Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY by Nev March is the first of many mysteries I am sure to be reading this year. Set in India in 1892 (with flashbacks to the 1857 Sepoy Rebellion), this story centers on James Agnihotri, recently retired Anglo-Indian cavalry captain. It’s full of questions about acceptance and social strictures – related to caste and as well as religious tolerance.  Two young women died after falling off a university clock tower and the Captain is hired to learn the truth of what happened.  It’s a twisty mystery with travels throughout India, from Bombay to Lahore, Simla, and Ranjpoot, with more than one daring rescue event. The writing is evocative of the time and place with turns of phrase like “memory touched my skin with a cold finger.” There are repeated references to Sherlock Holmes – both to his techniques (e.g., using disguises) and to his characteristics (Agnihotri is also an amateur boxer). Like Holmes, the Captain is attracted to a seemingly unavailable woman and the “romance” is at first a happy sidelight; later, it becomes a bit too much of the story. Nevertheless, the characters are generally admirable for as Agnihotri muses, “our choices drive who we are … and who we want to be.” Winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award, MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY is an entertaining debut filled with suspense and historic detail.