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Muzaffar Jang #2
The Eighth Guest and other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries
It is the year 1656. Muzaffar Jang - that rare creature in Shahjahan's Dilli, an aristocrat with friends in low places - is recovering from injuries sustained during his recent adventures involving two mysterious Englishmen and some reprehensible activities against the imperial Exchequer.
Muzzaffar's bruised shoulder has yet to heal when he finds himself catapulted into a series of mysteries: An elephant in the Royal Elephant Stables goes berserk and kills its mahout - or does it? A scholarly nobleman - but, oh, such a pompous bore - is left a very puzzling legacy by his father. An artist at the imperial atelier is found murdered next to one of his works.
Muzaffar must pit his wits against treacherous noblemen and scheming traders, greedy villagers, and lovelorn men - and women. But who knows? Before the year is out, Muzaffar may just meet his match...
Muzzaffar's bruised shoulder has yet to heal when he finds himself catapulted into a series of mysteries: An elephant in the Royal Elephant Stables goes berserk and kills its mahout - or does it? A scholarly nobleman - but, oh, such a pompous bore - is left a very puzzling legacy by his father. An artist at the imperial atelier is found murdered next to one of his works.
Muzaffar must pit his wits against treacherous noblemen and scheming traders, greedy villagers, and lovelorn men - and women. But who knows? Before the year is out, Muzaffar may just meet his match...
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2012
4 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Madhulika Liddle
22 books547 followersMadhulika Liddle is best known for her books featuring the 17th century Mughal detective Muzaffar Jang, although she is also a prolific writer of short fiction, travel writing, and writing related to classic cinema.
The Muzaffar Jang Series: Madhulika’s best-known series of works are historical whodunnits featuring the 17th century Mughal detective, Muzaffar Jang. Till now, four books in the series have been published:
The Englishman’s Cameo (2009)
The Eighth Guest & Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries (2011),
Engraved in Stone (2012), and
Crimson City (2015).
In October 2021, Madhulika Liddle published The Garden of Heaven, the first novel of a four-novel series called the Delhi Quartet. This is a series of historical novels that will span 800 years of Delhi's history. The Garden of Heaven was long-listed for the Book of the Year (Fiction) Award of the annual Tata Literature Live! literature festival.
In March 2023, Madhulika's The Pledge: Adventures to Sada was released. A fantasy adventure novel, this is the first part of a two-part series called The Mandala Purana, written in collaboration with film-maker Kannan Iyer.
Short stories: Madhulika has written a range of short stories in different genres, including black humour, humour, crime and detection, and social awareness. Several of these have won awards (including the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s (CBA) Short Story Competition, for A Morning Swim, in 2003) or have been selected for anthologies. Her story, Poppies in the Snow, was longlisted for the 2015 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize.
Short story collections:
My Lawfully Wedded Husband & Other Stories. Black humour shorts, all of which have a twist in the tale.
Woman to Woman: Stories. A collection of twelve women-centric stories.
Madhulika is also known for her travel writing, which has been published in Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller (India), Lounge (Mint), and other periodicals.
In addition, she is a cinema buff and blogs (mostly about classic cinema) at www.madhulikaliddle.com.
Awards and Recognition:
CBA Short Story Competition – Honourable Mention (2002) for Love and the Papaya Man
CBA Short Story Competition – Overall Winner (2003) for A Morning Swim
Winner of Oxfordbookstore e-Author version 4.0
Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize (2015) - Longlisted for Poppies in the Snow
Book of the Year Award, Tata Literature Live! (2023) - Longlisted for The Garden of Heaven
Starting 2022, Crimson City (Muzaffar Jang #4) is being taught as an elective to Delhi University students majoring in English
The Muzaffar Jang Series: Madhulika’s best-known series of works are historical whodunnits featuring the 17th century Mughal detective, Muzaffar Jang. Till now, four books in the series have been published:
The Englishman’s Cameo (2009)
The Eighth Guest & Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries (2011),
Engraved in Stone (2012), and
Crimson City (2015).
In October 2021, Madhulika Liddle published The Garden of Heaven, the first novel of a four-novel series called the Delhi Quartet. This is a series of historical novels that will span 800 years of Delhi's history. The Garden of Heaven was long-listed for the Book of the Year (Fiction) Award of the annual Tata Literature Live! literature festival.
