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Arjun Arora Mystery #3
More Bodies Will Fall
A girl from North-east India is murdered in Delhi. The main suspect is her 'Indian' boyfriend, but there isn't enough evidence to prove his guilt. Amid a growing outcry about police neglect and racial injustice, detective Arjun Arora reluctantly takes on this case. Immediately, he finds himself propelled into a tangled investigation that leads him beyond the hills of Nagaland and Manipur to the Indo-Myanmar border with new suspects emerging at every turn, including an American working at the US Embassy who may or may not be a CIA spy.
The search for answers embroils him in the dangerous new realities of North-east India-riven with strife and suffering--and also brings him face-to-face with an old enemy, culminating in an unexpected climax.
The search for answers embroils him in the dangerous new realities of North-east India-riven with strife and suffering--and also brings him face-to-face with an old enemy, culminating in an unexpected climax.
328 pages, Paperback
Published March 12, 2018
11 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Ankush Saikia
12 books96 followersLatest: "Rough Streets", set in 1980s Shillong, available as an e-book. Author of "Tears of the Dragon" (Speaking Tiger, February 2023), the fourth book in the Detective Arjun Arora series ("Dead Meat", 2015; "Remember Death", 2016; and "More Bodies Will Fall", 2018; all from Penguin Random House India), also the environmental novel "The Forest Beneath The Mountains" (Speaking Tiger, March 2021), the noir thriller "The Girl from Nongrim Hills" (Penguin India, 2013), the crime thriller "Red River, Blue Hills" (Westland Books, 2015), and "A Natural History of Violence", a crime novella set in Delhi (2024). I've worked as an editor in journalism and publishing in New Delhi for over a decade. Currently based in Shillong and Tezpur in North-East India.
twitter & instagram: @ankushsaikia
twitter & instagram: @ankushsaikia
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 14, 2019
An engaging detective novel that also provides great insight into the conflict economy and identity politics of North-East India.
March 28, 2018
'More Bodies Will Fall' is my third outing with Arjun Arora, and it's relatively a shorter one, as compared to the previous two, which actually helped the pacing of the book a lot. Arjun moved from one suspect to another in each chapter, piecing together the clues in quick succession, keeping the thrill factor of the book at 'high' the whole time. I like my mystery-thrillers short and to-the-point, so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It also appealed to me emotionally as it focused largely on Northeast India - places, people and issues familiar to me, but not often found in literature (or any form of "mainland Indian" entertainment sources, for that matter).
I loved the description of Northeast India and its people in this book. One of the things I like about Ankush Saikia's writing is how he describes a particular place-region, city, locality or even a hotel room. He makes me want to visit that place and experience all the (pleasant) emotions his protagonist had experienced. This time Arjun Arora's journey covers a lot of places. We start from Delhi (his resident city, as always) and move to Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and even the Myanmar border! I sometimes feel jealous of Arora because he gets to travel a lot for his cases, but then I think about his near death experiences and feel better about my relatively mundane life.
The story also touches upon a lot of issues that are unique to the Northeast Indian states - several tribal groups co-existing (some peacefully, some begrudgingly) in the same state, misappropriation of Central government funds by state agents, the complicated relationship between local politicians and insurgent groups' leaders, the subtle influence of Korean/East Asian pop culture in the way the youth dresses or conducts themselves, among others. If you don't have much idea about the people, the society or the geography of the Northeast Indian states, and want to learn about them while solving a compelling murder mystery along the way, you should definitely read this book. It's lighter than you'd expect it to be, which makes it a fun read albeit its darker theme(s).
I loved the description of Northeast India and its people in this book. One of the things I like about Ankush Saikia's writing is how he describes a particular place-region, city, locality or even a hotel room. He makes me want to visit that place and experience all the (pleasant) emotions his protagonist had experienced. This time Arjun Arora's journey covers a lot of places. We start from Delhi (his resident city, as always) and move to Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and even the Myanmar border! I sometimes feel jealous of Arora because he gets to travel a lot for his cases, but then I think about his near death experiences and feel better about my relatively mundane life.
