I love India and it's culture. Plus I like crime and action stories. That's why I was interested in this book.
But I couldn't fine what I was looking for.
The action of the plot was left in the background and I would have like to see more of Indian culture and it's history in it. I thought the plot would revolve more around the historical events. But it focused more on the characters and the stuff going between them. I couldn't see anything going on as a subject.
This book wasn't for me.

Wonderful descriptions of India, the geography, foods, people, etc. Didn't really like Danny much. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

A thriller set in India during the reign of the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s rule. An American journalist, Danny is caught up in the chaos that begins with a coup. During all the trouble that is brewing, he falls in love and that complicates matters further. There’s some exciting twists and the description of the backdrop is written beautifully. A historical fiction story with thrills.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review of Bombay Monsoon by James W. Ziskin

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing for the advanced reader’s uncorrected proof in exchange for this honest review.

I am a big fan of historical fiction, but this book did not feel so much like historical fiction as just a romance tale destined to be a disaster. I was a senior in high school in 1975. I would imagine that a diligent history teacher probably tried to discuss the “Emergency” declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to no avail from his uninterested senior students. I knew that Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, but I knew nothing else about what was going on in that far away country and having no interest in world politics. My mind was set on graduating and preparing to go away to college. Thank goodness for Ziskin for filling in my lacking education in this regard.

I have also heard about the monsoon season in this part of the world. Talk about having no understanding about such a thing! Except for one year, I have always lived in West Texas. Rain like this is unknown and completely out of my sphere of understanding. I felt myself being envious of the torrential rains described every day in this story…which I know is crazy.

Please do not misunderstand my comment above about “a romance tale destined to be a disaster.” I am not a fan of romance novels, but this romance was interesting and well-told. The romance takes place in the midst of budding friendships with people who turn out to be sketchy characters or government investigators (both Indian and American). Who can you trust? No one it seems.

Danny Jacobs is an American journalist and main character. Unfortunately, he was my least favorite character. He makes repeated bad decisions based mainly on his heart instead of his head. He is old enough to know better. It is also very possible (probable) that I just do not understand men of his age. I enjoyed every single woman character from the love-interest to the office secretary and all female characters in between. These women are interesting, different, and intelligent.

The pace of the novel is perfect. There are some narrative spots that some might find too wordy, but I did not mind. Ziskin has frequently visited and lived in India and does describe in detail the towns and cities. Having never been to India, I truly enjoyed these descriptions. The terrifying description of ascending/descending the Western Ghats is amazing! I do NOT want to experience that ride.

So…ignoring my general impatience with Danny, I still enjoyed this book.

Star rating: 4 stars

A really enjoyable book that mixes old world colonialism with modern day drug and sex trafficking and under cover international police work. The plot revolves around a young American journalist who falls in love with a beautiful mysterious Indian lady who is controlled by a very devious criminal. How can he manage this struggle, read the book to find out more. Recommended.

This book is a historical fiction set in India. And it does that setting really well. The descriptions of the country, the food and the customs were super interesting to me. But unfortunately, that's where my positives end.

This book follows a journalist who, when starting an affair with his friend's girlfriend, gets caught up in a criminal network. Almost all of our main characters' motivations focus on sleeping with his friend's girlfriend. Yes, his friend is an awful person, but 1) he didn't know that when he decided to sleep with his girlfriend and 2) there's really no excuse for sleeping with your friend's girlfriend, or cheating for that matter.

Danny is a very unlikable character, imo. He is incredibly hypocritical in how he judges other people's racism while being completely unaware of this own. We have many scenes that go something like this.
"We were alone. Well, except for the servants. But no one here ever counts the servants. I hate how they treat them like they don't even exist and don't count them."
Dannny, you didn't count them. You are exactly the same as all those people, with the exception that you occasionally lament about it. Oh, why is everyone around me so racist? Yes, I do act the same, but what choice do I have? Oh how horrible.

Then some investigators decide to clue him in on what a horrible person his friend is, the selling a little girl's virginity type level of evil, and what does Danny do? Well, nothing really. Until he realises that this might mean he can take the girlfriend for himself, then suddenly his game. Everything he does is for Sushmita.

