The Lost Man of Bombay

LONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR

“The latest of Khan's excellent thrillers set in post-war Bombay is a vivid portrait of a society remaking itself in the new era of independence-- Mail on Sunday”

Hard, realistic and fascinatingly hard to decipher. Persis is a terrific character On Magazine
Vaseem Khan's friction-free ascent to pole position in historical crime is consolidated by The Lost Man of Bombay. Much to relish here Financial Times
What should you expect from a good historical mystery? Well, a decent mystery, obviously, and interesting characters to guide you through the plot, plus some inside knowledge of a place or period in history you are unfamiliar with. The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan ticks all those boxes, and probably more, with ease SHOTS
The hugely entertaining result is not unlike an India(na) Jones adventure: history and mystery mixed with brutal slapstick, thwarted romance and sly humour . . . Malabar House is a subcontinental version of Mick Herron's Slough House . . . If only all period procedurals were as good as this The Times
Khan writes with a charming formality and brings his characters and their dilemmas to life in this intelligent and intriguing series Literary Review
British writer Vaseem Khan has shown quite comprehensively that he can write historical crime fiction well Asian Media Group
The latest of Khan's excellent thrillers set in post-war Bombay is a vivid portrait of a society remaking itself in the new era of independence Mail on Sunday
A brilliant whodunnit mingling fascinating history, the flavours of India and a Himalayan blizzard of clues The Sun
Vaseem Khan doesn't only spin a fast-moving, well-plotted story; he deftly illuminates the religious rivalries that beset post-colonial India. Think Mick Herron in Bombay: inventive characterisation made laugh-aloud funny by Maya Saroya's pacey, often caustic narration The Times, Audiobook of the Week
Vivid, bracing crime writing married to a picture of a country seeking its post Raj identity Financial Times, Books of the Year 2022
Vaseem Khan's excellent series set in post-partition India Guardian, Best Crime & Thrillers of 2022
Written with wit and heart, it's wonderfully entertaining Daily Express, Books of the Year
His excellent Malabar House series The Critic
The best historical thriller of the year Daily Express
If only all period procedurals were as good as this The Times

Vaseem Khan's acclaimed Baby Ganesh Agency crime series won the Shamus Award in the US, with The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020, now translated into 16 languages. The first novel in the Malabar House series, Midnight at Malabar House, won the CWA Historical Dagger 2021 and was shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year Award. Vaseem lives in London.

THE THRILLING NEW MYSTERY FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF MIDNIGHT AT MALABAR HOUSE. SELECTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES, DAILY EXPRESS AND THE GUARDIAN 'Hugely entertaining ... history and mystery mixed with brutal slapstick, thwarted romance and sly humour... If only all period procedurals were as good as this' THE TIMES 'The latest of Khan's excellent thrillers set in post-war Bombay is a vivid portrait of a society remaking itself in the new era of independence' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A delightful book, well-researched, complex and hugely entertaining' ANN CLEEVES 'A twisting plot and an intriguing cast of characters, together with vivid glimpses of the vibrant, complex world of post-Independence Bombay - and a narrative that thunders along with the pace and drama of an elephant on the rampage' ANDREW TAYLOR Bombay, 1950 When the body of a white man is found frozen in the Himalayan foothills near Dehra Dun, he is christened the Ice Man by the national media. Who is he? How long has he been there? Why was he killed? As Inspector Persis Wadia and Metropolitan Police criminalist Archie Blackfinch investigate the case in Bombay, they uncover a trail left behind by the enigmatic Ice Man - a trail leading directly into the dark heart of conspiracy. Meanwhile, two new murders grip the city. Is there a serial killer on the loose, targeting Europeans? Rich in atmosphere, the thrilling third chapter in the CWA Historical Dagger-winning Malabar House series pits Persis against a mystery from beyond the grave, unfolding against the backdrop of a turbulent post-colonial India, a nation struggling to redefine itself in the shadow of the Raj. 'Khan writes with a charming formality and brings his characters and their dilemmas to life in this intelligent and intriguing series' LITERARY REVIEW 'A rip-roaring adventure with a formidable woman at its heart' AMBROSE PARRY 'A stunning, richly imagined and downright thrilling mystery. Vaseem Khan has that rare ability to transport you wholly to a bygone time, and he does so with such skill and charm. I loved it' CHRIS WHITAKER 'One of my top reads this year. A peerless portrait of early independent India through the eyes of new crime fiction star, India's first police detective, Persis Wadia' BARBARA NADEL "The brilliant Persis Wadia is one of the most electrifying figures in crime fiction today. Vaseem Khan keeps getting better and better' WILLIAM SHAW 'Outstanding' IMRAN MAHMOOD 'This is historical crime fiction at its sharpest' SUNDAY TIMES 'V

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