The story also touches upon a lot of issues that are unique to the Northeast Indian states - several tribal groups co-existing (some peacefully, some begrudgingly) in the same state, misappropriation of Central government funds by state agents, the complicated relationship between local politicians and insurgent groups' leaders, the subtle influence of Korean/East Asian pop culture in the way the youth dresses or conducts themselves, among others. If you don't have much idea about the people, the society or the geography of the Northeast Indian states, and want to learn about them while solving a compelling murder mystery along the way, you should definitely read this book. It's lighter than you'd expect it to be, which makes it a fun read albeit its darker theme(s).
September 10, 2018
Thriller set in North East INDIA
3.5*
More Bodies Will Fall is the third in the Arjun Arora thriller series by Ankush Saikia. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two – Dead Meat and Remember Death – and was really looking forward to this one… Although I didn’t think the story was quite as strong as in the first two, I was in no way disappointed. Ankush writes great thrillers, very firmly set in India.
More Bodies Will Fall is in fact set in North East India – a part of the country connected to the ‘mainland’ by a narrow (at times only 13 mile wide) corridor that runs between Nepal and Bangladesh. It is very different from the rest of India (not, of course, that the rest of India is homogeneous). It’s geographic location separates it. It has borders to the North with Bhutan and China, to the East and South with Myanmar, and to the West with Bangladesh. It is a quite beautiful part of the country with mountains, many a tribal homeland, and a very strong record in wild life conservation. It is increasingly becoming a tourist destination – although there has been (and still is) much local resentment to the national government with several organisations designated as ‘terrorists’ – as well as infighting among the various provinces that make up the region. Perhaps an area to go to with caution – but you should be rewarded. And, oh, I nearly forgot – Ankush was born in Assam and grew up in Meghalaya (apart from a spell in Wisconsin). It is clearly a part of India he knows extremely well.
More Bodies Will Fall is the story of a girl from Nagaland who moves to Delhi. She is murdered and the police do little to capture her killer. Arjun is hired by her grieving father to investigate. He travels to the North East in an effort to find out more. Here he discovers warring gangs (some semi-official) and drugs coming over the border from Myanmar. It is a violent place, and Arjun’s life is frequently placed in danger. He links the drug trafficking back to Bangkok and on to Delhi. But how exactly did all this impact the death of the girl? Can he resolve the mystery and give closure to the family?
As ever with Ankush’s books, the sense of India comes through loud and strong. A lot of Arjun’s life revolves around food, and he describes in detail the meals he eats at restaurants and road side stalls. There is also a very precise sense of location. Ankush describes the geography of each city that Arjun visits – to the extent that anyone who knows the place would have no difficulty in identifying the streets and buildings that he mentions, and someone who did not would be easily able to use the book to follow around in the steps of the characters.
More Bodies Will Fall is certainly a book for those who love India and all things Indian, but it is also a really good thriller in it’s own right.
3.5*
More Bodies Will Fall is the third in the Arjun Arora thriller series by Ankush Saikia. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two – Dead Meat and Remember Death – and was really looking forward to this one… Although I didn’t think the story was quite as strong as in the first two, I was in no way disappointed. Ankush writes great thrillers, very firmly set in India.
More Bodies Will Fall is in fact set in North East India – a part of the country connected to the ‘mainland’ by a narrow (at times only 13 mile wide) corridor that runs between Nepal and Bangladesh. It is very different from the rest of India (not, of course, that the rest of India is homogeneous). It’s geographic location separates it. It has borders to the North with Bhutan and China, to the East and South with Myanmar, and to the West with Bangladesh. It is a quite beautiful part of the country with mountains, many a tribal homeland, and a very strong record in wild life conservation. It is increasingly becoming a tourist destination – although there has been (and still is) much local resentment to the national government with several organisations designated as ‘terrorists’ – as well as infighting among the various provinces that make up the region. Perhaps an area to go to with caution – but you should be rewarded. And, oh, I nearly forgot – Ankush was born in Assam and grew up in Meghalaya (apart from a spell in Wisconsin). It is clearly a part of India he knows extremely well.
