User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This exceptional series of historical novels combine social, cultural, political, and religious backgrounds with intriguing crime investigations and mysteries. This 5th addition to an immersive series transports readers to the early 1920s when cracks are forming in the British Raj. It is not only informative about that turbulent era, it places the reader in two different mindsets as they are changing and evolving leading to the future termination of the British Empire in India. The British have the aura of superiority, elitism, and the belief in the necessity of solid control over the natives due to a conceived inability to govern themselves. Unequal justice, ruthlessness, and cruelty are combined by pillaging the wealth and resources from their Jewel in the Crown. Political demonstrations for independence are at a standstill with Mahamata Gandhi in prison.
Shadows of Men adds the voice of Sergeant Surendranauth Banerjee (now called Suren for short) to the narrative. His perspective and that of Captain Sam Wyndham mirror the evolving mindsets of many in the nation. Suren is a valuable member of the Imperial Police Force and an intelligent, London-educated Brahmin. He is the friend and often working partner of Captain Sam Wyndham. Suren feels the inequality. He is conflicted about his role in perpetuating the British colonial police system and is estranged from his family, who favour independence and home rule. He has been unable to enter some segregated British venues impeding his investigations, and when interviewing English suspects, has been subjected to racial slurs and bigotry.
In this story, Suren realizes to his horror that as an Indian, he can expect no justice from the British legal system. He is dispensible and an easy scapegoat. Commissioner Lord Taggart assigns Suren to the surveillance of a Moslem political figure and to follow him in secret. The story's beginning could be titled the 'Misadventures of Suren Banerjee.'
While following the man, Suren stumbles on a body in a house in the poorer part of the city. The dead man is a Hindu theologian, and Suren believes he must have been killed by the Moslem he had been following. To cover up the murder and avoid religious strife, he commits an act that sets Calcutta aflame with religious zealotry, and both Hindus and Moslems are victims. Suren finds himself arrested and charged for the murder of the Hindu scholar and could be executed by hanging. Taken from his jail cell to Lord Taggart, in hopes that Taggart will testify to his innocence, a bomb is set off, severely injuring Taggart. In the confusion of the blast, Suren runs for his life. He becomes a suspect in setting off the bomb that has almost killed Taggart.
Now a fugitive from injustice, Suren calls on his friend, Sam Wyndham, to help prove his innocence. Wyndham is Captain in the Imperial Police Force. He has come to Calcutta to escape his past in the trenches of WW1, the death of his wife in the flu pandemic, and is a recovering opium addict. Wyndham came to India with the colonial mindset of superiority over the natives. He is beginning to see the unfairness and inequalities of British rule and feels more at home in Calcutta than in London. He knows that helping his friend surreptitiously may end his position in the police force, but because of friendship and belief in Suren's innocence, he agrees to help.
They have assistance in a flight to Bombay from Annie Grant, feeling that the information they seek there will help free Suren. Once in Bombay, a wealthy Parsee lady offers them aid and guidance. A man claiming to be a Parsee businessman newly arrives from Burma, but they are warned he is not what he seems and could be dangerous. Surprising and helpful information is communicated by the head of Station H, the military intelligence office in Calcutta.
It is discovered that a discredited member of the British intelligence unit has been planning to stir up riots between Moslems and Hindus in an attempt to prove that a religiously divided India can never govern itself and needs prolonged British authority and control.
During his time as a fugitive, Suren's beliefs evolve and are confirmed. He sees that the British claim of superiority and that their rule of India 'for its own good' is hypocrisy. He realizes that his loyalty and service for the Raj were all for nothing. Wyndham is also reevaluating his place in India and his commitment to the Raj. I cannot wait to see where their journeys take them next, whether together or separately. This is a compelling, atmospheric, well-researched, and character-driven series with a background of political, cultural and religious strife.
Rating: really liked it
Abir Mukherjee has developed a historical fiction series that is filled with social commentary.Set in 1920’s India when the British Raj is starting to crumble, the novels present well executed plots while examining the role of social class and race in a multiethnic society that is under foreign rule.
This fifth iteration of the series takes place in 1923 when India is a cauldron of explosive tensions. Gandhi is in prison, riots and fires leave dead bodies laying about and local political elections are imminent.Our protagonists, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranauth Banerjee are members of the Imperial Police that are charged with quelling these civil disturbances.Both men hold responsible positions in the colonial machine yet both men are outsiders. Wyndham has come to India to escape memories of the Great War and his London past.He feels more comfortable in Calcutta than he did in London but struggles to understand the nuances of Indian culture while having reservations about the British ruling structure.Banerjee is an upper class,London educated Brahmin who is conflicted regarding his role in perpetuating the colonial power structure.
