Hired by the son of a wealthy Indian businessman, James Agnihotri investigates the mysterious deaths of his young wife and cousin. Having read and memorized much of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the former soldier assumes Holmes's methods to discover what secret the two women were trying to protect.

This book is the first in a new mystery series. Full of puzzles and red herrings, it provides a look into life in late 19th century Bombay (today's Mumbai). It was a quick and satisfying read. I look forward to the next in the series.

Set in the late 1800's in colonial India, this is a story steeped in its setting. March does a masterful job of giving us just enough description to place us in the story, without boring us with too many details. You feel the agony of the protagonist as he struggles with lost time from war injuries and as he finds himself in an impossible position to marry the woman he loves - all the while,trying to figure out who killed her family members. A perfect blend of mystery and light romance which makes for a relaxing read.

This is a great historical adventure story/mystery! I particularly enjoyed how the author kept the narrator (who is also the protagonist) and all the other characters behaving, thinking and speaking in sync with the era in which they live. This had a very similar feel to it as reading other stories that were written in the Victorian era such as the Anna Katharine Green books, but with far more action and adventure.

I really enjoyed this and highly recommend!

I wish to thank NetGalley and the Publishers St Martin Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a mystery that you will not want to put down. It is a long story, but you will want to come back to it often and with great interest. It is set in British India in Bombay in 1892. The main character, Capt Jim Agnihotri is charged with trying to solve the murder of two women. He is a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast and the story is one that would certainly follow in those footsteps. It keeps you guessing to the very last word. The descriptions of life in India at that time are brilliant and the reader is transported to a totally different settings. Throughout the book you travel to many places and learn so much about each place and its customs. You learn the history of the area in the different caste systems and places and about the East Indian Company. This book has it all, history, mystery, romance, fashion, intrigue and wonderful characters. You can actually smell the different settings described. I just loved it. The story is one of loss and survival and you cheer for the heroes and boo for the villains. What more could anyone want in a story? This book is one that I believe lots of people will love and refer their friends and book clubs to it. Thank you Nev March for a great read.

At its heart #murderinoldbombay is a love story set in 1890’s British India. It is wrapped around a mystery set up like a Sherlock Holmes take as that is what the hero reads during his convalescence in a military hospital. I learned a lot I didn’t know about this time period and the Indian caste system which was presented factually and unapologetically. It was a pretty fast paced read but had me rooting for the main characters and crying over the sad parts. I wish to thank #netgalley and the publisher for this ebook to read and honestly review ahead of publication.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for this free ARC in return for an honest review. For a first novel this is quite good! I really enjoy novels/mysteries that are set in foreign locales and here we travel back to late 19th Century India as the author takes us quite and journey to lead us to find the killer of tw0 young girls who are members of an elite family in Bombay. He introduces us to a gentleman who is recovering from both battle wounds and what appears to be PTSD, one Jim Agnihotri who is part Indian and part English which puts him on the outside of both societies. Two girls are killed after a jury determines the ladies fell off the top of a clock tower and it was ruled a suicide. The family is not content with this and eventually hires Jim, who is a firm believer in the Sherlock Holmes method of solving cases. Jim takes us throughout India, and along the ways has numerous side adventures, all of which will eventually be part of the plot. We learn a lot about Indian society, as well as a possible love interest for Jim. Lots going on in this book and the middle part of the book was a bit labored even if they eventually tie into the overall plot and solution to the murders. I liked this book a whole lot and thought that it really picked up steam the last 125 pages.

This book was a quick little read! I am not a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, to begin with, but I am pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. This book is based in British occupied India where Captain Jim Agnihotri is recovering in a military hospital when he finds out about the death of two young women.
I really liked the setting of the story. The author seemed to have done a lot of research which made the book accurate

Loved this book so much! The first 30% was by far the best story I’ve ever read, was super drawn in. Then it got a little confusing, but still enticing. I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Press for an ARC of Murder in Old Bombay.

Set in Bombay in the late 1890s, the story takes us through retired Army Captain James Agnihotri's efforts to solve the mystery of the alleged suicides of two young Indian women. Throughout his investigation, we are taken through life in the upper and lower echelons of Indian society, and exposed to the sights, sounds and smells of the country as it was. All the characters are strong and believable, and the story is rich in historical events and background.
I enjoyed all aspects of this book and will watch for a sequel.

