Abir Mukherjee Books In Order

Publication Order of Wyndham & Banerjee Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Abir Mukherjee is an Indian author who grew up in the west of Scotland. He has been a fan of crime fiction ever since a friend suggested the book Gorky Park to him at the age of fifteen and it paid off as he ended up writing two crime novels later inspired by his love of the crime fiction genre.

He is the child of parents who immigrated from India. His debut novel is titled A Rising Man, published in 2016, and was inspired by his desire to find out more about a certain period in Anglo-Indian history that is not frequently touched upon.

Abir Mukherjee lives in London with his wife and two sons. A Rising Man was nominated for the Jhalak Prize Best Book and won the Harvill Secker and Daily Telegraph crime writing competition. It is the first in two of a series that has Captain Sam Wyndham as the main character with Banerjee as a co-protagonist.

A Rising Man features Captain Sam Wyndham, who is a former detective for the esteemed Scotland Yard. He is fresh off the boat to Calcutta and the year is 1919. He is traumatized by his experiences during the Great War and wants to find a fresh start somewhere, so where better than Calcutta at this point and time in history?

He has come to Calcutta and been recruited to join the police force and head up a new post, not the worst job in the world. It is a totally different experience stepping into Calcutta from where he has been before, and the vibrancy of this tropical city is a bit overwhelming. Sam Wyndham barely has a chance to adjust to his new and very exotic surroundings before something else pops up that he has to deal with.

The former Scotland Yard Detective is still dealing with his demons and haunting memories of the past when the sudden murder of a British official occurs. Worse still, it seems very clear that this was done in order to send a message, as there is literally a note stuffed in his mouth that warns that the British should leave India or else it is implied that more acts like this will be in store, perhaps on a grander scale.

With tensions in India and the humid city of Calcutta being higher than ever between the two factions of the locals and the British military there occupying, it seems like there is active work being done by one or more people to destabilize the city. Unfortunately, Calcutta is already experiencing tension and political insurgency seems almost inevitable. This murder and the note behind it is also not a good bellwether when it comes to future events and their likelihood of occurring.

This murder of the senior official is not only horrific, but the place where he is found seems to be particularly meant to send a message; the corpse of the man was discovered in a sewer. The note is there that further confirms that this is an intentional hit on a high-level official. But with huge pressure on them to solve this case before it becomes even more public or encourages violence erupting, Sam Wyndham must work to solve the case.

Thankfully, he won’t be alone. He has been assigned two new colleagues that he must cooperate with to find out who wants the British out of India and if they are willing to act again. They are the Inspector Digby and Sergeant Banerjee. Banerjee is one of the few Indians that have been recruited into the C.I.D.

Inspector Digby is slightly arrogant but Wyndham has to take what he can get. Together the three must put their heads together on this important investigation that will take them into every aspect of the city, from rich mansions of British trader millionaires to the dens of the underworld. The reader gets to see colonial Calcutta brought to life on the page in A Rising Man, which is full of political intrigue as well as a murder mystery set in a very interesting time in a far part of the world.

Sam Wyndham is back in the second novel of the Sam Wyndham series, called A Necessary Evil. The dramatic assassination of the son of the Maharajah prompts Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee to represent the Calcutta Police Force to check into what has happened, why, and who did it. It’s the year 1920, and Wyndham has adapted to the exotic city that he is temporarily calling home.

Here the kingdom of Sambalpore is blessed with fabulous wealth, and it shows in the grand display of it all. Not only are the surroundings luxurious and beautiful, but it is also home to a variety of rare and exotic animals like elephants and tigers. There are also diamond mines there and the renowned gorgeous Palace of the Sun.

It is the place of dreams and seems almost fantastical, but it is not immune to the plagues and problems of mortals. Thus when the heir to the throne is murdered and it is done in the presence of Banerjee and Wyndham, they quickly find out that the kingdom is not what it seems. There is more here than first meets the eye, and tons of conflict hiding behind the corners everywhere. Perhaps finding the person who did this will not be as easy as one would hope.

The murdered Prince Adhir believed in advancing into the modern age and not clinging to the past. Not to mention that his romantic relationships may have caused a few ripples in the religious community of India. One person who may have had the motive to get rid of the prince is his brother, who stands to profit in the fact that he is now the prime son that is in line for the throne. He’s also a playboy that may have looked down on the way his brother lived his life.

Wyndham and Banerjee must work together in order to find out who is the person behind the assassination. When they become drawn into a risky world full of people with wealth and power who cross boundaries and legal lines all the time, and they do not hesitate to strike. With time running out, they must solve the murder before perhaps one of these people decides to come from them first.

6 Responses to “Abir Mukherjee”

1. John McKenzie: 11 months ago

   More of the same please.

   Reply
2. Gail Dykstra: 2 years ago

   Please write another in the series. I am about to start on number 4 in the series and hope there will be a 5th in the series soon.

   Reply
3. Richard Ladner: 2 years ago

   I’m on 4th Sam Windham book and really enjoying this series and new writer. Being from South Mississippi USA but loving any good who-dun-it book I’m now hooked on this new to writer especially with all the history unfolding in his books.

   Reply
4. Liane Z: 2 years ago

   I have thoroughly enjoyed Abir Mukherjee’s writing style in the first 3 Wyndham & Banerjee novels and plan to listen to his next 2 audiobooks in this series immediately.

   Mukherjee does an excellent job of interweaving history and his protagonists’ perspectives in each crime mystery. Keep this series going!

   Reply
5. Diane Gunty: 2 years ago

   I have two books left to go in this series and I love the plots and characters and the fleshing out of a time in Indian history. Really enjoying them and hope there are more books to come in this series. Just very well done. Thank you.

   Reply
6. Stan Bell: 2 years ago

   Hi. Having red all Abir’s wonderful books. Will there be another one published soon ?. Hope so.

   Reply