Banerjee, in the course of carrying out a clandestine assignment for the police commissioner, gets arrested for the murder of a prominent Hindu religious leader. He is facing execution and realizes that he is being targeted as a scapegoat and will have no support from the Imperial Police force that he has served so diligently.He manages to escape and calls on the surreptitious aid of Captain Wyndham in order to clear his name.Their efforts take them to Bombay where they enlist the help of a wealthy Parsee woman.Moving between the wealthy and improverished layers of society, they are tasked with navigating and deciphering the conflicting agendas of religious factions as well as negotiating the political machinations of a stratified, class entrenched society.
The plot is delivered through the voices of both Wyndham and Banerjee. The dual perspective is a departure from previous books, which were driven forward by Wyndham’s voice. The expansion of the narrative voice is very effective, presenting different views of the Raj from two divergent cultural and ethnic backgrounds.Both men have become disillusioned with a colonial hierarchy that presents a facade of enlightened rule while pillaging India’s resources for the benefit of the Empire and dispensing uneven justice. Their reasons for drawing these conclusions, though, are based on widely contrasting interpretations of events and motives. The contrasts provide a layered and complex look at the society in which they exist.
“ The Shadows of Men” is a skillful depiction of historical events and a portrait of a conflicted society whose contrasts between opulence and poverty exacerbate the religious schisms and social strictures that beset a troubled political system. The experiences of Wyndham and Banerjee illustrate these conflicts on a personal level.Both men are seeking to define their sense of identity and belonging in the complex Indian society. Their stories underscore the difficulties that arise when trying to discover a safe landing space within a ruling structure based on irrational distinctions. As the novel concludes, both men’s quests for self definition remain unresolved. I can only look forward to discovering in future books how their respective journeys unfold.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
Abir Mukherjee is an author who grows and grows in confidence and daring. The path he has taken to lead his characters, and his readers, to the point where this novel can be told from two POVs, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee, is incredible. I wonder if this was his plan all along. Having Suren's voice is a joy, but I can't help but wonder if this series would have been as popular if it had been this way from the start. Sam's journey in accepting the equal humanity of his fellow police officer, one which began with not even attempting to say his name correctly, is also ours. It has forced me to ask questions of myself and my reading choices. Would I have still chosen this series if it had been only Suren from the start? I don't know. But having walked this path with Sam, I know that even without him and despite my love for him as a character, I could and would continue if he were gone. Banerjee is more than enough.
In this instalment, the double POV allows the author to build tension through what is thought vs what is said and done, using each man's choices to further both the plot and to build the relationship between them. It is skilfully done, the duo well supported by fascinating new minor characters as well as the usual eccentric crew. While book 4 remains my favourite, The Shadows of Men is a novel written by an author at the height of his powers. I can't wait to see where he takes us next.
ARC via Netgalley
Rating: really liked it
The terrific Wyndham/Banerjee series set in Calcutta continues. It's the 1920s, and British rule is slowly disintegrating but still clinging on, making for a fantastic, meaty setting. This is a terrific instalment that begins with a bang when Sergeant Banerjee is arrested for murder.
The great thing about this series -as well as the beautifully realised setting and the fantastic compelling historical /political background, obviously - is the friendship between Sam and Surendranath. Sam has a developing conscience about British rule and respect for Suren and indeed sense of India as his home even as he knows he oughtn't be there. Suren has a growing nationalist feeling which goes hand in hand with his growing self-confidence and competence - which actually have a lot to do with Sam's friendship. They manage to be on opposite sides and the same one, to be friends who don't truly understand each other, to have a real relationship across the divide of class, race, nation and seniority. Plus, great murder plot. Excellent stuff.
Rating: really liked it
Excellent,he surpasses himself with each book.
Rating: really liked it
I finished this book within a few days. It was a conflicted experience: I wanted to keep reading AND I didn't want to reach the conclusion.
This was a fast-paced and engaging read (please see my numerous highlights). #5 focuses more on Suren and features alternating perspectives between Suren and Sam. Suren is a keeper. I find him to be the more intriguing character (than Sam who is pretty darn intriguing). Suren has the British accent that could cut crystal though that and his misnomer, Surrender-Not, are barely mentioned here. #5 sees both Suren and Sam older, more mature but still adventurous. They make a perfect foil for one another.
