The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer

by Shrabani Basu

'Basu's account of how Arthur Conan Doyle set about trying to get a pardon for Edalji is in itself a fine piece of detective work.' The Times 'Compulsive reading.' A.N. Wilson 'Nails the nastiness of a peculiarly English scandal.' The Spectator 'A potent mix of racial injustice, Sherlockian mystery and Shrabani's signature storytelling.' Lucy Worsley In the village of Great Wyrley near Birmingham, someone is mutilating horses. Someone is also sending threatening letters to the vicarage, where the vicar, Shahpur Edalji, is a Parsi convert to Christianity and the first Indian to have a parish in England. His son George - quiet, socially awkward and the only boy at school with distinctly Indian features - grows up into a successful barrister, till he is improbably linked to and then prosecuted for the above crimes in a case that left many convinced that justice hadn't been served. When he is released early, his conviction still hangs over him. Having lost faith in the police and the legal system, George Edalji turns to the one man he believes can clear his name - the one whose novels he spent his time reading in prison, the creator of the world's greatest detective. When he writes to Arthur Conan Doyle asking him to meet, Conan Doyle agrees. From the author of Victoria and Abdul comes an eye-opening look at race and an unexpected friendship in the early days of the twentieth century, and the perils of being foreign in a country built on empire.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Mystery, Crime, British Literature, Indian Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2021

About the author

Shrabani Basu graduated in History from St Stephen’s College, Delhi and completed her Masters from Delhi University. In 1983, she began her career as a trainee journalist in the bustling offices of The Times of India in Bombay.

Since 1987, Basu has been the London correspondent of Ananda Bazar Patrika group --writing for "Sunday, Ananda Bazar Patrika, "and "The Telegraph."

Basu has appeared on radio and TV in the UK and founded the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust for a memorial for the Second World War heroine which was unveiled in 2012. She is the author of "Curry: The Story of the Nation's Favourite Dish," "Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan," and "Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant."

Reviews

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1903, a young lawyer in England, George Edalji, was arrested on (flimsy) charges of having mutilated and killed a horse. In the trial that followed, Edalji, the son of a Parsee-born vicar, was found guilty and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment. Edalji subsequently ended up appealing to one person he admired immensely: the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle. And Doyle, intrigued as well as sympathetic to the plight of the hapless Edalji, took it upon himself to investigate, a la Holmes.

Shrabani Basu's The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer is about this very interesting but now mostly forgotten example of a serious miscarriage of justice. She begins with tracing the Edalji family's history: how George's father Shapurji Edalji, converting to Christianity as a teenager in Bombay, migrated to England, took orders, and married an Englishwoman, Charlotte. She traces a long episode of hate mail which the Edaljis faced in the 1890s, and then goes on to the 1903 spate of animal killings and mutilations (plus a renewed barrage of hate mail) and beyond.

I really enjoyed this book. Basu's research is meticulous, and she is able to portray not just what was happening, but what was motivating it. The characters of Conan Doyle, George Edalji, and the main police officer, Anson, are well depicted, through their own words, rather than through conjecture or the author's opinion. At the same time, the racism of the average Englishman (and Englishwomen) comes through forcibly, showing imperialist England for what it was: prejudiced, racist, white supremacist.

Intriguing, interesting, and well-written: this is one of the best books of historical non-fiction that I've read this year.

(And yes, though I had known about Conan Doyle's championing of Edalji's cause, I hadn't known that among the other writers who whole-heartedly supported him were Jerome K Jerome and James Barrie; more reason to love Jerome, who is anyway a favourite of mine).

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the establishment of British trading posts at Surat and elsewhere in the early 17th century, the Parsis’ circumstances altered radically, for they were in some ways more receptive of European influence than the Hindus or Muslims and they developed a flair for commerce. Bombay came under the control of the East India Company in 1668, and, since complete religious toleration was decreed soon afterwards, the Parsis from Gujarat began to settle there. The expansion of the city in the 18th century owed largely to their industry and ability as merchants. By the 19th century, they were manifestly a wealthy community, and from about 1850 onward they had considerable success in heavy industries, particularly those connected with railways and shipbuilding.

