One of the strengths of Murder in Old Bombay, the first in the series, was the setting, 1890s India. In Peril at the Exposition, Chicago and the World’s Fair are richly drawn and vividly described, but didn’t have quite the same draw for me. It made sense for Diana and Jim to emigrate to America, but it lost some of the charm of the first. This book, told mostly from Diana’s point of view, does give us her memories of places and people in India, but at times they feel forced.

Jim, now working as a private investigator, is missing in Chicago. Diana heads off to find him. Diana is determined and strong in her own way, but definitely in over her head. She can be melodramatic and puts herself and others in dangerous situations. As Diana digs deeper into the case Jim was working on, she realizes there’s a plot involving anarchists, labor union disputes, and maybe a bomb. There are a lot of characters of all social classes with various motives and the mystery is convoluted. Honestly, I finished this a few days ago and can’t quite remember the ending, aside from Jim and Diana saving the city – which I’m sure is not a spoiler.

This was OK — I really didn’t like the characters when I started, and although they grew on me as the book went on, I never felt like I truly fell for them. The setting is intriguing but the writing occasionally pulled me out of the story. I did however really want to solve the mystery, so that kept me turning pages.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the second book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series, following shortly after the events of Murder in Old Bombay. Jim and Diana have married and moved from India to Boston, where Jim is working for a detective agency. He is sent to Chicago for a case involving the Chicago Worlds Fair, and after a few weeks of no communication, Diana decides to go to Chicago and look for him.

While it's a good story, with a lot of action, I found it to be a little too much - too many characters, too many random motivations. It was a little difficult to keep the various characters straight, and to figure out what they were all up to - particularly since some of them appeared briefly, but suddenly had an important part to play.

Why was someone trying to wreak havoc at the Chicago Worlds Fair? Was it anarchists? Was it labor unions trying to harm the capitalists? Was it politicians trying to hurt other politicians? Most of this book involved trying to sort out who were the bad guys and the good guys, and why they were doing what they did. It's a twisty story, and while it's fast moving and the characters are engaging, it might have benefitted from a bit of pruning.

‘1893: Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It's a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.

Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.

When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?

Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.’
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3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.

Peril at the Exposition is the second book in Nev March’s debut series, Captain Jim Agnihotri, and is a historical mystery.

Picking up shortly after where the first book left off, Diana and Jim are newly married and settled in Boston. Diana is learning to navigate both being a wife and getting by on limited means all while living in a new country. Jim, by the nature of his work, is adapting well to all the changes. He’s utilizing the skills he honed as a soldier and investigator back home to build a career in the States, which sets the plot in motion as Jim is called a way due to new developments in a case he has been working.

I found the first book in the series to be more compelling than this sequel, but still very good. Part of this may have been that the tone of this book was entirely different from the previous, from the setting to the dynamic between the two characters, to the absence of Diana’s family (and I commend the author for pulling off so many core changes from one book to the next). Mainly though I think it is due to the fact that Jim is not our main narrator. Much of the book is told from Diana’s perspective and although she is smart and can be resourceful, she is terribly naive and got on my nerves at several points. I missed Jim.

Towards the end of the book, I found that things felt a bit scattered. I was getting whiplash from all the accusations that were flying in every direction. So many characters were suspected and accused within a very short timeframe. Not exactly the smoothest investigative work, but then there was a rookie on the case.

It is commendable that Diana wanted to give her all to protect the World Fair and its attendees, but she was often in far over head. I will admit she had some very good luck early on (assembling a team and getting some preliminary information), although she put others in danger constantly without realizing the possible consequences. I’m surprised they didn’t find themselves in even more danger from all the wild accusations and imprudent and unsafe investigative furrays.

I plan to read the next book in the series, but I hope Jim will be our main narrator or that it will be more of a 50/50 split.
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I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of Peril at the Exposition by Nev March with me. This is my honest review.

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent novel from the publisher St. Martin's Press-Minotaur Books via Netgalley, and the author Nev March. I have read Peril at the Exposition on my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am always placed with a new Nev March novel. Her historical novels take you there, in that exact time. This is one in a series but is completely stand-alone. If you are interested in binging this series, it is titled The Captain Jim Agnibotri Series.

