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Maharajah Mystery #1
A Very Pukka Murder: The First Maharajah Mystery
From the borders of icy Kashmir to the shark-infested shores of the Malabar Coast, Major William Russell, the English Resident of the small, princely state of Rajpore, is renowned as a straitlaced man of rigorous habit. When his valet knocks on his bedroom door the morning after the 1909 New Year’s Ball and receives no response, he and the Resident’s elderly secretary eventually task the English Commandant of Cavalry with breaking it down. The Resident is dead in his bed. His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia Mansur-i-Zaman Maharaja Sikander Singh, Light of Heaven, Sword of Justice, Shield of the Faithful, sole ruler of Rajpore, is slow to rise after the night of revelry. But news of the murder galvanizes him. The fabulously wealthy Maharaja, who perforce has surrendered much of his authority to the British, is a man of indolent habit although he keeps himself thoroughly fit. A lover of luxury cars and beautiful women, his deepest passion is for mysteries. He cannot resist an enigma, relishing a riddle and the rush of resolving it. Like August Dupin and Sherlock Holmes, Sikander wields careful and deliberate logic to crack puzzles that leave less intelligent men confounded. Here is such an opportunity, and well timed–for the Maharaja, resigned to another year of indolence, is almost fatally bored. Abandoning the lavish comforts of his ornate palace, Sikander orders his massive manservant Charan Singh into his Silver Ghost and speeds to the insular English settlement. Despite the objections of the local Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, he works the crime scene and deduces that Resident was poisoned by a massive dose of strychnine. As a clock starts ticking—the British authorities dispatch their own investigator from Simla— Sikander overcomes obstacles, false trails, and the growing hostility of the English Establishment, while learning that Major Russell was not as pukka, as proper, as he liked to pretend. Will the Maharaja work through a surplus of suspects and motives before the British shut him down and cover up the truth about the Major’s death? Arjun Gaind’s clever, fascinating debut introduces an elegant new detective in the tradition of Lord Peter Wimsey, while painting a scathing portrait of the British Raj.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 7, 2016
There are books.
And then there are Books.
People sometimes are snobbish toward "genres" books. Fantasy. Mystery. Thriller. The like. The reason, as much as they can give one, is that they don't have the "depth" of True Literature.
These people should read THIS book.
Enter Sikander Sigh, Maharaja and occasional Sleuth of Rajpore, in the year 1909. The truly beautiful, the amazing thing of this book is how well it portrays Sikander's own place. He was at once a King for his subjects and a "native" for any English who wanted to mistreat him. He was rich, and cultured, and powerful, but any white person could snob him.
Sikander is not perfect. He is a snob. He is sometimes callous (but not cruel) and prideful. He has his time's habits and fault.
The thing of this book, the real thing, is how it shows the late-Colonial India. Or at least, of course, a part of it. ALL the characters are both symbols (the Sikh, the Mushi, the Captain) AND people, fully flashed out and just oh so very real.
Couple this with a masterful writing and a complex, compelling mystery and you have a book that anybody could love, and who can stay on its own against the masterpieces of the Golden Age of Mysteries.
And yes. I am buying the next ones.
Because there will be next ones.
...
Right?
And then there are Books.
People sometimes are snobbish toward "genres" books. Fantasy. Mystery. Thriller. The like. The reason, as much as they can give one, is that they don't have the "depth" of True Literature.
These people should read THIS book.
Enter Sikander Sigh, Maharaja and occasional Sleuth of Rajpore, in the year 1909. The truly beautiful, the amazing thing of this book is how well it portrays Sikander's own place. He was at once a King for his subjects and a "native" for any English who wanted to mistreat him. He was rich, and cultured, and powerful, but any white person could snob him.
Sikander is not perfect. He is a snob. He is sometimes callous (but not cruel) and prideful. He has his time's habits and fault.
The thing of this book, the real thing, is how it shows the late-Colonial India. Or at least, of course, a part of it. ALL the characters are both symbols (the Sikh, the Mushi, the Captain) AND people, fully flashed out and just oh so very real.
Couple this with a masterful writing and a complex, compelling mystery and you have a book that anybody could love, and who can stay on its own against the masterpieces of the Golden Age of Mysteries.
And yes. I am buying the next ones.
Because there will be next ones.
...
Right?
February 7, 2017
A pretty entertaining murder mystery. I liked the writing a lot, although there could have been some more thorough copy editing. There were plenty of missing periods or backwards quotation marks, incorrect words used, etc. I also correctly guessed the killer about halfway through, and even part of the circumstance, though certainly not all the details. The main character is unlikable, though you can write off some of it as being the fact that this took place in 1909, and his viewpoints are outdated now. But I also thought it was interesting how the author used these outdated viewpoints to distract the Maharajah from the killer. That all being said, it was still very enjoyable, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the genre, or is somewhat new to it, like me.
January 8, 2017
Is there even a single Indian woman in this book??
November 16, 2016
A mystery novel, the first in a planned series, set in a Princely State in India in 1909. When the English Resident is found murdered by poison on New Year's Day, the Maharaja Sikander Singh decides to investigate it himself – but soon discovers that the problem is too many suspects, as nearly everyone had reason to want the Resident dead. But that's just fine with Sikander, as he likes nothing better than a really complicated puzzle.
Let me step back for a moment to explain the setting, as I'm not sure how well-known it is. In 1857, India officially became a colony of Britain, but there were exceptions: states that remained technically independent and continued to be ruled by their hereditary leaders. These became known as the Princely States; some of the best known are Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Travancore. Because they were surrounded on all sides by British India, tended to be small, and were hemmed in by increasingly restrictive treaties (such as, for example, forbidding them to maintain armies or produce weapons), their actual independence was extremely semi-.