The story drifts from George Edalji's turbulent voyage. George Edalji, son of the Vicar, Shapurji Edalji; Who was the first Parsi converted to Christianity and the first Indian to have a parish in England. The Parsi community always had given importance to education. In furtherance of this Doralji’s admitted his son to the leading college of the day ( Elphinstone College ) in Bombay for acquiring quality education. However, Doralji was unaware of his internal changes toward his religion. S. Edalji was attracted to Christianity and baptized in 1856.

Doralii hoped that Shapurji - receiving the best education in Bombay would eventually join the legal profession or the family business. When he sent his son to Elphinstone College, he would never have imagined that he would choose a different path.

His son George - quiet, socially awkward and the only boy at school with distinctly Indian features - grows up into a successful barrister. Later on, George was prosecuted under a false case. Mere his social disposition and Indian features came to be the primary superficial facet to call him a criminal.

When he is released early, his conviction still hangs over him. Having lost faith in the police and the legal system, George Edalji turns to the one man he believes can clear his name - the one whose novels he spent his time reading in prison, the creator of the world's greatest detective. When he writes to Arthur Conan Doyle asking him to meet, Conan Doyle agrees. This is the engaging and obsessive story of friendship, racism, history and the justice system.

Also, Arthur C. Doyle's involvement in the investigation of this mysterious case is another precious dimension of this book.

This is an in-depth case analysis that provides important insight and illuminates interesting facts.

Every page of this non-fiction crime book is enriched with astonishing mysteries. Sharbani's skill of writing is magnetic. I loved it.

[Moumita · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many of you aware of history of Parsis in India?
How could you react if you came to know that the creator of great detective Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle investigated the India-origin Parsi family’s case ??

Parsi community always had given priority and importance to the education irrespective of gender. As a result we had gotten our first female advocate in India, Cornelia Sorabji. So there was no exception happened with D. Edalji’s son Shapurji Edalji. He sent his son to best college in Bombay for achieving best education. However D. Edalji was unaware of his internal changes toward his religion. S. Edalji was attracted towards Christianity and baptized in 1856.

In that era one could barely think of to do such thing but he did and left his mother land and settled in England, married a white girl and father of three children. And also he  become a  vicar of The great Wyrley.

But would the white Britishers so easily accept a black man as their vicar ? Would not their Colour Prejudice affect S. Edalji’s life and family? The question is how this Prejudice will influence that “Parsee” family?

I didn’t have to wait for long to get the answer. Few years later the family began receiving some anonymous threatening, uncomely letters that lasted for several years. Not only that ,the elder son George Edalji accused and arrested for animals maiming, who was highly educated and reputed lawyer but his introvert nature was always been suspicious to the villagers. And those continuous animals killing made villagers frightened and worried.

What happened next was truly unforgettable, Arthur Conan Doyle personally started to investigate George Edalji's case, the case became very much popular and also got international exposure.

But there is a huge difference between crime fiction and true crime, it was not easy for the creator of great detective Sherlock Holmes, to convince people and also officials that who made the crime.. Sherlock Holmes didn't make any mistake in his investigation but the creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did make any mistake in his investigation??

Was George Edalji a victim of racism?? Or he was brutally killing the animals in dark of night ?? If he was doing so then What's reason behind it ?? Or he didn't, then does any other person have any other purpose? What is the secret behind those murders and  anonymous letters ?? Are the two events related to each other?

Every page was full of breathtaking mysteries, And it was surprising to think that I was not reading a fictional story.

I devoured The Mystery of The Parsee Lawyer in hungry gulp, thrilling and moving read.

And what makes this book such a tender read is Ms. Basu’s meticulous research on every fact. And those richly detailed works provide wonderful insight into relationships and friendships that transcend time and place.

Thank you Bloomsbury India for the gifted copy.

