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1919: A former Scotland Yard detective arrives in Calcutta to a new post and to a whole other nightmare he never expected.
A Rising Man (Sam Wyndham 1)
What you need to know before your trail
Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. He has lived through some shocking experiences during the Great War and hopes that Calcutta will be a new start and a fresh challenge.
Almost as soon as he arrives in his new post however, he is caught up in a murder investigation that will take him into the dark underbelly of the British Raj.
A senior official has been murdered, and a note left in his mouth warns the British to quit India: or else.
Travel Guide
The war
Captain Sam Wyndham is off to Calcutta having served in the trenches and finding out once back in England that his wife has died from influenza. He is a man used to working hard and fighting harder and his work in the police gives him a sense of purpose and belonging. However once he has the job, Digby and other police officers seem resentful of his promotion over theirs.
India
The situation in India at that time was one of insurgency and insurrection. There is rising political dissent in and around the city of Bengal and the stability of the Raj itself is under threat.
Wyndham is there with arrogant Inspector Digby and British-educated, but Indian-born Sergeant ‘Surrender Not’ Banerjee, one of the few Indians to be recruited into the new CID. The Lieutenant Governor’s aide MacAuley has been found dead. this man is very important – he’s the head of the finance department in Bengal,and also one of his boss’ inner circle.
A note is left in Bengali:
“No more warnings. English blood will run in the streets. Quit India!”
This view of the city is one of contrast and control – from the luxurious parlours of wealthy British traders to the seedy opium dens of the city. Despite the suspect being a well known terrorist, the truth will open old wounds and reveal dirty secrets.
“Calcutta itself seemed to be taking its toll on me”
The British Raj
The British Raj is a time of fear and danger – There is widespread racism and the native Indians are treated as inferiors in their own land. Colonialism is alive and well and reveals a lot about the political and social dangers Wyndham and his team are in.
“This is Calcutta after all. a city of a million Bengalis with nothing better to do than talk revolutions. Isn’t that why you moved the capital to Delhi?”
It is also during this time that the Amritsar Massacre stains the landscape in more ways than one.
Black Town and White Town
The city is divided but murder it seems unites – “Murder is good entertainment the world over and here in Black Town ou could seell tickets to see a dead sahib”
Booktrailer Review
Susan:@thebooktrailer
Captain Sam Wyndham is an interesting character having swapped warfare in Europe to go to India for a new job at a time of huge insurgency and insurrection.
Solving a murder in a new country can’t be easy but add to that the political tensions of the day and the fact that Wyndham uses opium more than adds an interesting angle to the mix.
The novel really immerses you into its setting and plot – with the victim being the aide to the Lieutenant Governor, there’s a lot of pressure to find the culprit. The answers are not going to be black and white and this was the interesting art of the novel – you never really knew which way things were going to pan out, despite the historical overtones.
It was the setting which really fascinated me – the British control of India and its millions of people. Any murder, any crime in fact could and would have devastating consequences for all, and certainly for British interests. Seeing this crime and the investigation through his eyes creates a sense that you see what he sees in real time and I was thrilled to go on such a journey.
Oh and Banerjee – I hope he appears in a future novel!
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: A Rising Man
Author/Guide: Abir Mukherjee Destination:Calcutta Departure Time: 1911
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