This book is presented as a historical mystery, which sounds awesome, but really there isn't actually very much of a mystery. If anything, this reads like a romance. And an insta-lovey, no development type of romance at that. There is so little interaction between the two main characters before they decide to sleep together, and the most time we actually read about them being together is when they sneak around to sleep together. There was no chemistry (except for sexual, I guess) and this felt a lot more "hot girl so I want her" than actual I care about this person.

Continuing on that, the mystery unfolds around Danny, without him doing much or making actual decisions. He's a very passive main character, despite being an investigative journalist. Everything just happens to him, and even then the other characters have to explain everything to him, because he can't figure things out for himself.

The actual interesting mystery, the "emergency" declared by the government and its effects on journalism and the people of India/ the democracy serve just as a background for Danny's love story. I guess people familiar with the history of India might not care <i>as</i> much, but for me, the politics, the world events, the things happening in India were WAY more interesting than whatever Danny and Sushmita were up to.

The writing is fine, and the setting and descriptions are great, but unfortunately the plot and characters were lacking, making this a rather dull book.

Come for the India feels, leave for the plot...

A mystery/misfortune by chance novel, Bombay Monsoon is tale of American journalist Danny Jacobs, who finds himself in 1970s India ruled with an iron fist by Indira Gandhi. As he learns to navigate the country, its people, its customs, Danny quickly finds himself embroiled in multiple spots of bother: an extremist who threatens his life, an unfriendly policeman, a burglar servant, a short-tempered boss, strange expats, and overfriendly neighbours all quickly populate this story. Can Danny figure what's truly happening before his loses his job, himself.. or even his life?

As an Indian, I enjoyed the attention detail by the author towards the time period, the food, the regions, languages. It was very easy to be transported in my mind's to the Danny's Mumbai and Poona haunts, by how vividly they were described, The characters that populate the book seem familiar, as if you might cross paths with them in any Indian city, adding to depth of the book.

As for the story itself, it stumbles and staggers in terms of pace - a lot of time is spent setting up the characters before getting to the heat of the mystery and predicament that Danny faces. The historical background is interesting but doesn't really impact the plot much. The supporting characters all seem equally shady / sleazy / unknown and as the book approaches the close of the plot, it becomes hard to decipher the direction of the end. Perhaps this is intentional, but it does drawn the inevitable conclusion of 'That's it?'.

Overall an easy read and a unique story that could have had a touch more substance or character development.

(Received an eARC from Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing. All opinions in this review are my own.)

James W. Ziskin is the author of the award-winning Ellie Stone Mysteries Series, yet somehow I hadn't read any of his work before getting an advance copy of Bombay Monsoon from NetGalley and Oceanview publishing. I love well-crafted Historical Fiction and Thrillers, and this book is all of that.

We are introduced to Danny Jacobs, an ambitious young journalist who recently arrived in Bombay, as he sets out to make his professional mark and adjust to life as an ex-pat in a country that still holds on to a "servant" under-class. Aided by the notes left by his predecessor, Danny contacts and interviews a man who claims to have set the bomb that killed a police officer in support of Marxist extremists. In an unguarded moment, Danny captures the bomber's face on film - a piece of evidence the bomber and the people behind him cannot permit becoming public.

We share Danny's discomfort as his egalitarian views get challenged by the complex social norms in Indian society. Each new acquaintance has a part in the mystery, from his penthouse neighbour Willy Smets with his exotic mistress Sushmita to Danny's bigotted compatriot Harlan and even his servant Ramu. Not everyone is what they seem - and misplaced trust can be fatal.

The historical setting of the story is "The Emergency" declaration following the court-ordered nullification of Indira Gandhi's 1975 election. The actions that the Indian government took affected human rights and civil liberties at the time, and indirectly impact this storyline. I found it worthwhile to take a break and read up on those major events since the book does assume some familiarity with them, yet thankfully doesn't bog us down with the details. I expect that Ziskin will have a lot more to draw from that period in future books in this series.

