A rising man / Abir Mukherjee.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Haunted by the death of his wife and experiences in the Great War, Capt. Sam -Wyndham, a former Scotland Yard detective, accepts a job with the imperial police force in 1919 Calcutta. He has no time to acclimate to his new surroundings before the body of a British official is found near a brothel with a note stuffed in his mouth demanding that the British leave India. The ramifications of the murder increase the destabilizing pressure from insurgents demanding greater Indian autonomy. Sam is assisted by the arrogant Inspector Digby, who had been bypassed for a promotion to Sam's job, and Sgt. Surendranath (Surrender-not) Banerjee, one of the few Indians working in the CID. Their investigations take them from grimy jails to elegant mansions and attract irritation and interference from the upper echelons of the British Raj. Verdict Winner of the Harvill Secker Daily Telegraph crime writing competition, this stirring, entertaining first mystery bursts with lively, colorful historical details about colonial Calcutta. The developing relationship between Wyndham and Banerjee is a delight. A fine start to a new crime series that will attract readers of M.J. Carter and Tarquin Hall.-ACT © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

British author Mukherjee's outstanding debut and series launch combines a cleverly constructed whodunit with an unusual locale-Calcutta in 1919-portrayed with convincing detail. Capt. Sam Wyndham, a former Scotland Yard detective, has arrived in the Indian city wounded in spirit from the loss of his wife to the influenza epidemic and addicted to morphine after surviving the trenches of the Western Front. His experience lands him a position with the British Imperial Police Force in Bengal, and he soon receives a sensitive murder inquiry. Alexander MacAuley, a top aide to the lieutenant governor, has been found in an alley with his throat slit, some fingers cut off, and a bloodstained scrap of paper placed in his mouth on which is written: "English blood will run in the streets." That warning indicates that Indian terrorists opposed to continuation of the Raj were responsible, but Wyndham finds the truth more complicated. The nuanced relationship between Wyndham and his Indian assistant, a sergeant known as Surrender-not Banerjee because the English can't pronounce his first name correctly, adds even more depth. Agent: Sam Copeland, Rogers, Coleridge & White (U.K.). (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

A newcomer to Calcutta in 1919, former Scotland Yard detective Captain Sam Wyndham is assigned a potentially explosive murder case and immediately senses gaping holes in his knowledge of Indian culture, local British politics, and urban geography. Alexander MacAuley, the lieutenant-governor's aide, lies dead in an alley behind a brothel, his throat slit and with a threatening note stuffed in his mouth. Given that rumors of impending rebellion against the Raj have put the British locals on high alert (the Amritsar Massacre is only days away), this case demands a quick resolution. Wyndham's position depends on his delivering just that. Luckily he's a quick learner. With a sly authorial wit, quirky characters, and historical details that anchor the story to its steamy, exotic locale, this debut novel is the first in what looks to be an entertaining new series similar to Barbara Cleverly's Detective Joe Sandilands mysteries (especially The Damascened Blade, 2004).--Baker, Jen Copyright 2010 Booklist

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Abir Mukherjee is the author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in Raj-era India. He has won the CWA Historical Dagger and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, the HWA Gold Crown, and the Edgar Allan Poe Award. His novels include A Rising Man , A Necessary Evil, Smoke and Ashes, and Death in the East. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey, England.