We begin our tale on March 5, 1893, as Chicago prepares for their chance at hosting the international World's Fair. The excitement builds rapidly, and the city responds beautifully to the challenge. Jim Agnihotri, known locally as Jim O'Trey, is Eurasian, so at this time in our history there was often push-back from the public, but Jim is well known and respected among Chicagoites. He is a private detective who, with the occasional assistance from his wife Diana and his friend Tobias, will do his best to get it done. In this case, it is an exciting case to follow and an interesting 'time' to visit Chicago. It's a book hard to set aside.

I found Nev March's Peril at the Exposition to be a very interesting read. Set in 1893, it revolves around the World's Columbian Exposition, or World's Fair in Chicago. Capt. Jim Agnihotri has traveled to Chicago undercover to track down some devious criminals, but when he losses contact with not only his employer but his new wife, Diana, as well, Diana must follow in his footsteps from Boston to Chicago in the hopes of finding him safely.

Plot wise, March's second novel with Capt. O'Trey was enjoyable. Following in the vein of Sherlock Holmes, clues are everywhere as long as the audience is looking for them. My one dislike of the novel is how verbose it can become at times. A little editing could go a long way in keeping the reader's attention.

Overall, the Peril at the Exposition is a pleasant historical mystery for those who otherwise favor the works of Charles Todd, or Charles Finch. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this novel.

I liked the first book in this series and I liked this 2nd one even better. All the details of Chicago and the historical accuracy of key players at that time/place were so interesting and March writes in such a palatable/relatable way. I liked having more of a narrative from Diana’s viewpoint. She’s a beautiful and unique character. I’d definitely recommend this one to historical fiction fans- maybe even fans of Devil In The White City with that whole Chicago world’s fair take. It still felt like maybe there was a little much going on- I got some of the characters mixed up. Overall, an excellent read, though.

This was a solid follow up to Murder in Old Bombay. I really enjoy Jim and Diana as characters, and I was happy to get more from Diana in this installment. While I did miss the India setting, the world fair setting was fun. I was interested in the mystery, but some things got a little convoluted for me. I will continue to read the series.

While I picked up the first book for the setting and circumstances, I continued with the series for the author’s writing, attention to historical backdrop, and the well-developed, diverse cast of characters led by the complex bi-racial, Jim Agnihotri, and his Parsi wife, Diana.

Perils at the Exposition is book two in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. The book works best in order, but could be read without much difficulty, standalone.

Perils at the Exposition begins when, honeymooners, Jim and Diana are settled in Boston. Diana is adjusting to living in a tiny apartment without the comforts and social status she once had in a wealthy Zoroastrian Persian family in Bombay. She and Jim are starting over and for all her struggles to figure out American ways, her new place and household, and being a wife, she is excited to be with Jim. Jim has been teaching her the art of detection he learned first from his beloved Sherlock Holmes books and now his own experience studying and applying detecting skills while working for the Dupree Agency.

This is good because Diana must put her newfound knowledge to the test finding her own husband in Chicago where he was last known to be investigating a murder down on the docks.

Diana learns that behind the exciting and pretty façade of the fair, there is a dark side to wealth and progress. Rough unions, ruthless bosses, and anarchists who want to make their mark at the fair. Diana and Jim must follow a shadowy, path to not just a killer, but a tangled web of nefarious people to not just save other lives, but their own.

The author painted a full, rich and colorful picture of life in 1893 Chicago and America. After the Civil War, the peace came at painful cost and still smolders in some hearts. Then there are the relatively unregulated big businessmen driving the industrial era with little notice or care for the workers who live on pittance and are put in dangerous situations that they have to accept if they want to provide any form of food and shelter to their families. Unions are rising to counter this and the clash with the bosses is another brutal war. Add to this, the influx of immigrants from all over the world looking for new opportunities and sometimes only finding more of what they left behind.

Diana was reared in a relatively sheltered environment, but she charges into the lower levels of Chicago to find Jim. She meets many colorful characters in the process. For those wondering, yes, the pair do eventually join up and work the case, sharing the narration. Captain Jim appreciates his wife and respects her intelligence and abilities, but Diana’s fearless decision to involve herself had Jim struggling to not put her on the first train east and out of danger. I didn’t expect Diana to have such a strong role in the book, but welcomed getting to know her as an equal narrator with Jim.

The mystery was complicated by many characters and many motives. Learning what was going on and who was involved was as big a mystery as the murders, which only got solved when Jim and Diana worked out what was happening in the bigger picture. There was wonderful heart-stopping action at times for both of them.

