NOW FEATURED ON ITV'S ZOE BALL BOOK CLUB 2018 LONGLISTED FOR THE 2018 CWA GOLD, STEEL AND HISTORICAL DAGGERS

India, 1920. Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of Calcutta Police must investigate the dramatic assassination of a Maharaja's son...

Sam Wyndham is visiting the kingdom of Sambalpore, home to diamond mines and the beautiful Palace of the Sun.

But when the Maharajas eldest son is assassinated, Wyndham realises that the realm is riven with conflict. Prince Adhir was unpopular with religious groups, while his brother now in line to the throne appears to be a feckless playboy.

As Wyndham and Sergeant Surrender-not Banerjee endeavour to unravel the mystery, they become entangled in a dangerous world. They must find the murderer, before the murderer finds them.

Praise for the Sam Wyndham series:

An exceptional historical crime novel C.J. SANSOM

A thought-provoking rollercoaster IAN RANKIN

Confirms Abir Mukherjee asa rising star of historical crime fiction The Times

CrackingA journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj Daily Express

If you enjoyedA Necessary Evil, pre-order the third Sam Wyndham mystery,Smoke and Ashes, now.

Abir Mukherjeegrew up in the west of Scotland. At the age of fifteen, his best friend made him readGorky Parkand hes been a fan of crime fiction ever since. The child of immigrants from India,A Rising Man, his debut novel, was inspired by a desire to learn more about a crucial period in Anglo-Indian history that seems to have been almost forgotten. It won the Harvill Secker/Daily Telegraphcrime writing competition and became the first in a series starring Captain Sam Wyndham and Surrender-not Banerjee. Abir lives in London with his wife and two sons.