A Necessary Evil
by Abir Mukherjee
Review by Bronwyn Eley
I didn’t think time-travelling would be so easy and yet I was pleasantly surprised when I was pulled into the exotic, lush, ‘whodunnit’ world of Captain Sam Wyndham!
A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee has it all: crime, mystery, classic cars, a will-they-wont-they couple and a clever, determined protagonist, all set against the backdrop of 1920’s India.
From page one, Sam is relatable and capable. I instantly wanted to jump into the pages and join him as he scoured for clues about who assassinated the Maharajah’s son. Not to mention Sergeant ‘Surrender-not’ Banerjee, the perfect loyal side-kick with a few quirks of his own.
Despite being our hero, Sam had his flaws, weaknesses and indulgences. One of my favourite threads throughout this book was his addiction to Opium – from the dark and dank dens to the unnerving chill that settled in my bones whenever Sam started to crave his next fix.
This book was the perfect way to experience an unknown world, with rules and traditions as fascinating as they were baffling. I had never read anything from Abir Mukherjee before and I can now safely say that I’m a fan!
A Necessary Evil
India, 1920. Captain Sam Wyndham is visiting the kingdom of Sambalpore, home to diamond mines and the beautiful Palace of the Sun.
But when the Maharaja’s eldest son is assassinated, Wyndham realises that the realm is riven with conflict. Prince Adhir was unpopular with religious groups, while his brother – now in line to the throne – appears to be a feckless playboy.
As Wyndham and Sergeant ‘Surrender-not’ Banerjee endeavour to unravel the mystery, they become entangled in a dangerous world. They must find the murderer, before the murderer finds them.
About the Contributor
Bronwyn Eley
Before entering the exciting world of books, Bronwyn served in the Royal Australian Air Force, travelled extensively and worked (still does!) as a barista on the weekends. Books are her true passion. Bronwyn's debut fantasy novel Relic is coming out in 2019 with indie publishing house Talem Press. They are to publish her entire trilogy called The Relic Trilogy. In her spare time, Bronwyn writes, reads and enjoys keeping fit (which she undoes by eating loads of chocolate) with Martial Arts and personal training. She can't answer what her favourite book is but she has a soft spot for Peter Pan (J.M Barrie), Outlander (Diana Gabaldon), Stardust (Neil Gaiman), The Illuminae Files (Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman) and Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo). Fantasy, sci-fi and YA make up the majority of her bookshelves.
Follow Bronwyn: Twitter
Comments
No comments