I had a personal interest in the setting of the book because while I haven't spent as much time in India as Ziskin has, I've spent considerable time between Mumbai and Pune and the locales were familiar to me. I feel that he has captured the geography exceptionally well, especially the (still!) harrowing road up and down the Ghats. A setting that was well-grounded in reality and characters with only regular human capabilities and weaknesses made the story very accessible and believable. On the other hand, some may find that too much time is spent on the descriptions of scenery and food.

I was slightly disappointed in the way the central mystery storyline ended - it felt like a movie adaptation where a sudden ending trope replaces chapters of revelation to fit time constraints. I'm left imagining that dozens or hundreds of pages were cut from an earlier draft that might have shown how the criminal network reacted to Danny's escape and helped move the story to its conclusion more gradually.

Overall, Bombay Monsoon is extremely enjoyable. The historical setting is interesting and invites a bleak comparison to and warning for present-day politics. The main characters are accessible and feel real, and most importantly, the action is engaging. I'm looking forward to reading what Danny Jacobs does next!

A historical mystery set in vividly-described 1975 Bombay. Danny Jacobs is an American journalist looking into the assassination of a police officer. He befriends an enigmatic expat and then becomes romantically entangled with his girlfriend. There is a lot going on but the true star of this novel is the setting.

In this historic fictional story, Danny Jacobs is a young American journalist who has arrived in Bombay in 1975 on a new assignment. He befriends enigmatic expat neighbour Willy Smets. Willy is charming and rich. As he spends more time with Willy, Danny falls hard for Willy's girlfriend Sushmita and the two begin a clandestine relationship. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi conducts a virtual coup by declaring an Emergency. With the monsoon rains falling, Danny ponders what to do about his growing obsession with Sushmita as he works on a big story about the assassination of a police officer by a Marxist extremist.

This is a compelling story of courage, love, and betrayal. The 1975 setting in India is vividly described. Danny Jacobs is a flawed protagonist who soon finds both his career and life are in danger. Danny finds it hard to judge who to trust & how to move forward.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing. All opinions listed here are my own.

The title of the book attracted me to pick up since I live in Bombay, moreover, it's historical fiction.
The book is presented in the form of a journal with a time stamp.
The author captured the city during the 70s so well. Despite many high-rise builds and metro stations, Bombay Akka Mumbai is still the same in many parts.
This story is based on the political situation in India during the 70s when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister who ordered an emergency in which India's democracy(the world's largest democratic country) was shaken up. Civil liberties were curtailed, the press was censored, political opponents were jailed, and so on.
Though it's mentioned as historical fiction, the book looks like a memoir of an American journalist who spent his life in Bombay (now Mumbai)during the 70s.
How Daniel Jacobs known as Danny dragged into the drug smuggling and human trafficking case by both the CBI as well as the smuggler himself. Danny was invited by Willy Smets(the smuggler) for his party, there he falls in love with Sushmita who is Smets's lover.
Danny's helper Ramu/Ranjit who is a CBI official, makes him work closely with Willy to find out his dealings.
Ranjit and Danny were successful in their mission?
This book covers, love, betrayal, political situation, the life of high-class Indian women, colorism, and more.
The Indian dialect is used and captured so nicely.
The author transported me to Bombay in the 70s. The book is gripping from beginning to end. It will keep you hooked till you finish the last page. It's a great pleasure to read this book.
The author did not touch much about the political situation during emergency. I was expecting more on that.

Bombay Monsoon is a fascinating story set in the turmoil of 1975 India, Danny is a young, likeable American reporter who has just arrived in Bombay and is seeking to establish himself in a small news reporting bureau. Danny is befriended by a seductive, wealthy couple in his apartment building. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Indira Ghandi has declared a state of emergency in India, locking down her power in an astonishingly bold and undemocratic manner. Danny and the other reporters must tread carefully.
However, Danny is soon caught up in an illicit, passionate affair with the beautiful Indian partner of that mysterious couple in his building. Matters deepened as Danny is called on to be a spy to check into the couple's criminal activities.
Ziskin's writing is authentic and easy, giving the reader a compelling glimpse into Indian life during this crucial period, from a newcomer's and outsider's viewpoint. The love of India, its people, and culture are evident. The first half of the book moves slowly as characters are developed and influences build. The second half rachets up the action and intrigue. Ziskin develops a great plot with unforgettable characters.