#aleafunturned
#bookreview
#themysteryoftheparseelawyer
#bookrecommendations

[Surbhi Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is my first true crime non-fiction story. It's a crime which takes place in England during the era of British colonial rule in India.

This story is about George Edalji. A successful lawyer who has been accused of mutilating horses for which an improper investigation occurred and George was sentenced for a crime he didn't commit.

You're probably thinking, what's the big deal? There are lots of stories about crimes with wrong convictions. What's so different about this?

George for starts was biracial. His father Shapurji Edalji was born to a traditional Parsee family in Bombay. Shapurji later converted into Christianity and move to England, married a white woman Charlotte and eventually became the first South Asian vicar of a church in the country. This was 1876. The same year George was born.

George's skin color, his heritage and religion were the main reasons why he was targeted to begin with. Racism was the main reason he was sentenced in 1903 with doctored circumstantial evidence against him.

This is a story of a man who wanted justice for himself and he wrote to the author of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle to help prove him innocent.

This is a story which shouldn't be lost to time. This is a story which reveals systematic racism within the police in England in the early 20th century. This is an unfortunate story of yesterday which sounds a lot like today.

Shrabani Basu must be commended for picking up this story again and for her brilliant investigative journalism which came forth through the book. She wrote a story which she didn't want buried and forgotten as just another casualty of the British Empire.

And that's why this story is not just any story.

The book will seem like it rambles on with too many details sometimes, but read it like a Sherlock Holmes mystery and you'll come to see why the details matter. I truly appreciate that the author doesn't seem to presume that her readers will know about the events that occured and weaves a delicate back story for more insight into every event.

[Lynne Gosbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has taken me a very long time to read - not because I haven't found it interesting, but more because other more pacey reads have tempted me away. This is actually a really well-written, compelling account of a real-life mystery and miscarriage of justice from the early part of the last century. I already knew the story from the Julian Barnes novel 'Arthur and George' but enjoyed this just as much. I felt that the blurb hinted at a resolution to the case, which there definitely wasn't, but as the events are so long ago now I think perhaps that was expecting too much! An interesting read.

[Mizuki]

Pre-review: Ever since I learned about the case of George Edalji and Sir Doyle's effort on it, I so want to read this book!!!!

[Manya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer by Shrabani Basu (A true crime story during the British colonial rule in India)

I don’t have enough words to describe my experience of reading the book. The clarity with which Shrabani Basu has written the book is commendable and applaudable.

She has presented each and every fact and its backstory impeccably. She hasn’t taken for granted that people would know a great many facts already from that part of history and that’s why this book becomes a compulsive read.

The book begins with her tracing the steps of George Edalji, who was wrongly accused and convicted for crimes he didn’t and couldn’t have possibly conducted. He was put through hell because he was a man of colour during the British Raj in India.

It was heart wrenching to read the atrocities the Edalji family had to endure which clearly had racist undertones. What’s interesting is that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the celebrated author of Sherlock Holmes was the one who took up George Edalji’s cause and got him pardon from his sentence. Doyle didn’t stop there, he went on further to solve the case and tried to bring the real culprit to light. He also worked hard to get some compensation to the Edalji’s for the wrong accusation and imprisonment of George Edalji.

The author has put everything in perspective for the readers, while she draws a map of British rule in India and under what circumstances George’s father went to England from India, she describes in parallel what Arthur Conan Doyle was doing at the same point in his life. This perspective and parallel storytelling made the book a win for me.

The fact that the mystery is not a fiction, solved by the author of Sherlock Holmes and how it was actually possible for him to work on a real life case. The fact that the book deals with racism against Indians during the British Empire, the fact that Bram Stoker attended Doyle’s wedding function, and many other things makes this book a compelling read.

A well-researched, well-compiled, well-explained text is what The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer is.

