A Rising Man

By: Abir Mukherjee

Narrated by: Malk Williams

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

In the days of the Raj, a newly arrived Scotland Yard detective is confronted with the murder of a British official - in his mouth a note warning the British to leave India, or else....

Calcutta, 1919. Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. Desperately seeking a fresh start after his experiences during the Great War, Wyndham has been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. He is immediately overwhelmed by the heady vibrancy of the tropical city, but with barely a moment to acclimatize or to deal with the ghosts that still haunt him, Wyndham is caught up in a murder investigation that threatens to destabilize a city already teetering on the brink of political insurgency.

The body of a senior official has been found in a filthy sewer, and a note left in his mouth warns the British to quit India, or else. Under tremendous pressure to solve the case before it erupts into increased violence on the streets, Wyndham and his two new colleagues - arrogant Inspector Digby and Sergeant Banerjee, one of the few Indians to be recruited into the new CID - embark on an investigation that will take them from the opulent mansions of wealthy British traders to the seedy opium dens of the city.

Masterfully evincing the sights, sounds, and smells of colonial Calcutta, A Rising Man is the start of an enticing new historical crime series.

©2017 Abir Mukherjee (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

enjoyable and entertaining

narrator was great. storyline was pretty easy but all the history and India descriptions were worth the listen. loved the detective noir in India angle. nice

A whole new world for me.

Very much enjoyed being introduced to Calcutta after World War I. Mr. Mukherjee created some really wonderful detective characters and I look forward to hearing more. I am concerned about what could happen to AG in the next part of the journey.

Fun and addictive

British imperial might versus India’s ascension to independence. Would be long and deeply sad. Crickets ! The major characters are alluring, sultry with a puff of opium now and again Tearing through the trilogy Exquisite and funny!

British Colonialism in India

The Rising Man is an excellent murder mystery set in Calcutta in 1919. Captain Sam Wyndham is an ex-Scotland yard detective who has survived the trenches of WW I, only to lose his wife, so he leaves England and moves to India to seek a fresh start. Upon arriving, Sam gets assigned to solving a high-profile murder case.

Set amidst the early death throes of British colonialism in the Far East, Calcutta is a fascinating place, and the descriptions of life in the city of Kali and the people are what make the story. This is a well-written book that sheds light on some of the unsavory aspects of British arrogance and prejudice that were part of the colonial mindset, but Abir Mukherjee does it in a way that does not attempt to look at those aspects through today's morays.

Sam is a realist, a flawed hero, struggling with his own demons but committed to justice and the rule of law. Ultimately the sense of decency is what makes Sam likable.

Good book. The narration by Malk Williams was just right – with a good mix of accents but not overdone.

Engrossing Picture of the Raj Just After WWI

I enjoyed everything about this book, the narration, the characters and the picture of Calcutta at that time. The characters are interesting and believable, and some of Wyndham's asides to himself are priceless. This one particularly struck me "... we’d fought two wars against their [China's] emperors for the right to peddle the damn stuff [opium] in their country. And peddle it we did. So much so that we managed to make addicts out of a quarter of the male population. If you thought about it, that probably made Queen Victoria the greatest drug peddler in history."

Williams did a great job narrating, so I hope he narrates the next book in the series.

Outstanding!

Nothing better than a police procedural that takes place in another country and time! Go to India just after WWI, and have a great time with a detective and his small but effective crew. So enjoyable and the narration is perfect.

Solid!

very solid start to a series! I can see myself coming back to this series!

Exotic setting, interesting history.

Interesting plot. But much of the success of the book derives from the point in history in which it is set. WWI is over, but the consequences of the war affect the people, the policies, the social customs of 1919 India. The British Empire is trying to hold on, but rumblings of Indian independence are being heard increasingly. I found the characters fun: our seriously flawed hero, Sam Wyndham (Veteran of the war and Scotland Yard), his aid, the British-educated Sergeant Surrender-Not, and the beautiful and clever mixed-race, Annie. There is also sequel to this book which I perhaps liked even better (It has a maharaja and more elephants!). I hope eventually there will be more in the series. I was particularly impressed by the reader. There are lots of different characters and accents, a lot of difficult words. He did an excellent job conveying character and thought clearly.

Great story takes reader to Calcutta

I really enjoyed listening to this crime story and del like I was transported to India.

Refreshing setting for historical fiction detective novel

The author makes this chock full of real feeling details that not only make you feel you are there but also give you a sense of how someone there and if that era would have seen things with their own eyes, Biases and experiences.

The detective story doesn't let you down, it's intricate but well plotted and the resolution is appropriate and neither obvious or a swindle. Lots of side stories

The budding Watson and Holmes freindship of the detective and his sidekick makes it enjoyable and I'm eager to read another of their adventures.
It's funny too. The first person narration is wise cracking. It perhaps breaks the fourth wall a couple times with a wink to modern audiences. But all in the service of reminding us that if we find the Victorian times quaint that we should not think of our own times won't be quaint some day. It fits with the undercurrent theme of the book that people fool themselves into thinking themselves morally superior to others who are culturally less empowered.
Narration gets the accents, male and female voices, and distinctly separate voice characterization make it easy to follow which character is speaking. The narrator injects a fun spark into this fast paced tale.