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Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mysteries #2
Peril at the Exposition
Captain Jim Agnihotri and his new bride, Diana Framji, return in Nev March's Peril at the Exposition, the followup to March's award-winning, Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay.
1893 : Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It's a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.
1893 : Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It's a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2022
223 people are currently reading
9828 people want to read
About the author
Nev March
6 books457 followersNev March is the first Indian-born author to receive the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Award for Best First Crime Fiction. Nev is 2024 NY Chapter President for Mystery Writers of America.
Her debut novel, Murder in Old Bombay was a finalist for Edgar and Anthony Awards as well as Macavity, Barry and Hammett Awards for Crime Fiction.
She has appeared in radio and podcast interviews including NPR, and been featured in Mystery Tribune, Mystery Scene Magazine, CrimeReads, The History Reader and other publications. Murder in Old Bombay was an Amazon’s Editor’s Pick. The New York Times listed it as one of the “Best crime novels of 2020”.
After a long career in business analysis, she returned to her passion of writing fiction and now teaches creative writing at the Rutgers-Osher Institute. A Parsi Zoroastrian, she lives in New Jersey with her family.
Visit her website at www.NevMarch.com
Her debut novel, Murder in Old Bombay was a finalist for Edgar and Anthony Awards as well as Macavity, Barry and Hammett Awards for Crime Fiction.
She has appeared in radio and podcast interviews including NPR, and been featured in Mystery Tribune, Mystery Scene Magazine, CrimeReads, The History Reader and other publications. Murder in Old Bombay was an Amazon’s Editor’s Pick. The New York Times listed it as one of the “Best crime novels of 2020”.
After a long career in business analysis, she returned to her passion of writing fiction and now teaches creative writing at the Rutgers-Osher Institute. A Parsi Zoroastrian, she lives in New Jersey with her family.
Visit her website at www.NevMarch.com
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August 28, 2023
Peril at the Exposition by Nev March
(Captain Jim Agnihotri #2)
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Murder in Bombay, and looked forward to being back in Jim's world again. We learned so much about him and his background, how he became the man he came to be. He was an Eurasian orphan, lived a hard and dangerous life as a soldier, and wanted to do what was right. His ways have served him well and now at 31 he's married to his love, Diana. As soon as they were married they left India so that Jim could take his new job as a detective at the Dupree Agency in Boston.
Jim and Diana have been in Boston for six months when Jim learns he must leave immediately for Chicago. When Jim has been gone for five weeks, with no word to Diana, she decides she must go to Chicago and find Jim, save him if necessary. Diana, a 22 year old Indian woman, from a wealthy family, is smart but naïve. Off she goes to Chicago, picking up a diverse team of minions in an impossibly easy manner. Sure, she's not a detective but Jim had been teaching her the ways of Sherlock Holmes and when in a pickle she could practice WWJD (what would Jim do). My hopes were not high for success for Diana and her followers
This is Diana's story and I really missed seeing the story from Jim's POV. Diana can speak English but she doesn't understand slang or English that is not spoken in a formal way. She is often fumbling along, not understanding what others mean. That doesn't keep her from venturing into very dangerous situations, putting everyone at risk. Jim was already doing a very dangerous job and now he has to deal with Diana's meddling, too. This story just didn't work for me the way the first book did. Amateur sleuths can be fun and interesting but when Diana becomes involved in things that are way over her head and is determined to save Chicago, it's just too far fetched to be believable. I look forward to book three but I do hope the story focuses more on Jim and his work or at least allows Diana to develop the skill sets she needs for future endeavors.
Pub July 12, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.
(Captain Jim Agnihotri #2)
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Murder in Bombay, and looked forward to being back in Jim's world again. We learned so much about him and his background, how he became the man he came to be. He was an Eurasian orphan, lived a hard and dangerous life as a soldier, and wanted to do what was right. His ways have served him well and now at 31 he's married to his love, Diana. As soon as they were married they left India so that Jim could take his new job as a detective at the Dupree Agency in Boston.
Jim and Diana have been in Boston for six months when Jim learns he must leave immediately for Chicago. When Jim has been gone for five weeks, with no word to Diana, she decides she must go to Chicago and find Jim, save him if necessary. Diana, a 22 year old Indian woman, from a wealthy family, is smart but naïve. Off she goes to Chicago, picking up a diverse team of minions in an impossibly easy manner. Sure, she's not a detective but Jim had been teaching her the ways of Sherlock Holmes and when in a pickle she could practice WWJD (what would Jim do). My hopes were not high for success for Diana and her followers
This is Diana's story and I really missed seeing the story from Jim's POV. Diana can speak English but she doesn't understand slang or English that is not spoken in a formal way. She is often fumbling along, not understanding what others mean. That doesn't keep her from venturing into very dangerous situations, putting everyone at risk. Jim was already doing a very dangerous job and now he has to deal with Diana's meddling, too. This story just didn't work for me the way the first book did. Amateur sleuths can be fun and interesting but when Diana becomes involved in things that are way over her head and is determined to save Chicago, it's just too far fetched to be believable. I look forward to book three but I do hope the story focuses more on Jim and his work or at least allows Diana to develop the skill sets she needs for future endeavors.
Pub July 12, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.
June 3, 2022
"The displacement of a little sand can change occasionally the course of a deep river." (Manuel Gonzalez Prada)
Peril at the Exposition proves just that. Nev March flips the setting of her latest novel in the Captain Jim Agnihotri Series from the exotic location of India to the crowded streets of Chicago during the World's Fair Columbian Exposition in 1893. We certainly have a deep course of change in location as well as a deep course of change in the roles of our main characters. Acceptable, but challenging.....
Captain James Agnihotri and Diana Framji were recently married in India under raised eyebrows and unsettled feelings. Both of their backgrounds and their lineage seemed to evoke other course routes for these two. (Murder in Old Bombay) But love and commitment tend to win out.
Jim is working undercover for the Dupree Agency out of Boston. Jim thinks that his bride is safely tucked away in their tiny apartment. When a German immigrant comes to their door with a mysterious letter, Diana knows that she must contact Jim immediately. But that entails leaving Boston for Chicago and picking up Jim's trail.
Chicago's World Fair was a grandiose affair with miles of exhibits displaying progress in industry and the sciences. Diana, born with an intuitive sense and lined with deep intelligence, is a solid match for her detective husband. She finds herself incorporating quite the little bunch of helpmates on her own within the streets of Chicago. As Diana digs deeper, she comes upon the knowledge that something is afoot involving anarchists, labor union disputes, and a steel mill strike. The city and its inhabitants are in full-out danger.....most of all her beloved Jim. And nothing will stop her from defending and protecting both.
While I enjoyed Peril at the Exposition, it didn't have the aura of location that Murder in Old Bombay had. With Jim at the center of that one, we were introduced to so many levels of intrigue provided automatically by Old Bombay. This new one jumps immediately into new skills sets that we had no basis for in regard to Diana. Transferring from Old Bombay to the seedier sides of darkened Chicago streets and mindsets was a bit of a stretch with Diana maneuvering her way with such finesse and prowess. (Hence, a 3.5 kicked up to a 4 Stars.)
But Nev March won me over with her superb writing. She caught the intensity of Chicago's 1890's time period of such unrest and the push and pull of danger. Now that we've established that Diana bears the disposition of a Sherlock Holmes intern, we're more than ready to see where Nev March will land her next adventure with these two high octane bloodhounds. Prepare for just that.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to Nev March for the opportunity.
Peril at the Exposition proves just that. Nev March flips the setting of her latest novel in the Captain Jim Agnihotri Series from the exotic location of India to the crowded streets of Chicago during the World's Fair Columbian Exposition in 1893. We certainly have a deep course of change in location as well as a deep course of change in the roles of our main characters. Acceptable, but challenging.....
Captain James Agnihotri and Diana Framji were recently married in India under raised eyebrows and unsettled feelings. Both of their backgrounds and their lineage seemed to evoke other course routes for these two. (Murder in Old Bombay) But love and commitment tend to win out.
Jim is working undercover for the Dupree Agency out of Boston. Jim thinks that his bride is safely tucked away in their tiny apartment. When a German immigrant comes to their door with a mysterious letter, Diana knows that she must contact Jim immediately. But that entails leaving Boston for Chicago and picking up Jim's trail.
Chicago's World Fair was a grandiose affair with miles of exhibits displaying progress in industry and the sciences. Diana, born with an intuitive sense and lined with deep intelligence, is a solid match for her detective husband. She finds herself incorporating quite the little bunch of helpmates on her own within the streets of Chicago. As Diana digs deeper, she comes upon the knowledge that something is afoot involving anarchists, labor union disputes, and a steel mill strike. The city and its inhabitants are in full-out danger.....most of all her beloved Jim. And nothing will stop her from defending and protecting both.
