19th century Bombay is the setting for the story. We have Captain Agnihotri a half caste as it is crudely said, just retired from the Army. We have a Parsi family the Framjis wealthy urbane and social. Friends of the British Raj and benefitting immensely from that friendship.

I have always been interested in minority communities and the Parsi's have fascinated me. This story drew me in. Even in the 19th century, they were different to the mass of Indians - very different, very far thinking, educated and elite. This gave them an edge always, (as it still does).

The Framjis have faced a double bereavement. The daughter and sister of the family in deaths deemed suicide. Adi the young husband of one and brother of the other and the family deem that there is more to the deaths and the Captain is brought in to use his skills as an ex military man to get to the bottom of things.

Crossing to Lahore and to the princely states (under the British Raj some of them) some of them independent was a precarious journey and Jim Agnihotri's enquiries obviously set the cat amongst the pigeons. Set upon, beaten up badly Jim knows that he is on the correct path but is frustrated because every person who could be a possible witness or who could give information is terrified to do so. Who is the person who is behind the terror, and what information did he have over the young ladies that he could use them to blackmail them so much.


So much history, so much drama, political machinations plus a touch of romance all set beautifully together in this story.

I adored this novel, which was very reminiscent of Golden-Age mysteries, as well as Golden-Age movies. The author well deserves the award for First Crime Novel, and does a superb job with pacing as well as character development. What makes this novel a cut above Golden-Age copy cats is the social justice backdrop, showing the racial and sexual divides that existed in 19th century India, and continue to resonate today.. The main character/detective, former soldier Captain Jim Agnihotri, exists in this social twilight as the son of an unmarried woman of the Brahmin caste and a British father. This liminal state allows him to move seamlessly in disguise between the various social classes during the course of his investigation and to see what others who have a set place in society cannot. I look forward to reading more from this author and hope that her debut is the beginning of a series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Early 1900’s and India are not the typical setting for books I read. I’m so glad I took the chance and gave this book a try. While a little long at 400 pages, Murder in Old Bombay was an original and refreshing story. It’s definitely unlike anything I have ever read, and I was loving the references to Sherlock Holmes. Jim was a likeable character and I was cheering for him to solve the murders. His relationship with Adi, Diana, and the children was very touching. It warmed my heart as he kept the little ones safe. I found Jim’s investigation believable, and the final resolution wasn’t a stretch of your beliefs. I appreciated the detail to Indian culture of the times, and my only complaint was I didn’t know the glossary was at the end of the book until I finished! If there were to be a sequel, I would definitely read it. I’d love to see what is next for Captain Jim!

Okay, considering I stared at this book on my TBR shelf for a long time, I couldn't put it down once I started. It's a mystery that takes place in 1892 in Bombay, which at the time was the center of British India. Captain Jim is the bastard son of an Indian woman and very likely an unknown British man and as such, he is at the bottom of the caste system and considered less than by both Indians and British alike. Unlike many of the children in his situation, he was taken in by a kind priest who ended up raising him in a convent before he joined the army. It is apparent at the beginning of the book that he is recuperating from some traumatic injury during his time in battle, although his memory of the events is missing large chunks. While recuperating, he ends up falling in love with Sherlock Holmes and his methods and ends up spending a lot of time perusing the newspapers of crimes. One event catches his eye and as soon as he is discharged, he decides to see if he can solve the mysterious deaths of two Parsi women, who fell from a University clock tower in broad daylight. He eventually befriends the family of the two women and follows the clues that take him in various Sherlockian disguises to Lahore and Ranjpoot to interview witnesses. Plenty of danger abounds, as do different plots and twists. But with all of that, what really made this book shine for me was Captain Jim and his pain from PTSD and never really having a family and the love that the Framji family have both for each other and for him. And yet, although he finds himself falling for Miss Diana, their love is not meant to be because of the strict Parsi restrictions. I knew that the caste system in general in India was very restrictive and marrying outside of one's caste was very much forbidden, but I felt like the author described the struggles that Diana, her brother, and her parents had with much empathy. I also loved the scenes with the children, especially Chutki and there were quite a few scenes with them that had me tearing up or outright weeping. Although this book was a nod to Sherlock Holmes, I often thought of both SH and Agatha Christie while reading this book. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like mysteries or historical fiction. This book is well worth your time!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Skillful immersion in the life and culture of historical Mumbai as the author enchants readers with fascinating story based on true events. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks fir an advanced digital copy..

