Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
Genre: Historical mystery
Publication: 10 November 2020, Minotaur
In 19th century Bombay, Captain Jim Agnihotri channels his idol, Sherlock Holmes, in Nev March’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.
In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim’s attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by Adi, the widower of one of the victims — his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide — Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon.
But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim’s investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either.
Based on a true story, and set against the vibrant backdrop of colonial India, Nev March’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning lyrical debut, Murder in Old Bombay, brings this tumultuous historical age to life. (from Goodreads blurb)
My thoughts
I wanted to like this book, but it fell flat for me.
Part of the problem was that I’ve read multiple mysteries set in British-ruled India, multiple Sherlock-inspired mysteries, ex-military member with PTSD mysteries. Some of these have been excellent. While it’s probably unfair to compare March’s novel with these others, I couldn’t help but make those comparisons and feel disappointed.
The book had a lot of potential.
The mystery should’ve felt compelling; a wife and sister fell to their deaths and despite the family’s protests and conflicting evidence, the verdict was suicide. Somehow, though, I never felt moved by this. It was also very strange to me that the police either didn’t find (or didn’t care to find) the “clues” that Jim readily found several months after the deaths.
Historical background
For me, the book didn’t convey the intense tumult of India under British rule. Somehow, despite the author’s attempts, it came up lacking.
However, the background on the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 was fascinating. This was one of the best aspects of the book. March did a good job tying the mutiny to the current mystery. The other fascinating thing was the information on Parsees and the Zoroastrian religion. I knew most of the information, but March, a Parsee Zoroastrian herself, really developed this and wove it naturally into the story.
Characterization
Jim was a well-developed character. A half-Indian, half-English illegitimate man, he never knew his father. He was raised in a orphanage run by a Christian mission and later left to join the army. He left the army but the army hasn’t left him, as one character notes: he struggles with PTSD symptoms from some mysterious, bloody skirmish in Karachi.
Other than Jim, the characters felt shallow, and that included the victims and the family. That was unfortunate. I wanted them to come to life and wanted to care about them.
Inspired by Sherlock Holmes
I was of two minds about the Sherlock inspiration. Part of me thought the book would’ve been better off without the Sherlock references. Yes, I know that Sherlock inspired Jim to investigate, etc., etc. But these references invited comparisons to both Conan-Doyle’s originals and the myriad of Sherlockian fiction since. Jim’s mind didn’t work like Sherlock’s, nor did he remain detached and dispassionate (especially after love interest Diana showed up). But another part of me really enjoyed Jim’s Sherlockian-style disguises as he impersonated a poor peanut seller, a new priest, and a Pathan, all of which he based on people he actually knew. That was a lot of fun.
Overall impression
But the overall impression of the book was that it felt unfocused and overly-long. The story took off on various tangents, some only superficially related to the investigation, and some of the plot aspects were unbelievable. The ending dragged out for multiple chapters, as each of the plots/subplots got an individual ending.
As I said, Murder in Old Bombay fell flat for me. However, there are a lot of four and five star reviews from other readers. So when in doubt, pick up the book and try it.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Like this? Read that!
If you love mysteries set in colonial India, be sure to check out The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujeta Massey, or Abir Mukherjee’s Captain Sam Wyndham’s series.