While I enjoyed Peril at the Exposition, it didn't have the aura of location that Murder in Old Bombay had. With Jim at the center of that one, we were introduced to so many levels of intrigue provided automatically by Old Bombay. This new one jumps immediately into new skills sets that we had no basis for in regard to Diana. Transferring from Old Bombay to the seedier sides of darkened Chicago streets and mindsets was a bit of a stretch with Diana maneuvering her way with such finesse and prowess. (Hence, a 3.5 kicked up to a 4 Stars.)
But Nev March won me over with her superb writing. She caught the intensity of Chicago's 1890's time period of such unrest and the push and pull of danger. Now that we've established that Diana bears the disposition of a Sherlock Holmes intern, we're more than ready to see where Nev March will land her next adventure with these two high octane bloodhounds. Prepare for just that.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to Nev March for the opportunity.
September 16, 2022
Peril at the Exposition by Nev March is a 2022 Minotaur Books publication.
This is the follow-up to March’s outstanding debut- “Murder in Old Bombay”. As the story opens, we find Jim and Diana are now married and living in Boston. Jim is working as a detective for the Dupree Agency, and passing on his detecting skills to his wife…
But then Jim is sent away to Chicago, just as the World Fair is getting underway. Diana is left alone, and soon begins to worry when she doesn’t hear from Jim. To her horror the men at the Dupree Agency have also lost track of him, so Diana heads to Chicago hoping to find her husband… hopefully, alive…
I had high hopes for this one, but alas, I’m afraid I really struggled with it. I didn’t have a problem with Diana controlling the main narrative- Jim gets to have his own first-person narrative as well, though his voice is secondary, but the story moved slowly, and has a few too many characters flowing in and out, for my taste. Diana was too bumbling- constantly putting Jim in danger- which just didn't feel right- or plausible.
Though the plot, which was centered around the disgruntled anarchists who stirred up anger and unrest, is a terrific issue to explore, the backdrop didn’t hold the same intrigues of the original Indian landscape, and the wonderful chemistry between Jim and Diana wasn’t evident here. I never warmed to the secondary characters, and the suspense which should have built as the plot unfolded never fully got off the ground, causing the ending to fall flat in the process.
Overall, this sophomore effort simply did not measure up to its predecessor, but it is also possible that my expectations were set too high going in. To be fair- the story does have its merits and was enjoyable enough- it just didn’t impress in the way I had hoped.
That said, some of my favorite series suffered through a few rocky moments before I fully settled into them- so if this series does continue- I’ll give it a chance to properly develop.
2.5 rounded up
This is the follow-up to March’s outstanding debut- “Murder in Old Bombay”. As the story opens, we find Jim and Diana are now married and living in Boston. Jim is working as a detective for the Dupree Agency, and passing on his detecting skills to his wife…
But then Jim is sent away to Chicago, just as the World Fair is getting underway. Diana is left alone, and soon begins to worry when she doesn’t hear from Jim. To her horror the men at the Dupree Agency have also lost track of him, so Diana heads to Chicago hoping to find her husband… hopefully, alive…
I had high hopes for this one, but alas, I’m afraid I really struggled with it. I didn’t have a problem with Diana controlling the main narrative- Jim gets to have his own first-person narrative as well, though his voice is secondary, but the story moved slowly, and has a few too many characters flowing in and out, for my taste. Diana was too bumbling- constantly putting Jim in danger- which just didn't feel right- or plausible.
Though the plot, which was centered around the disgruntled anarchists who stirred up anger and unrest, is a terrific issue to explore, the backdrop didn’t hold the same intrigues of the original Indian landscape, and the wonderful chemistry between Jim and Diana wasn’t evident here. I never warmed to the secondary characters, and the suspense which should have built as the plot unfolded never fully got off the ground, causing the ending to fall flat in the process.
Overall, this sophomore effort simply did not measure up to its predecessor, but it is also possible that my expectations were set too high going in. To be fair- the story does have its merits and was enjoyable enough- it just didn’t impress in the way I had hoped.
That said, some of my favorite series suffered through a few rocky moments before I fully settled into them- so if this series does continue- I’ll give it a chance to properly develop.
2.5 rounded up
May 28, 2022
I was a big fan of the first book in the series, Murder in Old Bombay. I especially enjoyed the Indian setting. In this book, Captain Agnihotri and his wife, Diana, have moved to Boston. But most of the book takes place in Chicago, the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
Captain Agnihorti is now working for the Dupree Detective Agency and he is sent to Chicago to investigate a murder. When he doesn’t return after five weeks, Diana heads west to find him. The book focuses more on her than him - both POVs are put forward, but mostly hers. She employs a variety of mismatched characters in her search.
This story often required a suspension of belief, especially involving Diana’s ability to get around in Chicago. March has done her research concerning the unrest of the unemployed and underpaid and the anarchists who hoped to use men’s discontent to advance their cause. She weaves actual events into the story. And while that was interesting, the book just didn’t engage me the way the first did. The story often felt convoluted with a plethora of characters. The ending wasn’t easy to envision.
The writing is wonderfully descriptive. “But Chicago smoldered, oppressive, angry with a sense of something broken. Men swarmed the streets, crowded on corners, desperate families crammed into tenements.”
I will be happy to read the next in the series, if there is one.
My thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
Captain Agnihorti is now working for the Dupree Detective Agency and he is sent to Chicago to investigate a murder. When he doesn’t return after five weeks, Diana heads west to find him. The book focuses more on her than him - both POVs are put forward, but mostly hers. She employs a variety of mismatched characters in her search.
This story often required a suspension of belief, especially involving Diana’s ability to get around in Chicago. March has done her research concerning the unrest of the unemployed and underpaid and the anarchists who hoped to use men’s discontent to advance their cause. She weaves actual events into the story. And while that was interesting, the book just didn’t engage me the way the first did. The story often felt convoluted with a plethora of characters. The ending wasn’t easy to envision.
The writing is wonderfully descriptive. “But Chicago smoldered, oppressive, angry with a sense of something broken. Men swarmed the streets, crowded on corners, desperate families crammed into tenements.”
I will be happy to read the next in the series, if there is one.
My thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
June 21, 2022
I enjoyed the previous book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. It portrayed a vibrant picture of Bombay, the life, luxury and turmoil in India under the British Raj. It vividly described divisions in class, culture, caste, race, religion, and the status of women in society.
We meet the two main characters featured in both books. Jim Agnihotri, an ex-soldier of mixed British/Indian heritage, and Diana from a wealthy Parsee family of the Zoroastrian religion. Parsees are discouraged from marrying outside their faith and culture, which impeded the growing romance between Jim and Diana.
This book contains superb descriptive writing and many twists, mysteries and dangerous situations. There was a sense of dread throughout, but I regret I could not be completely engaged in the plot. I found the story to be convoluted, with so many characters and suspects and unnecessary subplots and tangents, making the story overlong and diminishing any suspense I should have felt. Some suspension of disbelief was needed.
This book finds Jim and Diana happily married and settled in Boston. Jim is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and is pleased to have joined the Dupree Detective Agency. He is assigned to travel to Chicago on a murder investigation. Diana is unhappy being separated from her new husband for what she believed would be for two weeks. She is alarmed when five weeks pass with no word from Jim. A man arrives at her door with a letter in German with hints of explosives at the hands of terrorists.
It is 1893, and the Chicago World Exhibition is coming soon with its vast display of goods and inventions from around the world. Its main emphasis is on electricity and the changes it will make to homes and industry. Vast throngs of crowds are expected to attend. If the explosives were to be set off at the World Fair, the result would be death and destruction on a massive scale. Diana fears that her absent husband's life may be endangered and sets out for Chicago to implore him to come home. Through her force of personality and some threats, she manages to get the Duprees to consent to her search.
This naive young woman, an immigrant in a new country, arrives in Chicago accompanied by a large Black man, Tobias. She is unprepared for the rampant racism that excludes him from many places where she wishes to search for Jim. Chicago is beset with unemployment, grinding poverty, anarchists, strikes, trade union disputes, a shady mine deal, and social unrest. Diana rounds up a diverse group of helpers to navigate her way through the seedier side of Chicago, the slums, gambling dens, and an entrance to the Golden Age society that includes influential, aristocratic members with their lavish parties and dances.
Finding Jim will not be easy as he is a master of disguise. The story is mainly told from Diana's point of view, with a few short chapters from Jim added. When they meet at short intervals, they are thrilled to be together, but each is concerned about the risk the other is taking. It is unclear whether Diana is helping Jim or putting his life further in danger. She bravely follows clues and carries a pistol and a weaponized umbrella. She is supported by Tobias, Wadja, ragged street urchin, and the cross-dressing Abigale, who was initially hired as a lady's maid. I wished Abigale's and Tobias's characters and viewpoints had been more fully developed. They seemed only to exist to carry out Diana's naive and too trusting biding, placing them in jeopardy.
