Wyndham & Banerjee Mysteries Series

SELECTED AS WATERSTONES' THRILLER OF THE MONTH, JULY 2019
CHOSEN BY THE SUNDAY TIMES AS ONE OF 100 BEST CRIME NOVELS SINCE 1945
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 CWA SAPERE HISTORICAL DAGGER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 HWA GOLD CROWN
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 CWA GOLD DAGGER

'Smoke and Ashes is Abir Mukherjee's best book yet; a brilliantly conceived murder mystery set amidst political and social turmoil - beautifully crafted' C.J. Sansom

India, 1921. Captain Sam Wyndham is battling a serious addiction to opium that he must keep secret from his superiors in the Calcutta police force.

But Wyndham finds himself in a tight spot when he stumbles across a corpse in an opium den. When he then comes across a second body bearing the same injuries, Wyndham is convinced that there's a deranged killer on the loose.

However, revealing his presence in the opium den could cost him his career.

As Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee set out to solve the two murders, Wyndham must tread carefully, keeping his personal demons secret, before someone else turns up dead...

'It is the flamboyant evocation of Calcutta that makes this such a mesmerising read' Guardian

Praise for the Sam Wyndham series:

'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin

'Confirms Abir Mukherjee as a rising star of historical crime fiction'
The Times

'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express

If you enjoyed Smoke and Ashes, look out for the fourth Sam Wyndham mystery, Death in the East in November 2019

A Rising Man

by Abir Mukherjee

Published 5 May 2016

Calcutta, 1919. Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. 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.

Masterfully evincing the sights, sounds, and smells of colonial Calcutta, A Rising Man is the start of an enticing new historical crime series.

Death in the East

by Abir Mukherjee

Published 14 November 2019

** Selected by the Telegraph, FT and Guardian as one of the best crime books of 2019**

'A skilfully blended dual narrative: twice the intrigue, twice the fun.' Mick Herron, author of the Jackson Lamb series

Calcutta police detective Captain Sam Wyndham and his quick-witted Indian Sergeant, Surrender-not Banerjee, are back for another rip-roaring adventure set in 1920s India.

1905, London.

When Bessie Drummond, an old flame of Sam Wyndham's, is attacked in the street, he is determined to get to the bottom of it. But the next day, Bessie is found dead in her room and Wyndham soon finds himself caught up in her murder investigation. The case will cost the young constable more than he ever imagined.

1922, India.

Leaving Calcutta, Wyndham heads for the hills of Assam, ready to put his opium addiction behind him. But when he arrives, he sees a ghost from his life in London - a man thought to be long dead, a man Wyndham hoped he would never see again.

Wyndham knows he must call his friend and colleague Sergeant Banerjee for help. He is certain that this figure from his past can only be after one thing: revenge...
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Praise for the Sam Wyndham series:

'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin

'Death in the East is as vivid and atmospheric as its predecessors' Guardian

'Confirms Abir Mukherjee as a rising star of historical crime fiction' The Times

'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express

'A brilliantly conceived murder mystery set amidst political and social turmoil - beautifully crafted' C. J. Sansom

'Mukherjee brings sardonic wit to his portrayal of British rule in India, and the action is perfectly paced.' Daily Mirror

'An absolute delight' Daily Mail

'The gloriously atmospheric Death in the East is his [Mukherjee's] best book so far, a cracking read' Scotsman

'The perfect combination of mystery and history' Telegraph