My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Bombay Monsoon. Expected publication date - Dec 6th 2022

Danny Jacobs is a young and ambitious American journalist who's just arrived in India in 1975 on a new assignment. Against the backdrop of a state of emergency, declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Danny is thrown into a mix of events, including the assassination of a police officer and an illicit and unexpected romance.

What I loved...
📚 I am not always a fan of historical fiction but this was a pleasant surprise. The novel was well-paced and detailed enough to keep me drawn in without being overwhelmed with details. The characters were such a varied cast and each one was given enough attention and development to truly captivate your attention.
📚 I loved the backdrop of India and the subtle, intertwined historical perspectives. While this story could've taken place anywhere in the world, the author paid appropriate tribute to the country he chose as the story's base.

What I didn't love...
📚 There were occasional times when the details seemed a bit rambling and ultimately, unnecessary. This book could've been a little shorter without sacrificing any of the storyline.

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The year is 1975. Danny Jacobs is an ambitious, young American journalist who’s just arrived in Bombay for a new assignment. He’s soon caught up in the chaos of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s domestic “Emergency.”
The writing style is great and it's fantastically written. A wonderful story, beautifully told!

Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the eARC.

This is a historical fiction/mystery set at the time of Indira Gandhi's rule and the state of emergency she had declared in the country. The book works well on many levels and the author's love for India is clear, however at times the prejudice of a "white person in India" shows through.

I was split between a 3 or a 4 on this one. Probably closer to 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Bombay Monsoon is a fantastic historical book to read. Danny Jacobs, an American journalist in 1975, caught a new assignment in Bombay, and Danny Jacobs landed in Bombay worse time for the community. However, fantastic time for an ambitious journalist. Bombay was in a state of emergency after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi feared a coup. The readers of Bombay Monsoon will continue to follow Danny Jacobs to find out what happens.

Bombay Monsoon is the first book I have read by James W. Ziskin. Bombay Monsoon was an enjoyable book to read. I also like the way James W. Ziskin structured the book letting the reader know the date and time so they can picture it in their minds. I did engage with the plot and characters of Bombay Monsoon. I love James W. Ziskin's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. Bombay Monsoon was well written and researched by James W. Ziskin. I like James W. Ziskin's description of the settings of Bombay Monsoon, which allowed me to imagine living in Bombay during the 1970s.

The readers will learn about living in Bombay in the '70s. Also, the readers will learn about prejudice in the Indian Society.

James Ziskin’s new historical novel, Bombay Monsoon, offers readers seeking an escape in both time and distance a noir tale of intrigue and romance. Danny Jacobs is a young journalist on assignment in India, hoping to make a name for himself. Set in 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has declared a state of Emergency. The tenets of democracy are being challenged, and unrest is growing in the streets. Befriended by a group of ex-pats, Danny meets Willy Smets, a wealthy Belgian who offers to take him under his wing, which might have proved helpful, until Danny finds himself attracted to Smets’ girlfriend, Sushmita. The plot is set, the clock is ticking, and Ziskin wastes no time sharing with his readers the intrigue of a foreign land.

I have removed this feedback as well as any comments which I may have made about your book anywhere in the world. I will also not be writing any more reviews on netgalley