All in all, it was a solid follow up entry in the series and I sincerely hope there are more mysteries for Jim and Diana to tackle. Historical mystery lovers sit up and take notice.

This is book #2 in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series, the first one was called Murder in Old Bombay. I did not read the first one and this one was still making more than enough sense for it to be a standalone.

The beginning started out very interested and it is one that hooks you quickly. While it didn't keep my attention as much as I would have liked, it was still rather interesting and I think many would enjoy it.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to release. It will be available for purchase on August 1, 2022.

A historical mystery of the gilded age set against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. This is the second book in the Capt. Jim Agnihotri series, I had not read the first Murder In Old Bombay but I will go back now!

New in the US Jim uses his ex-army officer training and his penchant for disguise to become a detective. Impatient and worried after not hearing anything from Jim for a few weeks, Indian born and bred Diana leaves the safety of their new home in Boston to find him. She doesn’t know that Jim has gone undercover as a laborer, and they are both being shadowed by men with secrets and a devastating plan for destruction. Throughout the novel there is suspicion and fear - who can be trusted? Who is playing their own game ? Especially when many people are not who they seem to be. Clothing, accents, money, connections – even in the United States Diana sees class distinctions similar to the ones found in India.

Giving a realistic feel for the period, author Nev March authentically describes the various lifestyles of this time - from the well-to-do politicians to the poor laborers and tenement-dwelling families. Her descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells helps to bring this era to life. The historical details bring the story to life and hold up to my google reading about the Chicago World Fair !

Augmenting the novel to be more than a well-written historical mystery, March incorporates the racism, classism, and sexism of the era while bringing in a quite diverse set of characters.

I was SO EXCITED to see that there was going to be a second book in this series and the second it popped up on NetGalley I requested it. I may or may not have squealed out loud when I received the ARC. I am here to tell you that I was not disappointed at all!! YAY!!

Captain Jim and Lady Diana have moved to Boston from India. You get the impression that they like their life there, though it has been a struggle, especially for Diana, who has only known India and truly has only known comfort and wealth. The scene where she is baking and afraid she has burned their supper shows this very well. Though, you can see just how she was raised in thinking independently and with knowledge of how things are run when Jim goes off on a job to Chicago [the World's Fair is happening and all sorts of shenanigans are happening<b>**</b>] and is determined to be missing and Diana goes after him - she is afraid, but does what she has to to find her husband. Once found, they embark on an adventure of intrigue, danger, murder and anarchy begins and keeps you guessing until the very reveal [and I was pretty shocked at this - some of it I had absolutely no idea about] and it is a very exciting and satisfying conclusion.

I hope there are more in this series. I really like Captain Jim and Lady Diana and seeing them trying to make a life in America is very interesting. They work so well together and I love how Diana respects [and deeply loves] her husband, but is not intimidated by the niceties of society and didn't afraid to do what needs to be done and how much Jim respects that aspect of her. It really is refreshing.

If you love good historical mysteries, I highly recommend this one - you'll not be sorry.

I was so lucky to get the audiobook for this book and ohhhh how the excellent narration opened up the book and story for me. I would absolutely recommend this audiobook and will be looking for these narrators in other books as well. Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nev March, Safiyya Ingar and Vikas Adam - Narrators, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing these ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

<b>**</b> <i>IF you are looking for a good book about the Chicago World's Fair and how it came to be and some of the shenanigans that happened during that time, may I suggest [book:The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America|397483]? It will absolutely hold you enthrall and will "curl your hair" [as they used to say]. I still think about that book and all I learned in it. </i>

The background of this book is so well written, that I felt at times that I could be in Chicago during their World's Fair in 1893. The desperation of the working class, the large number of unemployed men, and orphaned or homeless children having to scratch out a living as best they could was heartrending. Hunger and disease were common. In comparison, the World's Fair was lush and rich with promise of future advances. The contrast to the hungry, desperate people outside the gates of the Fair was stark.

The plot is complex. Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are newlyweds and living in Boston. Jim is a detective and is hired to investigate a murder of another detective in Chicago. When Diana doesn't hear from him for several weeks, she travels to Chicago with her dresser to find him. She visits all the addresses that she knows of where he has stayed or visited, and then begins recruiting children and newspaper sellers on the street to keep an eye out for him.

