{"product_id":"death-of-a-lesser-god-vaseem-khan-malabar-house-3","title":"Death of a Lesser God * Vaseem Khan * Malabar House #3","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith less than two weeks left before a white man is executed for murdering a prominent pro-independence activist in 1950s Bombay, India's premier female police detective racing against the gallows discovers a hidden connection tying the case back to a brutal wartime killing in Calcutta.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Story: Written by prominent crime fiction author Vaseem Khan, this critically acclaimed 2023 historical thriller delivers an incredibly layered, atmosphere-drenched fourth installment in the award-winning Malabar House saga. The narrative steps cleanly away from the comfortable setups of traditional cozy whodunits. Instead, Khan offers a substantial, deeply engaging post-colonial mystery that masterfully pairs an urgent, ticking-clock investigation with the bloody regional politics, racial prejudices, and lingering societal scars of a nation engulfed in change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plot opens in 1950 Bombay, where James Whitby is facing an imminent death sentence for the murder of Fareed Mazumdar, a highly respected lawyer and former Quit India activist. In a desperate, final attempt to save his son from execution, Whitby's father, a powerful, arch-colonialist named Charles Whitby, forces the state to reopen the case. The daunting assignment falls directly to Inspector Persis Wadia, who has a mere eleven days to sift through the original evidence and uncover whether a white man can truly receive unbiased justice in post-colonial India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe investigation takes a sharp turn when Persis and her trusted partner, Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, follow a trail of clues out of Bombay and travel straight into the old colonial capital of Calcutta. There, amidst the local unrest, their analysis uncovers a shocking, highly classified connection to a second cold case: the brutal 1946 murder of an African-American G.I. killed during the infamous Great Calcutta Killings. Moving smoothly from elite, secretive boardrooms to chaotic, flame-engulfed city streets, this pacy page-turner keeps the tension at an absolute boil as Persis risks her career to catch the true mastermind before time runs out. Published as a premium hardcover edition by Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton, this monumental mystery stands as a phenomenal addition to contemporary historical fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: Devotees of traditional, highly intelligent historical mysteries, intricate police procedurals, and international crime fiction like the works of Abir Mukherjee, Philip Kerr, or Jacqueline Winspear; readers following Persis Wadia's ongoing policing career; and book clubs looking to discuss post-colonial history and judicial politics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished 2023 by Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMystery \u0026amp; Thriller \/ Historical Mysteries \/ Police Procedurals \/ Post-Colonial Noir \/ Political Crime Fiction \/ Cross-City Conspiracy Thrillers\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DWT","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67768019878131,"sku":"202610160003","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5722\/7507\/files\/1000018521.jpg?v=1792192719","url":"https:\/\/purpleslothmedia.com\/products\/death-of-a-lesser-god-vaseem-khan-malabar-house-3","provider":"Purple Sloth Media","version":"1.0","type":"link"}