More Bodies Will Fall is the story of a girl from Nagaland who moves to Delhi. She is murdered and the police do little to capture her killer. Arjun is hired by her grieving father to investigate. He travels to the North East in an effort to find out more. Here he discovers warring gangs (some semi-official) and drugs coming over the border from Myanmar. It is a violent place, and Arjun’s life is frequently placed in danger. He links the drug trafficking back to Bangkok and on to Delhi. But how exactly did all this impact the death of the girl? Can he resolve the mystery and give closure to the family?
As ever with Ankush’s books, the sense of India comes through loud and strong. A lot of Arjun’s life revolves around food, and he describes in detail the meals he eats at restaurants and road side stalls. There is also a very precise sense of location. Ankush describes the geography of each city that Arjun visits – to the extent that anyone who knows the place would have no difficulty in identifying the streets and buildings that he mentions, and someone who did not would be easily able to use the book to follow around in the steps of the characters.
More Bodies Will Fall is certainly a book for those who love India and all things Indian, but it is also a really good thriller in it’s own right.
August 27, 2023
This is my secound read from author Ankush sakia. First one DEAD MEAT I read was about one year ago since then I haven't forgot amazing private detective Character Arjun Arora.
This book is again murder mistry. A north east girl Amenla Longkumer who works and live in Delhi had been murdered in her barsati ( a rented room). It was Amenlas father who approached Arjun Arora after 1 year of incident because nothing had been occurred in police investigation.
Arjun Starts his investigation in Delhi, interrogate all persons connected to Amenlas life.
Suspect list was tooo long A delhi based Ex boyfriend, her ex roommates, first boyfriend, American guy who works in US ambecy, land lords son.
Intime Arjun roams north east regarding the case From shillong ,Nagaland, manipur, Myanmar border to Bangkok. Author is from north east and he narrated the situation, history and geography of north east beautifully.
During his north east visit , he escapes from death thretning unexpexted event's 2 times and met his old enemy but at the end he connects the dot rightly.
As like the dead meat, mouth watering cooking details, road directions, road maps , vehicle parking and lot of drinking (Driniking strats after 2nd half) described very organically.
One thing catches my eyes on the north east issues which is still relatable and it presented by author honestly. How he gives references regarding the Cast may be when he mentioned any north east guy in book for example khasi, miya, meitei,Naga, kuki, sumi, Lotha etc.
End is unexpected. I found this book very interesting,catching and full of thrills.
I liked the book very much.
Just for that slow pacing in 2nd half for 2 or 3 pages it misses the 5 stars mark.
This book is again murder mistry. A north east girl Amenla Longkumer who works and live in Delhi had been murdered in her barsati ( a rented room). It was Amenlas father who approached Arjun Arora after 1 year of incident because nothing had been occurred in police investigation.
Arjun Starts his investigation in Delhi, interrogate all persons connected to Amenlas life.
Suspect list was tooo long A delhi based Ex boyfriend, her ex roommates, first boyfriend, American guy who works in US ambecy, land lords son.
Intime Arjun roams north east regarding the case From shillong ,Nagaland, manipur, Myanmar border to Bangkok. Author is from north east and he narrated the situation, history and geography of north east beautifully.
During his north east visit , he escapes from death thretning unexpexted event's 2 times and met his old enemy but at the end he connects the dot rightly.
As like the dead meat, mouth watering cooking details, road directions, road maps , vehicle parking and lot of drinking (Driniking strats after 2nd half) described very organically.
One thing catches my eyes on the north east issues which is still relatable and it presented by author honestly. How he gives references regarding the Cast may be when he mentioned any north east guy in book for example khasi, miya, meitei,Naga, kuki, sumi, Lotha etc.