Jim has discovered a threat to the Chicago's World's Fair, and is living under the radar. They finally do find each other and then work together to try to stop the sabotage at the fair.

I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Good follow up to Murder in Old Bombay. This can, however, be read as a stand-alone. Nice to see Diana play of a detective role even if it was sometimes at odds with her husband acting undercover. Historical fiction fans will like the setting and interesting storyline. Thanks to #NetGalley and #PerilAtTheExposition for advanced digital copy.

*3-3.5 stars

1893: Jim Agnihotri and his bride, Diana Framji, are just settling into their new life in Boston when Jim is sent to Chicago by his employer, the Dupree Agency, to investigate the murder of one of their other detectives. After several weeks pass with no word from Jim, Diana becomes determined to go find him herself.

Where to begin? The city of Chicago is bustling with the opening of the World's Fair. Diana will have to quickly learn the ways of the mean streets and figure out just whom she can trust.

Nev March really brings this fascinating period of Chicago history to life, weaving several actual historic facts into her plot. Her characters are genuine and likable. What an exciting and (nearly) explosive ending! I will look forward to Jim and Diana's next adventure.

I received an arc of this new historical mystery from the publisher via NetGalley. I was also sent a paper arc directly from the publisher, Minotaur Books. Many thanks for both! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

The latest novel by Nev March sees our protagonist Jim Agnihotri and his wife, Diana, as they live their newly married life in Boston. Eventually, a case at the World’s Fair leads them both to Chicago.

I think this book lacked the atmospheric backdrop of Bombay, which were on display in book 1. The magnitude of circumstances didn’t measure up in my opinion until the very last few chapters.

Having said that, I really like the development of the main couple. They each are independent individuals who don’t hinder each other. Jim recognize Diana’s genius. Diana recognizes Jim’s calling as a detective and passion for crime solving.

Overall, I liked this one but I’m hoping a bit more depth is spent on the side characters. After a while I was getting the side characters mixed up (besides Abigail).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Danielle Prielipp & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This historical novel of the gilded age takes place against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The first novel in this series, Murder in Old Bombay, was set in India. However, this second tale brings the main characters, Captain Jim Agnihotri and his new bride, Diana Framji, to the United States.

Jim is an Anglo-Indian ex-army officer who is able to travel in the worlds of both India and America. His penchant for disguise makes him perfect as a detective, hired to look into the murder of another detective investigating Chicago’s underworld. Impatient and worried after not hearing anything from Jim for a few weeks, Indian born and bred Diana leaves the safety of their new home in Boston to find him. She doesn’t know that Jim has gone undercover as a laborer, and they are both being shadowed by men with secrets and a devastating plan for destruction. Throughout the novel there is suspicion and fear - who can be trusted? Especially when many people are not who they seem to be. Clothing, accents, money, connections – even in the United States Diana sees class distinctions similar to the ones found in India.

While the first novel focused on Jim’s story, this one is told primarily from Diana’s point of view, with occasional chapters by Jim. Diana is impetuous, brave, clever, and compassionate. All good things that make for a page-turning novel. Especially when paired with the premise of a threat to the Chicago World’s Fair’s attendees - 324,344 people were there on July 4th, the date Jim and Diana learned was the planned day of destruction.

Giving a realistic feel for the period, author Nev March authentically describes the various lifestyles of this time - from the well-to-do politicians to the poor laborers and tenement-dwelling families. Her descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells helps to bring this era to life.

What didn’t work for me was the number of “bad guys.” Although they were adequately described and differentiated, it was overwhelming to try to keep track of them. And I didn’t think we really needed all of them to make the threat plausible. Despite this complaint, March creates a few excellent scenes where our characters are in danger, including the climax which had me on the edge of my seat.

Augmenting the novel to be more than a well-written historical mystery, March incorporates the concepts of racism, classism, and sexism. There is an African American character as well as Diana who is South Asian Indian. There is a man who dresses as a woman. Diana experiences sexism and is treated as an airheaded woman. And because she is small of stature, she is often ignored, belittled, and not taken seriously. All to the downfall of those who underestimate her.

So in conclusion, this novel has a lot of depth – it’s an exciting historical mystery, with many details and descriptions of the time period. The relationship between married couple Jim and Diana is warm and honest. And additionally, there is an awareness of the dignity all people deserve - whether rich or poor, intelligent or not, male or female, regardless of country of origin.

