the last days of the Raj vividly depicted, and I totally did not get anywhere near guessing whodunnit, which is pretty rare for me.
One of the great features of this series is the narrator Sam Wyndham, a war-traumatised policeman with an opium habit. Wyndham is a white man of his time and the author doesn't spare us that--he is by most lights progressive but we see the deep discomfort he feels about a white woman/Indian man relationship, we see how he interacts differently with a mixed race woman, and even though he shockingly shares lodgings with an Indian, his sergeant, he still doesn't get his name right. (Racist colleagues dubbed Surenandrath "Surrender-not"; Wyndham tries to use his real name but eventually gives up because the d isn't English style.) This is actual flawed hero stuff, not the usual "messy divorce, drinks, gambles", and it brings the fundamentally destructive, cruel, dehumanising racism of the Raj front and centre. There's no comfortable Good White Guy to make it okay here. Everyone's pretty flawed in fact, all just struggling on. (There's a great ref to the Viceroys of India all just trying hard not to be the one in the hot seat when India is eventually lost to the empire.)
How historical detective fic should be: immersive, informative, entertaining, super vivid. Cracking stuff.
One of the great features of this series is the narrator Sam Wyndham, a war-traumatised policeman with an opium habit. Wyndham is a white man of his time and the author doesn't spare us that--he is by most lights progressive but we see the deep discomfort he feels about a white woman/Indian man relationship, we see how he interacts differently with a mixed race woman, and even though he shockingly shares lodgings with an Indian, his sergeant, he still doesn't get his name right. (Racist colleagues dubbed Surenandrath "Surrender-not"; Wyndham tries to use his real name but eventually gives up because the d isn't English style.) This is actual flawed hero stuff, not the usual "messy divorce, drinks, gambles", and it brings the fundamentally destructive, cruel, dehumanising racism of the Raj front and centre. There's no comfortable Good White Guy to make it okay here. Everyone's pretty flawed in fact, all just struggling on. (There's a great ref to the Viceroys of India all just trying hard not to be the one in the hot seat when India is eventually lost to the empire.)
How historical detective fic should be: immersive, informative, entertaining, super vivid. Cracking stuff.
February 16, 2024
audiobook. Enjoyable story particularly when in the Maharajah’s Palace in the Indian princely state of Sambalpore, where the opulence was in sharp contrast to the majority of people living in Calcutta. The disparity between the rich and poor was clear to see.
In this story I thought men held the power, but it was a pleasant surprise to discover that women were actually pulling the strings.
My education has been enhanced as the 1920s story contains some wonderful historic snippets including execution by elephant which I have now discovered was a form of capital punishment. Gulp.
In this story I thought men held the power, but it was a pleasant surprise to discover that women were actually pulling the strings.
My education has been enhanced as the 1920s story contains some wonderful historic snippets including execution by elephant which I have now discovered was a form of capital punishment. Gulp.
January 15, 2020
I enjoyed the first one in the Wyndham series a lot more than A Necessary Evil. This feels rushed in some ways - less tension and more overt exposition. But the main difference between Mukherjee's debut and follow up is that the former offered an accurate and astute rendering of India (more specifically Bengal) under British rule besides being a great mystery; while this never escapes the genre trappings.
The crown Prince of Sambalpore, a sovereign Indian state, is gunned down under contrived circumstances in front of the leads by a religious fanatic. The obvious suspect is his cold, aloof brother who is next in line for the throne. Wyndham and Banerjee head to his kingdom to figure out who ordered the hit though the British administration is not keen on their cops messing in an internal matter of a political ally. Changing the setting from Kolkata to Sambalpore did not work for me. It has nothing to do with the fact that I live in Kolkata but that noirish stories work better in corrupt, urban settings rather than medieval, mystical kingdoms.
Sambalpore was such an alien culture that it almost needed fantasy level world building. The king has three wives, a harem and 250 bastards (not surprising India became the most populous country in the world). There are execution by elephants, a wise eunuch and a stoic military advisor choosing loyalty over his own sense of justice. Add a lot of sex (even better if it is forced) and this can pass off as Game of Thrones fan fiction. The internal dynamics between the queens, the power struggle between the administrative and military heads were more interesting than the actual murder mystery and Mukherjee does not give us enough information about them. The solution to the murder is very good but this would work much better as a story about political intrigue rather than as a whodunnit. A narrative can work as both, think LA Confidential but then the leads needed to be a lot more fluid about their morality.
