Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

The Burning Grounds

Brought to you by Penguin.

In the Burning Ghats of Calcutta where the dead are laid to rest, a man is found murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear.

The body is that of a popular patron of the arts, a man who was, by all accounts, beloved by all: so what was the motive for his murder? Despite being out of favour with the Imperial Police Force, Detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case and finds himself thrust into the glamorous world of Indian cinema.

Meanwhile Surendranath Banerjee, recently returned from Europe after three years spent running from the fallout of his last case, is searching for a missing photographer; a trailblazing woman at the forefront of the profession. When Suren discovers that the vanished woman is linked to Sam's murder investigation, the two men find themselves working together once again - but will Wyndham and Banerjee be able to put their differences aside to solve the case?

From the critically-acclaimed author of HUNTED comes the next instalment in the popular Wyndham and Banerjee series.

'An unmissable series' The Times


'Captivating, moving and exciting, it's historical fiction at its finest' Sunday Express

'Abir Mukherjee is doing something uniquely different in the crime genre...breathtaking' Peter May, Sunday Times bestseller, on The Shadows of Men

© Abir Mukherjee 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

An utterly spellbinding triumph from a master storyteller.

Joseph O’Connor

About Abir Mukherjee

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing.


He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons.


Website: abirmukherjee.com Twitter, Threads & Instagram: @radiomukhers Facebook: AuthorAbir
Details
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • ISBN: 9781529191332
  • Price: £14.00
All editions