End is unexpected. I found this book very interesting,catching and full of thrills.
I liked the book very much.
Just for that slow pacing in 2nd half for 2 or 3 pages it misses the 5 stars mark.
May 13, 2019
Started off well enough but I am deducting two stars. One for the slow dragging story in the middle half of the book and the other for the unnecessarily melodramatic ending.
April 3, 2018
Amenla Longkumer, a woman from Nagaland, was murdered in Delhi a year ago. So when the Delhi police closes the case without identifying any leads, her father approaches Detective Arjun Arora for help. The mystery behind Amenla's death takes Arjun on a long journey into the inner recesses of the North-East, where he is forced to confront the actions of his past that have left an indelible mark on him. Soon it becomes apparent that this case is mired with complexities as it involves many branched off connections. More Bodies Will Fall is a window to the political clime in India, marked by corruption and communal tension.
I am always in the mood for thrillers and so, was intrigued by the premise of this novel. The plot is definitely multi-layered and you can't take anything at face value. Usually I do have some suspicions when it comes to murder mysteries, but this book has way too many possible suspects, so my conjectures were a bit pointless. As with novels, we don't come to know much about all of the characters, except that of Arjun. I felt that that's probably because there are so many characters who play small roles and so they all appear on few pages here and there. That said, they are essential for solving the mystery, hence are not fluff characters.
One thing I didn't really like about this book was the overwhelming amount of detail about Arjun's course of action. In the sense that, for example, when he is out and about, hunting down suspects, the author goes into the very minute facts of which road he is on, where he takes a turn, which building he passes by etc. And if that had been a one off instance, I would not have minded it. But such explanations happen EVERY time Arjun heads out. What I did appreciate about the author's descriptive writing style is his focus on the North East. The glimpses of their culture has left me wanting to read more books based in those states. The mystery in itself is very well thought out - not easy to predict and gradually, all loose ends are tied up. If you do pick up this book, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Ratings - 3.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? A murder mystery that is heavy on the detail and is set in Delhi as well as North East India.
Thank you Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I am always in the mood for thrillers and so, was intrigued by the premise of this novel. The plot is definitely multi-layered and you can't take anything at face value. Usually I do have some suspicions when it comes to murder mysteries, but this book has way too many possible suspects, so my conjectures were a bit pointless. As with novels, we don't come to know much about all of the characters, except that of Arjun. I felt that that's probably because there are so many characters who play small roles and so they all appear on few pages here and there. That said, they are essential for solving the mystery, hence are not fluff characters.
One thing I didn't really like about this book was the overwhelming amount of detail about Arjun's course of action. In the sense that, for example, when he is out and about, hunting down suspects, the author goes into the very minute facts of which road he is on, where he takes a turn, which building he passes by etc. And if that had been a one off instance, I would not have minded it. But such explanations happen EVERY time Arjun heads out. What I did appreciate about the author's descriptive writing style is his focus on the North East. The glimpses of their culture has left me wanting to read more books based in those states. The mystery in itself is very well thought out - not easy to predict and gradually, all loose ends are tied up. If you do pick up this book, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Ratings - 3.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? A murder mystery that is heavy on the detail and is set in Delhi as well as North East India.
Thank you Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
February 11, 2021
Arjun Arora is tasked with investigating a cold case. A girl from the Northeast has been murdered in her home in Delhi and the case is closed. However, her father entrusts Arjun with finding out the truth. Arjun's investigations take him to the Northeast, across the borders to Myanmar and to Bangkok. And, he does bring closure to a grieving father.
Ankush Saikia is in peak form with detailed descriptions that puts the reader in the locations, and with words that bring the dangers right upto the reader.
Good news- a great thriller
Bad news- no book 4. Yet.
Ankush Saikia is in peak form with detailed descriptions that puts the reader in the locations, and with words that bring the dangers right upto the reader.
Good news- a great thriller
Bad news- no book 4. Yet.