In a review of an earlier title in this series, I noted how the author smartly eviscerates British colonialism. He is consistently sharp and biting and witty at doing this; and I enjoy it immensely. In that earlier review, I referred to how British "shiet" is gleefully exposed. A fellow reader, a "karen," immediately took umbrage and clutched her pearls. Well, the effects of colonialism have been further laid bare since...and this series does so with a keen eye.
What is also intriguing here is the morality tale that Mukherjee depicts; the religious and political extremism is contemporary and still dangerous and dysfunctional. I describe this extremism as a doubled-edge sword that has two pointed ends.
I look forward to more of Suren and Sam. Calcutta in the 1920's is fascinating. The British Raj was brewing a bitter stew.
This read was a look into the past and reflected issues which are relevant today. It was a smart and fun ride. And it's one I'd embark on again.
Rating: really liked it
Brilliant! This series just gets better and better. It was inspired to split this novel between Sam and Suran’s viewpoint and really added an extra dimension to the book. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
Rating: really liked it
In these troubled times, reading is the ultimate balm to soothe the soul, and allows your mind to be transported to other countries, other lives and different worlds. This series by Abir Mukherjee is a constant delight, and one of the few where I genuinely wait in anticipation for the next instalment. Set in 1920s India before the end of British empirical rule, and featuring Captain Sam Wyndham and his trusty Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee, Mukherjee once again immerses us in a vivid and captivating tale of murder, social unrest and derring-do, and this one has more than a few additional surprises in store…
It is so intrinsically important when reading historical books, whatever genre they are based in, to truly transport the reader to the time, setting and atmosphere of the particular period and location of the book. Mukherjee consistently achieves this with his portrayal of Calcutta, and later in the book Bombay, in a time of racial tension, religious conflict, and the unbridgeable gap between the richest and poorest in society. These societies are literally powder kegs of tension and frustration, as the conflict between Hindu and Muslim intensifies, compounded by the underlying resentment and exploitation of British rule. Rioting, violence and protest erupts, the city burns and the casualties are many, with the British having little clue how to control this situation, and meeting violence with violence.
“Then came the religious riots, in towns and cities up and down the country. We, for our part, gave it a name: communalism, which was a nice, polite term for the indiscriminate butchery of people who happened to worship a different god.”
Against this backdrop, Wyndham and Banerjee become immersed in a murderous conspiracy that can only lead to an even more severe escalation of tension, and an investigation that will have dangerous ramifications for them both.
I really enjoyed the way that Mukherjee put more of the spotlight on Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee in this book, and although we are aware of his more intuitive and compassionate characteristics from previous instalments, this book really allows him to demonstrate not only the more gullible side of his character but also his fortitude and ingenuity in extracting himself from some incredibly tricky predicaments. As a consequence of this Wyndham assumes more of the role of bagman, continuing at times to be “an irritating arse” as one character comments, and it was good to see the shift in influence as the book progresses, as each then have to form a united front again to avert the dangerous consequences of the investigation they are immersed in. It should be noted though that in times of extreme peril for them both, a couple of steadfast and resilient female characters help ease the path of their investigation- art mirroring life once again, and adding another frisson to the unfolding story. I have a huge affection for Wyndham and Banerjee, with the complexities of their professional and personal relationship, and the honesty and gentle joshing that exists between them, which cements their unquestioning loyalty and trust in each other. Bear this in mind as the closing chapters hit home…
For anyone who has tuned into Abir Mukherjee/Vaseem Khan’s podcast-The Red Hot Chilli Writers– you will no doubt be aware that Mukherjee is a wee bit of a comedian, and once again there are some wonderful little moments of self-deprecating humour within the book. The casual observance that any social event will attract writers, especially thriller writers, if there is free drink involved, and the sheer tedium experienced by women who chose to marry accountants- “well, who doesn’t marry an accountant and end up regretting it?” Wyndham’s laconic wit is once again in evidence throughout this one, and the spiky humorous retorts of Banerjee are always a pleasure with their perfect comic timing.
The Shadows Of Men may have been a long time coming with a publication delay, but so worth waiting a couple of years for. Vivid, atmospheric, packed with historical detail and bolstered further by superb characterisation and sharp injections of wit, this really was a perfect read. As ever highly recommended, and desperate to know what will happen next in this consistently excellent series.
Rating: really liked it
Ever since I discovered Abir Mukherjee and his series set in Calcutta, I have been amazed. Somehow, this author succeeds on improving with each title. First, his writing skills, bringing a piece of 1920s India come alive on the page, in all its splendour and horror. Somehow you can feel and taste it all! Then by combining the murder mysteries with the historical events rocking that part of the world. Finally, by creating a fascinating voice in that of his main character, Captain Sam Wyndham, a man trying to put himself back together after the horrors of war and of losing his wife, and developing him by pushing him mercilessly.