4.5/5.0 Stars

MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY - A forbidden love story that blooms in the middle of a murder investigation during the latter part of the 1800s in Bombay—the center of British India…

’Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century […].’

Yes, yes, I am crying. My Heart! A touching and heartbreaking story for so many reasons—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, Net Galley and Minotaur Books, for loaning me an eGalley of MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This story based on true events flowed smoothly unrolling a mystery in colonial British India. While Captain Jim Agnihotri is recovering in a Poona military hospital in 1892, he spends time reading Sherlock Holmes novels to pass the time. When he comes across the suspicious deaths of two women in the paper, Jim goes into investigative mode. He becomes interested in solving the mystery of two young women falling from the university clock tower.

Captain Agnihotti initially decides to approach the Chronicle editor Tehmul Byram about writing an article based in his investigation into the case. After meeting with Adi Framji, the widow of Bacha and her sister Pilloo, Adi hires him to investigate the case privately. Oddly, Jim finds that Byram is friends with Burjor, Adi’s influential father. Byram agrees to “loan” Jim to the Framji family for the investigation.

The family bring Jim into their fold which he is consciously aware of his “outsider” status. They include him at meals to which are more elaborate than he is accustomed. In typical Sherlock style, Adi offers him clothing so that he might investigate under the guise of a solicitor for Brown and Batliwala where Adi works. Lady Diana Framji, Adi’s sister, wants to help the in way home providing little known family particularly about Pilloo. Apparently, she came to live with the Framji family follow by the death of her parents in Lahore after the flu epidemic. They knew little about her as she married Jhansi at the young age of 16 which was just after Bacha had married Adi.

Although this is based on true events it does read in a lyrical fashion which is easy to read. The story is intriguing as the mystery begins to unfold and Jim develops feelings for Lady Diana. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not want Jim poking around as he discovers conflicting information. He soon encounters danger as he continues to uncover the truth.

I had a hard time getting into this novel. I am not sure if was personal preference or the idea that I hadn't read any past books in the series, but I was confused within the first few chapters.

Overall, great writing and a good idea for a mystery.

Not sure if this is meant to be first in a series--if it is, it's a promising start and I look forward to reading more! I really enjoyed Jim Agnihotri, an Anglo-Indian soldier and admirer of Sherlock Holmes who turns to detective work after leaving the army following an injury and convalescence. The intriguing mystery, historical details about colonial India, and the angsty romance were all excellent elements of this story, and I hope we see more of Jim in the future. The reason this didn't get a higher rating from me is that I thought it was too long and at times the slow pace made it feel like quite a slog. But overall it was entertaining with lots of intrigue and emotion, and I would recommend it to fans of historical mysteries who are prepared for a slow-paced story.

I loved the introduction and set up with the deaths of the two women. How did these women mysteriously meet their demise?!
Unfortunately, I found my interest in the book waned fairly quickly. I think part of it may have the off-shooting characterisation or possibly that the novel was double the length of the book that I typically read in this genre.

Ultimately, I think the book is definitely worth a read as the settings are described wonderfully and the characters are strong.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC.

Murder In Old Bombay

By: Nev March

St. Martin's Press

Minotaur Books

Historical Fiction/ Mystery &Thrillers

Publish Date November 10,2020

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I was surprised about this book because I thought it was going to be a cozy mystery book. Just to let you know it isn't.

The beginning of the book is a little slow and so is the ending. I did enjoy the ending but it took a long time to get there. This story could have been wrapped in about 300 pages instead of 400 pages. The middle was the best part of the book. There was a lot of action and the mystery was fun to figure out.

The book had a lot of characters and each had their place and some didn't need to be in the book because they had a really part in the story and really didn't add to the story.

This book is about a war vet who helps a widower figure the murder of his young wife and sister. At first the police thought the two committed suicide but there were too many witnesses that said no something else happened to them. This story takes place in the late 1800's or early 1900's.

The vet talks to the witnesses and learns somethings and goes to investigate in different areas of the country. He is of mixed blood and has isn't accepted in some areas. He becomes close to the family and is able to figure out what happens. I did give it 4 stars because of the history and the middle part. I was glad for the happy ending.

Two women are murdered in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1892. Captain Jim Agnihorti is hired by the family to find the culprit.