My ratings: 5/5✨

Thank you @bloomsburyindia for the gifted copy. 🧡

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Victorians and Edwardians might have known a thing or two about industrial innovation and empire building but when it came to detection and policing they were woefully inept. How did Britain's most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, escape justice? And what of the innocents wrongly convicted, and sometimes sent to their deaths?
George Edalji would be forgotten today if it were not for the involvement of Arthur Conan Doyle in his fight for justice. His story is a tragedy. A terrible miscarriage of justice. The terrible events in Great Wyrley still unsolved, with more questions than answers.
The author writes with integrity, honesty and compassion. A fascinating, at times gruesome and horrific story of animal mutilation and a family persecuted.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One has to confess, for starters, that this tome is an extraordinary work that shines a light on a forgotten case with profound implications for our understanding of justice and prejudice. Basu’s book is both a masterfully researched and compellingly written narrative that unravels a historic miscarriage of justice intertwined with themes of race, class, and prejudice in Edwardian England. Basu resurrects the fascinating true story of George Edalji, a Parsee lawyer accused of heinous crimes, and the intervention of the great literary mind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a real-life detective attempt. George Edalji, the son of a Parsee clergyman and an English mother, lived in the quiet English village of Great Wyrley. Despite his flawless standing and career as a solicitor, he found himself the mark of inexplicable accusations, including the disfigurement of livestock, a crime dubbed the “Great Wyrley Outrages.” Basu paints a bright picture of the prejudice, machismo and bigotry Edalji had to endure, not only as a "foreigner" in a monocultural society and but also as an individual caught in the machinery of systemic unfairness. Through scrupulous archival research, Basu reconstructs Edalji’s trial, revealing the flimsy indication and unconcealed racial bias that led to his conviction. She balances this forbidding tale with the captivating involvement of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who took up Edalji’s cause, bringing the rigor of Sherlock Holmes’s approach, style and elementary methodology into the real world. Conan Doyle comes alive in this book as the real-life detective. His part in the story is one of its most charismatic aspects. Basu proficiently contrasts Doyle’s literary genius with his personal values, including his craving for justice. His exhaustive investigation into the Edalji case, accompanied by his use of media influence to challenge public opinion, divulges a man as committed to fairness as his fictional detective. Yet, the narrative also examines Doyle’s inconsistencies—his patriarchal attitudes and his own predispositions—offering a nuanced interpretation of the author. Basu’s narrative, surpasses the specifics of the case to offer a broader commentary on Edwardian society. Through the lens of Edalji’s ordeal, she explores the entrenched racism, xenophobia, and class stratification that shaped Britain’s legal and social systems at the time. Her insights make the book not only a historical account but also a reflection on contemporary issues of identity and belonging. Basu’s storytelling is vivid and accessible, balancing academic rigor with the pacing of a thriller. The reader is transported to the moors of Great Wyrley, the faintly lit courtrooms, and the busy streets where Doyle’s campaign unfolded. She competently navigates the intersections of history, biography, and social commentary, creating a book that is as informative as it is engrossing. Basu not only restores George Edalji’s dignity but also highlights the enduring relevance of his story. This book is a must-read for fans of true crime, history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the complexities of social justice. Give this book a go by all means. This is my third reading of this tome. And a habitual thanks to Pradipta, for mentioning this book in a common group shared by us.

[Michael Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1841 Shapur Edalgi was born in a Parsi family in Bombay, India. He had an extraordinary life. He defied his family and converted to Christianity. He was ordained in the Church of England and moved to England. He became a vicar and married an Englishwoman, Charlotte Stoneham. He was appointed vicar of Great Wyrley, a small town in the English Midlands.

Not everyone in the town welcomed an Indian vicar. Shapur and Charlotte had three children, George, Horace and Maude. When the two boys started at the local school, the vicar began to receive threatening and abusive anonymous letters. The local police did not take is seriously. Eventually they began to suspect that George Edalgi was sending the messages to his own family.

George was not a popular kid. He seems to have been off-putting and had no real friends. He eventually went to Law School and became a solicitor

In 1904, several years after the letters started, the area began to suffer a wave of farm animal mutilations. Someone was ripping open the stomachs of cows, sheep and horses and leaving them to die in the fields.