I must admit I wondered where Mukherjee would go with this fifth instalment. Well, call me impressed! Building on the events of the last book,
Shadows of Men is now told from two POVs, Sam, but also Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee. That was one courageous decision, but it works brilliantly, adding another dimension to this world. Plus, I love how these two have grown, both personally and in their mutual respect. Truthfully, Mukherjee has succeeded in opening up this series to something very exciting. The world is literally his oyster, and I cannot wait to see where he takes us next!
Rating: really liked it
Bliss, my library request just arrived! 23/3/22
And that comment was prior to my reading of this latest episode in the story of two characters I have come to love, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee, of the Imperial Police Force, Calcutta. Suren has been ordered to an undercover operation by Police Commissioner Lord Charles Taggart. Only everything goes wrong, a respected Hindu is found murdered. An action that has crowds taking to the streets in outrage. The authorities are on high alert. Banerjee (Sure)n is in the gun and proving he’s undercover on orders becomes nigh on impossible. Particularly when Taggart is shot. Suren and Sam must try to prove Suren’s innocence. The chase leads to Bombay. Suren realizes there is one law for the British and another for Indians. That realization sits heavily. Another wonderful tale, with cutting edges of insight from Abir Mukherjee. I so love this series!
Rating: really liked it
Sam Wyndham is turning out to be one of my favorite detective philosophers. Solving crimes in a turbulent political climate where the moral hypocrisy of the British Raj is highlighted stronger than ever.
Rating: really liked it
On my blog. Rep: Indian Bengali mc, Indian side characters
Galley provided by publisherIt’s almost inexplicable just how much better this series gets with each new installment. This is a series that just goes from strength to strength.
The Shadows of Men probably just about falls into a bit more of the thriller category than mystery, in that there’s a little less conventional investigating (which previous books were more focused on), and a little more on-the-run-from-the-police. But it’s a good change, to be honest, especially given the historical context of the stories now.
It’s also a book that tears up the status quo established in the previous few books (although, really, each of those managed that a little in their own right). After this book comes to a close, you’re left wondering just how the series can continue as it is. It’s a reckoning of a sort, with both characters reaching their own personal crises (for want of a better word). It’s a
things can never be the same again book. Which makes me very interested to see how (if?) the series will continue.
When it comes to the plot more specifically, I really liked how it was initially framed in alternating narratives, Suren’s starting a few hours ahead of Sam’s, and them both eventually catching one another up. It kept you in suspense for a longer, on the edge of your seat as you wait to find out just what is going on in all this. That helps to hook you on the plot, really, because it’s quite slowburning at the start. But once Sam and Suren’s storylines come together, then it gets going.
Speaking of Sam and Suren, too, I loved where this book took them. Of course, up to now, they have each had their own growing reservations about the roles they’re playing, firstly in India as a whole, but also in upholding British colonialism in India. Those come to a head in this book, especially when they clash with the plot, which is another reason I’m excited for a follow up book. We get to see the start of the ramifications here, but not much further.
Overall, then, if you’re looking for a good historical mystery series to get your teeth into, you won’t go wrong by picking this one up.
Rating: really liked it
I have loved each and every one of the Wyndham/Banerjee books, and The Shadows of Men is no exception to that. What I especially love about them is that they are both illuminating and entertaining. Abir Mukherjee writes well; his books have an excellent flow with tension, drama and atmosphere, but most of all shine with such vivid characterisation.
But..let’s come back to the atmosphere for a second. Mukherjee draws you in to this India. A place of strife, conflict and so many contradictions. A place where 5,00O rupees is not enough but 5 rupees is too many. A place where the British domination of the Raj is a colonial disgrace, robbing the country of its riches all the while claiming to be the bringers of ‘civilisation’ all while their knowledge of Indian culture – such as that typified by the Bengali poet and philosopher Tagore – the first non-European winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913 – was non-existent.
The Shadows of Men is set in 1923 and the edges of colonial rule are crumbling. Ghandi is in prison. Protest is growing, insurrection is fermenting and the streets are alive with protest. It is for the Imperial Police Force to try and keep order, even as the streets erupt in a fury of dissent and riots are never far away. In Mukherjee’s Calcutta, you can feel the tension rising and you know that the position of Sam Wyndham’s colleague and right hand man, Surendranath Banerjee is going to be tested more than ever before.