The story became slow-paced and confusing to me with the ever-growing addition of more characters. Suspects included factory owners, discontented workers mistreated and receiving starvation wages, millionaire business owners, the impoverished and unemployed, and anarchists. Where were the explosives, and who was part of the plot?
I wish to thank Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book. Although I failed to be completely engaged, I believe it will appeal to many readers who will enjoy this well-researched historical mystery. It richly evoked the time and place (the 1880s in Chicago).
We meet the two main characters featured in both books. Jim Agnihotri, an ex-soldier of mixed British/Indian heritage, and Diana from a wealthy Parsee family of the Zoroastrian religion. Parsees are discouraged from marrying outside their faith and culture, which impeded the growing romance between Jim and Diana.
This book contains superb descriptive writing and many twists, mysteries and dangerous situations. There was a sense of dread throughout, but I regret I could not be completely engaged in the plot. I found the story to be convoluted, with so many characters and suspects and unnecessary subplots and tangents, making the story overlong and diminishing any suspense I should have felt. Some suspension of disbelief was needed.
This book finds Jim and Diana happily married and settled in Boston. Jim is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and is pleased to have joined the Dupree Detective Agency. He is assigned to travel to Chicago on a murder investigation. Diana is unhappy being separated from her new husband for what she believed would be for two weeks. She is alarmed when five weeks pass with no word from Jim. A man arrives at her door with a letter in German with hints of explosives at the hands of terrorists.
It is 1893, and the Chicago World Exhibition is coming soon with its vast display of goods and inventions from around the world. Its main emphasis is on electricity and the changes it will make to homes and industry. Vast throngs of crowds are expected to attend. If the explosives were to be set off at the World Fair, the result would be death and destruction on a massive scale. Diana fears that her absent husband's life may be endangered and sets out for Chicago to implore him to come home. Through her force of personality and some threats, she manages to get the Duprees to consent to her search.
This naive young woman, an immigrant in a new country, arrives in Chicago accompanied by a large Black man, Tobias. She is unprepared for the rampant racism that excludes him from many places where she wishes to search for Jim. Chicago is beset with unemployment, grinding poverty, anarchists, strikes, trade union disputes, a shady mine deal, and social unrest. Diana rounds up a diverse group of helpers to navigate her way through the seedier side of Chicago, the slums, gambling dens, and an entrance to the Golden Age society that includes influential, aristocratic members with their lavish parties and dances.
Finding Jim will not be easy as he is a master of disguise. The story is mainly told from Diana's point of view, with a few short chapters from Jim added. When they meet at short intervals, they are thrilled to be together, but each is concerned about the risk the other is taking. It is unclear whether Diana is helping Jim or putting his life further in danger. She bravely follows clues and carries a pistol and a weaponized umbrella. She is supported by Tobias, Wadja, ragged street urchin, and the cross-dressing Abigale, who was initially hired as a lady's maid. I wished Abigale's and Tobias's characters and viewpoints had been more fully developed. They seemed only to exist to carry out Diana's naive and too trusting biding, placing them in jeopardy.
The story became slow-paced and confusing to me with the ever-growing addition of more characters. Suspects included factory owners, discontented workers mistreated and receiving starvation wages, millionaire business owners, the impoverished and unemployed, and anarchists. Where were the explosives, and who was part of the plot?
I wish to thank Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book. Although I failed to be completely engaged, I believe it will appeal to many readers who will enjoy this well-researched historical mystery. It richly evoked the time and place (the 1880s in Chicago).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
3.5 stars
In this 2nd book in the 'Captain Jim Agnihotri' historical mystery series, private detective Jim Agnihotri and his wife Diana try to avert disaster at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The book works as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
After serving in the British army in India, Anglo-Indian Captain Jim Agnihotri became interested in being a private detective, like his fictional idol Sherlock Holmes.
Now Agnihotri and his 22-year-old Persian-Indian wife Diana live in Boston, Massachusetts, and - due to a bureaucratic glitch on the couple's journey to America - Jim is now officially called James Agney O'Trey and his wife is Diana O'Trey.
As the story opens, Jim and Diana have been married for six months and are settling into their new home in Boston. Jim works for the Dupree Detective Agency, Diana is studying to be a nurse, and Jim is about to leave on an assignment in Chicago. The 1893 Chicago World's Fair is in full swing and a Pinkerton security guard named Thomas Grewe has been killed, presumably by discontented union members unhappy with their job situation.
1893 Chicago World's Fair
Striking Union Workers in Chicago
The Dupree Detective Agency, which has connections in Chicago, has been hired to investigate Grewe's death. So a Dupree operative called Arnold Baldwin was sent to make inquiries, and Jim - who's a master of disguises - is now going to help Baldwin.
Diana is very nervous about her husband going to Chicago, but Jim assures her he'll be back in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, this is far from the case. Diana doesn't hear from Jim for over a month, and when Diana contacts the Dupree Detective Agency, she learns that detective Andrew Baldwin was murdered and the agency doesn't know Jim's whereabouts.
Thus Diana, who's been learning detective skills from Jim, decides to go to Chicago to find her husband.
Diana, who's very naïve about race relations in America, takes a Black porter named Tobias to help her......
.....and on the train to Chicago, Diana hires a lady's maid/assistant called Abigail Martin.
Diana manages to locate her husband, who's working undercover.
Jim has managed to infiltrate Chicago's disgruntled union workers and is trying to identify the person(s) who killed Thomas Grewe and Andrew Baldwin. Diana gets involved in the investigation as well, and together, the couple discover there's a nefarious plot to blow up the Chicago World's Fair.
The story requires some suspension of disbelief, especially with regard to Diana's exemplary detective work. I was also skeptical about Diana packing her expensive jewelry, elegant dresses, and Jim's best dress clothes and shoes when she embarks on this mission to Chicago.....but it all comes in handy. 🙂
The descriptions of 1890s Chicago and the Chicago World's Fair seem very authentic, and it's easy to picture the grime of the streets compared to the glamour of the exposition's exhibits. The Chicago World's Fair introduced the world to electricity, which soon lit up cities around the globe.
The Electricity Building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
I enjoyed reading about Diana's stay in Chicago's elegant Oriental Place Hotel, where she called herself Lady Diana and hobnobbed with the rich and famous. I also liked Diana's musings about her life back in Bombay, where Diana grew up in a wealthy Zoroastrian family. Diana's father taught her about business and money; Diana's lawyer brother helped her learn common sense; and Diana's loving mother decorated the house with tuberoses and prepared delicious Indian food like akuri (spiced scrambled eggs) and lamb vinadaloo.
Akuri
Lamb Vindaloo
Though I found this period mystery to be over-complicated with too many characters, it was enjoyable and interesting. Recommended to fans of the genre.
Thanks to Negtalley, Nev March, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the manuscript.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
April 15, 2022
This is the 2nd book in the series starring Indian detective Jim Agnihotri and his new wife Diana. After their marriage the couple moved to the US, settled in Boston and Americanized their last name. Soon thereafter Jim is hired by a Boston detective agency and his work takes him to the Worlds Fair in Chicago. He is only supposed to be gone for 2 weeks but after 5 weeks Diana gets a letter delivered to her and she starts to go crazy with fear and apprehension over Jim's fate. She manages to make her way to Chicago, gets of host of people to assist her and eventually she is instrumental is solving the case. Is a good book, however I wish the setting would have remained in India. Diana is also the focus of the book as it is her brains and Jim's brawn that finally crack the case. See my full review at www.viewsonbooks.com
July 16, 2022
*3-3.5 stars
1893: Jim Agnihotri and his bride, Diana Framji, are just settling into their new life in Boston when Jim is sent to Chicago by his employer, the Dupree Agency, to investigate the murder of one of their other detectives. After several weeks pass with no word from Jim, Diana becomes worried and is determined to go find him herself.
Where to begin? The city of Chicago is bustling with the opening of the World's Fair. Diana will have to quickly learn the ways of the mean streets and figure out just whom she can trust.
Nev March really brings this fascinating period of Chicago history to life, weaving several actual historic facts into her plot. Her characters are genuine and likable. What an exciting and (nearly) explosive ending! I will look forward to Jim and Diana's next adventure.
I received an arc of this new historical mystery from the publisher via NetGalley. I was also sent a paper arc directly from the publisher, Minotaur Books. Many thanks for both! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
1893: Jim Agnihotri and his bride, Diana Framji, are just settling into their new life in Boston when Jim is sent to Chicago by his employer, the Dupree Agency, to investigate the murder of one of their other detectives. After several weeks pass with no word from Jim, Diana becomes worried and is determined to go find him herself.
Where to begin? The city of Chicago is bustling with the opening of the World's Fair. Diana will have to quickly learn the ways of the mean streets and figure out just whom she can trust.
Nev March really brings this fascinating period of Chicago history to life, weaving several actual historic facts into her plot. Her characters are genuine and likable. What an exciting and (nearly) explosive ending! I will look forward to Jim and Diana's next adventure.
