Midnight at Malabar House: Winner of the CWA Historical Dagger and Nominated for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year (The Malabar House Series)

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There is a lot of potential to make this a series - like maybe breaking this book into 3 books for start. I can imagine writing a complete book is nothing short of achievement. And so the one additional star. An easy writing style which made this a compelling read, drawing on a historical time in the fledgling independent India. This is the first in the Malabar House series & features Inspector Persis Wadia. She is the first woman inspector in the new Indian police force. She has had to fight for her rightful place in a male dominated environment & a society which is not ready to accept a woman in authority. Those who have enjoyed the Baby Ganesh Agency novels will be interested to hear of a new series by author Vaseem Khan, again set in Bombay, but at an earlier date. We have a new cast of characters, revolving around Persis Wadia, India’s first female police detective.

Midnight at Malabar House Review Midnight at Malabar House Review

The plot is a direct retelling of a 90's Bollywood hit film Sarfarosh starring Amir Khan and Sonali Bendre. In the movie, the culprit is a Muslim, whereas here he's a Hindu. The cast do not perhaps have the immediate appeal of Ganesh and his human family which gives that series so much charm, but the interaction between Wadia and Archie seems to have plenty of potential for future adventures. The Board: The Crime Writers' Association". The Crime Writers’ Association. 28 June 2023 . Retrieved 19 August 2023. Flushing, she cursed herself for not having considered this. The idea of appearing incompetent bothered her far more than being murdered or assaulted in the line of duty, a gruesome eventuality that Aunt Nussie predicted on a daily basis.It is a beautifully written exploration of Wadia's struggle to be accepted as a detective in a male-dominated culture, while navigating a country in turmoil. A thrilling murder mystery, it also wonderfully evokes a turbulent period of India's history * Daily Express * Finally, Persis is definitely not a Parsis at all. Parsis are the most decent,courteous humble, friendly and law abiding individuals. They have a distinct way of speaking - they speak Gujrati which isn't evident anywhere. The history and legend of how they were accepted and integrated into the Gujrati society is a lovely tale which again is missing. Parsis are a very closed society- in Bombay they live in gated colonies that are called Parsi Colonies. I couldn't picture Persis as a Parsi at all. She's not even close to being an Indian woman.

Midnight at Malabar House: Khan, Vaseem: 9781473685505 Midnight at Malabar House: Khan, Vaseem: 9781473685505

And so, when the phone rings to report the murder of prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot, the country's most sensational case falls into her lap. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes historical crime fiction with plenty of heart. The setting is interesting, the characters are engaging and the plot is well-constructed. You - like me - will end the book wondering what is next for Inspector Wadia and very much looking forward to finding out. Khan, Vaseem (14 January 2016). The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 9781473612280. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. I am looking forward to watching Persis Wadia mature as a human and as a police officer, and I look forward to Vaseem Khan's next book in the series with a great deal of anticipation. For those of you who are familiar with Sujatta Massey's excellent Perveen Mistry historical series, give Midnight at Malabar House a try. I think you're going to like it. Lying in the heart of the Malabar house, there’s a tale of avarice,love, betrayal and newly founded India which is striving hard to clean the dark bloats of partition and imperialism.

There is a lot to like in this book.Most notably, there is a wealth of information and history about the demise of the British Raj and the religious and secular conflicts that arose from the Partition of India. Much of the viewpoint is presented from an Indian point of view, which is a refreshing departure from a host of Anglo centric novels that have been written.