In addition, the Princely States had to maintain a British Resident, who would live in the state's capital and was technically responsible for the alliance between British India and the state, but who was often resented and said to take on a much greater role, essentially usurping all government functions and leaving the local rulers with nothing to do. As a result of this, the cliche of the ruler of a Princely State is one of decadence and ennui, as he wastes large amounts of money pursuing affairs with European women, gambling, or in weird art projects, anything to distract himself from boredom. As you may imagine, this is not really all that accurate of a picture, but it's the stereotype Sikander is playing on, and so I mention it.
"Pukka", by the way, means "good", "real", "proper"; a pukka house is one built of brick and stone instead of hastily-thrown up shack. And so a pukka murder is one that's well-done and hard to solve.
Anyway, back to the book! The whole tone is a bit melodramatic, in the style of a early 1900s adventure novel, which I didn't see as a fault. Sikander is vastly intelligent with imposing features; bad guys are craven and ugly; women are beautiful temptresses, if somewhat flighty; Sikhs and Gurkhas are huge and martial; servants are cringing and stupid. There's even the requisite scene where Sikander gathers everyone together at the end and explains how he figured out who did it! (Not the butler, alas.) It's not exactly deep, but it can be a lot of fun if you're in the mood for it. And I mostly was, though I have to confess I was left with a bad taste in my mouth regarding the treatment of women (very James-Bond-esque) and Sikander's reaction when a character was revealed to be secretly gay. I suppose it's all fairly accurate to the time period, but it wasn't the sort of thing I wanted in my light reading, at least not this week.
I found it fairly easy to predict who would turn out to be the murderer, but that didn't reduce my pleasure in following along with Sikander's investigation, which mostly consisted of a series of interviews with various people. It was a thorough depiction of how society functioned in this place and time, particularly in regards to British-Indian relations. It's a nice enough book and a great idea for a series, but unfortunately for me the problems overshadowed most of its good qualities.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
Let me step back for a moment to explain the setting, as I'm not sure how well-known it is. In 1857, India officially became a colony of Britain, but there were exceptions: states that remained technically independent and continued to be ruled by their hereditary leaders. These became known as the Princely States; some of the best known are Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Travancore. Because they were surrounded on all sides by British India, tended to be small, and were hemmed in by increasingly restrictive treaties (such as, for example, forbidding them to maintain armies or produce weapons), their actual independence was extremely semi-.
In addition, the Princely States had to maintain a British Resident, who would live in the state's capital and was technically responsible for the alliance between British India and the state, but who was often resented and said to take on a much greater role, essentially usurping all government functions and leaving the local rulers with nothing to do. As a result of this, the cliche of the ruler of a Princely State is one of decadence and ennui, as he wastes large amounts of money pursuing affairs with European women, gambling, or in weird art projects, anything to distract himself from boredom. As you may imagine, this is not really all that accurate of a picture, but it's the stereotype Sikander is playing on, and so I mention it.
"Pukka", by the way, means "good", "real", "proper"; a pukka house is one built of brick and stone instead of hastily-thrown up shack. And so a pukka murder is one that's well-done and hard to solve.
Anyway, back to the book! The whole tone is a bit melodramatic, in the style of a early 1900s adventure novel, which I didn't see as a fault. Sikander is vastly intelligent with imposing features; bad guys are craven and ugly; women are beautiful temptresses, if somewhat flighty; Sikhs and Gurkhas are huge and martial; servants are cringing and stupid. There's even the requisite scene where Sikander gathers everyone together at the end and explains how he figured out who did it! (Not the butler, alas.) It's not exactly deep, but it can be a lot of fun if you're in the mood for it. And I mostly was, though I have to confess I was left with a bad taste in my mouth regarding the treatment of women (very James-Bond-esque) and Sikander's reaction when a character was revealed to be secretly gay. I suppose it's all fairly accurate to the time period, but it wasn't the sort of thing I wanted in my light reading, at least not this week.
I found it fairly easy to predict who would turn out to be the murderer, but that didn't reduce my pleasure in following along with Sikander's investigation, which mostly consisted of a series of interviews with various people. It was a thorough depiction of how society functioned in this place and time, particularly in regards to British-Indian relations. It's a nice enough book and a great idea for a series, but unfortunately for me the problems overshadowed most of its good qualities.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
June 15, 2019
While looking for books by ‘other voices” It seemed to me that a great way to read about another culture would be to read a mystery by a member of that culture. Arjun Raj Gaind’s A Very Pukka Murder is a classic British style locked door mystery written by the numbers. And in case you did not know, the British Raj was racist and hypocritical. And like almost every murder mystery lots of people have secrets and motives. There is little here to cause for a parental advisory, but there is little here.
Chapter one we meet our recently deceased victim, locked in his bedroom. He or was the English resident of the princely state of Rajpore. Not one of the major states but a plum assignment for an up and coming Englishman. Of course, the local head of the English Police is incompetent and racist and so only the Prince of Rajpore, an amateur crime sleuth and our hero is left to solve the various riddles.
Who is our hero? He is a variation on Lord Peter Wimsey but with an entire feudal state’s worth of resources and whatever. So rich and somewhat decadent, believer in the truth and in science, not very good in his relations with women, but handsome and rich do he can get away with stuff. Also, an amateur chemist, musician and having a tendency toward the narcotic effects of Absinthe.
Point is that this is who done it by the numbers. The only thing not in almost any mystery are the references to the ways his dark skin makes our gentile, mannerly and rich prince disrespected in white society. Then again, he does not hesitate to bribe a Scottish medical officer with the offer of rare Scotch whiskey because what Scotchman can resist. So, do we like stereotyping people or not?