I received an arc of this new historical mystery from the publisher via NetGalley. I was also sent a paper arc directly from the publisher, Minotaur Books. Many thanks for both! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
July 2, 2022
Treachery and anarchy!
1893. Zoroastrian Lady Diana Framji and her Hindu husband Captain James Agnihotri have left behind the strictures of English society of Bombay and started a new life in Boston. Using the last part of Jim’s name they have styled themselves the O’Trey’s. Jim is working for an investigation bureau, the Dupree Detective Agency. He has been sent to Chicago. A seasoned detective is missing. Now Jim has been away for six weeks with no communication except recently part of a letter in German. Diana persuades Alfred Dupree, the founder of the agency to fund her journey to Chicago as an operative to look for Jim. (That interaction shows us some of Diana’s steely resolve.) It seems Jim might be in deep cover and the Dupree’s have lost contact with him. Whatever the reason Diana fears for him. Along the way Diana acquires a maid, the very fascinating Abigail Martin and learns of the hazards for people of color.
Chicago’s abuzz with the World Fair opening, and an anarchist group is advocating for workers’ rights and work for the unemployed.
Diana finds herself circling around the very top of Chicago Society, when not witness to the depths of that city’s poverty stricken. Threats of explosives being unleashed on an unsuspecting population has her searching for leads. Her quick and determined mind has her linking pieces of the puzzle. All of which becomes painstakingly clearer as she finally tracks down her beloved husband. What a team they make. I do so enjoy them. I think they are now in firmly placed in my top historical mystery personalities.
I was a tad disappointed that the couple had left Bombay but they are finding a new togetherness in a place where they can be. And the skills they each have, their ability to mingle in a variety of social levels makes them even more potent as a team.
For Jim, “This new country—it’s true and precious. Not perfect, sure, but here one has a chance to make something, to live free of snide glances and sneers.”
We are introduced to an interesting cast of support characters which I hope we’ll continue to see.
It seems the couple are busy making a new place for themselves and I’m happy for them. A fascinating follow up from where we first met Lady Diana and Captain Jim, in Old Bombay.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
1893. Zoroastrian Lady Diana Framji and her Hindu husband Captain James Agnihotri have left behind the strictures of English society of Bombay and started a new life in Boston. Using the last part of Jim’s name they have styled themselves the O’Trey’s. Jim is working for an investigation bureau, the Dupree Detective Agency. He has been sent to Chicago. A seasoned detective is missing. Now Jim has been away for six weeks with no communication except recently part of a letter in German. Diana persuades Alfred Dupree, the founder of the agency to fund her journey to Chicago as an operative to look for Jim. (That interaction shows us some of Diana’s steely resolve.) It seems Jim might be in deep cover and the Dupree’s have lost contact with him. Whatever the reason Diana fears for him. Along the way Diana acquires a maid, the very fascinating Abigail Martin and learns of the hazards for people of color.
Chicago’s abuzz with the World Fair opening, and an anarchist group is advocating for workers’ rights and work for the unemployed.
Diana finds herself circling around the very top of Chicago Society, when not witness to the depths of that city’s poverty stricken. Threats of explosives being unleashed on an unsuspecting population has her searching for leads. Her quick and determined mind has her linking pieces of the puzzle. All of which becomes painstakingly clearer as she finally tracks down her beloved husband. What a team they make. I do so enjoy them. I think they are now in firmly placed in my top historical mystery personalities.
I was a tad disappointed that the couple had left Bombay but they are finding a new togetherness in a place where they can be. And the skills they each have, their ability to mingle in a variety of social levels makes them even more potent as a team.
For Jim, “This new country—it’s true and precious. Not perfect, sure, but here one has a chance to make something, to live free of snide glances and sneers.”
We are introduced to an interesting cast of support characters which I hope we’ll continue to see.
It seems the couple are busy making a new place for themselves and I’m happy for them. A fascinating follow up from where we first met Lady Diana and Captain Jim, in Old Bombay.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
June 16, 2022
I should start by saying that I think Peril at the Exposition had potential. After finishing the first few chapters, I was excited to see where the story was headed, and to learn about the mystery that was about to unfold. Although I haven’t read the first novel in the series, Jim and Diana seemed like an endearing couple who just so happen to find more adventure in their lives than most others. However, the moment Diana set foot in Chicago, things quickly took a turn for the worse and unfortunately, the story just couldn’t recover.
For starters, I wasn’t too keen on the fact that the story was told from Diana’s perspective. In my opinion, her character was bland, annoyingly naïve and trusting, and did a lot more harm than good when trying to help Jim figure out the mystery. Diana really had no discernible character traits. The whole time she was either trying to remember what Jim or her brother, Adi, would do, what Sherlock Holmes would do, or what her old teacher would expect her to do. The woman hardly ever had an original thought. She also spent a lot of her time repeating the same information over and over again (that Jim has grey eyes, is big and walks with a limp) or reflecting on past events that appeared to have happened in the first book. It also caught me off guard when about 70 pages in, a chapter from Jim’s perspective was added. This continued to happen sporadically throughout the novel. It’s obvious that the author added these chapters since Jim was discovering important pieces of information during his own investigation, but, it just seemed all too convenient. Considering that Jim is the more interesting character anyway and the professional detective to boot, it would have made more sense to see the story through his eyes.
I also had a horrible time trying to understand the ‘mystery.’ We know that Jim was dispatched to Chicago to try to figure out why a man named Thomas Grewe was murdered, but we aren’t given any insight into who this man was, why his death is important, etc. There were no stakes involved at all. Even when Diana finds out key information regarding ballistite, I was at a loss when trying to figure out how this was connected to Grewe. It really seemed like Diana and Jim were investigating two separate things. I just didn’t understand the point. And it got progressively worse as Diana met more and more people in Chicago. There were far too many people to keep track of, not to mention that their connections to one another were murky at best. This 350 page book read like a 500 page book. Different side plots kept emerging in quick succession, and the pacing of the novel was practically non-existent. Diana would be investigating something and the following paragraph would suddenly state that hours or whole days had passed. For example, she was looking for Jim, then out of nowhere he’s been found without delay. This book required way too many instances of suspending one’s disbelief. The uncovering of the people involved in the mystery was also entirely anticlimactic and completely underwhelming.
I’m glad that other people have seemed to enjoy this book, but, it’s safe to say that this just wasn’t my cup of tea.
* I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway
For starters, I wasn’t too keen on the fact that the story was told from Diana’s perspective. In my opinion, her character was bland, annoyingly naïve and trusting, and did a lot more harm than good when trying to help Jim figure out the mystery. Diana really had no discernible character traits. The whole time she was either trying to remember what Jim or her brother, Adi, would do, what Sherlock Holmes would do, or what her old teacher would expect her to do. The woman hardly ever had an original thought. She also spent a lot of her time repeating the same information over and over again (that Jim has grey eyes, is big and walks with a limp) or reflecting on past events that appeared to have happened in the first book. It also caught me off guard when about 70 pages in, a chapter from Jim’s perspective was added. This continued to happen sporadically throughout the novel. It’s obvious that the author added these chapters since Jim was discovering important pieces of information during his own investigation, but, it just seemed all too convenient. Considering that Jim is the more interesting character anyway and the professional detective to boot, it would have made more sense to see the story through his eyes.
I also had a horrible time trying to understand the ‘mystery.’ We know that Jim was dispatched to Chicago to try to figure out why a man named Thomas Grewe was murdered, but we aren’t given any insight into who this man was, why his death is important, etc. There were no stakes involved at all. Even when Diana finds out key information regarding ballistite, I was at a loss when trying to figure out how this was connected to Grewe. It really seemed like Diana and Jim were investigating two separate things. I just didn’t understand the point. And it got progressively worse as Diana met more and more people in Chicago. There were far too many people to keep track of, not to mention that their connections to one another were murky at best. This 350 page book read like a 500 page book. Different side plots kept emerging in quick succession, and the pacing of the novel was practically non-existent. Diana would be investigating something and the following paragraph would suddenly state that hours or whole days had passed. For example, she was looking for Jim, then out of nowhere he’s been found without delay. This book required way too many instances of suspending one’s disbelief. The uncovering of the people involved in the mystery was also entirely anticlimactic and completely underwhelming.
I’m glad that other people have seemed to enjoy this book, but, it’s safe to say that this just wasn’t my cup of tea.
* I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway
July 26, 2022
📚 Hello Book Friends! Nev March does it again and delivers a fantastic novel filled with action and mystery. PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION is a historical mystery that takes place during the 1893 Chicago Exposition. The book has interesting historical figure cameos. It is nice to see the relationship between Captain Jim and Diana grow and get stronger. Together they are clever detectives. The plot is strong and entertaining. The ending is well done and satisfying. This is a great series and I can't wait to read the next book.
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July 24, 2022
‘1893: Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It's a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.’
_________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
Peril at the Exposition is the second book in Nev March’s debut series, Captain Jim Agnihotri, and is a historical mystery.