Meet the progenitor of James Bond in 1892 British India. Captain James Agnihotri, tall and muscular with the body and experience of a boxer. While recovering from a head wound in a military hospital in Poona, he fills his days by devouring newspapers and re-reading his beloved Sherlock Holmes novels. A newspaper headline grabs his attention ... two young females have plunged to their deaths from the university clock tower of Bombay in broad daylight. The "Trial of the Century" ended with the defendants acquitted and the deaths ruled a suicide. In James' mind the described facts don't make sense. Noted is the husband's letter to the editor ... declaring that neither my wife Bacha or my sister Pilloo had any reason to commit suicide and had everything to live for ... and ended his letter, "They are gone but I remain". This resonates with Jim since he was unable to save the lives of his friends who died in the dirt of Karachi (he was second in command) and since has suffered with nightmares and panic attacks. He was part of the Fourteenth Light Dragoons and stationed in the wild Northwest Frontier. After being released from the hospital with a medical discharge he decides to re-enter society as a journalist. He obtains a job at the Chronicle and as his initial foray into journalism ... he seeks and obtains an interview with the husband widower, Adi Framji ( a 20 something respected lawyer and part of the Parsee community, along with his family)
Jim convinces Adi that his wife's "murder'" deserves a Holmes-like thorough investigation. He promises to conduct an investigation that is methodical with a gathering of all the facts and put to a deductive treatment. And, thus James Agnihotri enters into a career as a private investigator. In the course of his investigation, he not only uncovers fragments of evidence from the crime scene. but also embarks on interviewing all the persons at the clock tower that day. In Holmes-like fashion he displays a penchant for disguise in order to shadow several of his suspects. Unfortunately a number of skirmishes occur in which he displays his Bond-like skills.
It is not surprising that Nev March's ( Nawaz Merchant) book was an award winner for the First Crime Novel contest. .... she proves to be a master storyteller, weaving a narrative with ever increasing tension and suspense as the facts and clues are teased out, while incorporating relevant Indian history and customs into this amazing souffle. A new knowledge of the Parsees and their culture, traditions and standing in late 19th Century British India was gained ... along with the mixed feelings in regards to the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 in which an appalling number of Indian troops had rebelled, murdering British officers and their families and in turn how the rebellion was brutally ended. Which side committed the lesser degree of atrocities? My previous knowledge of India was nil.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to another tale of James Agnihotri!!!

Jim is a soldier that is recovering from wounds sustained in battle. Looking for direction he sees an article in the newspaper about the mysterious deaths of two women, it may be a murder, it my be suicide, but it's a mystery that has him intrigued and he's willing to take on this work to find out for the families what happened. Inspired by the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes he takes on the mystery.
This book is a glimpse into the colonial past of India and the contradictions of the traditions of India with the traditions, culture and social structures at the time contrasted with the British occupation, laws and also social structures. This book was so very rich in detail, you could almost smell the curries in the air. This book was a fantastic read that brought to light so much details about India and it was a mystery that kept me turning the pages to the very end.

Murder in Old Bombay is a historical mystery set in late 19th century India. The premise is that Captain Jim Agnihotri is recovering from injuries in the hospital and reads a newspaper story about two women who fall from a clocktower to their deaths. Jim is intrigued by the story, and ultimately unsatisfied with the outcome of the trial, so once he is released from the hospital he endeavors to investigate the crime and find justice for the women and their families.

I enjoyed the setting, and the set up of the mystery was interesting and completely hooked me. About a third of the way through too many other elements began to take center stage (namely the protagonist's background and being an outsider, and the romance) and I found myself less invested in those aspects of the story. Ultimately I felt like this story was more of a romantic adventure than a puzzle to solve. There is a lot of interviewing of witnesses and suspects, and I think anyone who enjoys procedurals will like that aspect of this book.

This book is set in an exotic locale, is an historical fiction with mystery, has an added touch of adventure, and provides quite the story. If that weren't enough, it's a story based on a true one.

India - February, 1892
We're introduced to recovering soldier, Captain James Agnihotri, as he celebrates his 30th birthday in hospital. Although of mixed heritage, (Indian and presumably, English), he is quite well educated and well mannered. He's been reading the Chronicle (newspaper) and a bit of Sherock Holmes to while away his recuperation. The sensational headlines speak of two Bombay women plunging to their deaths from the library tower but the details seem a bit off to James. He then, on a certain level, empathisizes with the widower of one of the ladies as he reads the husband's letter to the editor. Soon, James is physically healed, honorably discharged, and on his way to Bombay in search of employment at the Chronicle. He believes that he has the skill set needed to get to the bottom of this story with the added benefit of segueing into a civilian career. While interviewing the widower, Adi Framji, James is enticed by Framji to do his sleuthing for Adi. Arrangements are made with the Chronicle to "loan" James to Framji's family in pursuit of the truth, which Adi so desperately craves. And so the story begins.

