A priceless manuscript. A missing scholar. A trail of riddles.
For over a century, one of the world’s great treasures, a six-hundred-year-old copy of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, has been safely housed at Bombay’s Asiatic Society. But when it vanishes, together with the man charged with its care, British scholar and war hero, John Healy, the case lands on Inspector Persis Wadia’s desk.
Uncovering a series of complex riddles written in verse, Persis – together with English forensic scientist Archie Blackfinch – is soon on the trail. But then they discover the first body.
As the death toll mounts it becomes evident that someone else is also pursuing this priceless artefact and will stop at nothing to possess it . . .
Harking back to an era of darkness, this second thriller in the Malabar House series pits Persis, once again, against her peers, a changing India, and an evil of limitless intent.
Gripping, immersive, and full of Vaseem Khan’s trademark wit, this is historical fiction at its finest.
The Dying Day is the second book in Vaseem Khan's Malabar House series set in post-Partition India. I loved the first book, Murder at Malabar House, which introduced Inspector Persis Wadia, the first female police detective in India and I was delighted when it went on to win the CWA Historical Dagger in 2021. The Dying Day had a lot to live up to but, dare I say it, may be even better than its sterling predecessor.
Despite her recent success solving the murder of a prominent English diplomat, the small unit at Malabar House where Persis is stationed, continues to be allocated cases which are deemed to be controversial – if India's police force has to risk embarrassment then at least the focus is on these misfits and outsiders who, for one reason or another, aren't wanted elsewhere. Sometimes, when a group of people are thrust together, they form a close-knit contingent and find camaraderie in being outcasts but Persis has faced so much doubt and misogyny, she has instead developed a rather maverick attitude, often preferring to work alone. She is a wonderful character and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the events that have shaped this rather caustic, guarded woman. That she has battled sexism since she joined the police goes without saying but there are intriguing revelations from her childhood too and it transpires that she has always been called rude and surly. Her refusal to perform in order to gain popularity means she struggles being regarded as a trailblazer and really just wants to be left to get on with her job but there are definitely hints here that may be about to change and I'm looking forward to seeing what a justifiably angry Persis may do in the future.
As an unmarried woman, she still lives with her widowed father, Sam and I love the relationship between them. The old adage about the apple not falling far from the tree certainly seems to hold true but Persis only grew close to him after the death of her mother. They clearly infuriate one another and yet Vaseem Khan brings real warmth and wit to their relationship too. There are some dark, harrowing themes explored in The Dying Day and so the humour which can be found in her exchanges with her father and Aunt Nussie is a welcome contrast. Likewise, the chemistry between her and forensic scientist Archie Blackfinch continues to be a tantalising part of the ongoing storyline. The spark they share is obvious yet a Parsee woman in a relationship with an Englishman would invite even more scandal. I love a good will-they-won't-they plotline and with both characters being so beautifully brought to life, it's impossible not to become invested in what the future may hold for them.
The contrast between the two cases that Persis investigates in The Dying Day allows for a striking exploration of the different sides of Bombay. The first case involves the mysterious disappearance of a six-hundred-year-old copy of Dante’s The Divine Comedy. The manuscript genuinely exists and is one of the world's greatest treasures so it's a stroke of genius to imagine what would happen if it should vanish – and perhaps even more importantly, to figure out why it has been taken. The man in charge of it, John Healy, has also gone missing but has left a trail of cryptic clues behind him. Of course, as Persis tries to figure out the riddles, readers will inevitably be tempted to solve them before her; I was an abject failure but loved the challenge! This is such a fascinating era with both post-war and post-Partition attitudes and consequences examined here; one of the great joys of reading historical fiction for me is to discover things I didn't know about the past and Vaseem Khan negotiates the tricky balance between entertaining and informing perfectly.
Persis also becomes involved with a second, desperately tragic case which leads her to discover how somebody can end up in the most heartrending of circumstances. Her determination to solve both investigations regardless of the perceived differences in their national importance is the true mark of her admirable character. Bombay becomes almost another character in the book and the allusions to India's recent bloody past and the ongoing immense societal and geo-political changes provides a vivid backdrop to the intricately woven plot of this immersive and suspenseful mystery thriller
Dark, puzzling, evocative, illuminating, humorous... I could go on but I think it's obvious that I really loved this beautifully written gem of a book. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
The Dying Day is published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton, purchasing links can be found here but please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
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