Peril at the Exposition by Nev March

PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION by Nev March (Murder in Old Bombay) is the second historical mystery (set in 1893) in an intriguing series featuring a young woman from India, Diana Framji, and her husband, Captain Jim Agnihotri. Formerly a soldier in the British army, Jim is now a detective based in Boston. One of his colleagues is murdered on assignment and the firm sends Jim to Chicago, where the Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair) is underway, to learn more. After a few weeks have passed with no word, Diana is alerted to danger for Jim so she, too, heads to the Midwest. There, along with an eclectic ensemble of helpers (a cross dresser, a street urchin selling matches, an African American employee of the firm), Diana takes advantage of her society contacts and tries to discover who may be plotting to use explosives and disrupt the fair. March, whose earlier book in the series was an Edgar award finalist, uses the period setting to share details of Chicago history (e.g., the Rookery, Wrigley’s chewing gum), of class unrest and worker exploitation (e.g., references to the Haymarket Riot), and of the conflicting attitudes towards adopting electricity more widely (Nikola Tesla even makes a cameo appearance). PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION offers a complex mystery combined with historical and social perspective. A new immigrant herself, Diana reflects on Americans “[who] were curious creatures, stiff and distant when you first meet them, patronizing even. Perhaps they imagined people born elsewhere must either be deaf or stupid. Yet, I’d found them to be generous and forgiving, even kindly when one did not expect it.” Enjoy this story – there are sure to be more for this adventurous young couple.