Another wonderful trip through the melting pot of old Bombay.
I was lucky enough to have a review copy of Nev March’s first Jim Agnihotri/Diana Framji story, Murder in Old Bombay, back before it was even clear – to me, at least – whether this would be a series. And I loved that book, but then somehow lost track of the series. So I was surprised to find out that The Silversmith’s Puzzle is already the fourth title. And also quite pleased, since that means I now can look forward to reading the second and third books as well. As if I don’t have plenty to read already – but who’s ever rational about that?
As The Silversmith’s Puzzle opened, it was clear I had missed a few things (Boston??? Chicago???), but the author filled in enough backstory that I didn’t feel too lost. Still, I was happy that Jim and Diana were heading back to Bombay, since March’s vivid descriptions of India’s myriad of nationalities, religions, classes, and cultures were some of the things I loved most about the first book. But I was not at all happy about the reason: Diana’s brother, Adi, has been accused of murdering his business partner, Satya, and Diana and Jim are needed to help find the real killer.
Jim, who had spent time in the Bombay constabulary, uses his former contacts, a lot of leg-work, and more than a few disguises, to investigate. As readers, we get to follow along, getting a taste of Bombay’s many ethnic groups: Satya’s hereditary goldsmiths, Diana’s Parsis, the Gurkha guards, the British administrators, and more. Of course, Jim is also still a Sherlock Holmes devotee, so when he gets especially stuck, he tries to apply the master detective’s methods. (It’s a special treat to watch him debating internally about whether he really wants to read Arthur Conan Doyle’s just-published story, The Final Problem, since he has heard that Holmes dies in it. I’ve felt that way myself sometimes, semi-dreading the last book in a series. But for us as readers, this time it’s fun, since we know Holmes will be revived, and we can look forward to Jim’s delight in the future.)
As with Murder in Old Bombay, the larger background drives much of the story. India is sitting uneasily under British rule. Indeed, part of Adi and Satya’s motivations for starting their business is to prove that Indian companies can produce goods on a par with British companies. And the mélange of cultures comes into play as well, forcing the keeping of secrets – big secrets – that would have best been out in the open. In the end, Diana and Jim figure out what went on, engineer a daring charade, and are able to exonerate Adi, but sadly, not without some ironic and bittersweet moments.
All-in-all, The Silversmith’s Puzzle is a wonderful follow-on, and I’m now looking forward to catching up with the second and third books. And I’m also suspecting that there will be a fifth. After all, why else would Superintendent McIntyre mention, at the very end, that Jim’s former commander has gone missing in the north and then muse, “You know those frontier foothills, don’t you? Care to go find him?” So…my fingers are crossed!
And finally, my thanks to St Martins/Minotaur and NetGalley for my review copy.
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