A Rising Man

Abir Mukherjee's first novel is a masterpiece. Taking place in the early 1900s Calcutta, a newly arrived Scotland Yard detective, Captain Sam Wyndham, is confronted with the murder of a British official. Desperately seeking a fresh start after his experiences during the Great War, Wyndham has been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. He is immediately overwhelmed by the heady vibrancy of the tropical city, but with barely a moment to acclimatize or to deal with the ghosts that still haunt him, Wyndham is caught up in a murder investigation that threatens to destabilize a city already teetering on the brink of political insurgency.

The body of a senior official has been found in a filthy sewer, and a note left in his mouth warns the British to quit India, or else. Under tremendous pressure to solve the case before it erupts into increased violence on the streets, Wyndham and his two new colleagues—arrogant Inspector Digby and Sergeant Banerjee, one of the few Indians to be recruited into the new CID—embark on an investigation that will take them from the opulent mansions of wealthy British traders to the seedy opium dens of the city.

I always love historical fiction set in India. This particular book focuses more on the local police department and its investigative methods than the usual partying done by the British. While I like those books too it was refreshing to read about a new aspect of life in India 100 years ago. The weather is a big issue for our detective. He has difficulty moving from a cold, rainy England to 110+ degrees India. It affects his ability to do his job and the author did a great job writing this setting into the story.

The men featured in the story were prominent characters. The women were important but the comeraderie, or lack thereof, among the men moved the plot forward.  Captain Wyndham cannot break through the tight group of male characters. He is considered persona non grata. Usually when a person lands themselves in India the British society welcomes that person with open arms. Wyndham's experience was atypical for the time period.

There is plenty of historical detail written into the story.  The characters need to navigate through a minefield of political pitfalls in order to do their jobs well. Wyndham and his Indian sidekick Surrender-Not Banerjee make a great crime fighting duo who can carry this fantastic new detective series forward. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

5 out of 5 stars.

Chunkster Reading Challenge 2021

I used to participate in this challenge annually but think that it was discontinued for a few years.  I love the feel of a big book in my hands. In fact, I don't really feel like I am reading with a physical book in my hands.  It has made 2020 difficult to get used to reading ebooks.  I am happy to see that this challenge is back in 2021.   It is being hosted by Annette at the Impressions in Ink blog.

There are some requirements for the challenge.  

1)    All books must be at least 450 pages.

2)    The challenge runs the 2021 calendar year.

3)    All book formats are accepted for the challenge. Audio and ebooks are OK.

4)    There is no minimum number of books that you must read. 

4)    You don't need a blog to participate.

I have already purchased a few chunksters.  I will be reading Elizabeth George's With No One as Witness which she published in 2005.  It has 627 pages.  Stephanie Dray's My Dear Hamilton has 637 pages and her America's First Daughter has 587 pages.  I also plan on reading former President Obama's memoir A Promised Land.  It is over 700 pages but is just the first installment of his official memoir.  

What's in a Name 2021

I have participated in this challenge off and on over the years.  However, it was fun this year so I am rejoining the challenge in 2021.  The challenge is hosted once again by Carolina Book Nook. Of course, the challenge runs the calendar year.  Any format of books is acceptable.  However, you cannot use one book for more than one category. As usual, there are 6 categories of words that must in the title of every book you read for the challenge.  The 2021 categories are:  

1)      One/1

2)      Doubled word , ie, in a dark, dark wood

3)      Reference to outer space

4)      Possessive noun

5)      Botanical word

6)      Article of clothing 

The possessive noun category will be difficult for me as I will need to think what a possessive noun is.  Perhaps I should try to knock off that category ASAP so I don't have to think about it all year.

Top 10 Books I Want in 2021

Some of my favorite authors will be publishing books in 2021. I am excited to read the newest installments of my favorite series such as:

1.        Evil in Emerald by A. M. Stuart

2.        Honey Roasted by Cleo Coyle

3.        Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

4.        The American Adventuress by C. W. Gortner

5.        Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

6.        Protector by Conn Iggulden

7.        Kingdom of Bones by James Rollins

8.        The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee

9.        The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

10.      Bloodline by Jess Lourey

Finishing the Series 2021 Challenge

I was not planning on rejoining this challenge again because I did not read the books I intended to read this year. However, I have just discovered that a few of my favorite authors published additional books in their series and I know that I will be reading these books.  So, why not join the challenge?  