Picking up shortly after where the first book left off, Diana and Jim are newly married and settled in Boston. Diana is learning to navigate both being a wife and getting by on limited means all while living in a new country. Jim, by the nature of his work, is adapting well to all the changes. He’s utilizing the skills he honed as a soldier and investigator back home to build a career in the States, which sets the plot in motion as Jim is called a way due to new developments in a case he has been working.
I found the first book in the series to be more compelling than this sequel, but still very good. Part of this may have been that the tone of this book was entirely different from the previous, from the setting to the dynamic between the two characters, to the absence of Diana’s family (and I commend the author for pulling off so many core changes from one book to the next). Mainly though I think it is due to the fact that Jim is not our main narrator. Much of the book is told from Diana’s perspective and although she is smart and can be resourceful, she is terribly naive and got on my nerves at several points. I missed Jim.
Towards the end of the book, I found that things felt a bit scattered. I was getting whiplash from all the accusations that were flying in every direction. So many characters were suspected and accused within a very short timeframe. Not exactly the smoothest investigative work, but then there was a rookie on the case.
It is commendable that Diana wanted to give her all to protect the World Fair and its attendees, but she was often in far over head. I will admit she had some very good luck early on (assembling a team and getting some preliminary information), although she put others in danger constantly without realizing the possible consequences. I’m surprised they didn’t find themselves in even more danger from all the wild accusations and imprudent and unsafe investigative furrays.
I plan to read the next book in the series, but I hope Jim will be our main narrator or that it will be more of a 50/50 split.
_____
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of Peril at the Exposition by Nev March with me. This is my honest review.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.’
_________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
Peril at the Exposition is the second book in Nev March’s debut series, Captain Jim Agnihotri, and is a historical mystery.
Picking up shortly after where the first book left off, Diana and Jim are newly married and settled in Boston. Diana is learning to navigate both being a wife and getting by on limited means all while living in a new country. Jim, by the nature of his work, is adapting well to all the changes. He’s utilizing the skills he honed as a soldier and investigator back home to build a career in the States, which sets the plot in motion as Jim is called a way due to new developments in a case he has been working.
I found the first book in the series to be more compelling than this sequel, but still very good. Part of this may have been that the tone of this book was entirely different from the previous, from the setting to the dynamic between the two characters, to the absence of Diana’s family (and I commend the author for pulling off so many core changes from one book to the next). Mainly though I think it is due to the fact that Jim is not our main narrator. Much of the book is told from Diana’s perspective and although she is smart and can be resourceful, she is terribly naive and got on my nerves at several points. I missed Jim.
Towards the end of the book, I found that things felt a bit scattered. I was getting whiplash from all the accusations that were flying in every direction. So many characters were suspected and accused within a very short timeframe. Not exactly the smoothest investigative work, but then there was a rookie on the case.
It is commendable that Diana wanted to give her all to protect the World Fair and its attendees, but she was often in far over head. I will admit she had some very good luck early on (assembling a team and getting some preliminary information), although she put others in danger constantly without realizing the possible consequences. I’m surprised they didn’t find themselves in even more danger from all the wild accusations and imprudent and unsafe investigative furrays.
I plan to read the next book in the series, but I hope Jim will be our main narrator or that it will be more of a 50/50 split.
_____
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of Peril at the Exposition by Nev March with me. This is my honest review.
July 11, 2022
This is the second book in the series and is set in 1893. We met Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji in India in Murder in Old Bombay. Now married, the couple has moved to Boston, Massachusetts, their new home. Jim is a detective at the Dupree Agency. The case he’s working on has taken him to Chicago and Diana has not heard from him and neither has his employer. Worried about her husband, Diana takes matters into her own hands and heads to Chicago to find him. Besides being in the throes of preparing to host the World’s Fair, Chicago there’s murder, social unrest, and cutthroat ambition. The book is littered with a ton of characters, many threads, and good deeds by Diana scattered throughout the pages. Plus, Diana has to find Jim, and together figure out how all the pieces tie together to solve the case. This book was an okay read; I enjoyed the first book better than this one. I thought there was way too much going on for the overall plot. It seemed implausible that Diana could solve so many pieces and defend herself like she did, even though this is fiction. Jim ended up playing second fiddle even though the series is dubbed the Captain Agnihotri series. I enjoyed Diana sharing information about her family and references to her heritage and religion - being Parsee and following the Zoroastrianism. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 27, 2022
I had a very hard time staying invested in this story. The MC was thinking and describing things, foods and situations from her homeland that had absolutely nothing to do with the story. It was really hard to wade through because I knew it wasn’t relevant to the storyline. Also, there were so many things that I found distracting because of the story setting and timeline. I couldn’t suspend what I knew couldn’t have actually happened in Chicago at the turn of the century. This plot had potential but, again, it was just too distracting. I’d say only 20/25% of the book dealt with getting the mystery resolved.
One of the most beautiful covers ever!
One of the most beautiful covers ever!
June 14, 2022
What an adventure! Set during the Chicago's World Fair, Jim and Diana's adventures continue.
They are married now and relocated to the US. But pretty quickly, Jim is sent off on an assignment from his new job as an investigator. Diana waits and waits and takes care of things at their new home, but she doesn't hear word back from Jim for weeks and becomes worried. So off she goes, to find out what has happened to Jim and what he's investigating.
I loved being back with these two. I loved the story being mainly from Diana's POV as she tried to find Jim and break down the things he'd taught her about deduction and investigation. As Diana stumbles around and uses her wits and being a woman to her advantage, you are sucked in to a compelling plot that involves worker wage and condition disputes, old civil war resentments and treatment of foreigners and new money. I loved the adventures and the new cast of characters. I also loved the setting of the Chicago world's fair. The all white, gleaming fair that introduced electric lights! It was a great setting and really brought the whole story alive. I was completely wrapped up in what was going on and the page-turning adventure, I never even tried to guess who the bad guys were and what was going to happen. This was a great book 2, I hope we get another installment.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
They are married now and relocated to the US. But pretty quickly, Jim is sent off on an assignment from his new job as an investigator. Diana waits and waits and takes care of things at their new home, but she doesn't hear word back from Jim for weeks and becomes worried. So off she goes, to find out what has happened to Jim and what he's investigating.
I loved being back with these two. I loved the story being mainly from Diana's POV as she tried to find Jim and break down the things he'd taught her about deduction and investigation. As Diana stumbles around and uses her wits and being a woman to her advantage, you are sucked in to a compelling plot that involves worker wage and condition disputes, old civil war resentments and treatment of foreigners and new money. I loved the adventures and the new cast of characters. I also loved the setting of the Chicago world's fair. The all white, gleaming fair that introduced electric lights! It was a great setting and really brought the whole story alive. I was completely wrapped up in what was going on and the page-turning adventure, I never even tried to guess who the bad guys were and what was going to happen. This was a great book 2, I hope we get another installment.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
April 20, 2022
Peril at the Exposition
by Nev March
St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Pub Date: Jul 12
I loved the first in this series, Murder in Old Bombay, with its exotic setting and compelling main characters, Captain Jim and wife Diana.
Book 2 -- equally enticing -- finds them in Boston in 1893, where they've moved to escape India's rigid rules. Jim joins the Dupree Agency as a detective, and is sent to Chicago on a case where he disappears during the World's Fair. Diana, to whom he's taught deductive techniques used by his idol, Sherlock Holmes, sets out to find him.
And that's where the fun really begins, with beautifully plotted twists and turns, a fresh new setting, and a duo you grow to love even more. Highly recommended!
Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#PerilattheExposition #NevMarch
#StMartinsPressMinotaurBooks #NetGalley #mysterythrillerfiction
#bookstagramcommunity
by Nev March
St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Pub Date: Jul 12
I loved the first in this series, Murder in Old Bombay, with its exotic setting and compelling main characters, Captain Jim and wife Diana.
Book 2 -- equally enticing -- finds them in Boston in 1893, where they've moved to escape India's rigid rules. Jim joins the Dupree Agency as a detective, and is sent to Chicago on a case where he disappears during the World's Fair. Diana, to whom he's taught deductive techniques used by his idol, Sherlock Holmes, sets out to find him.
And that's where the fun really begins, with beautifully plotted twists and turns, a fresh new setting, and a duo you grow to love even more. Highly recommended!
Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#PerilattheExposition #NevMarch
#StMartinsPressMinotaurBooks #NetGalley #mysterythrillerfiction
#bookstagramcommunity
August 10, 2022
Spoilers
Bailed at 15%
Ladies maid Abigail turned out to be a dude in drag. He wants to be both male and female. 🤦♀️
Two stars for engaging writing style and because I loved the prior book, Murder in Old Bombay
Bailed at 15%
Ladies maid Abigail turned out to be a dude in drag. He wants to be both male and female. 🤦♀️
Two stars for engaging writing style and because I loved the prior book, Murder in Old Bombay
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2022
‘1893: Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It's a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.’