Wyndham is probably the least interesting character in the narrative because his motivations are etched in black and white, while all the other characters are playing a high stakes political game and are a lot more morally ambiguous. Wyndham with his cynical outlook and propensity to deal in witty banter remains a composite of every hard boiled protagonist ever created but he does not yet have the inner darkness that would make him stand out in the crowd. His will they won't they romance with returning Annie Grant is especially corny. And his opium addiction seems like a throwaway idea that the author uses because someone told him all crime protagonists have substance abuse issues. He remains entertaining but Mukherjee now needs to start doing a bit more to differentiate him from every other crime lead in the last eighty odd years. Sergeant Banerjee is also reduced to being a sidekick while in the first book he had his own arc about coming to terms with apprehending a revolutionary which made him a traitor to his countrymen.
A Necessary Evil still remains a satisfactory mystery but this remains a regression in most ways for a series that started very strongly. I will read the next one surely but Mukherjee needs to at least revert back to the original setting - Kolkata to ensure my continued interest. Rating - 3/5
The crown Prince of Sambalpore, a sovereign Indian state, is gunned down under contrived circumstances in front of the leads by a religious fanatic. The obvious suspect is his cold, aloof brother who is next in line for the throne. Wyndham and Banerjee head to his kingdom to figure out who ordered the hit though the British administration is not keen on their cops messing in an internal matter of a political ally. Changing the setting from Kolkata to Sambalpore did not work for me. It has nothing to do with the fact that I live in Kolkata but that noirish stories work better in corrupt, urban settings rather than medieval, mystical kingdoms.
Sambalpore was such an alien culture that it almost needed fantasy level world building. The king has three wives, a harem and 250 bastards (not surprising India became the most populous country in the world). There are execution by elephants, a wise eunuch and a stoic military advisor choosing loyalty over his own sense of justice. Add a lot of sex (even better if it is forced) and this can pass off as Game of Thrones fan fiction. The internal dynamics between the queens, the power struggle between the administrative and military heads were more interesting than the actual murder mystery and Mukherjee does not give us enough information about them. The solution to the murder is very good but this would work much better as a story about political intrigue rather than as a whodunnit. A narrative can work as both, think LA Confidential but then the leads needed to be a lot more fluid about their morality.
Wyndham is probably the least interesting character in the narrative because his motivations are etched in black and white, while all the other characters are playing a high stakes political game and are a lot more morally ambiguous. Wyndham with his cynical outlook and propensity to deal in witty banter remains a composite of every hard boiled protagonist ever created but he does not yet have the inner darkness that would make him stand out in the crowd. His will they won't they romance with returning Annie Grant is especially corny. And his opium addiction seems like a throwaway idea that the author uses because someone told him all crime protagonists have substance abuse issues. He remains entertaining but Mukherjee now needs to start doing a bit more to differentiate him from every other crime lead in the last eighty odd years. Sergeant Banerjee is also reduced to being a sidekick while in the first book he had his own arc about coming to terms with apprehending a revolutionary which made him a traitor to his countrymen.
A Necessary Evil still remains a satisfactory mystery but this remains a regression in most ways for a series that started very strongly. I will read the next one surely but Mukherjee needs to at least revert back to the original setting - Kolkata to ensure my continued interest. Rating - 3/5
May 12, 2017
Some books you savour long after you have read them because of the way they connect with you. For me last year's breakout crime hit A Rising Man was one of those books. I love India-based fiction, and in this, the second in the series, Mukherjee once again evokes 1920s India in all its humid glory. This time his protagonist Captain Sam Wyndham is on the trail of the murderer of an Indian prince. Mukherjee uses the plot as a means of taking us back to the time of the nawabs, showing us the excesses, eccentricities, and hidden responsibilities of the men and women who once ruled the subcontinent. What distinguishes these books is the quality of the writing and the dry humour. A solid recommendation from me. Meanwhile, I eagerly await the third.
June 30, 2020
Author has maintained same level of tempo and plot development as the first installment. Interlinked subplot leading to one big crime.
It gave me company for good 7 days
It gave me company for good 7 days
March 16, 2021
India 1920, Calcutta
Captain Sam Wyndham & his sidekick Sergeant “surrender not” Banerjee who in the first book was the real brains of the duo. Sam calls him “surrender not” as he can’t pronounce his real name & comes up with this similarity which pokes fun at the Empire mentality of the time. There are other tropes along the way giving the period a flavour of those days. Sam still has his opiate habit, is still sweet on Ms Annie Grant both of whom feature from an early start in the story. There’s a murder, that of an old school acquittance of the Sergeant from an English public school, a prince no less whose assassinated virtually hour one of the story before we’ve got to know him…… DASH IT!