At about the 2/3 marks Gaind realizes that he forgot to give his hero a reason to hurry, so there is a need to rush before an English investigator arrives on the more likely mission of saying bad things about how the Prince runs his country. As for the mystery evil doer? That person is all but painted read and their name given away by chapter three. Only the obliviousness of the detective keeps him off the scent till some point near the end.
A Very Pukka Murder is first of a series. I do not care.
Chapter one we meet our recently deceased victim, locked in his bedroom. He or was the English resident of the princely state of Rajpore. Not one of the major states but a plum assignment for an up and coming Englishman. Of course, the local head of the English Police is incompetent and racist and so only the Prince of Rajpore, an amateur crime sleuth and our hero is left to solve the various riddles.
Who is our hero? He is a variation on Lord Peter Wimsey but with an entire feudal state’s worth of resources and whatever. So rich and somewhat decadent, believer in the truth and in science, not very good in his relations with women, but handsome and rich do he can get away with stuff. Also, an amateur chemist, musician and having a tendency toward the narcotic effects of Absinthe.
Point is that this is who done it by the numbers. The only thing not in almost any mystery are the references to the ways his dark skin makes our gentile, mannerly and rich prince disrespected in white society. Then again, he does not hesitate to bribe a Scottish medical officer with the offer of rare Scotch whiskey because what Scotchman can resist. So, do we like stereotyping people or not?
At about the 2/3 marks Gaind realizes that he forgot to give his hero a reason to hurry, so there is a need to rush before an English investigator arrives on the more likely mission of saying bad things about how the Prince runs his country. As for the mystery evil doer? That person is all but painted read and their name given away by chapter three. Only the obliviousness of the detective keeps him off the scent till some point near the end.
A Very Pukka Murder is first of a series. I do not care.
February 5, 2017
This was definitely a good start to my Indian author reads for this year. 8/10 would recommend.
February 7, 2017
Arjun Raj Gaind’s A Very Pukka Murder is set in a fictitious kingdom called Rajpore. On the first day of 1909, amateur sleuth and Maharaja of Rajpore, Sikandar Singh, is wakened with the news that the local British Resident, Major William Russell, is dead. Sikandar, sensing a mystery, hurries to the scene, to find that the Resident, an unlikeable but bland and prudish man, has been poisoned. With a bottle of Oloroso chockfull of strychnine.
With a hostile police superintendent and an often uncooperative magistrate breathing down his neck, plus the impending arrival of a special investigator from Simla, the Maharaja swings into action. Within a couple of days, he’s interrogated nearly everyone who came in regular contact with the Resident; and in that time, too, he’s realized that Russell harboured an astonishing number of dirty secrets that have made him so many enemies that the list of suspects is going to be a long, long one…
I liked the mystery aspect of A Very Pukka Murder: it does get pretty puzzling, with the suspects (all of them with seemingly excellent motives for murder) crowding in thick. What I didn’t like was the detective himself; Sikandar Singh struck me as a little too full of contradictions (besides, perhaps naturally, considering he’s royalty, being too full of himself). This is a man who is supposedly very worldly-wise when it comes to sex—but he’s struck dumb when he learns of another man’s sexual escapades? He is supposedly deeply in love with his mistress (whom, because she’s French, he cannot marry, being the Maharaja…), but that doesn’t stop him feeling deep desire for every other pretty woman he encounters? Most of all, though, I disliked Sikandar Singh for this thought regarding women: “Not only were the poor creatures too weak to fight back, defenseless in every way except with their tongues…”.
Besides that, there are several errors that could’ve been ironed out, given a sharp-eyed and knowledgeable editor. Would a town in the middle of the Himalayas be hot enough in early January for someone to wear a safari suit? Is the correct name for a Muslim Bhakht or Bakht? Was Sikandar Singh’s mother’s name Ayesha Devi or Amrita Devi? Is sherry really ‘not a wine’, or is it just another type of wine—fortified, perhaps?
Regardless, though, a promising debut. Hopefully Sikandar will get more likeable as the series progresses.
With a hostile police superintendent and an often uncooperative magistrate breathing down his neck, plus the impending arrival of a special investigator from Simla, the Maharaja swings into action. Within a couple of days, he’s interrogated nearly everyone who came in regular contact with the Resident; and in that time, too, he’s realized that Russell harboured an astonishing number of dirty secrets that have made him so many enemies that the list of suspects is going to be a long, long one…
I liked the mystery aspect of A Very Pukka Murder: it does get pretty puzzling, with the suspects (all of them with seemingly excellent motives for murder) crowding in thick. What I didn’t like was the detective himself; Sikandar Singh struck me as a little too full of contradictions (besides, perhaps naturally, considering he’s royalty, being too full of himself). This is a man who is supposedly very worldly-wise when it comes to sex—but he’s struck dumb when he learns of another man’s sexual escapades? He is supposedly deeply in love with his mistress (whom, because she’s French, he cannot marry, being the Maharaja…), but that doesn’t stop him feeling deep desire for every other pretty woman he encounters? Most of all, though, I disliked Sikandar Singh for this thought regarding women: “Not only were the poor creatures too weak to fight back, defenseless in every way except with their tongues…”.
Besides that, there are several errors that could’ve been ironed out, given a sharp-eyed and knowledgeable editor. Would a town in the middle of the Himalayas be hot enough in early January for someone to wear a safari suit? Is the correct name for a Muslim Bhakht or Bakht? Was Sikandar Singh’s mother’s name Ayesha Devi or Amrita Devi? Is sherry really ‘not a wine’, or is it just another type of wine—fortified, perhaps?
Regardless, though, a promising debut. Hopefully Sikandar will get more likeable as the series progresses.
January 5, 2018
If Agatha Christie had been an Indian man, this is a book she might have written, down to the dinner party reveal at the end. Vivid characters, though not all that likable and quite stereotypical. Sexism and homophobia that are not quite endorsed by the author, but definitely not repudiated. That's somewhat to the credit of the author in that at least the main character isn't anachronistically endowed with 21st century attitudes.
