Bombay Monsoon is the tale of a young American journalist, Dan Jacobs, who finds himself in 1975 India during the rule of Indira Gandhi. He finds himself embroiled in a mystery with untrusting encounters and people. He has to figure out what's happening in order to survive! I enjoyed the descriptions of the time period, food, and overall culture. But, at times the story lags and stumbles. The characters are not really likeable, too shady and underdeveloped. Overall an easy, entertaining read.

ombay Monsoon is a mystery novel written by James Ziskin, published in 2021. The book is set in Bombay, India in 1969, and follows the story of Ellie Stone, an American journalist who has come to India to interview an author. However, when the author dies suddenly, Ellie becomes embroiled in a murder investigation that leads her into the dangerous world of Indian politics and corruption.

Review:

One of the strengths of the book is Ziskin's ability to weave together multiple storylines and characters without losing the reader's attention. The murder investigation is just one of several plot threads, and Ziskin does an excellent job of balancing them all while keeping the pace of the book moving.

However, the book does have a few flaws. The pacing is slow, and some of the secondary characters feel underdeveloped. Additionally, while Ziskin's descriptions of Bombay are excellent, the book could have benefited from more historical context to give readers a better understanding of the political and social climate of the time.

The introduction of Emergency in India into the story seems unnecessary as it is not related to the plot.

Overall, Bombay Monsoon is an enjoyable and engaging mystery novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. While it has its flaws, Ziskin's strong writing and compelling characters make it well worth the read

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

I found the descriptions of the geography, foods and people of India very detailed and wonderful. But the story for me was OK. It did honestly take me a while to go through, but I pulled through to the end, as I hate leaving a book unfinished.

I had mixed feelings about "Bombay Monsoon." While the setting and cultural context of 1970s India were fascinating, and the author's descriptions of the people and places were vivid and evocative, I found the story to be slow-paced and lacking in suspense. "Bombay Monsoon" didn't fully captivate me, I think readers who enjoy character-driven stories and are interested in the history and culture of India may find it worth reading.

I read Bombay Monsoon in two days and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a twisty thriller and also a steamy love story between an American reporter in Bombay and an Indian woman with a dark past. The setting is great, with a lot of insight into India at the time as well as American politics. My favorite part of the novel is the love triangle between the American reporter, the Indian woman, and her wealthy Belgian lover who is also the reporter's closest friend in Indian. At various points the three of them all betray each other - or do they?

James Ziskin, author of good mystery series about a female reporter set in 1960s, has written a standalone mystery set in 1975 India when democracy was seeminly lost. From the descriptions, you can tell he's intimately familiar with life in India. Pungent smells of spicy, delicious foods, crowded streets, perilous roads and the pervasive colorism provide a backdrop to a harrowing story of foreign reporter acclimating to life there while thrown into the middle of a high stakes who-can-I-trust game. Take a trip to India via Ziskin's Bombay Monsoon.

BOMBAY MONSOON by James W. Ziskin is an unusual novel. The main character, Danny Jacobs, is a journalist posted in India during the mid 70’s. The novel has plenty of suspense and intrigue, along with a passionate love story. The characters are interesting with information about them revealed as the novel progresses. There were quite a few surprises and not everyone was as they appeared. The ending was different than what I expected, but I really liked how it ended. The pacing was slow at times, but fit the setting. I enjoyed reading this novel and learned a lot about foreigners working in India during this time in history.

Thw book focuses on a young ambitious journalist based in India. Danny is recruited to spy on his neighbour. The book starts slow but gathers pace with plenty of intrigue and twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read BOMBAY MONSOON.

In brief, this story takes place in 1975 India. An American Journalist is the protagonist in this story. Lots of interesting characters in this story.

Highly recommended for fans of Lee Child.

Nothing is as it seems!

Danny Jacobs, a journalist caught up in Bombay as Irandi Ghandi declares an Emergency to help save her party and her power. Democracy in India is at a standstill. Ghandi rounds up her opposition as the whole country faces upheaval
A beautiful young Indian woman, Sushmita leaves him breathless
Her companion, a Belgian it turns out, Willy Smets, takes to Danny like father to son
An ugly American, Russell Harlan Jr., a gorgeous German Lufthansa hostess, and Danny’s manservant of a few days, Ramu and Police Inspector Lockhande. Then there’s his boss Frank’s secretary, Janice.
All form a nexus around which we, along with Danny, are whirled.
One of Danny’s first stories, still on the back burner, was an interview with a bomb maker and terrorist. An unfortunate photo leaves Dan in a precarious position.
A dive into Indian and European society and culture in 1975 India where nothing is as it seems, cultural differences aside.
An intriguing thriller embedded in a culture where nothing is at it seems. So enjoyed this!

A Oceanview ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

1975 Danny is bold, a bit brash and new to Bombay. He has come as a journalist at a
time of press restructions with Indira Gandhi trying to hold onto power, in whatever
way possible. The government does not like criticsm and very soon Danny is drawn into
a maelstrom of intrigue, not just political but into a world of drug dealing, manipulative
deals, ruthless big time dealers who will not hesitate to kill any opponent.
in addition he is attracted to a local girl, who is already someone else's mistress.
Not the best way to cement alliances in a very fast moving world.