April 4, 2018
It's pacy thriller like the other two other books in Arjun Arora series. Arjun Arora swiftly moves from one evidence to another. In an attempt to keep up with his reputation of describing the surroundings in his books, Ankush Saikia sometimes described a few details which was not really necessary in the story. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
March 29, 2020
This is my third read of Ankush Saikia after the engaging Red River Blue Hills and Dead Meat. The story, though having a perfect set up, could not grip the reader compared to the other two. Arjun Arora ha matured but still a long way to go. I expect better staffs from the author as I do have quite high expectations from him.
June 23, 2019
Engaging story line but could have been edited a lot. The entire journey of the Manipur and Guhawati got a little too much to consume and was boring. Definitely gave a glimpse into the north east culture and their lives with the food..the names and the scenery!
June 15, 2025
My first proper fictional read from an Indian author; and boy oh boy did it not disappoint. Due to inherent reading bias/ conditioning from reading only works from the west and out of India, this book did take me a while to sink into.
Once I managed to overcome my self inflicted mental block, and as Arjun Arora the MC delved deeper into the case at hand, I too went along on the thrilling journey spanning from Delhi to the nether and well known regions of North East - which I've only ever heard/ read about in passing.
The story, pace and the not so surprising revelation/ unraveling of the plot at the end, though simplistic, manages to keep things real and does feel like a well wrapped story.
The novel reminded me a lot of the Indian movie 'Anek' which served as my only experience of watching a drama based on the geopolitical backdrop of Northeast India.
I'm glad my sister gifted me book and urged me to give it a shot. Kudos to the author for writing an international level yet Indian-feel novel which tapped all the right keys that make up a crime thriller with a detective at its core - who was not just black and white, but had multiple layers of grey to his character.
I look forward to reading more of this series from this author in the near future and to start from the start and follow the serial order.
I do hope that the next time I pick up his work, I'm able to do justice to his writing skill and efforts and am able to read through the novel at my usual quick binge pace compared to the slow pace I had while reading this one - hoping that I've truly overcome my bias/ prejudice towards Indian authors in the realm of crime and other fictional writing segments!
Once I managed to overcome my self inflicted mental block, and as Arjun Arora the MC delved deeper into the case at hand, I too went along on the thrilling journey spanning from Delhi to the nether and well known regions of North East - which I've only ever heard/ read about in passing.
The story, pace and the not so surprising revelation/ unraveling of the plot at the end, though simplistic, manages to keep things real and does feel like a well wrapped story.
The novel reminded me a lot of the Indian movie 'Anek' which served as my only experience of watching a drama based on the geopolitical backdrop of Northeast India.
I'm glad my sister gifted me book and urged me to give it a shot. Kudos to the author for writing an international level yet Indian-feel novel which tapped all the right keys that make up a crime thriller with a detective at its core - who was not just black and white, but had multiple layers of grey to his character.
I look forward to reading more of this series from this author in the near future and to start from the start and follow the serial order.
I do hope that the next time I pick up his work, I'm able to do justice to his writing skill and efforts and am able to read through the novel at my usual quick binge pace compared to the slow pace I had while reading this one - hoping that I've truly overcome my bias/ prejudice towards Indian authors in the realm of crime and other fictional writing segments!
August 7, 2022
This is what is called a crime investigative thriller ( he even though it's a slow one). The plot is good and worth of making into a movie.
It didn't have those adrenaline rushing moments or mystery element, but went on steady with the detail of the investigation.
A private investigator gets hold of case( which was personally requested by victims father), it's a murder of North eastern girl who was staying in Delhi.. How Arjun, the protagonist goes from place to place and find the killer atlast and gets near to death in the climax.
The best part about this book is about the way North eastern states were described in terms of resources, beauty, the people, the groups and ofcourse their state.of development..
One thought that was reiterated and lingered in my mind was, even though we all belong to the same country and boast about patriotism, the way each one of us is treated and looked upon as second citizen, when we stay or live in another state, was very disturbing( even after 75 years of independence)
Heartfelt read and it was a fast read for me.. Completely liked it and already searching for other series of Arjun Arora...