_________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars for plot. 5 stars for audiobook narration.- 4 stars overall.
Peril at the Exposition is the second book in Nev March’s debut series, Captain Jim Agnihotri, and is a historical mystery.
Picking up shortly after where the first book left off, Diana and Jim are newly married and settled in Boston. Diana is learning to navigate both being a wife and getting by on limited means all while living in a new country. Jim, by the nature of his work, is adapting well to all the changes. He’s utilizing the skills he honed as a soldier and investigator back home to build a career in the States, which sets the plot in motion as Jim is called a way due to new developments in a case he has been working.
The audio narration of this book was stellar. There were two different narrators: one for the chapters from Diana’s point of view and a second for those from Jim’s point of view, which I found really benefited the storyline. I really recommend listening to the audio version of this book, the narrators did such a lovely job.
I found the first book in the series, Murder in Old Bombay, to be more compelling than this sequel, but still good. Part of this may have been that the tone of this book was entirely different from the previous, from the setting to the dynamic between the two characters to the absence of Diana’s family (and I commend the author for pulling off so many core changes from one book to the next). Mainly though I think it is due to the fact that Jim is not our main narrator. Much of the book is told from Diana’s perspective and although she is smart and can be resourceful, she is terribly naive and got on my nerves at several points. I missed Jim.
Towards the end of the book, I found that things felt a bit scattered. I was getting whiplash from all the accusations that were flying in every direction. So many characters were suspected and accused within a very short timeframe. Not exactly the smoothest investigative work, but then there was a rookie on the case.
It is commendable that Diana wanted to give her all to protect the World Fair and its attendees, but she was often in far over head. I will admit she had some very good luck early on (assembling a team and getting some preliminary information), although she put others in danger constantly without realizing the possible consequences. I’m surprised they didn’t find themselves in even more danger from all the wild accusations and imprudent and unsafe investigative furrays.
I plan to read the next book in the series, but I hope Jim will be our main narrator or that it will be more of a 50/50 split.
_____
I would like to thank Minotaur Books- Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary copy of the audiobook version of Peril at the Exposition by Nev March with me. This is my honest review.
Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.
When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?
Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results.’
_________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars for plot. 5 stars for audiobook narration.- 4 stars overall.
Peril at the Exposition is the second book in Nev March’s debut series, Captain Jim Agnihotri, and is a historical mystery.
Picking up shortly after where the first book left off, Diana and Jim are newly married and settled in Boston. Diana is learning to navigate both being a wife and getting by on limited means all while living in a new country. Jim, by the nature of his work, is adapting well to all the changes. He’s utilizing the skills he honed as a soldier and investigator back home to build a career in the States, which sets the plot in motion as Jim is called a way due to new developments in a case he has been working.
The audio narration of this book was stellar. There were two different narrators: one for the chapters from Diana’s point of view and a second for those from Jim’s point of view, which I found really benefited the storyline. I really recommend listening to the audio version of this book, the narrators did such a lovely job.
I found the first book in the series, Murder in Old Bombay, to be more compelling than this sequel, but still good. Part of this may have been that the tone of this book was entirely different from the previous, from the setting to the dynamic between the two characters to the absence of Diana’s family (and I commend the author for pulling off so many core changes from one book to the next). Mainly though I think it is due to the fact that Jim is not our main narrator. Much of the book is told from Diana’s perspective and although she is smart and can be resourceful, she is terribly naive and got on my nerves at several points. I missed Jim.
Towards the end of the book, I found that things felt a bit scattered. I was getting whiplash from all the accusations that were flying in every direction. So many characters were suspected and accused within a very short timeframe. Not exactly the smoothest investigative work, but then there was a rookie on the case.
It is commendable that Diana wanted to give her all to protect the World Fair and its attendees, but she was often in far over head. I will admit she had some very good luck early on (assembling a team and getting some preliminary information), although she put others in danger constantly without realizing the possible consequences. I’m surprised they didn’t find themselves in even more danger from all the wild accusations and imprudent and unsafe investigative furrays.
I plan to read the next book in the series, but I hope Jim will be our main narrator or that it will be more of a 50/50 split.
_____
I would like to thank Minotaur Books- Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary copy of the audiobook version of Peril at the Exposition by Nev March with me. This is my honest review.
July 13, 2022
3.5 rounded up
This is the second book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. I was excited to pick it up because I liked Murder in Old Bombay so much!
Peril at the Exposition starts out in 1893 with newlyweds Jim and Diana living in Boston, after leaving Old Bombay.
This is a Captain Jim series, but we get a lot of Diana in this book. I have mixed emotions about this departure from the first book. There are things I like about Diana: she can take care of herself by wielding her parasol sword, shooting off her derringer, and arranging surprisingly smart financial transactions. The lady can take a few knocks and tumbles and still get up and go back for more! However, she is so naïve and puts herself and those around her in danger at every turn.
I liked the mystery elements in the book: where the explosives were hidden and who hid them. Also, there was a traitor in Diana’s inner circle that added much interest to the story.. I didn’t figure out the mystery and I suspected everyone of betraying Diana, so the mystery was a win for me!
I also liked the setting. The Chicago World's Fair has always had a dangerous creepy vibe to me ever since reading The Devil in the White City. This wasn’t as lush and exotic as Bombay, but Chicago in 1893 is the perfect setting for murder and intrigue.
I like this couple together and I was disappointed there was little romance in this book. I know they are married now, but I like a good romance element along with my mysteries.
I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
This is the second book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. I was excited to pick it up because I liked Murder in Old Bombay so much!
Peril at the Exposition starts out in 1893 with newlyweds Jim and Diana living in Boston, after leaving Old Bombay.
This is a Captain Jim series, but we get a lot of Diana in this book. I have mixed emotions about this departure from the first book. There are things I like about Diana: she can take care of herself by wielding her parasol sword, shooting off her derringer, and arranging surprisingly smart financial transactions. The lady can take a few knocks and tumbles and still get up and go back for more! However, she is so naïve and puts herself and those around her in danger at every turn.
I liked the mystery elements in the book: where the explosives were hidden and who hid them. Also, there was a traitor in Diana’s inner circle that added much interest to the story.. I didn’t figure out the mystery and I suspected everyone of betraying Diana, so the mystery was a win for me!
I also liked the setting. The Chicago World's Fair has always had a dangerous creepy vibe to me ever since reading The Devil in the White City. This wasn’t as lush and exotic as Bombay, but Chicago in 1893 is the perfect setting for murder and intrigue.
I like this couple together and I was disappointed there was little romance in this book. I know they are married now, but I like a good romance element along with my mysteries.
I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
July 24, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is the second book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series, following shortly after the events of Murder in Old Bombay. Jim and Diana have married and moved from India to Boston, where Jim is working for a detective agency. He is sent to Chicago for a case involving the Chicago Worlds Fair, and after a few weeks of no communication, Diana decides to go to Chicago and look for him.
While it's a good story, with a lot of action, I found it to be a little too much - too many characters, too many random motivations. It was a little difficult to keep the various characters straight, and to figure out what they were all up to - particularly since some of them appeared briefly, but suddenly had an important part to play.
Why was someone trying to wreak havoc at the Chicago Worlds Fair? Was it anarchists? Was it labor unions trying to harm the capitalists? Was it politicians trying to hurt other politicians? Most of this book involved trying to sort out who were the bad guys and the good guys, and why they were doing what they did. It's a twisty story, and while it's fast moving and the characters are engaging, it might have benefitted from a bit of pruning.
This is the second book in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series, following shortly after the events of Murder in Old Bombay. Jim and Diana have married and moved from India to Boston, where Jim is working for a detective agency. He is sent to Chicago for a case involving the Chicago Worlds Fair, and after a few weeks of no communication, Diana decides to go to Chicago and look for him.
While it's a good story, with a lot of action, I found it to be a little too much - too many characters, too many random motivations. It was a little difficult to keep the various characters straight, and to figure out what they were all up to - particularly since some of them appeared briefly, but suddenly had an important part to play.
Why was someone trying to wreak havoc at the Chicago Worlds Fair? Was it anarchists? Was it labor unions trying to harm the capitalists? Was it politicians trying to hurt other politicians? Most of this book involved trying to sort out who were the bad guys and the good guys, and why they were doing what they did. It's a twisty story, and while it's fast moving and the characters are engaging, it might have benefitted from a bit of pruning.
September 24, 2022
I loved "Murder in Old Bombay," to the extent that I promoted it on my FB page. I was really looking forward to book #2 in the series until I heard the title. For some reason I had little interest in that setting, and felt already that it lacked the magic that book #1 had.
As I started to read I became more and more discouraged. March has already proved that she can write, but the story just didn't click for me. It didn't feel like the setting meshed well with the characters either. Diana's role was a disappointing departure from her character in book one. Jim seemed rather two dimensional. I struggled to get through this book, but thought it only fair to give the whole book a chance. As for the conversation at the end about the possibility of having children, my heart sunk. Consistent with the rest of the book, it ended on a low note. Sigh.
