Death of a Lesser God

The Malabar House, Book 4

By: Vaseem Khan

Narrated by: Maya Saroya

In the fourth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House series, Persis and Archie travel to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where they collide head-on with the prejudices and bloody politics of an era engulfed in flame.

Can a white man receive justice in post-colonial India?
Bombay, 1950

James Whitby, sentenced to death for the murder of prominent lawyer and former Quit India activist Fareed Mazumdar, is less than two weeks from a date with the gallows. In a last-ditch attempt to save his son, Whitby's father, arch-colonialist, Charles Whitby, forces a new investigation into the killing.

The investigation leads Inspector Persis Wadia of the Bombay Police to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where, with the help of Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, she uncovers a possible link to a second case, the brutal murder of an African-American G.I. during the Calcutta Killings of 1946.

How are the cases connected? If Whitby didn't murder Mazumdar, then who did? And why?

(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2023 Vaseem Khan Ltd

Critic reviews

Beautifully written and a fascinating insight into the turbulence of post independence India

Another great installment!

I greatly enjoyed this newest installment of the series! Well worth the wait! Also fun to have the backdrop of a new city with its own unique flavor.

Twisty

This was an awesome story. All the twist and turns were AMAZING. The reader was outstanding. I loved every minute of it. I hope this isn’t the last one.

Another excellent mystery

Consistent character development. Awaiting the next in the series. Well written. Captures the complexity of cultural freedom post colonialism

Vivid writing

After hearing a podcast interview between Elly Griffiths and Vaseem Kahn in which they discussed Kahn’s books, I was intrigued by the premise of a woman detective and the setting in India circa 1950. I was hooked from the start of the first novel with Persis Wadia as the central character and continue to enjoy this standout series.

Delightful listen!

Vaseem Khan has proven, yet again, how brilliant of a writer he is. This book was my favorite in the series so far!