Peril at the Exposition is the second book in a historical mystery series by Nev March. Released 12th July 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 12 hours and 11 minutes and is capably narrated by Safiyya Ingar and Vikas Adam. The sound and production quality are high throughout.

This is such a richly imagined and well written historical mystery. The titular protagonist, Captain Jim Agnihotri, is a half English, half Indian officer and investigator who leaves India to take up a job in America with his young wife. He deals with racism because of his upbringing and skin color as well as being an Englishman in the US.

The relationship between Jim and his wife Diana is refreshingly honest (and modern). She's intelligent and headstrong, if naive. Both of them have a distinct honesty that's refreshing to read. The mystery is well constructed and the prose is nuanced and enjoyable. I did however find myself bumped out of my suspension of disbelief by some outlandish plot elements (a naive young woman of color out to save the city on her own, endangering everyone). The action moves the plot along quickly and the denouement and resolution are satisfying and fair play.

There are some very light romance elements, but not nearly to the degree of the first book. Readers who prefer strong romance subplots in their books will not find it here. There are some sweetly romantic moments between the (married) protagonists, but it's all euphemistically described and all "dancing" occurs off-page.

Four stars. An amazingly well written follow-up for a new and very promising writer.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was a good book, the second in a series, I had not read the first and you could probably get away with that as well, most of the MC background is covered, however, probably not in as much detail as in the first. Diana, born in India and married to Jim, decides to track Jim down after he leaves for a detective type job in Chicago and has not been heard from for several weeks. She convinces the detective agency to hire her to find him and sets off from Boston in 1893 for Chicago, site of the World's Fair. Diana is only 22 and has lived a very sheltered life, which makes her naïve, she also doesn't understand slang words or their meaning which leads to some confusion at times on her part. Once in Chicago, she proves to be quite resourceful and quickly finds Tito, a young boy who makes his living selling cigarettes and Abigail, a young woman who is not what she seems. Together these three find Jim and he shares that he's in deep with a group of anarchists who he thinks has plans to do some damage at the World's Fair. The author includes some descriptions of the fair, which, if one could go back in time, sounds like it would have been a hoot to attend. Diana and Jim manage to avert catastrophe during an event and follow clues to a good ending. I enjoyed this book and would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #St Martin's Press for the ARC.

In her exciting sequel to “Murder in Old Bombay,” Nev March turns back time to transport the reader to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair in “Peril at the Exposition” (Minotaur).
The protagonists of “Bombay” return, as Captain James Agnihotri and his new bride, Diana, have immigrated to the United States from India as James begins a career as a private detective in Boston. He’s dispatched to Chicago to investigate the murder of a client, a young business executive, and one of his colleagues, because the lack of clues has stymied the police and the Pinkerton Agency.
James leaves Diana safely behind in Boston, but after weeks of torturous silence from her husband, Diana grows concerned. A mysterious German professor, who lands on her doorstep bearing a puzzling letter that James has sent him for translation, stokes her worries. The professor declines to translate the letter, but Diana does, is struck by the mention of importing explosives into Chicago, and recognizes that trouble is brewing. She must warn James about this latest development, so Diana convinces his employers to engage her to find and warn him about the impending danger.
Until Diana and James reconnect in Chicago, Diana takes the lead in the uncovering the location and reason for the explosives. Along the way, she accumulates an intriguing posse of a free Black man, a cross-dressing actor and a street urchin. The societal restrictions of womanhood in the 19th Century prohibit her access to certain places and persons, so her rag-tag team becomes her eyes and ears at the docks, meeting halls and factories of a city preparing for worldwide attention. Fortunately, her well-connected friends from India and Boston introduce her to Chicago’s upper-crust society, and doors open wide when the hoity-toity mistakenly believe she is an Indian Princess, known as Lady Diana.
Meanwhile, James has gone undercover to investigate the murders, living among the dock and factory workers. To find the killers, he insinuates himself in a dark and dangerous world of labor unions, anarchists and criminals to solve the crimes. When Diana finally locates him, she reveals the plot to import eight hundred pounds of balliste, a highly volatile explosive, to Chicago. They must discover who placed the order, the reason for the order, and the intended target.
Both Diana and James wonder whether there is a connection between the murders and the explosive, and embark on parallel efforts to uncover the truth before the explosives destroy their intended target.
Read the rest of my review at Booktrib.com.