Der Klappentext war schon mal vielversprechend, und das Cover hat es mir auch angetan – ich war zwar noch nie in Indien, aber das steht noch auf meiner Bucket List, und so musste ich das Buch lesen. Ich habe die englische Ausgabe gelesen, aber da ich auf deutsch rezensiere, hier noch mal kurz der Inhalt auf deutsch:
Wir sind in Bombay, 1975. Danny Jacobs ist Expatriat aus den USA, frisch in Indien eingetroffen, und gerade dabei, sich einzugewöhnen. Er ist Journalist, hat aus vielen Kriegs- und Krisengebieten berichtet, und sein erster Coup in Indien ist ein Interview mit einem Terroristen, der natürlich anonym bleiben will. Danny gelingt es trotzdem, ein Foto von ihm zu machen – ein Bild, eine Filmrolle, die noch ziemlich bedeutsam für ihn werden soll….
Aber zuerst einmal lässt sich das Leben in Bombay eher unspektakulär an. Danny treibt sich in den „Expat-Kreisen“ herum, und lernt hierbei den charismatischen Belgier Willy Smets kennen, sowie dessen indische Lebensgefährtin Sushmita. Danny verliebt sich – und zwar komplett. Sushmita wird zur Obsession, und die beiden beginnen hinter Willys Rücken eine leidenschaftliche Affaire. Schon bald zeigt sich, dass Willy zur organisierten Kriminalität gehört, und das Leben und Lieben von Danny wird gefährlich.
Ich merke gerade, der Plot dieses Krimis lässt sich nicht so ohne weiteres zusammenfassen, hier hat der Autor nämlich ein brillantes Netz geknüpft, und viele Fäden laufen zusammen. Im Mittelpunkt ist Danny, der als Reporter eigentlich nur die Wahrheit aufdecken will und ansonsten ganz gerne ein friedliches Privatleben hätte – allein, es ist ihm nicht vergönnt. Peu a peu wird er immer tiefer in einen Sumpf aus Lügen und Kriminalität verwickelt, und nichts ist so, wie es erscheint. Sehr intelligent geplottete Story, viele kleine Nebenschauplätze, viele kleine Nebendarsteller, und es läuft alles in ein grosses Gesamtbild zusammen; und der Leser weiss aber erst ziemlich zum Ende hin, wer hier welches Spiel spielt.
1975 war in Indien das Jahr der „Emergency“, als Mrs Gandhi mit einem Politstreich die Macht (wieder)erlangt hatte, und diese Zeit bildet hier den zeitgeschichtlichen Hintergrund. Danny als Journalist bekommt die Auswirkungen der Emergency natürlich auch hautnah zu spüren, denn auch in seinem Zeitungsbüro wird ein Zensor der indischen Regierung installiert, der es ihm und seinen Kollegen schwer macht, News zu veröffentlichen. Das fand ich persönlich einen sehr interessanten Hintergrund, und der Autor geht im Nachwort (der „Author’s Note“ ) darauf auch noch einmal ein.
Und natürlich ist es die Jahreszeit des Monsoons – die indische Regenzeit im frühen Sommer ist der zweite Hintergrund der Story. Der Monsoon setzt auch die Stimmung: der Regen wütet tagelang, und die Bewohner sind gezwungen, in ihren Häusern zu weilen….
Ja, ich fasse zusammen: Das war richtig gut. Der Autor kennt sich in Indien sehr gut aus, hier merkt man, da hat jemand Ahnung von Land und Leuten, von denen er schreibt. Man ist als Leser direkt mit Danny im Indien der 70er Jahre, die Atmosphäre kommt super rüber. Ich war vom ersten Kapitel an drin im Geschehen. Das Spannungslevel ist jederzeit hoch, und ich fand alle Charaktere, egal ob Haupt- oder Nebendarsteller, gut gezeichnet. Mit Danny sind wir an der Seite eines weissen Expats, und mit Sushmita und Ranjit sehen wir auch das Indien der Inder. Hat mir richtig gut gefallen.
Noch ein paar Worte zum Stil: ich (als Nicht-Muttersprachlerin) fand den Stil gut und flüssig lesbar, und einen Ticken elegant. Es war auch rein sprachlich eine Freude, diesen Roman zu lesen.
Ich bedanke mich bei Netgalley und dem Verlag für das Vorab-Leseexemplar! Ich werde das Buch definitiv weiterempfehlen!

Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the eARC.
Set in 1975 Bombay, this is the story of a young American journalist who gets caught up in Prime Minister Indira Ghandi's politics and her 'Emergency'.
He meets and befriends a Belgian man, Willy Smets, and falls head over heels in love with Will's girlfriend, Sushmita. Unfortunately, he's in over his head, both literally and figuratively...his life becomes a danger zone.
I loved the parts set in Bombay, as I had been to many of the places mentioned in the story. I lived there for 3 years and loved it.
It's a decent read overall, although too much romance for me!