The police became convinced that George was the culprit. He was eventually charged, convicted and send to jail for seven years.

George's parents were convinced that he had been framed by the police because of anti-Indian prejudice. They eventually convinced Arthur Conan Doyle, the Sherlock Holmes author, to help them.

Doyle launched a Sherlock like investigation. He uncovered evidence of police misconduct, exculpatory evidence, another more likely suspect and problems with the evidence. He started a newspaper campaign. The case became a huge story, and several official committees reviewed the evidence.

George was eventually pardoned. But the pardon came with a barb. The Police insisted that even if George didn't mutilate the animals, he did send the abusive letters. Doyle spent years fighting to clear George of that accusation. George was never officially cleared of that claim.

Basu does a wonderful job telling this story. She describes the tensions and difficulties of a half-Indian family plopped down in the middle of rural England. She is devasting on the racism of the local police.

There is a real question of whether George wrote the harassing letters. Doyle named someone else in the town, but in the end, his theory didn't pan out.

This is a sad story. Doyle is bigger than life and the story is fascinating.

[Contemporary_literary_threads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer by Shrabani Basu is one of my first crime non-fiction books.
When I received an advanced proof copy of this book, I was excited to read it because of Arthur C. Doyle (Sherlock Holmes novels' author). He was involved in investigating this mystery of maimed horses in the village of Great Wyrley near Birmingham, and the man who wrongly accused of those crimes was of Indian origin.

Shrabani Basu's investigative journalistic qualities are on the top when she writes about this case. The story sails from George Edalji's background, son of the Vicar, Shahpur Edalji; Who was a Parsi convert to Christianity and the first Indian to have a parish in England.
George had always been close to his father and sister, Maud. Unlike his other brother and sister, his skin was dark in colour with bulging eyes as they were severely myopic. When the mysterious happenings started with Edalji's, George was put under the radar, but later accusations lifted from him. However, when cruel maiming of horses began in the village, the allegation of George being the murderer like 'Jack the Ripper' started taking a toll on him. His socially awkward nature and Indian features became prime external factors to call him a murderer without any evidence. This indicates how the pre-colonial period was full of racism, and they were ready to turn their eyes away from facts.

The author has put things in perspective and jotted down every minute detail, which might seem unnecessary for a while, but when you contemplate it more, they made sense to the case. The lack of technology and advanced sciences was also a reason the Edalji family had to fight for so long till their last breath.
I cannot reveal many details about the mystery, but I am confident if the police had investigated the case dedicatedly, they would have caught the culprit.

Arthur Conan Doyle entry in the case gave it an international voice and fame. George got worldwide support and simultaneously creator of Sherlock Holmes too. But did it help George? In some way, yes, he at least got enough strength to fight.

The author has given the point account of this forgotten case that shook the world in that period; her writing is gripping, descriptive and has a true knack for storytelling.

Now, I wonder how many such lost stories we have in this world.

[Bookscorner.21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race - scientifically, anthropologically." - Toni Morrison⁣
⁣
The Mystery Of The Parsee Lawyer is an eye - opening and compulsive crime thriller that traces the true case of George Edalji, the only dark skinned successful lawyer and the son of a Hindoo vicar who been improbably linked and then prosecuted for a series of brutal animal mutilations that took place in the early 20th Century in the village of Great Wyrley. Having lost faith in the police George after his release turns to the one man, the creator of the world's greatest detective: Arthur Conan Doyle to help him clear his name to which Doyle readily agrees. ⁣
Come and be a part of this fascinating case that was not only a miscarriage of justice but also had put a question on the mentality of the people. ⁣
⁣
- The plot of the story here has been masterfully crafted and deeply researched. ⁣
- It is tightly organized and very well narrates each and every event from the early history of Edalji's to the heinous mutilations and afterwards that led to the conviction of George and the subsequent campaign for pardon by Doyle . ⁣
⁣
- All the characters here have also been very well defined with enough backdrop of their past lives and seem equally relevant and relatable. ⁣
- The case being multilayered is full of unprecedented twists and turns that never let's the reader down but also keeps them engrossed till the end. The mystery elements and Doyle's involvement in it further increase the readers thrill and makes it an unputdownable read. ⁣

- Simple and lucid language has been used throughout its writing though at the places old names and spellings have been employed to keep the book with that period.
- The book also features rare photographs of the Edalji's, newspaper excerpts and other people involved in this case.
- The author through her this commendable work bares the hardships faced by the Edalji family and questions the sick mentality of the Edwardian society, their colour and race prejudice that played an exponential role in the false prosecution of George.

Overall for me it was a highly intriguing read!

[Titas Bain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a BRILLIANT piece of work!!! Kudos to Shrabani Basu for bringing this forgotten story to light. Why didn’t this book make noise? Why aren’t more people talking about it or making noise regarding this book?

1. The writing of this book is so intricately done. There are so many incidents and characters that needed to be written in just the perfect way so that the readers can judge the characters for themselves. The writer did spell out the racial prejudices faced by the key characters but with the way the book has been written, the reader comes to the same conclusions beforehand.
2. Shrabani Basu didn’t go out of her way to build sympathy for the protagonist and neither she had to portray someone as a villain. Her neutral standpoint of writing this book was commendable.
3. Kudos to her to bring out the British superiority of not just few people but of many eminent personalities of that time period. Her brilliant way of comparing Eldaji case with another cases going about during that time period brought a lot of perspectives at the front.
4. It is a heartbreaking story and I will remember the names of those people who have wronged the Eldaji people throughout their lifetime and never once repented.

George Edalji had been a good man. He deserved the protection of the law as his fellow white countrymen. He was an Englishman too. But racist policemen like Campbell and Anson deemed him a criminal and so did the judges of his case and the British Government. All this people have contributed to the downfall of a good man. I do not, standing in 21st century, still understand racial superiority and discrimination against other races like brown/black/dark skinned people. This book has opened my eyes further regarding how the brown/black/dark skinned people are portrayed in popular media.
This case has long since being forgotten but I will remember it and so will others who have read this book.

[Shivangi Tiwari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mystery of The Parsee Lawyer by Shrabani Basu

From the author of Victoria and Abdul comes another moving story of a wronged Parsee Barrister George Edalji.

George, a shy and introverted Indian among the English, becomes a victim of racism, his pleas are not heard by the officials, he is called guilty for a crime he may be didn't commit.

Shahpur Edalji, a Parsee, leaves his hometown India to marry an English woman, he converts to Christianity, settles in Wyrley, and becomes a Vicar.
He has three kids and a happy family but his peaceful life is turned upside down, when he starts recieving threatening letters.

Someone out there is mutilating horses.
When George Edalji, Shahpur's son is blamed for the same, they don't receive support from the justice system and lose their faith in the Police officials.

George decides to write to Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous writer and creator of Sherlock Holmes to seek justice.

Arthur Conan Doyle tries to find the real criminal, some of those letters, exchanges, newspaper clips are preserved and thoroughly researched by Shrabani and also there are pictures in the book to make it look more like a documentary, or non fiction rather than a historical fiction book.

The book will remind you of the Imperial /Colonial times, George feeling like an outsider in a place that has been his home and not getting support from people he has grown up with.

This book was something different than what I usually read, Historical fiction with a little bit of a detective twist, the entry of Arthur Conan Doyle gives it a really interesting turn, also the book is based on real events.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it also gives a strong message to the readers.

Thank you to @bloomsburyindia
For the #giftedcopy

[Sangita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant piece of work by Shrabani Basu. An unlikely subject, exploring a connection that most of us would not have even imagined to have existed - all brought fore in this gem of a book.

The subject line is unusual in itself as the book delves into a peculiar scandal in England when the elder son of a Parsee Vicar (now a converted Christian) in Great Wyrley in England, is caught up in a vicious game of racial prejudice and hatred and subjected to prison by the local authorities, only because of his background and his physical appearance. and of course, for his colour! Even though his Mother is an Englishwoman.