It didn't have those adrenaline rushing moments or mystery element, but went on steady with the detail of the investigation.
A private investigator gets hold of case( which was personally requested by victims father), it's a murder of North eastern girl who was staying in Delhi.. How Arjun, the protagonist goes from place to place and find the killer atlast and gets near to death in the climax.
The best part about this book is about the way North eastern states were described in terms of resources, beauty, the people, the groups and ofcourse their state.of development..
One thought that was reiterated and lingered in my mind was, even though we all belong to the same country and boast about patriotism, the way each one of us is treated and looked upon as second citizen, when we stay or live in another state, was very disturbing( even after 75 years of independence)
Heartfelt read and it was a fast read for me.. Completely liked it and already searching for other series of Arjun Arora...
June 13, 2022
An adventure thriller taking the reader from the streets of Delhi to the North Eastern states and Bangkok, in a pace which could have been faster and some subplots could have been edited out.
Arjun Arora, detective, lands up with a case of a murder committed a year ago. The father of the murdered girl wants to know what happened.
The journey of the case starts slowly and takes us to the happenings in the states of North East. The girl hails from Nagaland and Arjun has a past connection with these states hence he is chosen to solve the case
We are treated to a lot of adventure as we get to know about the lives and places of North East.the plot grows slowly and takes a logical path to reach the conclusion.
Overall the writing is good, the plot is new and the adventure is worth it. The writing could have been more crisp and edited to make it just perfect. A good read a tad tiring.
Arjun Arora, detective, lands up with a case of a murder committed a year ago. The father of the murdered girl wants to know what happened.
The journey of the case starts slowly and takes us to the happenings in the states of North East. The girl hails from Nagaland and Arjun has a past connection with these states hence he is chosen to solve the case
We are treated to a lot of adventure as we get to know about the lives and places of North East.the plot grows slowly and takes a logical path to reach the conclusion.
Overall the writing is good, the plot is new and the adventure is worth it. The writing could have been more crisp and edited to make it just perfect. A good read a tad tiring.
July 31, 2018
This book did take me back to my young days and some memories from that time, and I did like the story and how it was constructed. What prompts me to rate it 3* rather than 4* is the somewhat long-winded writing style.
I think Mr. Saikia has attempted to give Arjun Arora a personality that the reader can empathize with and perhaps create a character that can reappear in future books set in the "North-East". He has also spent pages telling the reader which turns to take in various towns exhibiting a Google Maps like knowledge. Somehow giving some of this a miss could have created a tighter narrative.
Having said that (which means ignore all that I have written so far!), I would recommend this book and am curious to see what comes next from Mr. Saikia.
I think Mr. Saikia has attempted to give Arjun Arora a personality that the reader can empathize with and perhaps create a character that can reappear in future books set in the "North-East". He has also spent pages telling the reader which turns to take in various towns exhibiting a Google Maps like knowledge. Somehow giving some of this a miss could have created a tighter narrative.
Having said that (which means ignore all that I have written so far!), I would recommend this book and am curious to see what comes next from Mr. Saikia.
October 16, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It will take you on a tour to North East India. The author shows us how the people from the northeast are being treated in their own country and also the perception about them. Excellent narration on how detective Arjun searched and went through the clues one by one in order to finally find out that Amenla was an innocent fallen prey for the mistakes done by the ones surrounding her.
October 26, 2021
The book has a gripping storyline, but it never goes too dramatic on you. Realistic and exciting at the same time. Very detailed in every aspect, from the food ingredients to the street names of the places. The book didnt entirely lived up to the name though. Irrespective of that, still a 4star for me. Definitely recommend!
January 5, 2024
Author has good knowledge on the subject of north east India. However the mystery is not too engaging and some things happen for no reason. Story takes a long detour to get to the main point. This book also has a cliche of a detective who is divorced and is trying to connect with his daughter.
Overall its one time read.
Overall its one time read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews