Smoke and Ashes

Smoke and Ashes is Abir Mukherjee’s best book yet; a brilliantly conceived murder mystery set amidst political and social turmoil – beautifully crafted. * CJ Sansom *[I]t is the flamboyant evocation of Calcutta that makes this such a mesmerising read – Barry Forshaw * Guardian *Well-researched and vivid in detail… [Smoke and Ashes] delights from the first page until the last. Simply superb * Daily Express *[W]onderfully rich and entertaining period crime series – John Williams * Mail on Sunday *Mukherjee weaves crime and history together with great skill – Antonio Senior * The Times *[A] fine series of crime novels… tightly plotted portraits of British rule in India, exposing the prejudices shared even by decent employees of the Raj – Joan Smith * Sunday Times *[Mukherjee’s] skills have been delightfully honed with each novel in this gripping and thoroughly entertaining series – Nilanjana Roy * Financial Times *Mukherjee, who only gets better and better with each book, has established himself as a leading historical mystery writer * Publishers Weekly *Subtle and evocative tale of the last days of the British Raj * The Sun *Abir Mukherjee had already proved himself a wonderful historical crime writer with his excellent first two novels. Smoke and Ashes is just as good, perhaps even better – and that’s saying something – a writer at the top of his game, as talented as the very best in the genre. The cauldron of 1920s Calcutta is described so superbly that every twist and turn wrenches your guts. Laid on top of this fabulously atmospheric background is a page-turning thriller which pits emerging South Asian nationalism against the ailing Raj. I can’t wait for the next instalment. * David Young, author of Stasi Child *

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Europeen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons.

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