The Burning Grounds

By Abir Mukherjee

In the Burning Ghats of Calcutta where the dead are laid to rest, a man is found murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear.

The body is that of a popular patron of the arts, a man who was, by all accounts, beloved by all: so what was the motive for his murder? Despite being out of favour with the Imperial Police Force, Detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case and finds himself thrust into the glamorous world of Indian cinema.

Meanwhile Surendranath Banerjee, recently returned from Europe after three years spent running from the fallout of his last case, is searching for a missing photographer; a trailblazing woman at the forefront of the profession. When Suren discovers that the vanished woman is linked to Sam’s murder investigation, the two men find themselves working together once again – but will Wyndham and Banerjee be able to put their differences aside to solve the case?

Reviews of The Burning Grounds

'Compulsive reading. This is a master storyteller at the top of his game' – Ann Cleeves

'Another gloriously brilliant deep dive into the dying days of the British Empire from one of our foremost historical crime writers' – Daily Mirror

'An utterly spellbinding triumph from a master storyteller' – Joseph O’Connor

'I really enjoyed it. It was great to be back in the world of Wyndham and Banerjee as they solved a wonderfully imagined story told with all of Abir’s trademark wry humour. I especially liked the way he brought all of Kolkata’s satanic majesty to life'- Ajay Chowdhury

'I devoured it… Thrilling, evocative and amusing. It’s a book that has everything' – Imran Mahmood

'Mukherjee’s tale from the Rag, full of local colour and excitement, is about blood, money and “the callousness of the universe”… Historical crime fiction at its best' – The Times

'Another masterful Wyndham and Banerjee series, delivered with the usual panache' – Financial Times

'Throw in a beautiful English actress starring in an Indian film and you have the ingredients of a superb story set against the backdrop of colonial India . Sharp observation and stylish writing make it one not to miss' – Daily Mail

'Mukherjee's eye for period detail and ear for dialogue bring this world vividly, dangerously alive' – i Paper