Danny is in way over his head and to extricate himself and come out alive is hard.
The story is fast moving, covering terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption in the
government and whether the woman whom Danny is in love with is using him for her own
reasons.

Nicely displaying the naivety of a newly arrived American and how gullible one can be
when transported out of one's usual environment, the story is fast paced and interesting.

The year is 1975, and ambitious American journalist Danny Jacobs has just arrived in Bombay for a brand-new assignment. For a journalist, the timing couldn’t be worse or better. Fearing a coup, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi proclaimed a state of emergency. A reporter’s fantasy scenario—or his worst nightmare—includes the murder of a police officer by a Marxist extreme, followed by the addition of a heated, unexpected romance to further muddle the plot. Ziskin transports us to 1975 and follows the exploits of Dan Jacobs, a newspaper reporter recently dispatched to India. Jacobs arrives at the start of monsoon season and during the State of Emergency proclaimed by Indira Gandhi after the courts ruled that her election victory in 1971 was illegitimate.

Perfect for Steve Berry and Ken Follett lovers. An interesting tale that deals with romance, cultural adjustment, and criminality is called Bombay Monsoon. The descriptions of locations, people, and customs are extremely accurate, albeit rather selective. However, both the plot and the ending are inadequate. For the reader to visualize the setting in their imaginations, I also admire how James W. Ziskin organized the book by letting them know the date and time. Bombay Monsoon’s story and characters did hold my attention. I appreciated seeing India through Danny Jacob’s eyes as it was in 1975. The fact that he is a young journalist working to report from India at a time when that nation’s democracy is in jeopardy gives this tale some modern significance. The story is written in a basic, uncomplicated manner that seems most suitable for a journalist.

I’m always curious about non-Indian authors that write stories with an Indian setting. There are several local contexts, many of which are not pleasant, but all of which are based on reality, particularly during the period in which the novel is set. The author makes a point of including detailed allusions to locations and foods. Ziskin does an excellent job of capturing the settings and eras accurately. The plot dragged at times due to the uneven pacing. Although this appears to be the trend for stories that are more thrillers than mysteries, character development was also relatively weak. I adored the nuanced, entwined historical viewpoints and the setting of India. Although this narrative may have happened anywhere in the world, the author gave due respect to the nation he chose as the story’s setting.

I loved this book! Danny is the most clueless idiot and so endearing! I kept thinking "what are you doing??" and laughing at his bad decisions and naivete. I was definitely on his side and hoping he'd have a good outcome and survive, despite his actions. It really kept me guessing until the end, which had me on the edge of my seat. The monsoons set such a great mood for the book. Very cleverly crafted and well executed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

James Ziskin is a prolific author, but this is the first book of his that I’ve read. It’s a stand-alone historical mystery that takes place in 1975 India, just when Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency. She was in danger of losing her position, so what better way to retain power? As part of the SOE, news is being censored.
Danny Jacobs is an American reporter, recently sent to Bombay. He’s no novice, having formerly reported in Vietnam and Chile. He has recently interviewed a bombing suspect, who now regrets talking to Danny and letting him take pictures. This regret takes the form of his threatening Danny to get his hands on those photos. But for someone who’s been on the line of fire elsewhere, here, he comes across as a wuss and with an initial sense of moral ambiguity.
Meanwhile, Danny has made friends with the couple living in the penthouse of his apartment and soon that friendship leads to a romance with the woman. I was worried the romance would take over the book but then came a twist which renewed my interest.
Ziskin does a good job painting a solid picture of the times and place. The pacing was uneven, with the story dragging at times. Character development was also somewhat lacking, but that seems to be the norm of books that are more thrillers than mysteries. The plot took on a predictable path with Danny being asked to help in a criminal investigation. I found a key point in the almost ending unbelievable.
My thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview for an advance copy of this book.

Bombay Monsoon is an unusual story covering romance, cultural adjustment & crime. The descriptions of places, people & habits are very authentic, though somewhat selective. The story falls short though, and the finish especially so.

Danny Jacobs works for the news agency UNI and lands in Mumbai on an assignment in 1975. As he adjusts to a new place, he meets Willy Smets and his girlfriend Sushmita. Willy runs a successful business related to import and export of goods. Willy & Sushmita are very helpful in getting Danny adjusted. There are also Harlan and Brigit who are on visits to India like Danny. Shortly after, emergency is declared in India with severe restrictions on liberties. This is probably the most controversial period in the history of Independent India where the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after some adverse court verdicts and mounting political opposition assumed a lot of power, enacted new laws and jailed many of her political opponents. The press was censored, and all stories of UNI go through censorship. Danny finds himself getting attracted to Sushmita and a relationship ensues. There is also a threat he faces, after an interview with a radical – Bikas. There is also a plot involving drugs and human trafficking.