It is difficult for a reader to write a review that is not so nice, but I think that we must be honest about our response to a book rather than sugar coating it because we like the author. I have every confidence that March will find her stride again and produce more wonderful books in the future.
As I started to read I became more and more discouraged. March has already proved that she can write, but the story just didn't click for me. It didn't feel like the setting meshed well with the characters either. Diana's role was a disappointing departure from her character in book one. Jim seemed rather two dimensional. I struggled to get through this book, but thought it only fair to give the whole book a chance. As for the conversation at the end about the possibility of having children, my heart sunk. Consistent with the rest of the book, it ended on a low note. Sigh.
It is difficult for a reader to write a review that is not so nice, but I think that we must be honest about our response to a book rather than sugar coating it because we like the author. I have every confidence that March will find her stride again and produce more wonderful books in the future.
July 18, 2022
I did not enjoy this second book as much as I had the first.
I am interested in the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, but have found another book covering that event more compelling. There were some pretty outlandish action scenes and some events I considered slapstick.
Library Loan
I am interested in the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, but have found another book covering that event more compelling. There were some pretty outlandish action scenes and some events I considered slapstick.
Library Loan
July 12, 2022
I enjoyed Nev March’s first book, “Murder in Old Bombay,” and thought this book would also be a lot of fun to read. Ms. March’s sophomore effort comes off as uneven, despite the excellent writing talent that the author displays throughout the story.
The setting is Chicago, during the 1893 Exposition. I thought this would be an excellent opportunity for the author to weave a story through a strong backdrop. Unfortunately, Ms. March only touched on some of the buildings and exhibits leaving the reader with a fuzzy idea of what everything looked like and the chance slipped away. Using a historical event as part of the plot was a nice touch. However, the final wrap-up of all the events and characters was convoluted, with a lot of information coming at the reader in a short period of time.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the author’s use of words. There are many descriptive passages that displayed Ms. March’s talent. “An idea trickled into my mind, a delicious, wild idea that spread like the bathtub overflowing” paints a picture I wasn’t expecting, while a character description, “…his voice low, like rain dripping on banana leaves,” produces images from Diana’s former home in India. Other times she is straight to the point, and the writing flow keeps the story moving.
Diana’s methods as an amateur detective works to move the suspense meter up and down, and from time to time her husband Jim takes over the storytelling chores and provides a contrasting view. Although this was not my favorite book in this series, there are still enough good things going on to recommend it. Three-and-a-half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
The setting is Chicago, during the 1893 Exposition. I thought this would be an excellent opportunity for the author to weave a story through a strong backdrop. Unfortunately, Ms. March only touched on some of the buildings and exhibits leaving the reader with a fuzzy idea of what everything looked like and the chance slipped away. Using a historical event as part of the plot was a nice touch. However, the final wrap-up of all the events and characters was convoluted, with a lot of information coming at the reader in a short period of time.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the author’s use of words. There are many descriptive passages that displayed Ms. March’s talent. “An idea trickled into my mind, a delicious, wild idea that spread like the bathtub overflowing” paints a picture I wasn’t expecting, while a character description, “…his voice low, like rain dripping on banana leaves,” produces images from Diana’s former home in India. Other times she is straight to the point, and the writing flow keeps the story moving.
Diana’s methods as an amateur detective works to move the suspense meter up and down, and from time to time her husband Jim takes over the storytelling chores and provides a contrasting view. Although this was not my favorite book in this series, there are still enough good things going on to recommend it. Three-and-a-half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
July 20, 2022
While I picked up the first book for the setting and circumstances, I continued with the series for the author’s writing, attention to historical backdrop, and the well-developed, diverse cast of characters led by the complex bi-racial, Jim Agnihotri, and his Parsi wife, Diana.
Perils at the Exposition is book two in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. The book works best in order, but could be read without much difficulty, standalone.
Perils at the Exposition begins when, honeymooners, Jim and Diana are settled in Boston. Diana is adjusting to living in a tiny apartment without the comforts and social status she once had in a wealthy Zoroastrian Persian family in Bombay. She and Jim are starting over and for all her struggles to figure out American ways, her new place and household, and being a wife, she is excited to be with Jim. Jim has been teaching her the art of detection he learned first from his beloved Sherlock Holmes books and now his own experience studying and applying detecting skills while working for the Dupree Agency.
This is good because Diana must put her newfound knowledge to the test finding her own husband in Chicago where he was last known to be investigating a murder down on the docks.
Diana learns that behind the exciting and pretty façade of the fair, there is a dark side to wealth and progress. Rough unions, ruthless bosses, and anarchists who want to make their mark at the fair. Diana and Jim must follow a shadowy, path to not just a killer, but a tangled web of nefarious people to not just save other lives, but their own.
The author painted a full, rich and colorful picture of life in 1893 Chicago and America. After the Civil War, the peace came at painful cost and still smolders in some hearts. Then there are the relatively unregulated big businessmen driving the industrial era with little notice or care for the workers who live on pittance and are put in dangerous situations that they have to accept if they want to provide any form of food and shelter to their families. Unions are rising to counter this and the clash with the bosses is another brutal war. Add to this, the influx of immigrants from all over the world looking for new opportunities and sometimes only finding more of what they left behind.
Diana was reared in a relatively sheltered environment, but she charges into the lower levels of Chicago to find Jim. She meets many colorful characters in the process. For those wondering, yes, the pair do eventually join up and work the case, sharing the narration. Captain Jim appreciates his wife and respects her intelligence and abilities, but Diana’s fearless decision to involve herself had Jim struggling to not put her on the first train east and out of danger. I didn’t expect Diana to have such a strong role in the book, but welcomed getting to know her as an equal narrator with Jim.
The mystery was complicated by many characters and many motives. Learning what was going on and who was involved was as big a mystery as the murders which only got solved when Jim and Diana worked out what was happening in the bigger picture. There was wonderful heart-stopping action at times for both of them.
All in all, it was a solid follow up entry in the series and I sincerely hope there are more mysteries for Jim and Diana to tackle. Historical mystery lovers sit up and take notice.
I rec'd an eARC through NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer July 20th.
Perils at the Exposition is book two in the Captain Jim Agnihotri series. The book works best in order, but could be read without much difficulty, standalone.
Perils at the Exposition begins when, honeymooners, Jim and Diana are settled in Boston. Diana is adjusting to living in a tiny apartment without the comforts and social status she once had in a wealthy Zoroastrian Persian family in Bombay. She and Jim are starting over and for all her struggles to figure out American ways, her new place and household, and being a wife, she is excited to be with Jim. Jim has been teaching her the art of detection he learned first from his beloved Sherlock Holmes books and now his own experience studying and applying detecting skills while working for the Dupree Agency.
This is good because Diana must put her newfound knowledge to the test finding her own husband in Chicago where he was last known to be investigating a murder down on the docks.
Diana learns that behind the exciting and pretty façade of the fair, there is a dark side to wealth and progress. Rough unions, ruthless bosses, and anarchists who want to make their mark at the fair. Diana and Jim must follow a shadowy, path to not just a killer, but a tangled web of nefarious people to not just save other lives, but their own.
The author painted a full, rich and colorful picture of life in 1893 Chicago and America. After the Civil War, the peace came at painful cost and still smolders in some hearts. Then there are the relatively unregulated big businessmen driving the industrial era with little notice or care for the workers who live on pittance and are put in dangerous situations that they have to accept if they want to provide any form of food and shelter to their families. Unions are rising to counter this and the clash with the bosses is another brutal war. Add to this, the influx of immigrants from all over the world looking for new opportunities and sometimes only finding more of what they left behind.
Diana was reared in a relatively sheltered environment, but she charges into the lower levels of Chicago to find Jim. She meets many colorful characters in the process. For those wondering, yes, the pair do eventually join up and work the case, sharing the narration. Captain Jim appreciates his wife and respects her intelligence and abilities, but Diana’s fearless decision to involve herself had Jim struggling to not put her on the first train east and out of danger. I didn’t expect Diana to have such a strong role in the book, but welcomed getting to know her as an equal narrator with Jim.
The mystery was complicated by many characters and many motives. Learning what was going on and who was involved was as big a mystery as the murders which only got solved when Jim and Diana worked out what was happening in the bigger picture. There was wonderful heart-stopping action at times for both of them.
All in all, it was a solid follow up entry in the series and I sincerely hope there are more mysteries for Jim and Diana to tackle. Historical mystery lovers sit up and take notice.
I rec'd an eARC through NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer July 20th.