September 20, 2016
An enjoyable historical mystery set in British India. Full review for Shelf Awareness. (I liked it, although it felt a bit like the author needed a thesaurus. I noticed "jejune" twice and "doughty" 3 or 4 times.
October 7, 2017
The problem with historical mysteries is that the past wasn't a very pleasant place. All of the prejudices in the book are certainly accurate to the time and place, but that doesn't make them any more pleasant to read.
I also guessed the murderer the moment they were introduced. Though that's more the result of my being very familiar with murder mysteries.
I also guessed the murderer the moment they were introduced. Though that's more the result of my being very familiar with murder mysteries.
October 19, 2019
A very average murder mystery. No clues that you miss and the protagonist finds, just a lot of talk and gossip. More Marple than Poirot. Solved more by gut feeling than be chain of evidence.
Read
August 20, 2019When I ran across this at the library and saw it was by an author from India setting his tale at the beginning of the 20th century, I figured I ought to give it a try. The book employs quite a few tropes typical of the early mystery novel--for example, a locked room and a wealthy, eccentric sleuth (the sleuth is Maharaja of a small state). It also deals unflinchingly with the problems of class and race that were endemic to British-ruled India; despite being a wealthy ruler, the Maharaja nonetheless faces racism, although to a lesser extent than do those from the lower classes. Religion also plays a role, as the Maharaja and some other characters are of Sikh heritage, others are Muslim, etc. The Maharaja has to work against time to solve the mystery (the British don't mostly favor his desire to find the killer of the British Resident) and works his way through numerous suspects with various motives. On the whole I enjoyed it, but the efforts to make the sleuth both eccentric in the manner of early sleuths (Holmes, Dupin, the Thinking Machine, etc.) and a relatively enlightened but not too enlightened person of his time made me a little weary.
April 29, 2020
2020 bk 148: A new series. Set in India (Rajpore) in the beginning of the year 1909, the English Resident (advisor to the Maharajah) did a little too much celebrating, or so his servants thought. They thought wrong. The Resident was not hungover, but very thoroughly deceased. He was not liked, least of all by the current Maharajah, Sikander Singh, but he had died while in service the the Maharaja and Sikinder Singh did enjoy solving puzzles. An interesting mystery as the Maharajah, despite being ruler, has to navigate the borders between the English and Indian, rich and poor, and the varying ethnic families that make up India then as now. I am looking forward to #2.
September 27, 2018
The characters and atmosphere are intriguing and well done. If the attitude of the English toward Indians was really as portrayed in this book, it is not any wonder that there was a revolt. The mystery on the other hand was rather weak, the culprit was somewhat obvious soon after we met them, and the whole was rather full of cliche in methods and motive.
February 7, 2022
A fun mystery set in India at the time of the Raj. Maharaja Sikander Singh, rather bored with all of the opulence and trappings of being a Maharaja, fashions himself a bit of an investigative sleuth. Her sets out to solve the murder of a local British Major. Well written, fast paced, very entertaining!
October 30, 2018
The opulent writing lacked substance, unlike the fascinating characters! The Maharajah with a misplaced 'picaresque reputation' entertains with his lavish tastes. I only wish the occasional rudeness at his likeable manservant was absent altogether ;p
October 10, 2018
Although the ending was a bit predictable, the dynamic between the Britishers and the Indians and the overdramatic persona of the king makes for an entertaining read
July 28, 2017
First things first. The dominant feature of this book is the erudite language. It showcases the author's extensive vocabulary and the ability to write good English. Why the author chose to use so many uncommon words, I don't know. The overall effect of this should have been positive. Unfortunately, as far as I was concerned, it was not. The wordy, flowery, long-winded style of writing, after some time, came in the way of the story. Yes, it was a pleasure reading good English, especially when a majority of Indian commercial fiction suffer from a lack of erudition. Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be a drawback too. I enjoyed the language in the first 10% to 20% of the book. Thereafter, it became tiresome.
That leads me to the writing (apart from the vocabulary, that is). I found it overly descriptive. Too many pages were used up in describing aspects that are peripheral to the story and its characters. It broke the flow of tension and suspense. As a result, the combined effect of extensive descriptions and flowery language was this: If you want to read the book for the writing, go right ahead. You are likely to enjoy it. But if you want a mystery that engages you and compels you to turn pages, this is probably not the one that you want – it’s pretty straightforward and uncomplicated. The murderer is eminently guessable (not that it is a drawback in itself).
A related aspect that caused a lack of engagement (for me) was the character cast. I didn't care for anyone, including the protagonist. A rich young king (who has everything he desires) is just having a bit of fun solving a murder case – what is at stake? It felt like a chess game. A despicable British administrator is killed – what is at stake? Nothing. Good riddance! I found no character I could root for. I felt no sense of injustice, no indignation, no emotion. The writing, while undoubtedly polished, failed to stoke anything in me as a reader. Soon, I ended up rushing through to the end of the book.
In summary, this is a book that is worth trying if you are interested in good language. But as a mystery, it falls short on a few counts.
That leads me to the writing (apart from the vocabulary, that is). I found it overly descriptive. Too many pages were used up in describing aspects that are peripheral to the story and its characters. It broke the flow of tension and suspense. As a result, the combined effect of extensive descriptions and flowery language was this: If you want to read the book for the writing, go right ahead. You are likely to enjoy it. But if you want a mystery that engages you and compels you to turn pages, this is probably not the one that you want – it’s pretty straightforward and uncomplicated. The murderer is eminently guessable (not that it is a drawback in itself).