Now that we are all reacquainted the story proper can begin….
And is set in the kingdom of Sambalpore, where the inspector & his sergeant travel with the body of the young prince to pay their respects. Sambalpore is diamond rich & one of the reasons it’s still independent but despite appearances it’s rife with conflict which the duo get pulled into……..
We are introduced to a number of “suspects” first at the funeral of the prince then his ensuing wake where all the introductions are made & personages assessed by Sam & Surrender not. It’s a web of intrigue from the get-go as you soon learn, pieces of the puzzle are handed to you as Sam either questions the “suspects” or weeds information from folk at the various gatherings through loose lips / gossip. He also has to discover the workings of the court & the politics that goes with it which is as far removed from Calcutta as it can be. Clues are left along the way, some obvious, others you’ll perhaps miss or not even realise the import of….?
The duo work far better together this time, I guess Sam has “acclimatised” & we see him in more of the role as the “concepts” man where his Sergeant is all about the detail, a perfect match.
An engaging style which saw me rip through the book at a decent lick. It’s a mystery so ye shall get no more from me except to say yer very clever if you can piece it all together before the end!
Highly recommend for those interested in the region & the period as well as mystery lovers, much improved on the first in the series which was still fairly good.
Historical notes added at the back too.
Five stars, I did originally give it 4.5 stars but for why as I can find no fault! which is rare indeed for me as I normally find summit to annoy me & deduct marks....
Captain Sam Wyndham & his sidekick Sergeant “surrender not” Banerjee who in the first book was the real brains of the duo. Sam calls him “surrender not” as he can’t pronounce his real name & comes up with this similarity which pokes fun at the Empire mentality of the time. There are other tropes along the way giving the period a flavour of those days. Sam still has his opiate habit, is still sweet on Ms Annie Grant both of whom feature from an early start in the story. There’s a murder, that of an old school acquittance of the Sergeant from an English public school, a prince no less whose assassinated virtually hour one of the story before we’ve got to know him…… DASH IT!
Now that we are all reacquainted the story proper can begin….
And is set in the kingdom of Sambalpore, where the inspector & his sergeant travel with the body of the young prince to pay their respects. Sambalpore is diamond rich & one of the reasons it’s still independent but despite appearances it’s rife with conflict which the duo get pulled into……..
We are introduced to a number of “suspects” first at the funeral of the prince then his ensuing wake where all the introductions are made & personages assessed by Sam & Surrender not. It’s a web of intrigue from the get-go as you soon learn, pieces of the puzzle are handed to you as Sam either questions the “suspects” or weeds information from folk at the various gatherings through loose lips / gossip. He also has to discover the workings of the court & the politics that goes with it which is as far removed from Calcutta as it can be. Clues are left along the way, some obvious, others you’ll perhaps miss or not even realise the import of….?
The duo work far better together this time, I guess Sam has “acclimatised” & we see him in more of the role as the “concepts” man where his Sergeant is all about the detail, a perfect match.
An engaging style which saw me rip through the book at a decent lick. It’s a mystery so ye shall get no more from me except to say yer very clever if you can piece it all together before the end!
Highly recommend for those interested in the region & the period as well as mystery lovers, much improved on the first in the series which was still fairly good.
Historical notes added at the back too.
Five stars, I did originally give it 4.5 stars but for why as I can find no fault! which is rare indeed for me as I normally find summit to annoy me & deduct marks....
July 4, 2018
Captain Sam Wyndham and his partner, Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee, called "Surrender-not" by Sam, are officers on the Calcutta police force in 1920. When a young prince is murdered in front of them, they are pulled into solving the crime.I didn't realize that this was the second in a mystery series, but it also didn't matter, as the story stands just fine by itself.
I really enjoyed this, both the historical setting and the mystery itself. It's a "literary" mystery, in that there's a lot of other stuff going on around collecting clues. The story focuses on the changing times of India under British rule; its many tiny principalities; and the uncomfortable relationship between whites and "natives." It keeps itself firmly in its times by expressing British thoughts through Wyndham's first-person narration, while Indian characters point out flaws in that "logic" and the possibility of more modern views. Wyndham struggles with opium addiction resulting from a wound he got in WWI, and with grief over the loss of his wife in 1918 (presumably to the flu? although it's not stated).
