The first thing first, the debut novel “Murder in Old Bombay” by Nev March, is St. Martin’s Minotaur Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition winner.
THE FRAMEWORK.
The story claimed to be based partially on real events is a story set in 1892. It is the story of Jim Agnihotri, an Anglo-Indian army captain. He has taken voluntary retirement after his injury in an eventful battle Karachi. While in the hospital recovering from his injuries, he is influenced by Sherlock Holmes novel. He tries to take on an assignment as an investigative journalist in the newspaper The Chronicle of India. He is intrigued by the letter to the editor written by the husband (Adi Framji) of 19-year Bacha. She and another Parsee girl 16-year old Pilloo fell to their death from the university clock tower. Jim is convinced that it was not a suicide as there are inconsistencies in the reports, though the trial has ended inconclusively. He ends up hired by Adi to solve what he thinks is a murder. Notably, the two belong to a well-established and respected Parsee family.
Jim’s investigation takes the reader through layered leads and new surprises. There is some hidden past the shadow of which follows Framji family. The past ends up catching not only the family but Jim too in its tentacles.
Lady Diana (Adi’s sister) wants to help Jim in the investigation and adds love and romance to the story. Neither Jim for his background nor the patriarch of the family is not comfortable for different reasons. Maybe it is actually a romantic novel under the disguise of a mystery.
CLOSE IN INVESTIGATION.
The language is simple and feels comfortable read with you wanting to keep turning the pages.
It remains interesting till it reaches towards the climax when it drags a bit like the Indian movies. It seems to be over and closed when Jim finds another reason to pursue it further. And after that catching the culprit trying to get a confession is an unwarranted drag to go that extra length of 400 pages.
DEBUT NOVEL- SO WHAT?
As a debut novel, it is promising. However, the reader wants an experience not necessarily accounting for it being the first novel. There are few incidents which only add to the length and not necessarily to the story. Maybe avoiding them could have made it far crisper, but that is a reader perspective – and a writer’s prerogative.
Though I enjoyed reading the novel, I find it hard to straight forward to recommend reading. If you love old era frameworks and maybe want to know a bit more about Parsee’s – you could pick the book.
Murder in Old Bombay- Nev March.
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