The case receives widespread recognition and fame wen Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself steps in to untangle the mess and exonerate the boy from the charges. Very interesting to see how so many Englishmen stepped forward to support ACD in his fight for justice for the convicted boy. The general public also had a very important role to play.

We must thank Basu for bringing this story to us. for opening up to us the world then when racial intermixing, marriages and associations were frowned upon. When the differences between lives in London and those in the countryside were stark and so different.

A lot or research has gone into this book and it shows. the writing is lucid all through and captivating. I was waiting with bated through all through to see if the Home Department delivered justice finally to the hapless boy.

Would say - must read.
My rating - 5/5 !

[Nukendra Thota · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing to know about this book is that this isn't fiction, but that it's an account of real events. I was piqued by two things, one, the author of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, actually investigated a case himself and was successful in delivering justice; and two, that his client was a Parsi lawyer.

After reading the introduction, I learnt that this case was significant in other ways, such as it being responsible for the establishment of a Court of Appeal to ensure there was no miscarriage of justice.

The book works as brief biography of both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji, the Parsi Lawyer. The book is also a summary of the history of racial discrimination in England and the struggle against it.

It is almost written like a Sherlock Holmes mystery. We are presented with everything that has happened, and then Conan Doyle is introduced into the scene, who peels the layers slowly and meticulously.

It is interesting to know that life can be more stranger than fiction. While the fictional Sherlock Holmes is very successful in solving the crimes and catching the criminal, the author is only half successful. He succeeds in clearing the name of his client, George Edalji, who was wrongly jailed. But Conan Doyle fails to bring the real culprit to the court.

The book can feel a little confusing and maybe even boring at times. But as a whole it is very interesting to know how racial discrimination took place in the Victorian times, a century ago. One could use that knowledge to understand how far we've come in the fight for equality.

[Shona · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It is a very well researched crime thriller depicting the story of George Edalji, the son of Shapurji Edalji who was born in Bombay, India and became the vicar of St. Leonard's Church in Great Wryly, England. George became a victim of racism. He was accused of killing horses and attacked by people just because he was dark skinned. The story reveals how Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer of Sherlock Holmes helped George to fight his case.

The book is set during the late 1800s. The story is well narrated and points out every minute detail. In the book we come through pictures of the Edalji family, the policemen who were involved in the case and even the threatening letters sent to the vicarage. The characters are well described with enough background history which makes you feel connected to them. The language is simple and easily understandable. The main thing which attracted me towards the book is the mention of Arthur Conan Doyle. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan like me you will definitely be intrigued to find out how Arthur Conan Doyle helped the case. But sometimes I found some parts to be little lengthy and repetitive which could easily have been avoided. Although, if you are someone who loves historical fictions/non-fictions and is curious to gain in-depth knowledge regarding a subject, you are definitely going to enjoy this book.

[litwithneha ( Neha Modi ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

SYNOPSIS
Mutilated horses are being found in the village of Great Wyrley near Birmingham where Shahpur Edalji, an Indian, is a vicar. He also receives threatening letters and his son George Edalji is wrongly linked and prosecuted for these killings. Later, upon his release, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle investigates the truth.

#bookhoarderreview
This is my first true crime book and thrillers being my favourite genre, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The book amply describes the life of the Edalji family which throws light on why they were being accused of the crime.

The descriptions of instances showing racial injustice and the uncovering of truth by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were brilliantly written. Though it is a very descriptive book and readers might find it difficult to tread on but in the end it's totally worth reading.

Such stories need to be read by people to understand the systematic racism that was a part of history and still clutches our society in some form or the other.

Brilliant storytelling and research done by the author !!

[Bhaskar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not a novel, it is a real story. Hence those expecting some dramatic turnouts might find it a bit boring.

It is a real story of A parsee family, head of which Shapurji Edalji had converted to Christianity and went to England where he started his family, and how eventually his son was framed for mutilation of horses in Greter Wryly, the place where they used to live.

