About Abir Mukherjee: Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham &amp; 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 &amp; Instagram: @radiomukhers Facebook: AuthorAbir

Abir Mukherjee

PublicationStatus

Brand

Format

AgeRange

Series

Imprint

CategoryLabel

*Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month* 
**A 'Book of the Year' pick in The Times** 
 
'Abir Mukherjee is doing something uniquely different in the crime genre...breathtaking' Peter May, Sunday Times bestseller, on The Shadows of Men 
 
Calcutta, 1923. When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can officers of the Imperial Police Force, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath? 
 
Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay, the latest instalment in this 'unmissable' (The Times) series presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge. Will this be the case that finally drives them apart? 
 
'An engaging, evocative thriller that captures the heat of Indian nights and heady days of a bygone era, without being sentimental or simplistic' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal 
 
'The Shadows of Men finds the always reliable Crime Writers' Association Dagger Award-winner Abir Mukherjee on fine form' Financial Times 
 
______________ 
 
PRAISE FOR THE WYNDHAM AND BANERJEE SERIES 
 
'An exceptional historical crime novel' C.J. Sansom 
 
'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin 
 
'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express

The Shadows of Men

HUNTED, Abir Mukherjee's explosive contemporary thriller, is available NOW 
 
**A THE TIMES/SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB TOP 40 BOOK OF LAST FIVE YEARS** 
 
'An exceptional historical crime novel' C.J. Sansom 
 
India, 1919. Desperate for a fresh start, Captain Sam Wyndham arrives to take up an important post in Calcutta's police force. 
 
He is soon called to the scene of a horrifying murder. The victim was a senior official, and a note left in his mouth warns the British to leave India - or else. 
 
With the stability of the Empire under threat, Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee must solve the case quickly. But there are some who will do anything to stop them... 
 
**WINNER OF THE CWA ENDEAVOUR HISTORICAL DAGGER ** 
 
Praise for the Wyndham and Banerjee series : 
 
'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin 
 
'Does for the Raj what Philip Kerr did for the Reich' The Times/Sunday Times Crime Club 
 
'Highly entertaining' Daily Telegraph 
 
If you enjoyed A Rising Man, further books in the Wyndham and Banerjee series are available now: 
 
A Necessary Evil 
Smoke and Ashes 
Death in the East 
The Shadows of Men

A Rising Man

10th Anniversary Edition

** A THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST 100 BEST CRIME NOVELS SINCE 1945** 
 
'Smoke and Ashes is Abir Mukherjee's best book yet; a brilliantly conceived murder mystery set amidst political and social turmoil - beautifully crafted' C.J. Sansom 
 
India, 1921. Captain Sam Wyndham is battling a serious addiction to opium that he must keep secret from his superiors in the Calcutta police force. 
 
But Wyndham finds himself in a tight spot when he stumbles across a corpse in an opium den. When he then comes across a second body bearing the same injuries, Wyndham is convinced that there's a deranged killer on the loose. 
 
However, revealing his presence in the opium den could cost him his career. 
 
As Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee set out to solve the two murders, Wyndham must tread carefully, keeping his personal demons secret, before someone else turns up dead... 
 
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 CWA SAPERE HISTORICAL DAGGER 
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 HWA GOLD CROWN 
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 CWA GOLD DAGGER 
 
Praise for the Wyndham and Banerjee series: 
 
'It is the flamboyant evocation of Calcutta that makes this such a mesmerising read' Guardian 
 
'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin 
 
'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express 
 
If you enjoyed Smoke and Ashes further books in the Wyndham and Banerjee series are available now: 
 
A Rising Man 
A Necessary Evil 
Death in the East 
The Shadows of Men

Smoke and Ashes

'Death in the East is the best so far of an unmissable series' The Times 
 
Calcutta police detective Captain Sam Wyndham and his quick-witted Indian Sergeant, Surrender-not Banerjee, are back for another rip-roaring adventure set in 1920s India. 
 
1905, London. 
 
When Bessie Drummond, an old flame of Sam Wyndham's, is attacked in the street, he is determined to get to the bottom of it. But the next day, Bessie is found dead in her room and Wyndham soon finds himself caught up in her murder investigation. The case will cost the young constable more than he ever imagined. 
 
1922, India. 
 
Leaving Calcutta, Wyndham heads for the hills of Assam, ready to put his opium addiction behind him. But when he arrives, he sees a ghost from his life in London - a man thought to be long dead, a man Wyndham hoped he would never see again. 
 
Wyndham knows he must call his friend and colleague Sergeant Banerjee for help. He is certain that this figure from can only be after one thing: revenge... 
 
**WINNER OF THE CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER 2020** 
*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF 2021 PICK* 
______________________ 
 
Praise for the Sam Wyndham series: 
 
'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin 
 
'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express 
 
'A brilliantly conceived murder mystery set amidst political and social turmoil - beautifully crafted' C. J. Sansom 
 
'Mukherjee brings sardonic wit to his portrayal of British rule in India, and the action is perfectly paced.' Daily Mirror

Death in the East

**WINNER 2018 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE** 
 
'Even better than his first' Daily Telegraph 
 
India, 1920. Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of Calcutta Police must investigate the dramatic assassination of a Maharaja's son... 
 
Sam Wyndham is visiting the kingdom of Sambalpore, home to diamond mines and the beautiful Palace of the Sun. 
 
But when the Maharaja's eldest son is assassinated, Wyndham realises that the realm is riven with conflict. Prince Adhir was unpopular with religious groups, while his brother - now in line to the throne - appears to be a feckless playboy. 
 
As Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee endeavour to unravel the mystery, they become entangled in a dangerous world. They must find the murderer, before the murderer finds them. 
 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 HISTORICAL AND GOLD DAGGERS* 
*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2018 CWA STEEL DAGGER* 
 
Praise for the Wyndham and Banerjee series : 
 
'An exceptional historical crime novel' C.J. Sansom 
 
'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin 
 
'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily Express 
 
If you enjoyed A Necessary Evil, further books in the Wyndham and Banerjee series are available now: 
 
A Rising Man 
Smoke and Ashes 
Death in the East 
The Shadows of Men

A Necessary Evil

biblio.categories.code

biblio.publicationStatus

biblio.brand

biblio.workEditions.format

biblio.ageRange

biblio.series.seriesName

biblio.imprint.description

biblio.type

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

Search Results

You, Me & ADHD

Your Mind, Your Rules

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Fight or Flight (Book 21)

Little Black Classics Box Set

A collage of photos of Ruth Ware, Abir Mukherjee, Lisa Jewell and more against a black, shadowy background.

Reading lists

So good it's criminal: Penguin authors pick their favourite crime novels

Extracts

Extract: Hunted by Abir Mukherjee

10 Vintage paperbacks that are summer holiday must-reads

Books to transport us to other lands and places

Features

Books to transport you to different places and times

A drawing of a book on a floodlight-lit stage, as though it's giving a thank you speech at an awards ceremony.

Why you should always read the acknowledgements in books

Illustration of person surrounded by trophies, certificates and literary journals/creative writing magazines

Getting published

Resources for writers

An illustration of elements of a crime novel, with a writer on a typewriter in the middle

How to write crime and thriller

Uncategorized

Start planning your summer readingTBR

The best new paperbacks of 2025

The 2025 Vintage Christmas Book Gift Guide 

Marble Hall Murders author Charlie Porter sitting and talking in the book-filled Penguin Podcast studio

Interviews

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 6 – Summer reads

stemming

Showing results for: ‘Abir Mukherjee’

Filters

Category

Publication Date

Format

Series

Imprint

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter