A Shipwreck in Fiji

A Sergeant Akal Singh Mystery, Book 2

De: Nilima Rao

Narrado por: Sid Sagar

Fiji, 1915: when a purported sighting of Germans on the run from WWI turns deadly, Sergeant Akal Singh must (reluctantly) take up the investigation in this vibrant follow-up to A Disappearance in Fiji.

Sergeant Akal Singh, an unwilling transplant to Fiji, is just starting to settle into his life in the capital city of Suva when he is sent to the neighboring island of Ovalau on a series of fool’s errands. First: investigate strange reports of Germans, thousands of miles from the front of World War I. Second: chaperone two strong-willed European ladies, Mary and Katherine, on a sight-seeing tour. And third: supervise the only police officer currently on Ovalau, an eighteen-year-old constable with a penchant for hysterics.

Accompanied by his friend Taviti, who is visiting his uncle, the local chief, Akal sets off on these seemingly straightforward tasks. Instead, they become embroiled in a series of local issues: the gruesome death of an unpopular local and the imprisonment of a group of Norwegian sailors in Taviti’s uncle’s village. To add to Akal’s woes, Katherine, the charming aspiring journalist, harbors an agenda of her own. Will Akal be able to keep her—and himself—out of trouble before anybody else gets killed?

Nilima Rao’s debut, A Disappearance in Fiji, was a critical darling and award-winner, ending up on multiple best-of-year roundups. This next installment in the Sergeant Akal Singh series has all the charm and sparkle of the first book, with even more fascinating historical insight into the realities of life on Fiji at the start of the twentieth century.

This audiobook contains a special Author's Note read by author Nilima Rao.

©2025 Nilima Rao (P)2025 Recorded Books

Second adventure for Akal as good as the first

I want to send my appreciation to the author for diligent research, excellent narrative and characters I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Please continue.

Very enjoyable read.

Listening to the history of relations between cultures in Fiji in 1915 was fascinating and illuminating. I learned a lot (which I always hope to do) and thought the resolution of the murder cases intriguing. Will definitely be looking forward to the next book in this series.

Great second book in the Akal Singh series

This is the second book of the Akal Singh series and there is no let down. I am really enjoying these. In this book, Singh is sent on a wild goose chase to escort two women to see the nearby island of Ovalau while helping a young rookie constable track down a rumor of German sailors being spotted (the story takes place during WW1). His friend and fellow officer Taviti manages to accompany him as Taviti comes from this island. When they arrive, they discover that the shopkeeper who reported the sailors has been murdered. Singh and Taviti are drawn into the investigation while dealing with the two women, both of whom are keen on learning more about the mystery. Although the crime to be solved is murder, the story reads more like a cozy mystery than a police procedural. I correctly guessed (it was actually pretty obvious) the murderer fairly early on, but the strength of this book is not the cleverly described mystery. Rather what sets this book apart is the wonderful characters and the historical and cultural contexts described. The author describes the social,cultural and historical context of 1910’s Fiji and weaves that into the story. And Singh is a very likable and relatable character,as are Taviti and Katherine (who he is escorting). All in all, this has become a favorite series for me. I can’t wait for the third book in this series. Lastly, Sid Sagar is the perfect narrator for this story.

Fascinating

Very enjoyable historical fiction with the consequences of WW1 in Europe coming to Fiji. I enjoyed the history and the mystery.