Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I loved stories about India, and am a massive fan of India movies and Amazon series such as Paatal Lok, so was excited to delve into the 1950s world of Bombay, which sees a newly independent India trying to find its feet, and still reeling with the trauma of Partition.

Persis Wadia is the first female police officer, who is working at the graveyard shift of Malabar House on New Year’s Eve, when the phone rings at midnight. Sir Herriot, an affluent Englishman who lives in Marine Drive, has been found murdered by the housekeeper. Alone at the office her first case has fallen into lap. She goes to the house where Herriot was having a NYE party. There she meets Blackfinch, a forensic officer who even sent to India from England to help Bombay finds its feet by aiding with forensics. So begins Persia’s investigation and she has plenty at stake...her fellow officers resent that they have to take orders from woman, who should be at home like a dutiful daughter/sister/wife, her senior officers just want the case closed ASAP because the whole nation is watching it’s female officer solving her first case and their reputation is at stake, too, if there’s no progress, as well as family members who are keen for Persis to get married.

I absolutely adored this book. It took me awhile getting into this at first because the tone was reminiscent of Agatha Christie, the Golden Age hue, and the cosy rich people atmosphere and a humid, dusty and noisy Bombay being juxtaposed together was odd, but then the tone settles in, and there’s plenty of grit, too, with Herriot’s regarding his clandestine investigation of Partition war crimes. References to the Partition and xenophobia feel relevant today as India is currently gripped under Modi’s right-wing government, and I felt the author does a good job of making the historical elements of this book feel relevant today. My only gripe was as Persis travelled in the side half of the book I did find it jarring the most people in the village spoke English. Other than that I’m intrigued about Persis and Blackfinch’s relationship and how it will develop in the future books. This a series I’m really interested in seeing what happens next. It has me hooked! 4.5/5.

Midnight at Malabar House

Reading more and more fiction books set in India during the British oppression I was excited to pick up another. This one is a little different being set just over 2 years after Indian partition.

The story starts on New Years Eve 1949 where India’s first female police officer, Inspector Persis Wadia is working in the basement of her police station, Malabar House, home to Bombay’s most unwanted police officers, even if like her they’ve done nothing wrong, except being female. She’s been looked down upon ever since joining the force six months earlier and here she is stuck with the night shift.

But, her moment comes when the phone rings and at one of the city’s most exclusive New Years Eve party there’s been a death, more precisely a murder and as the most senior officer available it’s up to Persis to investigate.

Prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot, kept on by the Indian government to investigate war crimes during partition has been found dead in his study, with no trousers.

With the pressure mounting from her seniors who want such a high profile murder solved quickly, Persis has to work fast assisted by Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch who she’s not sure she can trust. At every stage she is blocked by either political interference, witnesses not telling her everything and even her own colleagues trying to see her fail.

This book was slow to begin with but it really changed once the first few chapters were read into an exciting mystery with a lot of twists and moreover an insight into the pain and tragedy that came from the partition of India.

It’s an entertaining and interesting read and one of the best books of this year! I’d never read any Vaseem Khan books before but will certainly be looking to read others now! I do hope this is just the start for Inspector Persis Wadia and that she’ll be solving more crimes soon!

My thoughts about this brilliant historical crime police thriller set in the 1950 Bomday just after a couple years of India's Independence which was outstanding India's first female Detective Persis Wadia who will stop at nothing to solve a murder of prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot when shes investigates she finds not it's a murder but what is the real motivation was outstanding brilliantly written hardhiting story that truly takes as back in time when India was just going into a new phase outstanding characters and Vaseem Khan is a truly a magical writer who explores historical crime fiction in a different way after writing the brilliant Inspector Chopra detective elephant agency series Vaseem has again nailed it with this one take a bow sir a truly well written masterpiece highly recommended I would like to say thank you to Vaseem Khan Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read and review this outstanding story
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A wonderful surprise of a novel - a murder mystery with a brilliant female character against the backdrop of partition. I did love the elephant of the other series but there was so much to love in this one that i am already looking forward to the next in the series. This book marries a serious storyline to a true and tragic history very well indeed. The author cares about his research and subject and has taken pains to weave it into the plot rather than shove it in your face. It all works very well indeed and I need to see what Persis Wadia and her sidekick get up to next!

It took me two tries to get into this story, but once I got to about the second half of the second chapter, my interest had been piqued, and I mostly enjoyed the rest of the book.