I zoomed through this, it was that gripping. And while I'm not sure I entirely understood everyone's motives, all the characters were fascinating and whole, with their own agendas, so it wasn't obvious at all who was behind the murder.
I'm going to look for the first book soon!
March 7, 2021
Geras detektyvas.
https://knyguziurkes.com/2021/03/07/n...
https://knyguziurkes.com/2021/03/07/n...
April 23, 2023
His Serene Highness the Crown Prince Adhir Singh Sai of Sambalpore: “I’ll say one thing for you British…you certainly know how to appeal to our vanity. We’ve surrendered this land to you and for what? A few fine words, fancy titles and scraps from your table over which we bicker like bald men fighting over a comb.”
1920 – The Indian Raj is where we find Captain Sam Wyndham a year after the events of A Rising Man https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wyndham, a former detective in London’s police is now on Calcutta’s police force and his encounter with Prince Adhir will prove fateful. One of the strengths of the previous book was Murkherjee’s willingness to weave a complex study of India’s relationship with the British, as noted both above and below.
Sergeant Banerjee has progressed to sharing living quarters with Wyndham and it is his relationship with the Crown Prince that gets this story going. Instead of Calcutta we are soon in Sambalpore, a small principality with an outsized importance. This proves problematical for Wyndham who has to struggle with replenishing his supplies of English cigarettes, Scotch malt, and, more unfortunately, opium.
If there is a subtext, it is delivered in the following advice to Captain Wyndham: “You need to stop believing the things that your English writers are so fond of penning,” he replied. “What do they know of the eunuchs they are so fond of caricaturing. Open your eyes, Captain. Leave your prejudices in Calcutta. Better still, leave them in London…This is India…See it for what it really is, not for what your imperial apologists and your professors of Orientalism would have you believe. Until you do that, you will never understand us.”
Mukherjee’s novel encompasses some of the most felicitous aspects of the traditional English “cozy,” along with all the historical flourishes and mystery that show that this author hasn’t suffered from the dreaded “second book slump.”
1920 – The Indian Raj is where we find Captain Sam Wyndham a year after the events of A Rising Man https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wyndham, a former detective in London’s police is now on Calcutta’s police force and his encounter with Prince Adhir will prove fateful. One of the strengths of the previous book was Murkherjee’s willingness to weave a complex study of India’s relationship with the British, as noted both above and below.
Sergeant Banerjee has progressed to sharing living quarters with Wyndham and it is his relationship with the Crown Prince that gets this story going. Instead of Calcutta we are soon in Sambalpore, a small principality with an outsized importance. This proves problematical for Wyndham who has to struggle with replenishing his supplies of English cigarettes, Scotch malt, and, more unfortunately, opium.
If there is a subtext, it is delivered in the following advice to Captain Wyndham: “You need to stop believing the things that your English writers are so fond of penning,” he replied. “What do they know of the eunuchs they are so fond of caricaturing. Open your eyes, Captain. Leave your prejudices in Calcutta. Better still, leave them in London…This is India…See it for what it really is, not for what your imperial apologists and your professors of Orientalism would have you believe. Until you do that, you will never understand us.”
Mukherjee’s novel encompasses some of the most felicitous aspects of the traditional English “cozy,” along with all the historical flourishes and mystery that show that this author hasn’t suffered from the dreaded “second book slump.”
May 20, 2018
This is currently my favourite series atm. Lovely writing, the detail in the historical setting, the characterisation and the plotting is perfect. The combination of all the elements has created a masterpice if historical crime fiction. I love Surrender Not and his perosnality. Sam is back investigating a murder of a Prince, who had been Surrender Nots classmate at college. It leads down a rabbit hole of mystery and intrigue amongst the backdrop of 1920s India. Theres nothing like it that Ive read before. Ive always enjoyed reading about Indias history and combining an amazing crime story just provides pure enjoyment.
July 16, 2022
Dėl šiek tiek nuobodokų įvykių - vis susvyruodavau ar dėti knygą į šoną, bet džiaugiuosi, kad taip nepadariau, o būčiau daug praradusi. Skaitomas "Neišvengiamas blogis" dažnai buvo prikaustęs dėmesį pateikiamomis žiniomis apie Indiją bei jau neegzistuojančioje kunigaikštystėje Sambalpure verdantį gyvenimą, intrigomis... Kuo toliau - tuo daugiau atsirado nusikalstamų veikų, bet kaip priklauso geram detektvui - "visi taškai ant i" susidėliojo tik pačiuose paskutiniuose kūrinio puslapiuose. Geras laikas su "Neišvengiamu blogiu" buvo garantuotas, o kitus Abir Mukhurjee du lietuviškai išleistus detektyvus jau nebetaupysiu ir šiemet būtinai perskaitysiu.