One of the delights of this series is that you can see Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee growing in confidence, alongside the growing confidence of Mukherjee’s writing which is now very skilled indeed. Embedded in his fascinating storytelling, his pitch perfect descriptions of the times and various factions in Indian politics, there is also a delightful, wicked humour.
In a departure from previous books, The Shadows of Men is told from the perspectives of both Wyndham and Banerjee and what a fascinating insight that delivers! Sam has come to appreciate and trust Surendranath like a brother, but it has been a slow won progress and the rest of the British have no more time for Surendranath and his Indian colleagues than to use them for their own ends.
So when Surendranath is given a secret commission to follow Gulmohamed by Lord Charles Taggart, Police Commissioner – a commission that is both dangerous and ignores the difficulties Banerjee must face in carrying out this task – it’s not surprising that it does not end well.
Banerjee is arrested for murder and arson and knowing that his days are numbered unless he can clear his name, he absconds and reaches out to Sam for help.
Together Surendranath and Sam set out to discover who is behind the murder of a Hindu theologian and religious leader, Prashant Mukherjee and what has become of the man Surendranath Banerjee was tasked with following.
Sam relies on his good friend Annie Grant to offer help and the trail leads them into rural territory and finally to Bombay where it becomes all too clear that someone is hell bent on stirring up religious factionalism. But to what ends?
The contrast between the bubbling cauldron of poverty and the opulent wealth on display is beautifully explored in the differences between the various areas and peoples they visit. In Bombay, staying at the behest of Annie Grant’s friend, the beautiful and wealthy Parsee Ooravis Colah, they attend the races where they meet the businessman Cyrus Irani, who is not the only one who is not who he appears to be. Abir Mukherjee does a fantastic job of reminding us that India is a country of more than one religion and that there are upper and lower castes and all of this plays into a multi-layered and fascinating plot that is truly both edge- of -the- seat gripping and fantastically brought to life.
But the star of this book is Surendranath Banerjee. Not only do you get to hear his perspective directly, you are also treated to his inner monologues and become privy to his thoughts about everything he is facing. Surendranath Banerjee, in the top three in his class, well-educated but always under-estimated has had an affectionate and mutually appreciative relationship with Sam Wyndham. They have become comrades in arms, but the struggles that Surendranath has seen Sam through have given heft to their relationship and perhaps for the first time you see very clearly that Surendranath is the stronger one in this partnership.
Verdict: Abir Mukherjee has reached a critical point in India’s history seen through the eyes of this pair and I am on tenterhooks to see where he will take us next. This is top class historical fiction with beautifully detailed oil painting- rich characterisation and atmosphere so thick you could drown in it. I learn a lot from these books too which is a genuine delight for me. Buy it. READ THE SERIES. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating: really liked it
I have loved the Wyndham (+ Banerjee) series by Abir Mukherjee. Historical crime fiction is a combination of the best in my 2 fav genres. However this book was the weakest of the author’s 5 and shallow and lazy.
There was no mystery to speak of. The gimmick of using 2 first-person narrations didnt work. And maybe because the period 1922-1928 was a dull one in Indian politics, the historical fiction part too was ordinary. This one is avoidable. Lets hope the author is back to his “Smoke and Ashes” best with the next one.
Rating: really liked it
Excellent outing in what has become one of my favorite historical mystery series. I wasn’t sure where the author would go after the last powerful book, but he has managed to surpass himself.
This book was even more action-packed and exciting, but also thought-provoking; it is written in short, alternating chapters by Sam Wyndham of the Indian Imperial Police, and his sergeant, Seren “Surrender-Not” Banerjee. The action starts in Calcutta 1923, as religious tensions are again flaring up between Hindus and Muslims. The British are trying to maintain control, but a Hindu theologian has been murdered, supposedly by Suren. Readers familiar with the series will know he isn’t guilty, so there must be more to the story - and what a story it is! At first I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the alternating chapters, but it really works here, getting into Suren’s head, as well. Mukherjee writes realistically of life in British Raj India, for both British rulers and Indian subjects, but he manages also to keep his pacing up, and the reader on edge, like a modern action film. It’s quite an accomplishment, and very entertaining!
I really enjoyed this outing, and will be very curious to see where he takes the series next. The book ends not so much on a cliffhanger, but as a predictable twist. The author is really getting to the heart of the impossible situation any of the British in India with a conscience (like Wyndham), must find themselves in at this point in history. Also, the difficult choices Suren, and other Indians working for the Raj, were facing. Extremely entertaining and interesting, I can’t wait for the next book.