In March 2023, Madhulika's The Pledge: Adventures to Sada was released. A fantasy adventure novel, this is the first part of a two-part series called The Mandala Purana, written in collaboration with film-maker Kannan Iyer.
Short stories: Madhulika has written a range of short stories in different genres, including black humour, humour, crime and detection, and social awareness. Several of these have won awards (including the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s (CBA) Short Story Competition, for A Morning Swim, in 2003) or have been selected for anthologies. Her story, Poppies in the Snow, was longlisted for the 2015 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize.
Short story collections:
My Lawfully Wedded Husband & Other Stories. Black humour shorts, all of which have a twist in the tale.
Woman to Woman: Stories. A collection of twelve women-centric stories.
Madhulika is also known for her travel writing, which has been published in Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller (India), Lounge (Mint), and other periodicals.
In addition, she is a cinema buff and blogs (mostly about classic cinema) at www.madhulikaliddle.com.
Awards and Recognition:
CBA Short Story Competition – Honourable Mention (2002) for Love and the Papaya Man
CBA Short Story Competition – Overall Winner (2003) for A Morning Swim
Winner of Oxfordbookstore e-Author version 4.0
Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize (2015) - Longlisted for Poppies in the Snow
Book of the Year Award, Tata Literature Live! (2023) - Longlisted for The Garden of Heaven
Starting 2022, Crimson City (Muzaffar Jang #4) is being taught as an elective to Delhi University students majoring in English
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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January 31, 2025I enjoy this historical series with a Mughal nobleman solving crimes. consistently great settings and research. Somewhat marred by whiffs of homophobia in a couple of the stories here, which is a shame, and Muzaffar Jang errs on the side of being a bit too perfect at times, but I'm never convinced of short stories as being a great medium for detectives with characters. Holmes works so well at short length because he's a strung-together collection of traits, not a rounded character (you might even say he's a walking trope that Conan Doyle invented, hence being so fanficcable), and thus the Holmes novels only work by making sure he actually isn't on page most of the time. Whereas a detective with real character in novels can often end up being a bit of a self-parody in short stories--thinking several Peter Wimsey shorts here.
...er, thank you for coming to this lecture, see you next week.
Anyway, I like these but I prefer the novels!
...er, thank you for coming to this lecture, see you next week.
Anyway, I like these but I prefer the novels!
August 18, 2024
What a fun concept! A detective in the classic sleuth role, set in Shah Jahan’s Delhi. A unique setting for this genre, but works very well.
A side note: I also appreciate that the author has given minimal explanation of cultural and period-specific terms and traditions. It maintains the flow of the story and helps bring the setting to life without constantly stopping to exoticize and overexplain words you can pick up from context.
A side note: I also appreciate that the author has given minimal explanation of cultural and period-specific terms and traditions. It maintains the flow of the story and helps bring the setting to life without constantly stopping to exoticize and overexplain words you can pick up from context.
December 20, 2013
Surprisingly good read! Liked it better than The Englishman's Cameo. Maybe because the stories had a lighter feel to it and had a nice cadence to it. Maybe the author is more comfortable with short stories.
There are 10 stories here, 10 mysteries. So it does give the feel of an Akbar-Birbal collection. There are historical characters who do play some parts and she does mention them at the end in footnotes. Really liked that. There was a nod to My Name is Red and was the last one to Sherlock Holmes' A Bohemian Scandal?
The writing is crisp, and the language stays true to the first book and doesn't feel out of place. Sad state of affairs that books like this with proper writing and well-researched material barely get any readers while people like Chetan Bhagat, AmishT and co sell millions peddling mediocrity.
There are 10 stories here, 10 mysteries. So it does give the feel of an Akbar-Birbal collection. There are historical characters who do play some parts and she does mention them at the end in footnotes. Really liked that. There was a nod to My Name is Red and was the last one to Sherlock Holmes' A Bohemian Scandal?
The writing is crisp, and the language stays true to the first book and doesn't feel out of place. Sad state of affairs that books like this with proper writing and well-researched material barely get any readers while people like Chetan Bhagat, AmishT and co sell millions peddling mediocrity.
October 19, 2016
She's tried very hard to create another Feluda/Sherlock Holmes. While some stories were interesting, she couldn't do justice to the era the stories are set in. The book makes for a nice, short read in between two heavy reads.
September 28, 2013
I am no connoisseur of mystery stories, but these are a ton of fun. Enjoyable depictions of upper-class life in Mughal Delhi.