April 12, 2021
It’s not often you see a man with a diamond in his beard. But when a prince runs out of space on his ears, fingers and clothes, I suppose the whiskers on his chin are as good a place as any.
So opens the second book in the series set in India in 1920, chronicled by Captain Sam Wyndham, formerly of Scotland Yard and now serving with the Imperial Police Force in Calcutta, under the commissioner, Lord Taggart. His off-sider, Sergeant Surendranath (“Surrender-not”) Banerjee, is a Brahmin educated at Harrow and Cambridge, and Sam’s guide to the colour and chaos of Calcutta (now Kolkuta). The pair are charged with looking out for the Yuvraj (Crown Prince) of Sambalpore (now Sambalpur) who has received notes warning him that his life is in danger. Diverting around the streets thronged by worshippers of the Lord Jagannath, avatar of the god Vishnu, the Yuvraj is gunned down by an assassin dressed as a monk. Sam gives chase but loses him in the procession.
Some quick police work (and appropriate bribes) allows the pair to confront the assassin trying to cover his tracks but the man kills himself rather than be arrested. The little evidence remaining points back to Sambalpore – outside the jurisdiction of the Imperial Police Force, and some creative thinking is needed to gain access, with the Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, determined at all costs not to “create waves”.
The Viceroy might be the most powerful man in India, but in the grand scheme of things, he was just a functionary who took his orders from Whitehall. With any luck he’d be relieved in a few years and then posted to a billet where the natives were less troublesome. Since the time of Lord Curzon, the only thing that really mattered to any (Viceroy) is to keep the plates spinning until they can move on.
With Sam taking leave of absence and Banerjee along to pay his respects on behalf of the IPF, the pair prepare to board the royal train accompanying the body of the Yuvraj, keeping as low a profile as possible. In India, that is not without its challenges.
I crouched down and pulled at Surrender-not’s shirt. He spun around angrily, probably thinking that someone was trying to pick his pockets. It was a fair assumption to make. More money was stolen from pockets in Howrah station every day than went missing from Calcutta’s banks in a year.
This was an entertaining read: filled with humour, palace intrigues, rivalries, deception, politics, opium dens of Calcutta’s Chinatown, religious fervor, a tiger hunt, monsoonal rains - even a couple of gruesome executions - with Annie Grant as Sam’s love interest. It works as a standalone though I recommend reading A Rising Man first. I look forward to the next instalment in this award-winning series.
So opens the second book in the series set in India in 1920, chronicled by Captain Sam Wyndham, formerly of Scotland Yard and now serving with the Imperial Police Force in Calcutta, under the commissioner, Lord Taggart. His off-sider, Sergeant Surendranath (“Surrender-not”) Banerjee, is a Brahmin educated at Harrow and Cambridge, and Sam’s guide to the colour and chaos of Calcutta (now Kolkuta). The pair are charged with looking out for the Yuvraj (Crown Prince) of Sambalpore (now Sambalpur) who has received notes warning him that his life is in danger. Diverting around the streets thronged by worshippers of the Lord Jagannath, avatar of the god Vishnu, the Yuvraj is gunned down by an assassin dressed as a monk. Sam gives chase but loses him in the procession.
Some quick police work (and appropriate bribes) allows the pair to confront the assassin trying to cover his tracks but the man kills himself rather than be arrested. The little evidence remaining points back to Sambalpore – outside the jurisdiction of the Imperial Police Force, and some creative thinking is needed to gain access, with the Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, determined at all costs not to “create waves”.
The Viceroy might be the most powerful man in India, but in the grand scheme of things, he was just a functionary who took his orders from Whitehall. With any luck he’d be relieved in a few years and then posted to a billet where the natives were less troublesome. Since the time of Lord Curzon, the only thing that really mattered to any (Viceroy) is to keep the plates spinning until they can move on.
With Sam taking leave of absence and Banerjee along to pay his respects on behalf of the IPF, the pair prepare to board the royal train accompanying the body of the Yuvraj, keeping as low a profile as possible. In India, that is not without its challenges.
I crouched down and pulled at Surrender-not’s shirt. He spun around angrily, probably thinking that someone was trying to pick his pockets. It was a fair assumption to make. More money was stolen from pockets in Howrah station every day than went missing from Calcutta’s banks in a year.
This was an entertaining read: filled with humour, palace intrigues, rivalries, deception, politics, opium dens of Calcutta’s Chinatown, religious fervor, a tiger hunt, monsoonal rains - even a couple of gruesome executions - with Annie Grant as Sam’s love interest. It works as a standalone though I recommend reading A Rising Man first. I look forward to the next instalment in this award-winning series.
February 18, 2019
After having enjoyed the first book of this series, I couldn’t wait to see what Mukherjee had in store for us. Well, an even better read as it happens.
Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee are back on the scene. A Prince is murdered in front of them, and although the case is closed with the apprehension of the culprit, everything is not as it seems. Our duo end up going to Sambalpor, unofficially, in an effort to find answers.
Once again, Sam’s voice is fascinating, combining the various facets of our flawed hero, from his obsession to find the tuth to dealing with his opium addiction. The atmosphere too is all encompassing. Somehow, a piece of 1920 India comes alive through the pages, and it is captivating. The mystery too has been upgraded, keeping the suspense to the very end.
A definite improvement on the first book. Can’t wait to start book 3.
Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee are back on the scene. A Prince is murdered in front of them, and although the case is closed with the apprehension of the culprit, everything is not as it seems. Our duo end up going to Sambalpor, unofficially, in an effort to find answers.
Once again, Sam’s voice is fascinating, combining the various facets of our flawed hero, from his obsession to find the tuth to dealing with his opium addiction. The atmosphere too is all encompassing. Somehow, a piece of 1920 India comes alive through the pages, and it is captivating. The mystery too has been upgraded, keeping the suspense to the very end.
A definite improvement on the first book. Can’t wait to start book 3.
June 14, 2017
Following the inclusion of Abir Mukherjee’s debut A Rising Man in my Top 5 of 2016, obviously I was as keen as mustard to read A Necessary Evil, the next in the series. This time our indomitable duo of Englishman Captain Sam Wyndham, and his right hand man Sergeant Surrender-not Banerjee of the Calcutta police are transported from their usual locale to the opulent kingdom of Sambalpore, following the assassination of its crowned prince. And be sure that there is more trickery afoot…
Instantly, I was drawn back into the lives of Wyndham and Banerjee, with their affectionate and mutually respectful relationship, and their sense of comradeship and camaraderie fully intact. Wyndham is still struggling with his own personal demons, and also still proving woefully inept in matters of the heart, which adds a lightness of touch to this particularly testing case. Banerjee also grows in stature throughout the book, becoming less of a foil for Wyndham’s character, and becoming much more equal in terms of their professional relationship. He also has some blistering moments of insight, along with the intuitive and studied air that he displays in the course of the investigation. I love the openness and amicability of their friendship, which makes you very comfortable as a reader, and how Mukherjee affords them equal importance, with Wyndham being the more emotionally scarred of the two, but Banerjee subtly adjusting to, and caring about Wyndham’s mental and physical health. I think as well that there is enough scope for both these characters to anchor a long and successful series. While in the realm of characterisation, I would also draw your attention to Mukherjee’s depiction of his female characters, which I think is incredibly good. I like the way that he mirrors men’s general mystification at the workings of the female mind, and his women are strong, independent, and always slightly at a remove of the understanding of his male characters throughout the book. Wyndham is once again bemused by the wonderfully strident and prismatic Annie Grant, and as the plot progresses we meet a parade of incredibly strong, sometimes scheming, women to thwart and confuse the investigation, and outwit our floundering male protagonists.
Once again, Mukherjee is pitch perfect in his representation of the period detail, during the uneasy era of the rule of the British in India. There is a sense of parity throughout where the author is equally stoical and objective of the good and bad that pervades both sides of society, and the interesting contrasts he draws between the human melting pot of poverty in Calcutta, and the ostentatious wealth of Sambalpore, accrued from diamond mining. The sumptuous lavishness of the Maharajah’s palace, and its surrounds, is meticulously brought to life, immersing the reader in opulence, grandeur and the daily routines and traditions of palace life. There are tiger hunts, fancy cars, eunuchs, myriad wives and concubines, but perhaps most importantly for our enjoyment as crime readers, jealousies, plots and murder in abundance. I also like the way that Mukherjee includes little factual vignettes throughout his books, that obviously in the course of his research had piqued his curiosity like ‘death by elephant’…who knew?
So to sum up, Abir Mukherjee has returned in some style, and I thoroughly enjoyed the further adventures of Wyndham and Banerjee in A Necessary Evil. Colourful, dangerous, exciting, and enjoyably educational, this is, once again, a highly recommended read. Add it to your wish list!
Instantly, I was drawn back into the lives of Wyndham and Banerjee, with their affectionate and mutually respectful relationship, and their sense of comradeship and camaraderie fully intact. Wyndham is still struggling with his own personal demons, and also still proving woefully inept in matters of the heart, which adds a lightness of touch to this particularly testing case. Banerjee also grows in stature throughout the book, becoming less of a foil for Wyndham’s character, and becoming much more equal in terms of their professional relationship. He also has some blistering moments of insight, along with the intuitive and studied air that he displays in the course of the investigation. I love the openness and amicability of their friendship, which makes you very comfortable as a reader, and how Mukherjee affords them equal importance, with Wyndham being the more emotionally scarred of the two, but Banerjee subtly adjusting to, and caring about Wyndham’s mental and physical health. I think as well that there is enough scope for both these characters to anchor a long and successful series. While in the realm of characterisation, I would also draw your attention to Mukherjee’s depiction of his female characters, which I think is incredibly good. I like the way that he mirrors men’s general mystification at the workings of the female mind, and his women are strong, independent, and always slightly at a remove of the understanding of his male characters throughout the book. Wyndham is once again bemused by the wonderfully strident and prismatic Annie Grant, and as the plot progresses we meet a parade of incredibly strong, sometimes scheming, women to thwart and confuse the investigation, and outwit our floundering male protagonists.
Once again, Mukherjee is pitch perfect in his representation of the period detail, during the uneasy era of the rule of the British in India. There is a sense of parity throughout where the author is equally stoical and objective of the good and bad that pervades both sides of society, and the interesting contrasts he draws between the human melting pot of poverty in Calcutta, and the ostentatious wealth of Sambalpore, accrued from diamond mining. The sumptuous lavishness of the Maharajah’s palace, and its surrounds, is meticulously brought to life, immersing the reader in opulence, grandeur and the daily routines and traditions of palace life. There are tiger hunts, fancy cars, eunuchs, myriad wives and concubines, but perhaps most importantly for our enjoyment as crime readers, jealousies, plots and murder in abundance. I also like the way that Mukherjee includes little factual vignettes throughout his books, that obviously in the course of his research had piqued his curiosity like ‘death by elephant’…who knew?
So to sum up, Abir Mukherjee has returned in some style, and I thoroughly enjoyed the further adventures of Wyndham and Banerjee in A Necessary Evil. Colourful, dangerous, exciting, and enjoyably educational, this is, once again, a highly recommended read. Add it to your wish list!
October 4, 2019
Oh I'm just not sure yet about this series....
review to follow.
review to follow.
July 21, 2018
I am just loving these novels set in India in the 1920's with Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee.
A great read with the politics of the day bleeding fact into fiction. The richness of the cultures, everything is just so descriptive. You are there, present!
Another spell binding can't put down read!
A great read with the politics of the day bleeding fact into fiction. The richness of the cultures, everything is just so descriptive. You are there, present!
Another spell binding can't put down read!
September 11, 2019
This series just keeps getting better, I’m glad I already have the next book on loan from my library!
This adventure starts off with a bang, as Prince Adair, son of the Maharajah of Sambalpore and heir to the throne, is assassinated right in front of Captain Sam Wyndham and Sgt. “Surrender-Not” Banerjee of the Calcutta Police Force.
The modernizing prince was in Calcutta on state business, but had asked Banerjee, whose brother was with the prince at Harrow, to see him about some threatening letters he’d received. He’s assassinated on the way to his hotel for the letters, and although our heroes track down the killer, they suspect the plot may have originated in the fabulously wealthy kingdom. They attend funeral rites for the prince in Sambalpore, and start digging into the plot - the royal court has scandals and intrigues swirling around it, and Wyndham and Bannerjee must tread carefully as they have no jurisdiction here.
As in the excellent, assured debut, A Rising Man, Wyndham’s wry humor and relentless drive for answers and justice come through and deliver an entertaining, satisfying, fascinating look at India in the early 1920s. Readers also learn interesting facts about the Hindu faith and Indian history throughout the story, which the author expands further in his Author’s Note at the end. It’s fascinating, and he even offers a few titles for further reading on the Indian princely states and the “lost world of opium smoking” - as a painful legacy of his years in the trenches of WWI, and the injuries he suffered, Wyndham is a secret opium addict. He is a flawed, but fascinating character, and I look forward to reading his and Banerjee’s future investigations.
