Description

‘A riveting murder mystery’ Kiran Desai

‘Brilliant, brutal’ The Times

In the quiet village of Teetarpur, a child is found dead, hanging from a Jamun tree. Suspicion in the mainly Hindu community quickly falls on a vagrant Muslim man.

As grief turns to anger and threatens to explode into violence, it’s up to Sub-Inspector Ombir Singh to uncover the truth before the villagers take justice into their own hands.

Publisher Review

“Scratch the itch of those who love a “small community dealing with murder” tale with Nilanjana Roy’s latest, set in Teetarpur, outside Delhi, “an hour’s drive down silent, forested roads covered in powdered summer dust.” – Observer, Best crime novels and thrillers of the year

“A literary thriller of considerable acumen with a textured picture of a country.” – Financial Times, Best New Crime Books

“A new writer to shout about… Roy brings rural India and Delhi to life as much as she does her characters… Riveting.” – Observer

“A novel that is on the one hand a wholly satisfying murder mystery, but which also employs the village of Teetarpur as a kind of India-in-microcosm… A powerful, immersive and unsentimental novel of modern India, Black River establishes Nilanjana Roy as a crime novelist with which to be reckoned.” – Irish Times

“A brilliant, brutal saga that is both an unflattering portrait of modern India and a thrilling crime novel… [An] impressive debut, oozing heat and dust.” – The Times

“Framed as a police procedural, but with the breadth of a saga… [A] dazzling, lyrical tale of friendship, love and grief that shines a light on the corruption and religious sectarianism of modern India.” – Guardian

“This impressive debut is written with great humanity, as well as with incisive clarity… The plot, characterisation, location and writing is first-rate.” – The Critic

“A powerful slice of literary police procedural… This reflective whodunnit transcends the genre’s limitations with its delicate handling of humane relationships… A page turner with an extra dimension.” – Crime Time

“A poignant and gripping story, but also a comment on religious intolerance, corruption in politics and issues that affect the rural community particularly, such as politics and gender. A tough but truly relevant read, at times beautifully and exquisitely written but absolutely heartbreaking. A scorching critique of modern India.” – Crime Time Podcast