Sam comes home one night to find his former sergeant—and once close friend—Surendranath Banerjee waiting for him. It’s been three years since Suren quit the Imperial Police and left for Europe. His departure from Calcutta was clouded by suspicion, and because Sam vouched for him, Sam’s own reliability has been quietly questioned ever since—something Suren doesn’t know. Sam’s feelings are mixed. Suren asks for Sam’s help locating a missing cousin, but he doesn’t initially confess the real reason he’s back: his father ordered him home to protect the family honor after Suren revealed he’d fallen in love with a European woman in Paris. When the two men visit the cousin’s photography shop, they find it wrecked—and someone firebombs the place while they’re still inside. Clearly, Cousin Dolly is in serious trouble. The next morning at the office, Sam is assigned to investigate the murder of JP Mullick, a wealthy and influential figure in the Bengali business community. Sam strikes a deal with Suren: help with the murder case, and he’ll help find the missing cousin. The old team is back in action. They are immediately confronted with another killing—the decedent’s secretary, murdered just after Sam interviews him. Their investigation takes them through Calcutta’s underbelly and into its most elite circles, ultimately unraveling both mysteries. In the end, Suren returns to tell Sam he’s heading back to Paris, and Sam volunteers to go along—after all, someone needs to vouch for him with the girl’s family.
This is the sixth book in a series I think very highly of. The author let three years pass with Suren gone; I’m hoping the reunion comes much sooner next time.
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