This adventure starts off with a bang, as Prince Adair, son of the Maharajah of Sambalpore and heir to the throne, is assassinated right in front of Captain Sam Wyndham and Sgt. “Surrender-Not” Banerjee of the Calcutta Police Force.
The modernizing prince was in Calcutta on state business, but had asked Banerjee, whose brother was with the prince at Harrow, to see him about some threatening letters he’d received. He’s assassinated on the way to his hotel for the letters, and although our heroes track down the killer, they suspect the plot may have originated in the fabulously wealthy kingdom. They attend funeral rites for the prince in Sambalpore, and start digging into the plot - the royal court has scandals and intrigues swirling around it, and Wyndham and Bannerjee must tread carefully as they have no jurisdiction here.
As in the excellent, assured debut, A Rising Man, Wyndham’s wry humor and relentless drive for answers and justice come through and deliver an entertaining, satisfying, fascinating look at India in the early 1920s. Readers also learn interesting facts about the Hindu faith and Indian history throughout the story, which the author expands further in his Author’s Note at the end. It’s fascinating, and he even offers a few titles for further reading on the Indian princely states and the “lost world of opium smoking” - as a painful legacy of his years in the trenches of WWI, and the injuries he suffered, Wyndham is a secret opium addict. He is a flawed, but fascinating character, and I look forward to reading his and Banerjee’s future investigations.
February 8, 2023
Хороший атмосферный детектив про Индию—
(UPD посмотрела другие рецензии и поняла, что больше нам всем особенно НЕЧЕГО СКАЗАТЬ)
Ну, а что, детектив правда атмосферный: один принц, второй принц, махараджа и его 256 детей, брамин, евнухи, роковые женщины, слоновья охота, слоновья казнь, посреди всего этого роскошества пропавший бухгалтер и обаятельный сержант по прозвищу Несокрушим. What’s not to like?
Правда, теперь на сцену возвращения Солора с охоты в «Баядерке» буду смотреть по-другому.
(UPD посмотрела другие рецензии и поняла, что больше нам всем особенно НЕЧЕГО СКАЗАТЬ)
Ну, а что, детектив правда атмосферный: один принц, второй принц, махараджа и его 256 детей, брамин, евнухи, роковые женщины, слоновья охота, слоновья казнь, посреди всего этого роскошества пропавший бухгалтер и обаятельный сержант по прозвищу Несокрушим. What’s not to like?
Правда, теперь на сцену возвращения Солора с охоты в «Баядерке» буду смотреть по-другому.
July 7, 2019
A brilliant series
December 13, 2022
Not as impressive as the first one. It seemed like the author couldn't decide on who the killer should be. The Hero, Sam Wyndham made a big deal about finding justice for the victim (the murdered Prince), though he was not incharge of the investigation. But the ending made it all pointless. The Heroine, Annie was annoying. I wish Sargeant Surendranath was given more footage than Annie. He was an interesting character.
August 29, 2021
4.5 stars. This was a really interesting case.
“Your soul craves the truth. You have that now. Justice is a matter for the gods.”
I learned a lot more about Colonial India: about nation states, independent of British rule and about the valuable resources of diamonds and coal. Fascinating.
“Your soul craves the truth. You have that now. Justice is a matter for the gods.”
I learned a lot more about Colonial India: about nation states, independent of British rule and about the valuable resources of diamonds and coal. Fascinating.
January 10, 2021
Intriguing, entertaining historical mystery set in 1920's India. This episode starts with Sam & Surrender-Not witnessing the murder of an Indian Prince. Numerous characters have reason to be suspects with twists & turns to the final outcome. Wonderful characterizations and very interesting history of the region during a controversial era in India's history. Even though this can be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading #1 A Rising Man first. Should also mention that this is NOT a "cozy" mystery but is a realistic and gritty series that immerses the reader into the culture and history of India. A fascinating read!
January 6, 2022
Susiskaitė gal net geriau nei pirma dalis. Veiksmo kaip ir pirmoje dalyje nėra labai daug - tai tikrai nėra trileris, bet puslapiai verčiasi lengvai. Patinka man šitas istorinio romano ir detektyvo miksas.
May 21, 2021
The second in an excellent mystery series that takes place in India in the early 1920’s.
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