Murder in Old Bombay, the first book in the Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mysteries is a wonderful combination of a murder investigation and romance set in late 19th century British-ruled India.

James (Jim) Agnihotri, former Army Captain has been injured in battled, and is recovering in hospital, reading Sherlock Holmes when he becomes intrigued by a letter in the newspaper and police reports of the apparent suicide of two young women. Adi Framji is the widower of one of the women, the other was his sister. Jim meets Adi and convinces him that he is the one to investigate the deaths. Lady Diana is Adi’s sister and not at all content to sit on the sidelines as the investigation progresses.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I’ve read very little about the period of British rule in India and am sufficiently intrigued enough that I plan on continuing the series.

This book had the potential to be wonderful but it was so slow paced and too many plot redirections that I ended up not finishing it after reading almost to the halfway point. By then, I no longer cared about the answer to the central mystery and it almost felt as if the book was taking a completely different turn. This could have been a really wonderful mystery, it certainly started out that way, but it was overly long with too much going on.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Nev March did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY
Nev March

Murder in Old Bombay is a murder mystery and romance set in 1890s Bombay India. Two young women fall to their deaths from the Old Clock Tower within minutes of each other. Captain Jim Agnihotri, retired from the Cavalry, Light Dragoons, while recuperating in the hospital, becomes fascinated with the newspaper headlines tragedy. He is hired by the wealthy Framji family to solve the crime. Channeling his admiration for Sherlock Holmes, Agnihotri utilizes various characters and disguises to gather information.

The book is filled with intrigue on Indian customs, politics, Princedoms, and the British Raj. There is a lot of travel throughout India and Pakistan gathering information about the crime, including Matheran, Ranjpoot, Pathankot, Simla, and Punjab. Issues such as the Indian caste system, poverty and child abuse and neglect, human trafficking, and PTSD are woven into the story. Historical problems regarding British rule in colonial India and Afghanistan wars are mentioned.

Probably best described as a cozy Indian Sherlock Holmes with romance, there is a lot going on in this book. It had almost a comic book superhero feel to it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Nev March, and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Synopsis:

In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon. Captain Jim's investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either.

Review:

I can't believe this is based on a true story! I enjoyed the mystery and getting to know the numerous characters in this book while following the journey and learning some history as well. I always enjoy reading books set in India - where my parents are from. I'm so impressed that Nev is the first Indian born writer to win the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award! Speaks volumes about what a good book this is.

Review:

Overall, I enjoyed this.

It's an interesting historical time period when England colonized India. And the story is from the point of a view from a biracial man, who was just honorably discharged from the British army and suffering from PTSD.

As Jim is recovering from his injuries, he reads about the deaths of two Indian women and is immediately intrigued. He's a fan of Sherlock Holmes and the husband/brother of the women hires him.

Jim is an intriguing character, born of an Indian mother and white father and with a strong moral compass.
The issues of class are prevalent here, as are the effects of colonization and the fight for freedom.
The best parts is when Jim meets 5 young charges.

My quibbles are that the pace was uneven and I think the book tried to do too much.

There is a forbidden romance, which was repetitive at times, many skirmishes and close calls. And, the time frame was too condensed.
And, a personal issue is that I wasn't sure what Jim thought about England as a colonizing body.
His joining the army made sense, and he would have been torn, due to his background. More exploration of this issue would have been appreciated.

But, this held my attention well enough and I'm looking forward to reading more books by the author.

Atmospheric, interesting, with unexpected turns and a satisfying ending. I enjoyed learning more of the social hierarchies of the Raj, in both the Indian and British sides of society.

Captain Jim Agnihotri, wounded and battling PTSD, convalesces in a hospital, haunted by grief and his mixed heritage. Inspired by Sherlock Holmes, he investigates suspicious deaths of two women initially ruled as suicides. Hired by a Parsee family, he uncovers enigmatic secrets, finding solace within their fold. Although the investigation's course meanders and a melodramatic romance detracts, the narrative's depth deepens as history's battles entwine with Jim's personal journey. Amidst tangents, this intricate Bombay mystery retains its dynamism, with the promise of more tales to come. The vibrant setting adds a memorable backdrop, enhancing the overall experience.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an opening to read this book.

I did enjoy the book. A wonderful first book. It was interesting. An interesting mystery and you get a love story as well.

This novel sounded so promising, but the mystery really didn't work for me. The main character didn't pique my interest, and the mystery seemed very contrived.

I was immediately intrigued being that I haven't read much about Bombay. I originally was very interested in the book but I lost it as I kept reading.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this! I became so invested very quickly. I just loved the writing.

The characters were great, the mystery was intense, and there were so many twists. Can’t wait to read the second one!

Overall I enjoyed this story! I was pulled in from the beginning, but felt it moved a bit slow and almost lost my interest in the middle. Thankfully, I pushed through and was very glad that I did. I look forward to reading more from Nev March. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love the premise and the characters as well as the setting. Enjoyed reading this very much. Thank you Nev March.

I really struggle with this type of mystery and I just couldn’t get into this novel. I definitely lean more towards a modern thriller so this one just didn’t work for me. I’m sure many people did enjoy this one though!

A mystery novel told in Victorian India with a little Sherlockian flair. I found myself drifting off from the story due to its slower storytelling. It isn't a knock on the story itself but on me as a reader. I haven't read a lot of stories set in India and enjoy immersing myself in the setting. I didn't care so much for the romance that seemed to take center stage the further along as the story went. Murder in Old Bombay is a debut mystery and the author did an adequate job although at times I felt like the story meandered with secondary journeys but the protagonist, Captain Jim.

If you enjoy slow moving mysteries that are more character driven, Murder in Old Bombay may be worth your time.

Thank you to Minotaur for an e-copy in exchange for my honest review. I also listened to an audiobook review in conjunction with the audiobook which was enjoyable.

I had to trudge through this book. Parts of it were really interesting, but I could not get into it enough for it to read easily.

I dunno - maybe the culture, whatever. I could not get into this book. I'm sure it's lovely but to be honest, the country was the problem. Writing was fine.

Another one with a very interesting premise. It was a bit too big for me so I couldn’t make it to the end. If you enjoy historical murder mysteries, definitely give this a go