There are other reviews that summarise the plot, so I won't repeat that here. This is a good story, with good characters, and an interesting plot that develops through several layers. In the process, the story reveals interesting glimpses of Indian life in a turbulent time in the county's history--most of which I didn't know, and didn't know that I would find so interesting.

There are occasional British or Indian words and turns of phrases that gave this American reader pause, and sometimes the author chose unnecessarily obtuse words that interrupted the flow of the story (ogival? Really?). The protagonist has an annoying tendency toward pedantic, and worse, repetitive, internal exposition--she pauses too often and sums up, step-by-step, 'the story so far' in her head. Yes, there are multiple facets and potential suspects in the mystery, but it's also not rocket science: most readers will be able to keep track without needing reminders.

This is the second book I've read by this author. This novel doesn't have the quirky charm of "Bad Day at the Vulture Club" (I miss the little elephant!). Instead, this novel introduces a unique and interesting female detective--the first female police officer in the entire, gigantic, country-- and an (anglo) man who she draw in, and gradually becomes her forensic-science sidekick (and perhaps a potential love interest?). The issues of gender, race, religious and economic inequalities are as relevant now and here as they were in India in 1949 (what a sad thing to have to admit).

It will be interesting to see where the author takes these characters--amid the changing Indian landscape--from here. I recommend this book to any lovers of classic mysteries, and look forward to reading the next one.

I have previously loved Vaseem Khan's Inspector Chopra series but I wondered what a series by this author would be like without the lovable baby elephant Ganesha that makes that series so charming? The answer is: an incredibly well-told historical murder mystery set against the backdrop of Partition, with a brilliant female protagonist I can't wait to read more about!

Persis Wadia is such a great creation: she's headstrong, occasionally bordering on rude, well-read and has a keen sense of justice. She's also neither perfect - thank goodness! - nor as yet romantically linked. Also charming is her relationship with her father, which is is tender and realistic.

I had happened to re-watch Gandhi the film just before reading this book and I'm so glad I did because Partition was explained so clearly. This book also provides a history lesson without being one-sided: Khan presents an entirely unbiased view of Nehru, Jinnah, and even the English. In fact, I get the strong impression from the author that the only view he agrees with is that of Gandhi's, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that.

I highly recommend this author's work - it's a joy to read and also provides a page-turner that many mystery readers (myself included) value. More Persis please!

Previously I enjoyed very much a book in another series by this author and enjoyed this novel from a new series even more. It was a great escape reading a history, wrapped in a mystery, placed in a far away place, at another time. The place is India and the time is 1950 following the upheaval of Partition. The author gives a history lesson of this upheaval in his story of a murder investigation headed by his main character who happens to the first female police detective in the history of India. I knew basically nothing about Partition, aside from the British being pushed out of India after many years, and this novel with it’s feisty star was an engaging vehicle for learning.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Midnight at Malabar House the first novel to feature Inspector Persis Wadda, set in Bombay in 1950.

The phone rings and Inspector Wadda is asked to go to Laburnum House as Sir James Herriot, a prominent English diplomat, has been murdered at his New Year party. Aided by Archimedes “Archie” Blackfinch, a Scotland Yard criminalist on secondment she sets out to solve the case.

I enjoyed Midnight at Malabar House which is an interesting mix of the historical and nefarious set at the start of the Indian nation. I confess that I know little of the history of the Indian subcontinent so I found the background to this novel, colonisation, partition and the birth of a nation extremely informative and, while eye opening, not particularly surprising in its cruelty, violence and partisanship.

The novel is told from Persis’s point of view so everything is seen through her lens. She is youngish, 28, and hellbent on uncovering the truth, no matter how uncomfortable to the authorities. As an incidental, I loved the resolution in the novel which taught her a valuable lesson in politics and it will be interesting to see if she learns it in future novels. As it stands in this novel she is rather tiresome, steamrolling over all in her way and taking no account of their feelings or advice. Of course, there is the slight matter of wounded pride to be dealt with. She is the first female police officer in India but they don’t know what to with her so she’s stuck with the transgressors and losers at the Malabar House station (think Mick Herron’s Slow Horses without the humour).

I liked the plot which mixes all these ingredients together well. It unrolls slowly but inexorably as Persis gets the bit between her teeth and keeps going, no matter the setback (one in particular is a doozie). It seems plausible, given the background, and is quite compulsive. I had no idea of the perpetrator and that’s always a plus, as guessing and trying to work it out always holds my attention.

Midnight at Malabar House is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A wonderful beginning to a new series.An author whose books always drew me in.Characters that come alive love the setting India is a very atmospheric setting.Looking forward to next in this series.#netgalley#hodderstoughton