18 January 2016

Review #320: Crimson City (Muzaffar Jang #4) by Madhulika Liddle



My rating: 5 of 5 stars



“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”


----Arthur Conan Doyle
 

Madhulika Liddle, an Indian author, pens her fourth book in the Muzaffar Jang series called, Crimson City, that narrates the investigation, done by Muzaffar, of a series of murders occurring in Dilli, along with his brother-in-law, Muzaffar, must try to find and put an end to the killing spree of the serial murderer.







Synopsis:

A serial killer is terrorizing Dilli and Mughal nobleman and detective Muzaffar Jang might have finally met his match.

In the spring of 1657, the Mughal armies have reached the Deccan, besieging the Fort of Bidar. Back home in Dilli, there is unrest: the empire seethes and stirs, and its capital reflects this turbulence. Muzaffar Jang, newly married to his beloved Shireen and trying to adjust to life as a husband, stumbles into the investigation of a merchant's murder. Even as another crime - the kidnapping of a wealthy moneylender's infant son - occurs, Muzaffar finds himself at odds with his brother-in-law, Khan Sahib, the Kotwal of Dilli.

Things get increasingly puzzling as one murder follows another and, soon, it is clear that the streets of Dilli have a serial killer on the loose. Muzaffar, who soon finds himself at odds with the system as well as those closest to him, must follow his gut to unmask this audacious murderer, while trying to obey Khan Sahib's warning: do not get in the way of the law. But has he finally bitten off more than he can chew?


Muzaffar Jang, the Mughal sleuth, is newly married to his beloved wife, Shireen. Their blissful married life is put on hold when Muzaffar begins the investigation, alongside with Shireen's Kotwal brother, Khan Sahib, of a wealthy merchant's murder and another wealthy merchant's son's kidnapping. Soon the city of Dilli is threatened with a series of murders and Muzaffar must carefully chose his suspect before it is too late to save the city.

This is the first book that I read from Muzaffar Jang series, hence I had not much idea about Muzaffar's past or background. Surprisingly, the author has highlighted the infamous detective's past and present with intricacy for her readers, thus I could easily contemplate with Muzaffar's character all throughout the book.

The author have painted a vivid and extremely captivating picture of a 17th century Dilli (New Delhi, currently knows as) when it was under the rule of Mughal empire. Henceforth, the author has not only captured the major historic events of that century but have also depicted each and every architecture, ally and houses in that fashion. In a nutshell, the 17th century Dilli is not only fascinating and gorgeous but also bit puzzling with so many narrow streets and back alleys. The readers are in for a treat as each and every details are laid out so intricately that it will feel like they are transported to that era. The setting is in perfect sync with that of the story line.

The mystery is absolutely riveting, gripping and mind blowing, that will keep the readers on the edge of their seats. The mystery builds up with a fast pace that doesn't even provide a single fleeting moment to the readers to look away and anticipate on their own. Yes there are lots of twists and turns that makes the mystery more deeper with suspense and fear. Away from the world of technology, Muzaffar solves the mystery with logic and intelligence, thus making it interesting to see an old fashioned modus operandi of a detective.

The writing of the author is eloquent and extremely fantastic with an engaging narrative, the book is an absolute page-turner. The main character, Muzaffar Jung, is an energetic man and highly intelligent with a panache for solving crimes better than his Kotwal brother-in-law. Muzaffar is not only a serious and dedicated man, but also quite funny and loving husband. His marital bliss with Shireen is very projected with compassion and with emotions of a newly wed couple. The supporting cast are also quite well-developed, and there are lots of interesting characters making the story lot more enthralling.

In short, this book made me want to read the previous Muzaffar Jang books. I believe the previous books too will be equally addictive like this one.

Verdict: A must read series for detective story lovers.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Madhulika Liddle and her publishers from Hachette India, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
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Author Info:
Madhulika Liddle is best known for her books featuring the 17th century Mughal detective Muzaffar Jang, although she is also a prolific writer of short fiction, travel writing, and writing related to classic cinema. 
The Muzaffar Jang Series: Madhulika’s best-known series of works are historical whodunnits featuring the 17th century Mughal detective, Muzaffar Jang. Till now, four books in the series have been published:
The Englishman’s Cameo (2009)
The Eighth Guest & Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries (2011),
Engraved in Stone (2012), and 
Crimson City (2015). 

Short stories: Madhulika has written a range of short stories in different genres, including black humour, humour, crime and detection, and social awareness. Several of these have won awards (including the prestigious Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s (CBA) Short Story Competition, for A Morning Swim, in 2003) or have been selected for anthologies.
Madhulika's first collection of contemporary short stories was published as My Lawfully Wedded Husband and Other Stories in 2012. The book is a set of twelve stories, all of which have a twist in the tale.
Madhulika is also known for her travel writing, which has been published in Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller (India), Lounge (Mint), and other periodicals. 
Visit her here


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