A related aspect that caused a lack of engagement (for me) was the character cast. I didn't care for anyone, including the protagonist. A rich young king (who has everything he desires) is just having a bit of fun solving a murder case – what is at stake? It felt like a chess game. A despicable British administrator is killed – what is at stake? Nothing. Good riddance! I found no character I could root for. I felt no sense of injustice, no indignation, no emotion. The writing, while undoubtedly polished, failed to stoke anything in me as a reader. Soon, I ended up rushing through to the end of the book.
In summary, this is a book that is worth trying if you are interested in good language. But as a mystery, it falls short on a few counts.
February 7, 2017
On January 1, 1909, in Rajpore, India, His Highness Maharaja Sikander Singh is woken at noon in his ostentatious palace, following the overnight revelries. Sikander is only the titular king of the princely state, which is governed by the British Resident. Sikander is informed of the Resident’s mysterious death, and he immediately dashes off in his Rolls to the Residency. Educated in Europe, Sikander considers himself an amateur sleuth and wants to get in early in the investigation. The British authorities deem the demise a suicide, but Sikander has reasons to believe it to be poisoning. He perseveres, much like Sherlock Holmes, to identify the perpetrator by investigating a list of suspects.
The novel is a British-style murder mystery but written by a non-Brit. Arjun Gaind has not only captured that era’s details remarkably well but also describes English and native mannerisms perfectly. Bachelor Sikandar is a complex character, which makes him appealing. While he’s a classic playboy maharaja living a lavish lifestyle, Sikander is intelligent and athletic, despite his excesses. The detailed narrative might bore those readers already familiar with that period, but it’s an entertaining read nonetheless. A mature maharaja who’s still unmarried is surprising, but Sikander might find a soulmate in the sequels to follow.
This review first appeared in the Historical Novels Review Issue 79 (February 2017)
The novel is a British-style murder mystery but written by a non-Brit. Arjun Gaind has not only captured that era’s details remarkably well but also describes English and native mannerisms perfectly. Bachelor Sikandar is a complex character, which makes him appealing. While he’s a classic playboy maharaja living a lavish lifestyle, Sikander is intelligent and athletic, despite his excesses. The detailed narrative might bore those readers already familiar with that period, but it’s an entertaining read nonetheless. A mature maharaja who’s still unmarried is surprising, but Sikander might find a soulmate in the sequels to follow.
This review first appeared in the Historical Novels Review Issue 79 (February 2017)
September 22, 2018
You have no idea how much I wanted to like this book. A fascinating premise and an interesting mystery with a host of colorful suspects? Sign me up. But the pacing was off, that characters were either cardboard cut outs, unlikeable, or both and the mystery itself fell flat. I nearly gave up multiple times (especially since the narrative never took issue with the homophobia and sexism— you can write your main character being a period-appropriate bigot without the narrative taking it at face value).
It gets two stars because the conclusion of the story was satisfactory, but I can’t bring myself to give it any more than that.
It gets two stars because the conclusion of the story was satisfactory, but I can’t bring myself to give it any more than that.
December 11, 2016
Having eagerly been waiting for this period of modern Indian history to receive its due in fiction and this fits it superbly, in both idea and execution... eagerly awaiting the next installments.
June 20, 2021
Had to bring my Hobson-Jobson out for this one. Enjoyable for those who like books set in this period. A bit left to be desired as far as the actual story and writing goes.
May 12, 2019
This is a very different sort of murder mystery set in British controlled India during the time of the Raj's in the early 1900's.
Sikander is a Maharaja of a small but important Indian state in the Northwest of the country. He lives an extremely privileged life but at that same time has to deal with the British oversight placed in his country also. The country is very divided between Indian and British. Those unfortunate to be part of both worlds have a particularly hard time of it. There is some very offensive and derogatory language used to describe native peoples in this book. It is difficult to read and it should be. The terms are used to re-enforce the accepted racism that pervaded every aspect of the country at the time. This is a reality of the time period that should not be overlooked or brushed over.
Sikander is known for undertaking investigations as a way of diverting himself and easing the boredom of his life. He has trained with some of the best minds in Europe in the emerging field of forensics. When the highest ranking British citizen is found dead New Year's Day in Rajpore, Sikander finds himself drawn deeply into the British side of the city. What begins as a diversion ends up uncovering many dark secrets.
I liked this book and seeing a time period through different eyes. I did not like Sikander himself as much as his viewpoint on the world and the British in India. I found the characters to be interesting and complex. I enjoyed the twists and turns that eventually lead to the unexpected conclusion. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see where it leads.
Sikander is a Maharaja of a small but important Indian state in the Northwest of the country. He lives an extremely privileged life but at that same time has to deal with the British oversight placed in his country also. The country is very divided between Indian and British. Those unfortunate to be part of both worlds have a particularly hard time of it. There is some very offensive and derogatory language used to describe native peoples in this book. It is difficult to read and it should be. The terms are used to re-enforce the accepted racism that pervaded every aspect of the country at the time. This is a reality of the time period that should not be overlooked or brushed over.
Sikander is known for undertaking investigations as a way of diverting himself and easing the boredom of his life. He has trained with some of the best minds in Europe in the emerging field of forensics. When the highest ranking British citizen is found dead New Year's Day in Rajpore, Sikander finds himself drawn deeply into the British side of the city. What begins as a diversion ends up uncovering many dark secrets.
I liked this book and seeing a time period through different eyes. I did not like Sikander himself as much as his viewpoint on the world and the British in India. I found the characters to be interesting and complex. I enjoyed the twists and turns that eventually lead to the unexpected conclusion. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see where it leads.
December 1, 2023
This tale’s format and style reminds one of the TV series ‘Death in Paradise’ as well as the classic Agatha Christie books where, after investigating, a sleuth-detective gathers all the possible murderers together, at the very end, and slowly, one by one, highlights all the reasons as to why each one could, in fact, be the murderer…until the last one is left standing, or sitting, alone. Then, and usually with an unforeseen twist, the truth is finally exposed by the formidable detective and the culprit finally discovered.