Captain Jim Agnihorti realizes there's a problem with the women's deaths being categorized as a joint suicide when he reads about the case in the newspaper. He approaches the Framji family as a journalist and is hired to investigate the incident. His idol is Sherlock Holmes, and he turns to the fictional detective for inspiration during the case.

It soon becomes clear that the women were murdered, but finding the responsible party proves to be more of a challenge. Lady Diana Framji offers to help the investigation into her sisters' deaths and becomes the Watson to Jim's Holmes. She assists the beginning research but cannot follow Jim on his dangerous path. Feelings develop between the two, but Jim will not act on them because Diana is above his station.

The Captain has several adventures while he's on the killer's trail, including finding himself in enemy territory and rescuing children left alone by war. While these events add to Jim's character, they don't seem to add enough to the plot and could have been shortened.

Overall, the book is filled with action, suspense, romance, tragedy, and views of a country during wartime. The broad spectrum of emotions adds the feel of a great saga without the page length of one.

Vikas Adam does a wonderful job of all the accents used in the novel. He uses differences in inflection and timbre to show differences in dialogue and narration.

Recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries. Those who enjoy mysteries and historical fiction would also enjoy something new with this novel.

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

I had an opportunity to read and review this book, by an author completely unfamiliar to me, but the storyline grabbed my attention, so I took it.
Two young girls, from the same family, fell from the clock tower only a few minutes apart, and it is labeled suicide, for both of them. But their family just doesn't believe it.
Enter Captain Jim. Discharged from the army, looking for something else to do, and he is a fan of Sherlock Holmes. If he investigates this case, perhaps he can find some evidence the police may have missed. Or so he tells Adi, the bereaved husband. The family wants closure, so they hire him.
Oh, did I mention this story is set in India, in the 1800s, so quite the unusual setting. Lots of details to showcase this intriguing setting.
There is some action. There is also lots going on that is hard to see how it actually ties into the real mystery and plot of the story. Travels, meeting people completely unrelated to the mystery, and yet they become part of the story...not quite sure what I thought of all of this.
All in all, though, I did find this an intriguing story.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Historical mystery with a cozy mystery feel...the story is set in 1890s India. I am a fan of historical fiction and was looking forward to broadening my historical context with this read. However, it was a struggle for me to get through the first 2/3 of the book.

I did actually really enjoy the historical context of the book. It was interesting to witness the complexities of the political, societal and cultural landscapes and impacts of those norms on the characters. This is what kept me motivated to continue reading to the end.

Unfortunately, the pace was quite slow and with a multitude of storylines, it then felt unfocused. There were many storylines competing for my attention. The main story...the mystery of how 2 young girls fell to their death from a clock tower...was actually lost somewhere in the middle third of the book. As a reader, I wondered not only about what happened to those girls, but also about what is the background of Jim, the main character (who are his parents, what happened in Karachi, how/why does he suffer from PTSD), the love story between Jim and Diana (can they overcome hierarchy, caste, religion, and culture), various rescue stories (military rescues as well as that of 4 children), various disguises (with a side side side trip to a dying priest), a stretch of a boxing match with the main villain, the history and interconnectedness of many many characters, and references to Sherlock Holmes. While I enjoyed any one or two of these storylines, I was overwhelmed by too many stories. The overall effect is that the book then became long and I found it difficult to stay interested. It almost feels like it could have been developed into a series versus everything in one book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Great debut!
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2020
A wonderfully written mystery based on a true story. The characters were realistic. The setting and time of the story acts as two additional characters. I look forward to reading more from this author. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion

It's 1892 in British-controlled Bombay, and Captain Jim Agnihotri is recovering in a military hospital from an injury sustained in the line of duty.

He becomes obsessed with an unsolved mystery he keeps reading about in the newspaper: two young ladies from the same household plunged from a clock tower to their deaths. Jim decides to set himself the task of determining what happened.

As he becomes involved with the family whose daughter and ward died, Captain Jim's endearingly strong sense of duty complicates his mission as he tries to save those in need and avoid becoming emotionally entangled with a smart young woman who is socially out of his league.

March's 400-page book is an immersive story, with the flavors, sights, and sounds of colonial India underlying everything. The story keeps a patient pace as Captain Jim uncovers clues, uses deduction, and emphasizes loyalty and moral purity. He is able to use his knowledge of different castes, British and Indian political machinations, and society to assist his investigations.