May 14, 2018
Lovely writing that transports you to Dilli of the 1650s, engaging mysteries that are smartly solved by the very attractive Muzaffar Jang! Would love to read more of this guy!
April 26, 2018
The 'volume one' of Muzaffar Jang's adventures inevitably led to the necessary investigation of the sequel. The book is a collection of a series of anecdotes from the Mughal 'maverick nobleman', spilling into different households in the Mughal empire where some crime was committed. The taut writing pushes you to the next page effortlessly, to meander through the bylanes of Dilli, route to Ajmer, around wells in Sarais along the grand trunk road and the royal stables. As before the author's familiarity with this terrain is impeccable with large and small morsels of historical data, architectural description and details of erstwhile noblemen and hakims strewn intelligently across the canvas. The plot thickens and it is time to get a copy of the next one!
December 13, 2020
It took me a long time to finish this book, because I would keep putting it aside to read others.
That’s the problem with short stories- I find it difficult to invest time into them.
Anyway, keeping the story format aside, this was my first introduction to Muzaffar Jang as a detective. Purely as a mystery buff, the stories disappointed me- they were so easy to figure out, as if written for children.
The real strength of the book lies in the description of life in Shahjahan’s court in the Mughal era. Liddle captures and portrays the essence of that time very well in the guise of mystery stories. The book is worth reading just for that aspect.
But be sure not to expect juicy mysteries if that’s what you’re looking for!
That’s the problem with short stories- I find it difficult to invest time into them.
Anyway, keeping the story format aside, this was my first introduction to Muzaffar Jang as a detective. Purely as a mystery buff, the stories disappointed me- they were so easy to figure out, as if written for children.
The real strength of the book lies in the description of life in Shahjahan’s court in the Mughal era. Liddle captures and portrays the essence of that time very well in the guise of mystery stories. The book is worth reading just for that aspect.
But be sure not to expect juicy mysteries if that’s what you’re looking for!
March 9, 2021
I found the short stories featuring Detective Muzaffar Jang as interesting as the novels . The author Madhulika Liddle has done justice to Dilli of the times these are set in .
September 19, 2021
Delightful set of short stories. Madhulika Liddle captures the essence of the times, and each story has just the right number of clues to help you guess the end.
September 26, 2016
It is always a delight to read homespun stories, for me especially the ones that are set in Delhi. The Eight Guest by Madhulika Liddle is the second book from the author that I read last week. And I am in sheer love with Muzaffar Jang and his escapades. A sharp mind with a devil lies in details attitude, Jang for me now is homegrown Sherlock Holmes.
The Eighth Guest is a collection of 10 short stories, so twisted in nature that only Muzaffar Jang can solve the mystery lying in them. The Eighth Guest opens with the story of "The Missing Corpse". Muzaffar Jang is lying on a cot, reviving from the injuries of the last case he solved, the one involving the Englishman's cameo. Now Muzaffar must help Ibrahim Hussain, a well-known face in court who fears that a murder was committed in his house, which involves one of his close relatives as the culprit.
The dead body is missing, and there is only blood in Hussain Sahab's Qutb Khana (the library). Hussain Sahab is a bibliophile, and the murderer has struck his weakness. The only thing he has left is a chest full of tattered and torn books; like a wolf has used his paws to tear them apart. Hussain Sahab thinks that his brother Zafar has committed the crime, as they recently had a fight over his expenses and inheritance.
But Muzaffar knows that things are not as simple as they look. And in the end, when he solves the case, you will fall in love with Jang and his sharp mind. And yes, the devil did lie in details only. Jang only had to listen to everyone patiently and not miss anything, something that I deeply admire about this
After the story of "The Missing Corpse", The Eighth Guest starts building up into a collection of stories so rich in entertainment that you cannot keep it down. One by one, every story comes up with a delicious twist which pulls your mind into the vortex of Muzaffar's intellect. It's like eating your favorite dish, you can't have enough of it.
Muzaffar Jang in The Eights Guest also makes us come across the Mughal culture. He is like a window to the past of Delhi, where baoli's exist, royal elephants fight for the entertainment of others, people reciting Saadi, including him in their daily lives. It's a world which never fails to fascinate any reader. And that's what makes Jang series a great read for me. Out of The Eighth Guest, my favorite stories were The Pachydermal Puzzle, The Bequeathed Garden and One Night in Winter.