And whilst it’s going on, the viewer/reader, who has been deducing and super-sleuthing along the way, either says out loud, “I knew it”, or perhaps more quietly, “I didn’t see that coming”! And such is the case in this colourfully worded tale of ‘A Very Pukka Murder’. The title itself immediately draws your attention to the fact that this murderous crime is set in an Asian culture. Pukka can mean great or even the opposite, with negative overtones. This tale reflects both.
We have two opposing cultures living together in one setting, a small principality, Rajpore, India, in an era of British control…and the problems that go with that are inherent within this situation. We hear about many of these attitudes along the way. Indian hierarchy for one and military hierarchy as well; British hierarchy and its military hierarchy…plus the political and social interaction of both living side by side. The Maharaja in control of Indians and the British resident of the Brits.
Thus when it’s New Year’s Day, 1909, and all the revelling from the night before has ended, there is much concern on the opening pages when the British Resident Russell has not awakened from his sleep. Indeed he’s noteworthy for his punctuality and routine, we soon discover…he wouldn’t sleep in. Hammering upon his door does not arouse him but eventually he is found, dead.
There are the usual British Detective Inspectors involved but alas, there is another keen super-sleuth participant, the Indian Prince himself, The Maharaja, Sikander Singh. He’s a bored prince and when bored, the excitement of a murder mystery whets the appetite further. He gets in amongst the action from the outset. But who is this extraordinary royal detective and is he for real?
Apparently the Maharaja has been to the best schools in the world as well as scientific criminal institutes. It was a time when criminology was beginning and this Prince has been schooled in the latest of techniques etc. He is well-read and knows the mystery writers of the day; he’s knowledgeable. And this comes through when he begins his interviewing of the many persons who were last seen with or near the Resident.
The Maharaja dispenses with his ornate and privileged lifestyle with ease; as fast as he could, in fact, he jumps out from his gold and marble bathroom’s tub and into the thick of investigation. His life, as described in detail throughout the book, regarding his heritage, his inheritance etc, is one of envy but quite, unbelievably, over-the-top. His is a life surrounded by pomp, palatial palaces and servants at the asking.
But it’s his right-hand man, the elder and slightly fatter, Charin Singh, who the Prince relies upon constantly. This man is a committed friend as well as servant, almost fatherly, having had to care for the prince from a young age. They work together as a team despite the prince seemingly abusing him often; verbally, calling him a donkey’s ass etc…a little off-putting and degrading but one assumes that this is typical of Indian hierarchy. Perhaps in jest? I didn’t like it.
Indeed it is not a very cheery story, has sadistic overtones with the British establishment, and becomes increasingly so throughout. That Russsell was a creep, an antagonist, through death, reveals much more about, not only his life but an abuse of his position of power. Secrets abound. Nothing is what it seems. Each character introduced and investigated had a guilty stamp upon their head as they each hated Russell and had very good reasons to kill him…pukka reasons!
And thus the plot weaves and expands through the mind of our amateur criminologist, The Maharaja, as he pursues every angle and clue. It is bound by an historical era in India and the author is intent on describing, almost too much, every person’s background, places, palaces in order to set the scene for this first Maharaja mystery series book. At times it was as if the author had a Thesaurus by his side when writing. Language was paramount.
It also appeared as if the Indian author was keen to get his readers to visualise every aspect of the story from the pompous Brits to the pageantry of the Maharaja by setting up the obvious disdain of the day. The British have a history of raping and pillaging the world over the centuries to gain its many colonies, so this story only reinforces that.
There is really little humanity shown until the end with Jane, Russell’s mystery daughter who the Maharaja discovered via the ‘presswallah’ Mitchell, a handy source indeed. Russell, representing Britain, was a vile scoundrel, the worst kind, and how he treated women and a young girl specifically (the Ghurka’s sister who later, tragically suicided), was deplorable.
One feels that Russell’s death was indeed a revenge we all agree with. And that the Maharaja helps protect the murderer, and with her companion, sends them away to Australia on the next ship departing, does show humanity in this story though.
This plot is much more than a Maharaja who loves to solve mysteries. The wealth and waste of palaces etc against the lower levels of Indian society who struggle to survive, is not lost on the reader, and is a point of interest for discussion. How pomp and ceremony, marble and majesty, is nothing short of decadent. And in contrast, the lower levels in society or military rank also come under scrutiny.
But the aspect which grated most of all was how the Maharaja spoke to his right-hand man servant, Charin Singh….calling him “…big lump…donkey…ass..” etc. There was little respect shown in a plot which effectively had no respect for other humans, always looking to power up, abuse or back-stab. But the Maharaja’s saving grace was his releasing of the murderer, understanding her torment, to a far away land to start afresh.
Overall, too much description, flowery and detracted from the plot often...so much so such that I skimmed, which I rarely do. An intriguing story but far too long.
And whilst it’s going on, the viewer/reader, who has been deducing and super-sleuthing along the way, either says out loud, “I knew it”, or perhaps more quietly, “I didn’t see that coming”! And such is the case in this colourfully worded tale of ‘A Very Pukka Murder’. The title itself immediately draws your attention to the fact that this murderous crime is set in an Asian culture. Pukka can mean great or even the opposite, with negative overtones. This tale reflects both.
We have two opposing cultures living together in one setting, a small principality, Rajpore, India, in an era of British control…and the problems that go with that are inherent within this situation. We hear about many of these attitudes along the way. Indian hierarchy for one and military hierarchy as well; British hierarchy and its military hierarchy…plus the political and social interaction of both living side by side. The Maharaja in control of Indians and the British resident of the Brits.
Thus when it’s New Year’s Day, 1909, and all the revelling from the night before has ended, there is much concern on the opening pages when the British Resident Russell has not awakened from his sleep. Indeed he’s noteworthy for his punctuality and routine, we soon discover…he wouldn’t sleep in. Hammering upon his door does not arouse him but eventually he is found, dead.
There are the usual British Detective Inspectors involved but alas, there is another keen super-sleuth participant, the Indian Prince himself, The Maharaja, Sikander Singh. He’s a bored prince and when bored, the excitement of a murder mystery whets the appetite further. He gets in amongst the action from the outset. But who is this extraordinary royal detective and is he for real?
Apparently the Maharaja has been to the best schools in the world as well as scientific criminal institutes. It was a time when criminology was beginning and this Prince has been schooled in the latest of techniques etc. He is well-read and knows the mystery writers of the day; he’s knowledgeable. And this comes through when he begins his interviewing of the many persons who were last seen with or near the Resident.
The Maharaja dispenses with his ornate and privileged lifestyle with ease; as fast as he could, in fact, he jumps out from his gold and marble bathroom’s tub and into the thick of investigation. His life, as described in detail throughout the book, regarding his heritage, his inheritance etc, is one of envy but quite, unbelievably, over-the-top. His is a life surrounded by pomp, palatial palaces and servants at the asking.
But it’s his right-hand man, the elder and slightly fatter, Charin Singh, who the Prince relies upon constantly. This man is a committed friend as well as servant, almost fatherly, having had to care for the prince from a young age. They work together as a team despite the prince seemingly abusing him often; verbally, calling him a donkey’s ass etc…a little off-putting and degrading but one assumes that this is typical of Indian hierarchy. Perhaps in jest? I didn’t like it.
Indeed it is not a very cheery story, has sadistic overtones with the British establishment, and becomes increasingly so throughout. That Russsell was a creep, an antagonist, through death, reveals much more about, not only his life but an abuse of his position of power. Secrets abound. Nothing is what it seems. Each character introduced and investigated had a guilty stamp upon their head as they each hated Russell and had very good reasons to kill him…pukka reasons!
And thus the plot weaves and expands through the mind of our amateur criminologist, The Maharaja, as he pursues every angle and clue. It is bound by an historical era in India and the author is intent on describing, almost too much, every person’s background, places, palaces in order to set the scene for this first Maharaja mystery series book. At times it was as if the author had a Thesaurus by his side when writing. Language was paramount.
It also appeared as if the Indian author was keen to get his readers to visualise every aspect of the story from the pompous Brits to the pageantry of the Maharaja by setting up the obvious disdain of the day. The British have a history of raping and pillaging the world over the centuries to gain its many colonies, so this story only reinforces that.
There is really little humanity shown until the end with Jane, Russell’s mystery daughter who the Maharaja discovered via the ‘presswallah’ Mitchell, a handy source indeed. Russell, representing Britain, was a vile scoundrel, the worst kind, and how he treated women and a young girl specifically (the Ghurka’s sister who later, tragically suicided), was deplorable.
One feels that Russell’s death was indeed a revenge we all agree with. And that the Maharaja helps protect the murderer, and with her companion, sends them away to Australia on the next ship departing, does show humanity in this story though.
This plot is much more than a Maharaja who loves to solve mysteries. The wealth and waste of palaces etc against the lower levels of Indian society who struggle to survive, is not lost on the reader, and is a point of interest for discussion. How pomp and ceremony, marble and majesty, is nothing short of decadent. And in contrast, the lower levels in society or military rank also come under scrutiny.
But the aspect which grated most of all was how the Maharaja spoke to his right-hand man servant, Charin Singh….calling him “…big lump…donkey…ass..” etc. There was little respect shown in a plot which effectively had no respect for other humans, always looking to power up, abuse or back-stab. But the Maharaja’s saving grace was his releasing of the murderer, understanding her torment, to a far away land to start afresh.
Overall, too much description, flowery and detracted from the plot often...so much so such that I skimmed, which I rarely do. An intriguing story but far too long.
Read
October 5, 2021A high ranking British officer is found dead in his room - a murder in Rajput, a corner of colonial India. The Maharaja investigates and finds half a dozen in the inner circle who have strong motives to commit murder. He zips about about the hillsides and towns in a Rolls Royce.
This book is an adventure in language - I had to check the dictionary often as fancy words pop up on every other page. It is the first novel that I have read where the word "parvenu" and its plural form parvenus are used ( page 155 and 259). I ventured a guess that the word "dhoby" ( laundry) would be used - as there is a street named after these Indian laundrymen in the city that I live in - and indeed this in this novel too.
Fancy words aside , the climax to this intrigue comes in a Poirot like setting but with fine European culinary fare and expensive wines being served while the Maharaj confronts each murder suspects as he unravels the identity of the killer.
The novel has episodes of disturbing and disgusting descriptions of the hopefully never to be repeated era where errant colonial masters would rape or sodomise and still be seen as "gentleman" as they hide their vices behind the power veneer.
This book is an adventure in language - I had to check the dictionary often as fancy words pop up on every other page. It is the first novel that I have read where the word "parvenu" and its plural form parvenus are used ( page 155 and 259). I ventured a guess that the word "dhoby" ( laundry) would be used - as there is a street named after these Indian laundrymen in the city that I live in - and indeed this in this novel too.
Fancy words aside , the climax to this intrigue comes in a Poirot like setting but with fine European culinary fare and expensive wines being served while the Maharaj confronts each murder suspects as he unravels the identity of the killer.
The novel has episodes of disturbing and disgusting descriptions of the hopefully never to be repeated era where errant colonial masters would rape or sodomise and still be seen as "gentleman" as they hide their vices behind the power veneer.
