Murder in Old Bombay

A Mystery

By: Nev March

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

Minotaur Competition Winner: First Crime Novel

In 19th-century Bombay, Captain Jim Agnihotri channels his idol, Sherlock Holmes, in Nev March’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.

In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in a Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild Northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by Adi, the widower of one of the victims - his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide - Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon.

But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim's investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either. 

Based on a true story and set against the vibrant backdrop of colonial India, Nev March's Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning lyrical debut, Murder in Old Bombay, brings this tumultuous historical age to life.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

"Bravo to Nev March for capturing late 19th century Indian history so beautifully in Murder in Old Bombay. Compelling characters, striking settings and the intricacies of social stratification shine in this talented author’s hands. I eagerly await more historic Bombay adventures narrated by sharp-eyed, open-hearted Jim Agnihotri." (Sujata Massey, Edgar finalist author of The Widows of Malabar Hill)

©2020 Nev March (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee, 2021

Would make a great Indian Downton Abbey serial

Episodic. Repeatedly retreads the same ground over and over. The reader can skip over chapters and pick up the story without having to go back to fill in. The story is stretched out and very predictable. It would’ve made a very satisfying story if the author had’ve condensed it into half the number of chapters proffered ... and nothing would’ve been sacrificed. The narrator was interesting. Some of his ‘voices’ were laudable ... and some were very irritating but on the whole he was the one thread that kept the story together.

It dragged, and dragged, and dragged...

It is not terrible and narration is very good but should have been 3 times shorter - some subplots are so unnecessary and don't help the story that one really wonders where the editor was.

Wonderful Book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were multi-dimensional, the plot avoided cliches and the narrator was absolutely perfect. Can’t wait for the next in what I hope will be a long series.

Performance outshines action/romance material

For me, this work began as a highly engaging historical/action/romance yarn set during the late 1890s at the height of the British Raj. The protagonist, an Anglo-Indian soldier and man of many parts, sets off on a new track, investigating a pair of disturbing deaths in a wealthy Parsi family. Dialogue that rings true, well-painted locales, and snappy action all pulled me along write until about the halfway point, at which the tale became convoluted and the investigative aspect drawn out over what came to feel like quite excessive length. It's really too bad, especially as the narrator is excellent, and, in addition to his depiction of the lead character, offers the most credible female and child voices that I have yet heard from a male reader on a recorded book. From expeditions into dangerous territory to glittering ballrooms, we want to follow the hero along as he tries to solve the mystery, vanquish the villains and win his beloved, but the seemingly endless-- and to me, decreasingly credible-- twists and turns and increasing redundancy of the narration as it offers recaps of the same information over and over again, grew wearing. In sum, although I really admired the narrator and was engaged at the outset by the premise and tone of the tale, I cannot fully recommend this because of the plot's ultimately descent into unlikelyhoods, and increasing intrusion of some purple prose and melodrama.

most enjoyable!

will look for other books by this author and narrator. quite an adventure it was.

A wonderful debut

I truly enjoyed Jim Agnihotri’s first adventure and look forward to more. This work of historical fiction was engaging and entertaining.

Charming but more a love story than mystery

Charming but it's more a love story than a mystery. Also, it is quite long.

Interesting

This is a very interesting book with many stories combined into the story of one British/Indian soldier retired due to injury. You learn a lot about Indian politics and a bit about Zoroastrianism plus about the functioning of Indian families of wealth in that time period.

A wonderful , many-faceted story

Historical fiction, romance, mystery rolled into one. Great narration, each voice is distinct and suits the character.

An education and a great story !

History, cultural perspectives, plot twists and turns and characters one can like make this easy to visualize book a delight.