There are disturbingly dark issues underlying the mystery (including strict rules about caste and class, a deadly fear of scandal, and terrible mistreatment of those in lower castes, especially women). But Murder in Old Bombay largely feels like an appealingly cozy and old-fashioned mystery: as Jim works to unravel the facts, he dons elaborate disguises; there is a refreshing lack of violence beyond fistfight-level conflicts; and the forbidden love and romance are chaste and charming.

I received an advance copy of this title from NetGalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!! Definitely read this book!!!!

What an absolutely lovely, wonderful book. I was so surprised by just how much I really loved it.

It took about three chapters for me to completely get into the book, but once I did, I could not put it down! The characters and setting were so descriptive, the relationships were beautiful, and the mysteries kept me wanting to know more.

With a nod to Sherlock Holmes, the main character, Indian investigator and military officer Jim Agnihotri is tasked with figuring out why two women died. Jim becomes close to the grieving family as he tries to solve the mystery. His quest takes him to various places in India and he meets many interesting people during his travels, I don't want to spoil all the wonderful things that happen in the book!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, historical fiction, travel, and romance. It really has a little something for everyone but it does it all in an impeccable way!

I received an ARC as a reviewer for NetGalley. This is one of my rare 5 star reviews.

This book started out really well but in my opinion quickly turned into a bunch of ramblings and references to Sherlock Holmes. For a book that is supposed to be about a murder I don’t feel there was enough focus on that as there should have been.
The middle of the book is where I felt it took a turn and was more focused on the adventures the main character had in India. Yes, the murder investigation would pop up here and there but I didn’t feel it was the focus.
Honestly I really struggled with this one. It was slow, really slow, it took forever for them to catch the murder suspect. I think there was just to much going on and a log could have been left out.
But, just because I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean you won’t like it also. So give it a chance if you like this type of thing.

I was given this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This book was phenomenal. I loved everything in this book.

I was hooked from the first page itself .
I loved the setting of the book, the way it is presented.

The way Jim Agnihotri narrates the story is good .But we don't get to know much about other characters story .



I have always admired Sherlock Holmes, I liked the way this book gives a glimpse of Sherlock


Thankyou Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review

It took me a long time to read 'Murder in Old Bombay'. The opening chapters just didn't grab me and I had to start over several times before I got into it properly. This is a genre I've indulged in a lot and I know the settings of this novel very well. Oddly though, it just wasn't working very well for me.

A medically-retired Eurasian army captain is hired to investigate the mysterious death of two young Parsee women who fell (or were pushed) from the Rajabai Clock Tower in Mumbai. In attempting to get to the bottom of the case, Jim Agnihotri draws upon the inspiration of Sherlock Holmes, following the fictional sleuth's principles and adopting lots of disguises. He travels widely across India trying to get to the bottom of who killed the women and why.

I like books set in Mumbai/Bombay and I know the layout of the city well. I know the clocktower and the nearby Maidan so I could picture the environment very well. What I struggled with was the historical setting and its incongruity with many of the events in the book. I didn't believe two young women would have been allowed out to meet a potential killer or blackmailer. I certainly didn't believe that love-interest Diana (incidentally the only one is her family with a western name) had been sent to England to be educated. I even more couldn't get my head around her behaviour which would have been out of place in late Victorian England, let alone in the highly controlled environment of late 19th century Parsee culture. She would have fitted perfectly in one of Sujata Massey's 1920s Bombay novels but was just not authentic (in my opinion) for 20+ years earlier.

I also struggled with JIm's role as a master of disguise as we're repeatedly told he's a big, well-built man and also very tall. I can believe him as a Pathan warrior but not as a peanut seller. I'm also not convinced that Adi and his family would have welcomed a man from such a different - and let's be honest, rather socially unacceptable - group as a Eurasian 'bastard' live in their home.

The book felt very long and I couldn't help thinking that another author might have dragged two or even three volumes out of this one. That said, I'm glad it got to the end as a completed story and not just part one of a yet to be written series.

For me, this is a three-star novel because I believe a lot of other authors are doing historical mystery-whodunnit better than this, but I enjoyed it. If it had been the start of a series (which I don't believe it is) though, I wouldn't be racing to buy any further books with the same characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance review copy.