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A Very Pukka Murder: The First Maharaja Mystery

Review

A Very Pukka Murder: The First Maharaja Mystery

The Maharaja of Rajpore, Sikander Singh, retains his fabulous wealth and ancestral palace and grounds, along with his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in which he roars around the village to the terror of the locals. His duties at the apex of the British Imperialism era have been reduced to the strictly ceremonial activities of attending public events or entertaining visiting personages. This young man of many wasted talents (he is a superbly talented pianist) and impressive education is colossally bored with his life as a symbol of times past.

"This Indian/British history/mystery is a delight for fans of old-fashioned closed-door murders.... Enthusiasts of historical fiction teemed with mystery will delight in this first-time novelist..."

The year is 1909. The Maharaja may have been stripped of his legal powers, but never of his dignity or insatiable curiosity for unsolved riddles. When Major William Russell, the English resident of the icy northern Punjab principality of Rajpore, is found dead behind the locked doors of his chambers, local British authorities hasten to rule it a suicide. The Maharaja, who sees the body of the poisoned man, suspects foul play and promptly sets in motion his own investigation of what he believes is a case of murder. With the aid of his hulking Sikh manservant, Charan Singh, they gather evidence and begin interviewing the many suspects who may have had a motive to kill him. The man’s increasingly checkered past is revealed as they uncover the reasons why someone would like to see him dead, while the British authorities continue to be disinclined to pursue the matter.

A VERY PUKKA MURDER is a mystery of the old school. The word “pukka” is one of those convenient adjectives with meanings that range from “genuine” or “solid” to the more recent slang version “cool,” according to Merriam-Webster. Yes, I had to look it up. Author Arjun Raj Gaind manages to use every connotation of the word amusingly during the Maharaja’s distinctive methodology for mystery solving. The political culture clash between the statesman-like Maharaja, who must cavalierly brush off the crude language and insulting treatment by the British towards himself and his Indian native population, mixed with his often amusing and energetic pursuit of justice, leads to a rousing denouement. It creates a tandoori dish, well-seasoned and tasty, for those who enjoy Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie with a touch of Rudyard Kipling stirred in for good measure.

This Indian/British history/mystery is a delight for fans of old-fashioned closed-door murders. It is complete with the gathering of suspects by the detective in charge, in this case the irascible and determined Maharaja. Enthusiasts of historical fiction teemed with mystery will delight in this first-time novelist, who is developing his own backlist right up front with a jacket cover that teases “The First Maharaja Mystery.”  

Reviewed by Roz Shea on December 9, 2016

A Very Pukka Murder: The First Maharaja Mystery
by Arjun Raj Gaind