But I have a small problem with the theme story, The Eight Guest. I was able to guess who the murderer/ culprit was. Only a minute little thing, but yes bothered me a lot. But then when I carried on with other stories in The Eight Guest, I was mesmerized as always.
All in all, The Eight Guest and Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries is a book that you can pick up anytime when you feel like working your brain on some delicious twists. Or if you feel like visiting the old world Mughal charm.
The Eighth Guest is a collection of 10 short stories, so twisted in nature that only Muzaffar Jang can solve the mystery lying in them. The Eighth Guest opens with the story of "The Missing Corpse". Muzaffar Jang is lying on a cot, reviving from the injuries of the last case he solved, the one involving the Englishman's cameo. Now Muzaffar must help Ibrahim Hussain, a well-known face in court who fears that a murder was committed in his house, which involves one of his close relatives as the culprit.
The dead body is missing, and there is only blood in Hussain Sahab's Qutb Khana (the library). Hussain Sahab is a bibliophile, and the murderer has struck his weakness. The only thing he has left is a chest full of tattered and torn books; like a wolf has used his paws to tear them apart. Hussain Sahab thinks that his brother Zafar has committed the crime, as they recently had a fight over his expenses and inheritance.
But Muzaffar knows that things are not as simple as they look. And in the end, when he solves the case, you will fall in love with Jang and his sharp mind. And yes, the devil did lie in details only. Jang only had to listen to everyone patiently and not miss anything, something that I deeply admire about this
After the story of "The Missing Corpse", The Eighth Guest starts building up into a collection of stories so rich in entertainment that you cannot keep it down. One by one, every story comes up with a delicious twist which pulls your mind into the vortex of Muzaffar's intellect. It's like eating your favorite dish, you can't have enough of it.
Muzaffar Jang in The Eights Guest also makes us come across the Mughal culture. He is like a window to the past of Delhi, where baoli's exist, royal elephants fight for the entertainment of others, people reciting Saadi, including him in their daily lives. It's a world which never fails to fascinate any reader. And that's what makes Jang series a great read for me. Out of The Eighth Guest, my favorite stories were The Pachydermal Puzzle, The Bequeathed Garden and One Night in Winter.
But I have a small problem with the theme story, The Eight Guest. I was able to guess who the murderer/ culprit was. Only a minute little thing, but yes bothered me a lot. But then when I carried on with other stories in The Eight Guest, I was mesmerized as always.
All in all, The Eight Guest and Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries is a book that you can pick up anytime when you feel like working your brain on some delicious twists. Or if you feel like visiting the old world Mughal charm.
December 1, 2015
Now don't take me wrong, I felt incomplete at the end of the book. I adore the writing and clearly Muzaffar is one of those rare characters whom you love to see again and again. But the whole of short stories doesnt sit well with this book. I hope Madhulika can delve more into the character and bring out the best. The book is cleverly written in terms of the mysteries involved and how well he saves the day or solves it. I loved the wry humor in the book.
Waiting for More to read on Muzaffar Jang mysteries..
Waiting for More to read on Muzaffar Jang mysteries..
May 11, 2016
The plots were set at the time of Mughal Era. The thought is excellent. Description of the architectures,gardens, characters made me travel in my own imagination of Mughals. The crime and the way it happened were nicely woven through words. Issue lies in the resolution of the mystery. Climax of each story was predictive. It should not be ended how it was ended. So at the end, the search for the truth takes an unsatisfactory turn.
November 4, 2016
Read this immediately after the author's first book (The Englishman's Cameo). Not much to add about the writing style and setting (both of which I like).
Muzzafar Jung has matured as a detective in this book, and is more self-assured. The setting is as nice as the first book. The plots for the stories, while simple. are varied. I liked them enough to go for her third book.
Muzzafar Jung has matured as a detective in this book, and is more self-assured. The setting is as nice as the first book. The plots for the stories, while simple. are varied. I liked them enough to go for her third book.
March 10, 2014
The sequel to the Englishman's cameo. The writer has successfully accomplished the difficult task of having written historical crime fiction in the short story genre. Perfect for when you want to read something quick, short and exciting
September 10, 2016
3.5 but only because I'm not a fan of short stories. I really enjoy madhulika liddle's work... Really good descriptions and so surprised she's not a historian herself. Fully intend to pick up the rest of her series
May 26, 2015
A delightful collection of detective stories set in Mughal India, with the daily life of the period loving drawn.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews