The Lost Man of Bombay

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What to expect

The third incredible novel in the highly acclaimed Malabar House series featuring Persis Wadia, India's first female police detective. A Times Audiobook of the Week

Bombay, 1950

When the body of a white man is found frozen in the Himalayan foothills near Dehra Dun, he is christened the Ice Man by the national media. Who is he? How long has he been there? Why was he killed?

As Inspector Persis Wadia and Metropolitan Police criminalist Archie Blackfinch investigate the case in Bombay, they uncover a trail left behind by the enigmatic Ice Man - a trail leading directly into the dark heart of conspiracy.

Meanwhile, two new murders grip the city. Is there a serial killer on the loose, targeting Europeans?

Rich in atmosphere, the thrilling third chapter in the CWA Historical Dagger-winning Malabar House series pits Persis against a mystery from beyond the grave, unfolding against the backdrop of a turbulent post-colonial India, a nation struggling to redefine itself in the shadow of the Raj.

(P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Praise for the Malabar House series:

'This is a crime novel for everyone; for those who love traditional mysteries there are clues, codes and ciphers, but it also had a harder edge and a post-war darkness' Ann Cleeves

'Outstanding. I've always been a fan of Vaseem Khan but this latest offering is something special and something new' Imran Mahmood

'This is historical crime fiction at its best - a compelling mix of social insight and complex plotting with a thoroughly engaging heroine. A highly promising new series' Mail on Sunday

'This is historical crime fiction at its sharpest, set on the brink of independence and during a dramatic period of the subcontinent's history' Sunday Times

Critics Review

Hard, realistic and fascinatingly hard to decipher. Persis is a terrific character
On Magazine
Vaseem Khan's friction-free ascent to pole position in historical crime is consolidated by The Lost Man of Bombay. Much to relish here
Financial Times
What should you expect from a good historical mystery? Well, a decent mystery, obviously, and interesting characters to guide you through the plot, plus some inside knowledge of a place or period in history you are unfamiliar with. The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan ticks all those boxes, and probably more, with ease
SHOTS
The hugely entertaining result is not unlike an India(na) Jones adventure: history and mystery mixed with brutal slapstick, thwarted romance and sly humour . . . Malabar House is a subcontinental version of Mick Herron's Slough House . . . If only all period procedurals were as good as this
The Times
Khan writes with a charming formality and brings his characters and their dilemmas to life in this intelligent and intriguing series
Literary Review
British writer Vaseem Khan has shown quite comprehensively that he can write historical crime fiction well
Asian Media Group
The latest of Khan's excellent thrillers set in post-war Bombay is a vivid portrait of a society remaking itself in the new era of independence
Mail on Sunday
A brilliant whodunnit mingling fascinating history, the flavours of India and a Himalayan blizzard of clues
The Sun
Vaseem Khan doesn't only spin a fast-moving, well-plotted story; he deftly illuminates the religious rivalries that beset post-colonial India. Think Mick Herron in Bombay: inventive characterisation made laugh-aloud funny by Maya Saroya's pacey, often caustic narration
The Times, Audiobook of the Week
Vivid, bracing crime writing married to a picture of a country seeking its post Raj identity
Financial Times, Books of the Year 2022
Vaseem Khan's excellent series set in post-partition India
Guardian, Best Crime & Thrillers of 2022
Written with wit and heart, it's wonderfully entertaining
Daily Express, Books of the Year
His excellent Malabar House series
The Critic
The best historical thriller of the year
Daily Express
If only all period procedurals were as good as this
The Times

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