Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

A unique setting and a well-written plot are always welcome. This book is slightly on the longer side, and the central mystery may seem to meander before reaching its conclusion.
The location is India in 1892, divided in one way under the British rule and in another, under its complete influence. It begins with a recovering soldier, a man whose mind is as weary as his body. He has no knowledge of his past and is an orphan in a place which cannot fully accept him. It is a very immersive situation into the Parsee community in Bombay at the time as well as the emotional conflict of a man unsure of his place. This slow proceeding through the place as well as the myriad emotions that our hero feels, constitute the bulk of the narrative.

The mystery starts off by chance, Jim Agnihotri chances upon a heart-rending note by a grieving widower. He feels connected to the emotion and ends up with the job to come to the bottom of a suspected suicide. I was a little annoyed by the back and forth with regards to the love story in the plot. Given the instant attraction and the growing affection, I felt there were one too many twists for the size of the book.

I would love to read what he does next given where he ends up, I am sure it will add a whole new flavour to the work. I do see more struggles in the future, as well.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. The review is entirely based on my own reading experience as an Indian ( who found this view into the history of her country interesting).