Archaeological Treasures of Uzbekistan: From Alexander the Great to the Kushan Empire” at James Simon Gallery, Berlin This is the first in a series about the (fictional) first female police inspector in Bombay immediately after independence, in 1949-1950. I loved the story, the history, the descriptions of Bombay and rural Punjab, the strong (rather bull-headed) main character, her relationship with her father, her determination to fight against misogyny. The violence and dislocation which accompanied independence is still very much a preoccupation in 1949, and Wadia still has unresolved issues to do with her mother’s death, something her father refuses to discuss. Right from the start, however, it is clear she is a fiercely combative character determined to carve a career despite a general opinion that a woman will not be up to it. Isabelle Grey’s series about DI Grace Fisher starting with ‘Good Girls Don’t Die’. These have the bonus (for me) of being set in Essex – my birthplace! Meet the debutants: hot summer reads by new novelists". London Evening Standard. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016 . Retrieved 17 April 2016.

Midnight at Malabar House” by Vaseem Khan “Midnight at Malabar House” by Vaseem Khan

Oh my gosh I love how this man writes. He could write brochures and I would read them because they'd be the best brochures out there. So when I saw that he has a new series out [after being wildly disappointed that it wasn't a new Inspector Chopra book, as I ADORE that series and have learned so much about India by reading them], I decided to request the ARC and was thrilled to receive it. And boy was I NOT disappointed. THIS is going to be a great series, I can just feel it.

Author Vaseem Khan chooses to create a very Hercule Poirot climactic scene in a church parlor, where, with the assistance of her British not-quite-beau, Persis succeeds in a ruse to gather a remarkably large group of Indian and British suspects hiding secrets that may or may not be relevant.

Midnight at Malabar House: The Malabar House Series, Book 1

Persis Wadia is the first female police officer in India. She works at Malabar House, home to misfits or policemen who have made career limiting mistakes. Persis is on duty on New Year's Eve in 1949 when a call comes in to investigate the murder of a prominent British official, Sir James Herriot, during a party he is hosting. His throat has been cut in his study in a compromising position, and his trousers are missing. Turns out, he has been asked to look into atrocities associated with the Partition (i.e., the contention establishment of Pakistan, based on religious beliefs.)

This is the first in the Malabar House series & features Inspector Persis Wadia. She is the first woman inspector in the new Indian police force. She has had to fight for her rightful place in a male dominated environment & a society which is not ready to accept a woman in authority. I enjoy the author's Baby Ganesh series, although it's lost a bit of its luster for me. (Seriously, how many books can you write starring a baby elephant?) So I was delighted to find this new series by Khan, and even happier to discover that Midnight at Malabar House is a gem of a book. Lying in the heart of the Malabar house, there’s a tale of avarice,love, betrayal and newly founded India which is striving hard to clean the dark bloats of partition and imperialism. Vaseem Khan’s Midnight at Malabar House comes at a time when three writers are already delving into 20th century India through murder mystery novels. Each writer’s work stands out in one way or the other, but Vaseem’s new novel is starkly different from those three because unlike them, it is set in Independent India.

Malabar House Series by Vaseem Khan - Goodreads

Malabar House is the location of the district police force. It has served as a dead-end transfer for police officers unwanted elsewhere for a variety of reasons. This could be due to mistakes, incompetence, bad behaviour, or simply not fitting in with commanding officers. Knowing much less about Indian history and this period in particular, you'll probably be apt to like this far more than I did. The case itself holds several good twists but it really becomes too convoluted and also rather easy to decipher at the same time. While there are way too many characters running completely on feelings, sacrifice, passion and not just plain greed to make it at all probable for their placements. I do like a gritty crime novel and modern forensics, but sometimes a slightly gentler approach is desirable, as in ‘Midnight at Malabar House’. Profile". Vaseem Khan. May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016 . Retrieved 11 April 2016. The historical tidbit he's given and that's exactly how much of facts he's presented are irrelevant to the plot. Bibi ghar massacre and the info on Haji Ali have no relevance to the plot. it really makes no difference, whether it's included in the story or not. Haji Ali was off limits to women till as late as the 70's. Would they really allow a rich American woman to just walk in without the required dress code and smoke in the premises?? Any religion would take offence at the disrespect shown.And so, when the phone rings to report the murder of prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot, the country’s most sensational case falls into her lap.

Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan | Hachette UK Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan | Hachette UK

This is historical crime fiction at its best - a compelling mix of social insight and complex plotting with a thoroughly engaging heroine. A highly promising new series * Mail on Sunday * A compelling mystery set in a fascinating period in India's tumultuous history. Inspector Persis Wadia, the India's first female detective, is gutsy, stubborn and ideally suited to navigate both the complexities of a murder in Bombay's high society and the politics of a police force that want to see her fail. A stunning start to brand new series from one of the UK's finest writers." - M W Craven

Bookworm, Mum and English teacher. Resident of Cheshire in the rainy north of England but an Essex girl at heart and by birth. I am looking forward to watching Persis Wadia mature as a human and as a police officer, and I look forward to Vaseem Khan's next book in the series with a great deal of anticipation. For those of you who are familiar with Sujatta Massey's excellent Perveen Mistry historical series, give Midnight at Malabar House a try. I think you're going to like it.