James Agnihotri is a bit of a tormented soul, struggling with a sense of not belonging. Purity of line plays a strong role during this time in history, to which James was not immune. Despite his strength of character, honor, will, knowledge and even bodily strength, he struggles with insecurity. He doesn't know who is father is. Growing up in an orphanage, he relied on a priest to provide fatherly guidance and care. Yet, his upraising and military service made him the man that he is - one of tremendous character.

Author Nev March spins a wonderful tale, filled with adventure, mystery, and a touch of romance. The writing is excellent and highly descriptive. One is swept away to Victorian Bombay through the marvelous scene settings, descriptions of attire, food and mannerly practices. Her understanding of India's history and its delicate colonialism of the day is beautifully rendered. The way in which she writes dialogue among people of differing cutures and castes is insightful and delivers a strong understanding of the rising desire for Indian self-rule. Yet, India has much to learn at this juncture lest it tear itself apart. The story was thoroughly captivating and I cannot wait until the next book in series makes its way into the world.

I am grateful to publisher Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

While I thought the murder investigation was interesting, I think it kinda got lost in the details. There was a lot of, what I thought, unnecessary story, surrounding the main plot. Overall it was a pretty good story, despite the sow parts and detailed descriptions.

This historical mystery set during the 19th century British India was a delightful read. I loved the characters and the storytelling. It was a fast-paced read from start to finish. This is a first time author for me, and I hope she writes more books. Excellent debut book. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is an exciting mystery with a protagonist, James, who is a fully developed character with a rich background. The author reveals James’ life events from his orphanage childhood through his military service as his investigation into the deaths of the two young Indian women takes him to other regions of India. The author’s descriptions of people and places are so well done, that it seems to be like watching a movie in your head. The well-to-do widower of one of the dead women, his independent-minded, England-educated sister and their parents provide a glimpse of how upper caste Indians managed British rule. The bottom line: great story, great characters and great writing.

Murder in Old Bombay is a true mystery and has adventures during the British rule of India in the 1800's. This is told by Jim who survives in the war and feels guilty that he did and others didnt.Having to find out about a murder,he starts to ask questions and investigate what happens. but ends up finding a family and more adventures than he could have planned on.You will so enjoy this true to life book and get some tissues you will need !Net Gallery let me read this to review.

I still can't believe this is a debut book; it was so well done.

Overall, the tone is similar to The Woman in White mixed with Laurie King's Mary Russell series. It's got that great Victorian vibe to it combined with amazing travelogue details of 1892 India. The plot is what you would call "leisurely" but that goes with the Victorian vibe. Great characterization but the real star of the book is the setting. I don't know if March is planning on doing a sequel but I'm not sure how it will live up to the first book.

Set in 19th century Bombay, March’s debut novel presents protagonist Jim Agnihotri, an Anglo-Indian cavalry captain recovering from an injury borne on the frontier in Karachi. With not much else to occupy his days, he gets gripped by the sensational deaths of 19-year-old Bacha and 16-year-old Pilloo, members of a prominent Parsee family-- the Framjis--who fell from a university clock tower. The grapevine holds that the pair committed suicide, but Agnihotri find too many contradictions in reports about the deaths to buy that story. m checks out of the hospital, Jim resigns his commission and contacts the widower. The young man offers him a job to help solve the murder mystery. But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim's investigation, channeling his personal hero Sherlock Holmes, disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. Murder in Old Bombay is a layered mystery, addressing complicated questions of loyalty and identity, with some very interesting nods to Arthur Conan Doyle throughout.

On the whole, this is an enjoyable read. Its strongest element is the unusual setting - 1890s India, still under the Raj and in the process of changing. The period details are on the whole convincing and the author successfully captures the divided cultural existence of upper-caste Indians drawn both to what they cannot help but see as the past, though a valued past, and modernity, represented by British norms. The plot is engaging and the resolution will satisfy readers who enjoy a satisfactory happy conclusion.