February 19, 2022
Definitely not my favourite mystery set in India, nor my favourite historical fiction set there. A murder takes place in the fictional princely state of Rajpore and Sikander Singh, the state’s Maharajah with a taste for solving mysteries is determined to get to the bottom of it. With a plethora of potential murderers to choose from he appears to be stuck for much of the book as he gathers more and more evidence, most of which leads nowhere. You may be a more successful detective than the Maharajah. The book seems to be a pretty accurate representation of life under the British with all their disdain for the local populace, although there are few British portrayed who are anything other than utterly despicable. I am sure they were not all this dire. The novel lacks likeable characters, which for me is always reason to deduct a star. Even the Maharajah, clever though he might ultimately be, is not a likeable man. This is the firstin a new series that author Arjun Rai Gaind doesn’t seem to be writing very quickly. This was published in 2016 and one other has been published so far.
July 8, 2022
It's a double delight, period history 1909 India and a murder mystery solved with a lot of logic.
The author is to be saluted for the research, the high standard of writing and most importantly for each character, British and Indian that he has created with a rich history of each person.
I savoured the book reading at leisure.
The year is 1909. It's a small 12 gun salute kingdom in the foot of the Himalayas with maharaja Sikander Singh as the king. The town has the British part and the Indian quarters. There are the Gymkhana club, the hotels, inns and the houses of pleasure.
The British resident, maj Russell is murdered and Maharaj Sikander, a gifted investigator takes over the investigation, much to the annoyance of the British police sp, magistrate and other officials.
Hats off to the author for creating the period atmosphere and delving into the relationship between the Indian ruler and the British officials.
Frankly this is the first of this kind of book that I have read.
Strongly recommend to readers of historical fiction.
The author is to be saluted for the research, the high standard of writing and most importantly for each character, British and Indian that he has created with a rich history of each person.
I savoured the book reading at leisure.
The year is 1909. It's a small 12 gun salute kingdom in the foot of the Himalayas with maharaja Sikander Singh as the king. The town has the British part and the Indian quarters. There are the Gymkhana club, the hotels, inns and the houses of pleasure.
The British resident, maj Russell is murdered and Maharaj Sikander, a gifted investigator takes over the investigation, much to the annoyance of the British police sp, magistrate and other officials.
Hats off to the author for creating the period atmosphere and delving into the relationship between the Indian ruler and the British officials.
Frankly this is the first of this kind of book that I have read.
Strongly recommend to readers of historical fiction.
April 26, 2023
I began Arjun Raj Gaind's A Very Pukka Murder with a great deal of excitement as I immensely enjoyed another work by the author, but unfortunately I was left fairly disappointed.
In a way it reminded me of Agatha Christie, but with better language, yet (I understand this may sound like a dichotomy), it didn't feel authentic, it felt like the author was trying to hard to write like they belonged to another era (given the book is set in pre-Independence India).
There was an ease to reading it, almost to the point of treading into juvenile territory. While it was enjoyable to read about how Maharajas lived - their fineries, their servants in their livelry and of course the White mistresses, it didn't make me feel for any of the characters. This is sad as with The Anatomy of Loss, Gaind proved he is capable of superlative writing and creating hauntingly beautiful characters.
The mystery itself was not engrossing and didn't unfold well.
All in all, I would give this book a hard pass.
In a way it reminded me of Agatha Christie, but with better language, yet (I understand this may sound like a dichotomy), it didn't feel authentic, it felt like the author was trying to hard to write like they belonged to another era (given the book is set in pre-Independence India).
There was an ease to reading it, almost to the point of treading into juvenile territory. While it was enjoyable to read about how Maharajas lived - their fineries, their servants in their livelry and of course the White mistresses, it didn't make me feel for any of the characters. This is sad as with The Anatomy of Loss, Gaind proved he is capable of superlative writing and creating hauntingly beautiful characters.
The mystery itself was not engrossing and didn't unfold well.
All in all, I would give this book a hard pass.
September 18, 2019
It took a while to get into this very Indian story. Many Indian terms/words were used throughout with no explanation beyond context- most of the time meaning was fairly clear but some I had to look up. At first this was mildly annoying but eventually it made the setting more real and interesting. India has such a complex society and then putting the Raj into the mix and, whew!
There were a lot of suspects and I had guessed the murderer before the reveal but not much before that point. Really liked Sikander, the Maharaja of Rajpore, who was our amateur sleuth. He has a fascination with modern investigative techniques (he studied under some of the European leaders in forensic science) and he has power as a local prince who the Brits need to ‘keep sweet’ so he is able to elbow his way into investigating the death of a high placed British governor type. A proposed trilogy so I will look out for subsequent entries.
There were a lot of suspects and I had guessed the murderer before the reveal but not much before that point. Really liked Sikander, the Maharaja of Rajpore, who was our amateur sleuth. He has a fascination with modern investigative techniques (he studied under some of the European leaders in forensic science) and he has power as a local prince who the Brits need to ‘keep sweet’ so he is able to elbow his way into investigating the death of a high placed British governor type. A proposed trilogy so I will look out for subsequent entries.
May 23, 2017
The year is 1909 and the place is the small Indian princely state of Rajpore, ruled by Maharaja Sikander Singh. Sikander has a very unusual hobby: he is fascinated by mysteries and puzzles, and enjoys working out difficult solutions. So when the English Resident of Rajpore — the highest ranking local representative of the British Raj — is found dead, he immediately undertakes to investigate, knowing that it will likely confound the local English Superintendent (who does his best to confound Sikander). As Sikander chases down the various suspects and learns more about the dead man, the mystery deepens. This is a fascinating story, full of very interesting, believable characters. In some ways it has the feeling of a Victorian novel or a classic English mystery. Highly recommended.
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