May 10, 2022
A murder mystery set at the exposition in Chicago, Illinois during the mid 1890s. A murder has taken place and an undercover private investigator has been dispatched from Boston to investigate. He is an ex Indian Captain from the British Army in India. His wife is also Indian from a wealthy family. As time passes, without hearing from him, she departs to seek him out and assist where possible. During which she becomes involved and in danger. A plot to blow the exposition up is uncovered and derailed. This story takes place in a time which is foreign to most of us who were raised during the age of unions, worker and civil rights. Most will read the story and think it is an outlandish tale. But the worker was exploited, Jim Crow laws were in effect and the company owners were absolute rulers over their domains. Not a time most Americans remember or want to remember. This book clearly shows some flaws in American society for the time period. But thankfully most have been resolved.
I have rated this book 4 stars and recommend it to anyone who wants a peek into a dark time in history for the American worker.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.
Heidi, I have also included my review for the authors previous book which is the start of a series. Frank
I always enjoy reading books, historical or otherwise, that are located in an area I have visited. This book is no exception as it takes me back to a beautiful area during the day of the British empire. The death of two wealthy young Indian ladies fails to be resolved by the British authorities and justice is not seen to be done. A recently retired Indian Captain, of the British Army, is hired by the husband of one of the ladies to investigate for a period of 6 months. As he begins to investigate a series of events unfolds which puts him on the right track to find the killer(s). The story is masterfully told and the descriptions, of both the locations and people, are vivid and believable. It makes you feel you, the reader, are there on the hunt for justice. The ending is both happy and sad at the same time. I will leave it to you to decide which is the one you feel.
I have rated this book 4.5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys both mysteries and romance stories.
I was provided an electronic Advance Readers Copy (ARC) by Netgalley for my unbiased review. The above review is my honest review and is not influenced in any Way
I have rated this book 4 stars and recommend it to anyone who wants a peek into a dark time in history for the American worker.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.
Heidi, I have also included my review for the authors previous book which is the start of a series. Frank
I always enjoy reading books, historical or otherwise, that are located in an area I have visited. This book is no exception as it takes me back to a beautiful area during the day of the British empire. The death of two wealthy young Indian ladies fails to be resolved by the British authorities and justice is not seen to be done. A recently retired Indian Captain, of the British Army, is hired by the husband of one of the ladies to investigate for a period of 6 months. As he begins to investigate a series of events unfolds which puts him on the right track to find the killer(s). The story is masterfully told and the descriptions, of both the locations and people, are vivid and believable. It makes you feel you, the reader, are there on the hunt for justice. The ending is both happy and sad at the same time. I will leave it to you to decide which is the one you feel.
I have rated this book 4.5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys both mysteries and romance stories.
I was provided an electronic Advance Readers Copy (ARC) by Netgalley for my unbiased review. The above review is my honest review and is not influenced in any Way
April 23, 2022
In this follow-up to Nev March's spectacular, "Murder in Old Bombay", we are again drawn into a delightful tale. Yet this time, our protagonists, Captain James Agnihotri and his elegant bride, Diana Framji, have set their course on the new world - away from the societal constrictures of old India. Our newlywed pair settled into Boston life where Jim has joined a modest detective agency. It is 1893 and Jim has been sent off to Chicago to aid his colleague in the investigation of the death of a Pinkerton security guard. After Jim's six week absence and no word having been sent home to his dear Diana (nor to his boss), Diana takes the bull by the horns and heads off to Chicago with her devoted and capable servant, Tobias. Praying for the best and fearing the worst, they head off in search of Diana's husband. Upon arrival, they are surrounded by preparations for the Chicago World's Fair. There's lots of work to be done and certainly work to be had. Yet, the anarchists are active and rallying against the deep pocketed men of wealth and leaders of industry. There are whispers of unrest and possible upheaval. Is this what Jim was sent to uncover? Diana has dire information she must share with Jim. How will she ever find him in this large Midwest city and will she find him in time?
Author Nev March spins a wonderful tale, filled with adventure, mystery, and a touch of romance. The writing is excellent and highly descriptive. One is swept away to the Golden Age of Chicago through the marvelous scene settings, descriptions of attire, food and manners of the rich and mighty as well as through those of the poor and lowly. Her understanding of history and the tenuous relationship between industrialist and labor is deftly rendered. The way in which she writes dialogue among people of differing cultures and classes is insightful. The story was thoroughly captivating and I eagerly await future books by this wonderful spinner of tales.
I am grateful to publisher Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Author Nev March spins a wonderful tale, filled with adventure, mystery, and a touch of romance. The writing is excellent and highly descriptive. One is swept away to the Golden Age of Chicago through the marvelous scene settings, descriptions of attire, food and manners of the rich and mighty as well as through those of the poor and lowly. Her understanding of history and the tenuous relationship between industrialist and labor is deftly rendered. The way in which she writes dialogue among people of differing cultures and classes is insightful. The story was thoroughly captivating and I eagerly await future books by this wonderful spinner of tales.
I am grateful to publisher Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
June 5, 2022
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read and like March's debut novel, Murder in Old Bombay so I requested the follow up. This book, Captain Jim Agnihotri #2, takes: "Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji [who] are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay." But, they don't stay there for long. Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is sent to Chicago where preparations for the World's Fair are in order. He is to investigate the murder of Thomas Grewe. Diana heads to Chicago as Jim is missing... And so it begins.
Jim has Anglicized his name--he is now James Agney [and Diana is often referred to as Lady Diana].
Set in 1893.
The historical parts about the World's Fair [the Exposition!], the times [unemployment, poverty, racial bias], the seedy side of Chicago were interesting, but not enough to keep me going. At times I plodded through.
Often told in alternate voices--Jim and Diana.
What was interesting--the role of Abigail/Martin. There also are many secondary characters--to name a few: Tobias, the Duprees, the Bellinos, Collin and Osain Box, Oscar Donnelly, Swami Vivekananda, "Wadja," and even Nikolai Tesla! And on and on.
Didn't like nearly as much as #1. Sometimes I felt I could walk away, but wanted to see how the "mystery" panned out.
In the distinct minority of readers.
I read and like March's debut novel, Murder in Old Bombay so I requested the follow up. This book, Captain Jim Agnihotri #2, takes: "Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji [who] are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay." But, they don't stay there for long. Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is sent to Chicago where preparations for the World's Fair are in order. He is to investigate the murder of Thomas Grewe. Diana heads to Chicago as Jim is missing... And so it begins.
Jim has Anglicized his name--he is now James Agney [and Diana is often referred to as Lady Diana].
Set in 1893.
The historical parts about the World's Fair [the Exposition!], the times [unemployment, poverty, racial bias], the seedy side of Chicago were interesting, but not enough to keep me going. At times I plodded through.
Often told in alternate voices--Jim and Diana.
What was interesting--the role of Abigail/Martin. There also are many secondary characters--to name a few: Tobias, the Duprees, the Bellinos, Collin and Osain Box, Oscar Donnelly, Swami Vivekananda, "Wadja," and even Nikolai Tesla! And on and on.
Didn't like nearly as much as #1. Sometimes I felt I could walk away, but wanted to see how the "mystery" panned out.
In the distinct minority of readers.
August 10, 2022
Great followup to Murder in Old Bombay. Another mystery, with commentary on class, race, and social customs, this time with Diana at the center.
June 3, 2023
I love books set at the World's Columbian Exposition, and discovering this book was what made me read Murder in Old Bombay in the first place. Unfortunately, even though I really enjoyed the first book, this one fell really flat. In the first book, Diana was clever, sharp, and one of my favorite characters; here, she's oblivious and constantly getting herself and others into unnecessary trouble. Some of that change can of course be explained by her being in a new country and being new to carrying out an investigation by herself, but this seemed extreme. On top of that, there were so many indistinguishable minor characters that when the perpetrators were revealed, I only had a vague idea of who they were. I'll probably at least start book three, but if it seems like it's going to be more like this book than the first one, I'll be making a quick exit and leaving the series at that.
CW: racism, transphobia, classism, racist violence, murder, planned bombing, fire, violence, injuries, missing person, misgendering, past transphobic violence
CW: racism, transphobia, classism, racist violence, murder, planned bombing, fire, violence, injuries, missing person, misgendering, past transphobic violence
March 6, 2025
Everything I loved about book 1 and book 3 is missing from book 2. It’s almost completely told from Lady Diana’s pov and I just don’t like her very much. She’s an Indian princess and she acts like one. She’s not likable or charming. Captain Jim scarcely comes into the story at all. Not to mention that I’ve read quite a lot about the Chicago World’s Fair so the setting doesn’t interest me. I loved the setting in Bombay. The newlyweds have been separated so the romance is non-existent until the very end, and a male cross dressing character is introduced for no apparent reason, called “she” by Diana and “he” by Captain Jim. In 1893. Seriously. Im fairly sure such a person would have been beaten and hanged in the public square, even in liberal Chicago. I’m disgusted by such pandering. If you enjoyed the first book I would skip this one and go straight to book 3. I get the feeling the author is more interested in the history than the mystery so she’s going to throw her characters into places she wants to explore rather than create a world around her characters. Unfortunate.
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