The Zelda Richardson Mysteries by Jennifer Alderson have additional books published in the series.  I read The Lover's Portrait earlier this year. Rituals of the Dead was published in 2018, Marked for Revenge was published in 2019 and The Vermeer Deception was published in 2020.  

Abir Mukherjee has follow up novels to his A Rising Man  They include A Necessary Evil (2017), Smoke and Ashes (2018), Death in the East (2019) and The Shadows of Men which will be published next year.  

The rules for the challenge are simple:

1.    The challenge runs the 2021 calendar year.

2.    Series can be already completed as well as ongoing.

3.    You can have only one book left to read in a series.

4.    Any format and length of book counts - print, ebook, audio, ARC

5.    Crossovers froth other challenges are acceptable.

6.    Reviews are not required but highly encouraged. 

My Top 10 Book Characters for 2020

I had to do some  hard thinking about who my favorite characters were in 2020.  There were a few characters that pop up in my mind though, and all but two are featured in an ongoing series.  Here they are in no apparent order:

Drayton Connelly from Laura Child's Indigo Teashop Mysteries. I like him better than the main character Theodosia Browning. He is a debonair, sixtysomething Southern gentleman who I never tire reading about.  Of course, his many bow ties are sharp looking. Lavender Blue Murder is the last book published so far in this cozy mystery series.

Harriet Gordon from A. M. Stuart's new historical fiction series which takes place in early 1900s Singapore. The Harriet Gordon Mysteries revolve around British military officers and their wives who always seem to be involved in a murder, or at least know all about it. Harriet deftly works around these personalities to solve crimes.  Revenge in Rubies is the 2020 entry in to the series.

Zelda Richardson is another favorite character. She is the protagonist in Jennifer Alderson's Zelda Richardson Mystery series.  Zelda has a BFA in art history and researches stolen works of art so they can be returned to the rightful owners.  Her educational background is perfect for this new series. The Lover's Portrait is the latest book in the series.

Oswald de Lacy is the sleuth in S. D. Sykes medieval mystery series.  He grew up in a Benedictine monastery but after the plague took his father and older brothers Oswald became the Lord of Somershill Manor.  The Bone Fire is the latest book in the series.

I have 3 favorite characters from Cleo Coyle's coffeehouse mysteries.  Clair Cosi manages her former mother-in-law's coffee house The Village Blend.  Her ex-mother-in-law, Madame DuBois, is an extravagant senior woman who lives life fully and richly.  Madame may be a widow but she still gets around and only in the wealthiest groups.  Her flair for fashion is part of her charm.  Claire's ex-husband Matteo Allegro lives an exciting life traveling the world in search of the best coffee beans and has excellent adventures. His love of women is prominent but he still comes running when Clair says that she needs him.  This series is my all-time favorite. The newest addition to the series is Brewed Awakening.

C. DeMelo's stand alone novel Sabina takes place in Renaissance Florence. After marrying well, Sabina learns to adapt in a man's world and get what she wants.  She suffers many losses which makes her a compelling character.

Tom Claraday is Francis Bacon's sidekick in Anna Castle's Francis Bacon Mysteries.  Tom is a young Cambridge University student during the 1500s.  He is mischievous and along with a few fellow Cambridge students finds himself in hot water frequently.  They help him solve murders for Francis Bacon, who is a new barrister at this stage in his life. The series has ended with The Spymaster's Brother. 

Peggy Batternberg in Nancy Bilyeau's Dreamland is a woman after my own heart.  A feminist for her era, early 1900s New York City, Peggy prefers to work in a bookshop than attend high society parties. She breaks her parent's rules not only to have a job but also to secretly meet a man who they would not approve of.  He is poor. I love Peggy's spirit.

My Top 10 Book Covers for 2020

Looking through the books I read this year, I noticed I don't really read many with gorgeous book covers. The last couple of books with stunning covers that I read didn't have great stories so I have to read reviews of them first before I buy the books.  It was hard to choose 10 covers but here they are.