Description

A charming debut historical mystery set in 1914 Fiji. Perfect for fans of Abir Mukherjee, Vaseem Khan and Sujata Massey.

‘AN UTTERLY CHARMING NOVEL … NILIMA RAO IS AN AUTHOR WELL WORTH DISCOVERING’ ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

‘AN EXCEPTIONALLY PROMISING DEBUT’ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW

1914, Fiji: Sergeant Akal Singh would rather be anywhere than this tropical paradise – or, as he calls it, ‘this godforsaken island’. After a promising start to his police career in Hong Kong, Akal has been sent to the far-flung colony of Fiji as punishment for a humiliating professional mistake. Lonely and embarrassed, he dreams of solving a big case, thereby redeeming himself and gaining permission to leave. Otherwise, he fears he will be stuck in Fiji for ever.

When an indentured Indian woman goes missing from a sugarcane plantation and Fiji’s newspapers scream ‘kidnapping’, the inspector-general reluctantly assigns Akal the case, giving him strict instructions to view this investigation as nothing more than cursory. But as soon as Akal arrives on the plantation, he identifies several troubling inconsistencies in the plantation owners’ stories, and it seems there is more to this disappearance than meets the eye . . .

Publisher Review

This is an utterly charming novel. The setting is exotic and the characters are intriguing. Nilima Rao is an author well worth discovering * Alexander McCall Smith * Rao skillfully weaves descriptions of the treatment and living conditions of Indian workers into the propulsive plot and draws a host of vibrant characters. This is an exceptionally promising debut * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review * Meet Sergeant Akal Singh, the complex and charming hero of a thoroughly original mystery set in 1914 Fiji. Fans of Golden Age mysteries will relish this debut novel by a compelling new talent, Nilima Rao. More, please! * Sujata Massey, Agatha Award-winning author of The Widows of Malabar Hill * A poignant and entertaining read ... Sergeant Akal Singh is a charmingly imperfect and captivating protagonist. I love Akal and hope we'll be seeing a lot more of him! * Ovidia Yu, author of the Aunty Lee Singaporean Mysteries * A marvellous debut that beautifully paints life in a part of the world that few of us have a chance to visit. The highlight of Nilima Rao's well-crafted novel set in Fiji in the days of British colonial rule is the collision of cultures and class and how one man is charged with the task of unlocking the mysteries they create. A pleasure to read * Colin Cotterill, author of the Dr Siri Paiboun Mysteries *