Rising Man, A
Mulherjee, AbirFresh from the trenches of WW1, Captain Sam Wyndham, Calcutta police force's newest recruit, is assigned an important case: the murder of a senior civil servant, a brutal killing that delivers a warning to the British to leave India. In conjunction with his Indian assistant Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee, Sam embarks on an investigation into the dark underbelly of the Raj where it seems the much-feted British fair play is in short supply.
Authentic and entertaining, this is a gripping whodunnit bristling with wry humour and the colonial tensions of 20th century Anglo-Indian history.
Pages
384
384
Year
2016
2016
Reviews
04-03-2024
This book was very well received and enjoyed. Especially the history.
09-11-2023
Enjoyed the historical aspects.
27-06-2023
All really enjoyed this book and several of us are reading the next ones!
01-06-2023
Our group all liked this book for the Indian history and the mystery. We thought it well-written, developing likeable characters with good imagination. We all enjoyed a murder mystery book for a change. Thank you.
29-03-2023
Our all-male group enjoyed this book, thinking it was a very good first novel and some would like to read more of the series. The story was well-told and informative about India in those days. Although there were many candidates for the title of "a rising man", when the book is viewed as being about Indian-born Sgt Banerjee as the rising man, the story is viewed from a different standpoint, one that is more satisfying than the rather stereotyped British characters, including "the lead", Captain Wyndham. It's not at the level of Ruth Rendell, hence a 3.5 overall.
23-03-2023
We all enjoyed it. I had actually read it previously, but found it equally enjoyable the second time, both for the unravelling and the mystery, and the different approach to writing about the last days of the Raj.
02-03-2023
Everyone enjoyed it, especially the historical information about Calcutta as the original capital city of palaces. Also the attitudes of the Englishmen and their lifestyle during the time of the East India Company and the Raj.
17-02-2023
Everyone really enjoyed this book - the mystery and the historical setting. Some went on to read all of Abir Mulherjee's other books over the holiday break.
08-11-2022
Those of us who were at the meeting enjoyed the book and thought it was very well-written. Thought all the characters were believable and very well described especially Surrender-not. We would be very interested in reading the next 2 books. Its description of Calcutta was great and made you think you were there.
07-09-2022
An informative, amusing, well-written book.
29-06-2022
Loved by all.
29-06-2022
Greatly enjoyed by most, but not everyone's favourite genre. Other titles by this author are being obtained from the library.
18-05-2022
Group enjoyed the crime and historical aspect of this book set against the backdrop of India's political upheaval to end the British Raj. Long discussions about India, a few had personal experiences. A complex country.
11-05-2022
Our group all agreed that 'A Rising Man', although seemingly a 'light read' with a slow beginning, gained momentum and was a complex story. The historical aspect, together with the criminal investigation and believable characters, made for compulsive reading. We learnt a lot about the British RAJ. 'A Rising Man' was entertaining and convincing, and our discussion was vibrant. The notes were very useful.
05-05-2022
While the group admired the clever and potentially provocative idea of setting a whodunit in 1919 British Raj Calcutta, the author didn't quite master his material and ended up falling between two stools. The atmosphere of the Calcutta Raj was simplistically evoked, to the point of stereotype, and the criminal investigation seemed overlong and insufficiently dramatic, largely because of the paint-by-numbers plotting.
07-03-2022
Greatly enjoyed the book. We liked the character development, and felt the history and story were closely interwoven. Have already read other books by the author since receiving 'A Rising Man'.
25-01-2022
Book enjoyed by all.
21-01-2022
Well liked by everyone - a "good holiday read". Not just a 'whodunnit', but interesting historical details - the Brits (Raj) were not very likeable.
17-12-2021
Most of our readers enjoyed the book, but didn't rate it as one of our best.
17-11-2021
Very popular.
15-10-2021
We all loved this book. It is my favourite sort of book, containing a bit of history in a great story!
02-08-2021
Book was enjoyed by many and caused much discussion. Well-written, dealing with racial issues with a wry humour. Many found the ending confusing.
02-08-2021
Most members enjoyed this book, particularly for the history relating to India working towards its independence.
28-06-2021
Enjoyed by all.
25-06-2021
People enjoyed this book, and it generated good discussion.
31-05-2021
Great writing and story.
21-05-2021
The lighthearted approach and readable style took us all by surprise. The characters, sometimes stereotyped, were believable and the plot was full of red herrings. A good read, and at least one of our group will try to read the sequels.
19-05-2021
Not just a thriller, an interesting setting too.
16-04-2021
The ending seemed to be quite abrupt, but still most found it a great read. Intriguing Indian history covered especially about Calcutta. Plenty of hooks for the next books in the series.
07-04-2021
Everybody enjoyed it, and some will read the sequels. We learnt a lot about the history of India circa 1919, that we didn't know about.
31-03-2021
A very enjoyable book. The characters were well developed, and the pace of the story kept the reader's interest throughout. As well, we felt that we had learned about the position of India at that time, and were eager to learn more.
12-03-2021
Liked the setting - written from Indians' perspective. Subtle humour and good characters.
19-02-2021
A very popular choice! All in the group enjoyed the read. The characters were well drawn and believable. We enjoyed the relationship between Wyndham and Surrender - it was cleverly done. But how did Wyndham get away with his addiction Many want to read more in the series.