Two Books by Abir Mukherjee

Smoke and Ashes

Abir Mukherjee 

2018  

4/5 stars

This third installment of the series, takes place in 1921 in Calcutta, with Detective Inspector  Sam Wyndham stumbling over a murdered body in an opium den -- one he can do nothing about, as it would reveal that he had been there. The next day, he is called to the scene of another murder, and the victim has been killed in the same gruesome way.  Wyndham is hindered in his investigation by not being able to acknowledge the other corpse, which has yet to be reported by anyone.  He and Sergeant Bannerjee are searching for a connection between the two, when yet a third victim is killed the same way.

This is another solid mystery: interesting, compelling, and well-written.  Wyndham, with his morally gray ways and self-destructive habits, has fast become a favorite character.  Bannerjee is fleshed out more in this novel, and his friendship with Wyndham is more believable.  There was a surprising twist -- one that I perhaps should have seen coming, but was pleasantly taken off guard by it.  The action did get a bit melodramatic at the climax, but overall, Smoke and Ashes is still a great read. 

Death in the East

Abir Mukherjee 

2019  

4/5 stars

It is now 1922, and Detective Inspector Sam Wyndham leaves Calcutta for a trip to an ashram in Assam, in hopes of overcoming his opium addiction.  While there, he sees a face that reminds him of his first murder case, back in London in 1905.  That case becomes relevant again when an important Englishman is found dead in his bed in a locked room in the closest British settlement, Jatinga.  With Sergeant Bannerjee's help, Wyndham investigates the case -- one where a conflict of interest may be involved.

This is the fourth in the series, and is another strong mystery, atmospheric and well-written, with two engrossing plotlines.  Wyndham's past is skillfully told alongside his present situation, in alternating chapters eventually tying together, and the reader is given a glimpse into what has made Wyndham who he is.  As I've mentioned in all reviews of this series, Wyndham is morally gray, and that affects how he views this case in a most telling way.  The solution is ingenious, and while not a complete surprise, was satisfying, and the ending was pleasingly uncomfortable.