There are some books that I re-read every few years, and always with undiminished pleasure. As it so happens, several of them are about India, some of them my ritual pre-monsoon, hot-weather reading. Kim. Heat and Dust. And, of course, “Chasing the Monsoon“, Alexander Frater’s marvellous travelogue about following the …
Disclosure time. Like the author, Mr. Harris, I, too, am a “firangi” (foreigner) married to an Indian, and based in Delhi. Like the author, Mr. Harris, I, too, am a runner – this piece of information will make sense anon. I haven’t met Mr. Harris, by the way, but we …
Quick aside, before I begin this review. Since the pandemic started, I find myself increasingly drawn to non-fiction and the more adventurous the book, the better. Doesn’t take much deduction to conclude that I am missing travelling and especially being in the mountains, and so am compensating, by reading tales …
To say I devoured the latest Nathan Sutherland adventure would be a huge understatement. I’d pre-ordered the Kindle version on Amazon (sadly, Covid means fewer physical books are being shipped out to India, where I live) and at exactly one second past midnight on publication day it was delivered. And …
As though the fabulously creative and loveable Baby Ganesh series were not enough, the talented Vaseem Khan has now given us yet another wonderful Indian detective, and I am already a huge fan. Introducing Inspector Persis Wadia, India’s first woman detective. We are in Bombay, in the tumultuous, heady days …
What a delight it is to meet up again with Captain Sam Wyndham of the Calcutta CID and his Sergeant and friend, Surrender-Not Banerjee. There are 2 story lines in “Death in the East”, going back and forth between London in 1905 and Assam in 1922. 1905 forms the back-story …
Oh, the joy of discovering that the ace investigating team of Inspector Chopra (retd) and his trusty sidekick, Ganesh, the baby elephant, are back in business. This 4th adventure of this crack Mumbai team is every bit as delightful as the preceding novels. Like every reader, I’m quite sure, I …
The Billionaire Raj, a “journey through India’s new gilded age” as the cover promises, is a totally engrossing read. It is especially fascinating for Indian residents, like myself, but Mr. Crabtree writes in such an inclusive way that even people unfamiliar with this extraordinary country will be informed, entertained and …
I first read this extraordinary book about the state of one of India’s most sacred rivers a year ago, and was bowled over by the research as well as the empathy the writer shows towards India. Although lamenting the damage done to the Ganga/Ganges – this most holy & revered …
