Abir Mukherjee
Abir Mukherjee’s A Rising Man transports us to Calcutta in 1919. The narrative unfolds in the first-person point of view of Captain Sam Wyndham.
Wyndham, recovering from the trauma of World War I and the recent death of his wife, accepts a post to join the Calcutta police force. He barely has time to adjust to his new surroundings when he is tasked with solving the murder of a British senior official. It initially looks like a crime committed by Indian separatists bent on revenge for British occupation of their land. But Wyndham sniffs discrepancies in the theory and decides to conduct a thorough investigation. He is assisted by his trusty Indian police officer, Sergeant ‘Surrender-not’ Banerjee.
Wyndham traverses the labyrinthine streets of Calcutta, piecing together clues that will help him solve the murder. He critiques with humor the palatial buildings of the British authorities and the homes of wealthy British businessmen who have amassed a fortune exploiting Indian resources. He views British declarations of superiority over Indians and their ostensibly moral motives for occupying Indian land with a weary cynicism. His investigation soon has him embroiled in Indian politics, liberation movements, and unseemly characters in the underbelly of the British occupation.
Wyndham is portrayed as a well-rounded character who is not without flaws. He is addicted to opium and occasionally lapses into racist innuendos. He stumbles around, following false leads while investigating the murder. But he desperately tries to adhere to a moral code of justice in spite of formidable obstacles. And he has the foresight to acknowledge the intelligence and invaluable contribution of Sergeant Banerjee in solving the crime. Hopefully, the seeds of their burgeoning friendship will bear fruit in the sequels of the series, especially since Banerjee emerges as one of the most likeable characters. He is astute and a man of moral integrity.
Mukherjee plunges the reader in the palpable atmosphere of an India on the cusp of brewing its revolutionary movements for independence. He weaves historical events and cultural perspectives throughout the narrative with great skill and does not shy away from exposing the hypocrisy, brutality, racism, and exploitative nature of British rule in India. His ability to capture the hustle and bustle of Calcutta, its pungent smells, cacophony of sounds, sweltering heat, and torrential rains is impressive.
Situated in the murky waters of early twentieth-century British colonial rule in India, Mukherjee has written a murder mystery that is compelling, entertaining, and skillfully executed.
Recommended.