The Dying Day * Vaseem Khan * Malabar House #2

When an priceless, 600-year-old copy of Dante’s The Divine Comedy vanishes from a Bombay library alongside its scholarly British curator, India's first female police detective must untangle a trail of riddles written in verse before a ruthless collector murders everyone involved.

The Story: Written by prominent crime fiction author Vaseem Khan, this critically acclaimed 2021 historical thriller delivers an incredibly atmosphere-drenched second installment in the fabled Malabar House saga. The narrative steps away from the comfortable setups of traditional cozy whodunits. Instead, Khan offers a substantial, deeply engaging post-colonial mystery that masterfully pairs a complex riddle-hunt with the raw political disillusionment, racial tensions, and lingering trauma of post-Partition India.

The plot opens in 1950s Bombay, focusing on Inspector Persis Wadia, who is still fighting for respect as a pioneering female detective. Her routine takes a sharp turn when she is called to the historic Royal Asiatic Society to investigate a quiet disappearance. One of the library's greatest literary treasures - one of only two surviving 14th-century Dante manuscripts in the world - has been stolen from its secure vault and replaced with a common Bible. Even more concerning, John Healy, the eccentric British scholar, war hero, and curator charged with protecting the artifact, has vanished into thin air.

Rather than a simple theft, Healy has left behind a complex path of fiendish verse riddles. Partnering with a handsome English forensic scientist, Archie Blackfinch, Persis works to crack the codes before her political rivals shut down the case. The investigation turns deadly when they discover a trail of bodies, revealing that a ruthless shadow buyer is willing to commit absolute murder to possess the ancient text. Moving smoothly from dusty academic archives and elite high-society circles to the rain-swept alleys of a changing country, this pacy page-turner keeps the tension at an absolute boil. Published by Hodder & Stoughton, this monumental thriller anchors a world-class series.

Perfect For: Devotees of traditional, highly intelligent historical mysteries, literary puzzles, and international crime fiction like the works of Abir Mukherjee, Philip Kerr, or Jacqueline Winspear; readers tracking Persis Wadia's ongoing policing career; and book clubs exploring cultural inheritance and post-colonial politics.

Published 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton.

Fiction / Mystery & Thriller / Historical Mysteries / Police Procedurals / Post-Colonial Noir / Political Crime Fiction / Literary Whodunits