Non-Indian authors writing stories based in India always arouse my curiosity. There is a lot of local context, and while not all of it is favourable, it is nevertheless based on reality, especially of the period the novel is set in. The author makes it a point to provide elaborate references to places and food items. The story is told from Danny’s perspective, and he is the good guy (at times comes across as pretentious), while many regressive dialogues are given to a few others. The author is so focused on building the cultural context, that unfortunately the story develops very slowly and is just about average overall. The last section is especially disappointing.

In the afterword, the author warns that democracy needs safeguarding, so that we do not see a period such as that between 1975-77 in India. The story being set during the period of the emergency is a nice touch, though I feel the story did not fully exploit the possibilities.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.

Rating: 5/5

Ziskin’s savvy thriller captures the essence of an immensely seductive and climatically tempestuous Bombay amid India’s 1970s political turmoil.

The protagonist is a young American journalist—Danny Jacobs—who arrives in India in 1975 on the eve of the polemical national crisis known as “The Emergency.” Danny falls in love and makes a few enemies while getting the Pulitzer-prize-worthy story of his life dropped in his lap, though not without a few plot twists and having to contend with a tested moral code. Drugs, deception, gangsters, goddesses, exotic scenic detours, nostalgic Bollywood, and a magnificent stick-shift Mercedes drive this action-packed story from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

Although unfamiliar with the author’s long-running mystery series, I gave his most recent novel a shot because of its location and subject. Yes, it was an excellent debut of a new series, and I think it inspired me to dust off the passport or perhaps re-read Shantaram—it’s been a while.

Bombay Monsoon is available on December 6th, 2022. Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC.

-A.H. Nazzareno

Thanks to Oceaniew Publishing and NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.
James Ziskin, award winning author of the Ellie Stone Mystery series, has turned his attention to India in his most recent book. Ziskin takes us back to 1975 and follows the adventures of Dan Jacobs, a newspaper reporter, who has recently been sent to India and arrives during the beginning of the Monsoon season as well as the State of Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi after the courts ruled her 1971 election was illegally won. Gandhi declares a state of emergency and all news is censored. It is in this arena that Dan operates, but his bigger issues it that he has fallen in love with Sushmita, the girlfriend of his neighbor. We follow Dan's exploits as he attempts to cover and report on news events, as well as running from a terrorist who he interviewed for the wire services and who has now changed in mind and wants Dan dead. Oh, and he also gets involved in a major criminal investigation. Lots of excitement here as Dan stumbles from one problem to another. It is a quality effort, and I hope this leads to more books involving Dan and India. The plotting is very tight, the characters well developed and should definitely be a hit with Ziskin's Ellie Stone fans, it will also be a hit for those who are new to his works!

Ziskin's Bombay Monsoon offer a thriller set in post-partition India in the 1970s. For me, the thriller aspect slid behind Ziskin's clear fascination with Indian life and culture (which I understand! It's fascinating!). However, it meant that the endless work he did on character development and research never fully coalesced into an action-packed thriller. The Bourne Identity, it wasn't. However, anyone who is interested in India will likely enjoy that book and I think it would be a solid addition to a public library collection.

In 1975, for 21 months, the world's largest democracy was anything but a democracy. In fact, Indira Ghandi, in order to defend herself against an accusation of electoral fraud that would have removed her from power, had Article 352 of the Constitution enacted, thus suspending public freedoms and elections. Against the backdrop of these events, the story unfolds of Danny Jacobs, a young and ambitious American journalist who, despite his experience as a war correspondent, is evidently not prepared for the strange, sometimes murky atmosphere of the Indian subcontinent, its elusive characters, its trafficking, the strangeness that is the caste division, its gurus and what is almost an adoration for white skin. In search of a scoop and constrained by the bonds of censorship, he inevitably falls in love with Sushmita, a refined Indian woman who is the mistress of a European tycoon. A woman who hides many secrets, among which the best kept is her true identity.
A very well-written, intriguing novel that carries an exotic perfume.

Bombay Monsoon is a thriller set in post-Partition India in the mid 1970s. An ambitious young American journalist, Danny Jacobs, arrives in Bombay on a new assignment. He’s tossed into a maelstrom of events during which the prime minister, Indira Gandhi, fearing a coup, declares a “state of emergency” to save her office. On top of that, a police officer is assassinated by a Marxist extremist. Then Danny embarks on a hot, unexpected, yet very complicated romance with a lovely woman, Sushmita.

The novel is well-paced, and the setting, India, is well-described as are its foods and atmosphere. I spent time in that part of the world in 1977, close enough to the time frame of the book, and testify that the repercussions of Partition were—and are—still rebounding in Pakistan and India as well as the emotional fatigue brought on by days of endless rains during the monsoons. The weather is definitely a character in its own right; the descriptions of it are deeply atmospheric and evocative. Bombay Monsoon highlights the multiple prejudices of Indian society including the importance of light skin in India and the caste system and relating them to similar problems in American society. The characters are varied and quite interesting, ranging from drug dealers to policemen to US DEA agents, and their roles frequently shift, adding nuance to their personalities. Danny himself is an unreliable narrator and has his own misconceptions and mindsets to overcome. He is rather passive and allows things to happen to him rather than working toward a specific goal.