The Lost Man of Bombay

The Malabar House, Book 3

De: Vaseem Khan

Narrado por: Maya Saroya

The third incredible novel in the highly acclaimed Malabar House series featuring Persis Wadia, India's first female police detective. A Times Audiobook of the Week

Bombay, 1950

When the body of a white man is found frozen in the Himalayan foothills near Dehra Dun, he is christened the Ice Man by the national media. Who is he? How long has he been there? Why was he killed?

As Inspector Persis Wadia and Metropolitan Police criminalist Archie Blackfinch investigate the case in Bombay, they uncover a trail left behind by the enigmatic Ice Man - a trail leading directly into the dark heart of conspiracy.

Meanwhile, two new murders grip the city. Is there a serial killer on the loose, targeting Europeans?

Rich in atmosphere, the thrilling third chapter in the CWA Historical Dagger-winning Malabar House series pits Persis against a mystery from beyond the grave, unfolding against the backdrop of a turbulent post-colonial India, a nation struggling to redefine itself in the shadow of the Raj.

(P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Praise for the Malabar House series:

'This is a crime novel for everyone; for those who love traditional mysteries there are clues, codes and ciphers, but it also had a harder edge and a post-war darkness' Ann Cleeves

'Outstanding. I've always been a fan of Vaseem Khan but this latest offering is something special and something new' Imran Mahmood

'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

'This is historical crime fiction at its sharpest, set on the brink of independence and during a dramatic period of the subcontinent's history' Sunday Times©2022 Vaseem Khan Ltd

Reseñas de la Crítica

Hard, realistic and fascinatingly hard to decipher. Persis is a terrific character

Vaseem Khan's friction-free ascent to pole position in historical crime is consolidated by The Lost Man of Bombay. Much to relish here

What should you expect from a good historical mystery? Well, a decent mystery, obviously, and interesting characters to guide you through the plot, plus some inside knowledge of a place or period in history you are unfamiliar with. The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan ticks all those boxes, and probably more, with ease

The hugely entertaining result is not unlike an India(na) Jones adventure: history and mystery mixed with brutal slapstick, thwarted romance and sly humour . . . Malabar House is a subcontinental version of Mick Herron's Slough House . . . If only all period procedurals were as good as this

Khan writes with a charming formality and brings his characters and their dilemmas to life in this intelligent and intriguing series

British writer Vaseem Khan has shown quite comprehensively that he can write historical crime fiction well

The latest of Khan's excellent thrillers set in post-war Bombay is a vivid portrait of a society remaking itself in the new era of independence

A brilliant whodunnit mingling fascinating history, the flavours of India and a Himalayan blizzard of clues

Vaseem Khan doesn't only spin a fast-moving, well-plotted story; he deftly illuminates the religious rivalries that beset post-colonial India. Think Mick Herron in Bombay: inventive characterisation made laugh-aloud funny by Maya Saroya's pacey, often caustic narration

Vivid, bracing crime writing married to a picture of a country seeking its post Raj identity

Vaseem Khan's excellent series set in post-partition India

Written with wit and heart, it's wonderfully entertaining

His excellent Malabar House series

The best historical thriller of the year

If only all period procedurals were as good as this

Another great installment of Malabar House!

Greatly enjoyed this one. Best yet in the series! Though I enjoy each of them but each book builds very well upon the story layer by layer.

Another great installment

This is the third book in the series and is just as engaging as the first two. With well drawn characters and an intriguing mystery, this book will keep you hooked to the very last page. Kudos also to the narrator for the Audible version. I’m hoping the series continues.

Good mystery, great reader

I continue to enjoy this series, and I love Maya Saroya’s reading. Persis is an intriguing character although it’s a little frustrating that she doesn’t grow a bit more with each book. She is so unable to express her feelings, so emotionally handicapped by her mother’s early death and her need to prove herself in the police service, that she’s a difficult character to like. But the other characters are also good, well drawn and developed, the mysteries are complex and the writing is good.

Not the best of the series

Love his other books
But this one feels much weaker . And the performance is huge boring .

Good start, interesting characters

By now I am hooked by the main character and want to know how her life develops. The mystery was really good from the start but I feel that the author exhausted some of the plot twist in the previous book and it was somewhat repetitive and predictable.