If anything this story shows a deep sense of racism in the British Establishment towards indians and their double standards when it comes to correcting the wrongs they have done.

What makes it special is the involvement of the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Aurther Canon Doyle and how he fought for a black parsee solicitor.

A must read for anyone interested in the political condition of Indians and other left outs in Britain in the late 19th and early 20th century.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough examination of the disturbing case of George Edalji, a qualified solicitor and son of an English mother and Indian father, the latter a Church of England vicar for 42 years.
The case was, by any standard, a travesty of justice and displays both the poor policing methods and the racial prejudice prevalent in early 20th Century Britain.
The case would have sunk without trace if it had not been taken up and championed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He does not emerge fault free and pursued a running battle with Captain Anson, the head of the Staffordshire police force, but he was successful in getting Edalji pardoned and exposing the flaws in the British justice system. The case ultimately led to the establishment of the Court of Appeal.
The real truth never emerged and one is left with a feeling of dissatisfaction but that is no fault of Conan Doyle or the author.

[Pradeep E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Conan Doyle takes on the mantle of an investigator in place of his celebrated character Sherlock Holmes as he sets out to identify the real cattle killers in this story. Makes for an interesting read, but most of the sleuthing just happens in the background and we don't actually see Arthur going about the ground work of detection. This is less of a detective work, more an account of a real life crime story set in early 20th Century England, with a string blend of racism.

The book after all the build up does end in a whimper which can be disappointing though - but to be fair, we need to accept this is a real life story so the writer couldn't really have changed it to appeal to readers!

[Bernie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this well-researched, engagingly written, book. It outlines a miscarriage of justice that took place in the early 1900's in the UK. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle led the uncovering of the case against the wrongly accused, so that adds an extra quirk to the story.

Ultimately it is a sad story of racial prejudice, the type of which still exists today. Definitely worth a read.

I noted that the Parsee lawyer in the book, George Edalji, is buried in the same cemetery as my mother and grandfather who were both of Parsee extraction and feature in my own book about my great grandmother, a Parsee lawyer; The Amazing Life of Cecilia Chattergee.

[Bhavna Kapur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utterly Disappointed though I picked this one up after coming across an extremely interesting premise and yet ofcourse the fact that it was a non-fiction mystery. The book is so repetitive that you would not mind skipping a whole lot of pages altogether and you would still not miss out on anything major. So many characters that it was hard to stay involved. Just could not connect with the narrating style of the Author. The two stars are simply for the fact that the book was extremely well researched and dealt with all the intricate details but as a reader I was not at all pleased.

[Anagha · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for digging up an interesting and strange part of history AND for the extremely meticulous research conducted by the writer.

What rankled was that the first half of the book (all of part 1) felt like I was reading and rereading the same parts. A more accomplished writer or a better editor could've made this a very compelling read. Instead I was trudging along for the better part of the year and making progress in bits and pieces. I finished the book only because I wanted to find out what eventually happened to the man - did he get an apology, did he get justice?

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story I didn't know, it reminded me of Zola "J'accuse" as a miscarriage of justice as it's case that involves an innocent man accuse because of prejudice and a writer that turned the tables.
The book is gripping, a vivid description of racist prejudices and of an era.
It's a well written and well researched book that kept me turning pages as the author is a good storyteller.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Julie Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book but was a bit disappointed with the writing style. The content was interesting but I found some of the text repetitive and a bit basic. Still wasn't really 100% sure at the end who was to blame for the animal killings.

[Margaret Richardson]

Julian Barnes” novel “Albert & George” which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2005 may prove to be a more engaging account of this true story for some readers

[Virajdatt Kohir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its an amazing narrative, keeps you entertained throughout.

[Sucharita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant tale of miscarriage of justice, racial discrimination and institutional barricading of means of redressal. Sad.

[Venkataraghavan Srinivasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting weekend read. Shrabani does a thorough job of unraveling the case, and of highlighting racial prejudice. Real life is messy, and not as clean as a fictional crime novel.