Abir Mukherjee Books

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Abir Mukherjee is a Scottish author of Indian descent that writes historical mysteries. The author’s interest in crime fiction was sparked when his best friend introduced him to ‘Gorky Park.’

He eventually discovered Ian Rankin, Philip Kerr, Robert Harris, Raymond Chandler, and other legendary figures that have influenced the crime fiction elements of his historical novels.

Mukherjee’s parents are Bengali immigrants that came to the UK in the 1960s. The author spent his childhood in Glasgow. A former student at the London School of Economics, he spent a significant portion of his adulthood working as a chartered accountant.

Some people think that Mukherjee was a late bloomer because he was 39 when he entered the publishing arena. But the author disagrees. He believes that human beings require a modicum of life experience before they can tell meaningful stories. At the very least, Mukherjee had nothing of significance to say during his twenties.

Admittedly, it wasn’t his choice to become a published author so late in life. Mukherjee developed a passion for storytelling at a young age. He wanted to write novels for a living, but he lacked the confidence.

Additionally, he had a habit of procrastinating. He attempted to write fiction on multiple occasions. But in each instance, he would give up after penning the first few chapters.

The author’s luck changed when he saw a Lee Child interview. The veteran writer surprised him when he revealed that he started writing fiction at forty. At the time, Lee had no experience as a writer.

The interview bolstered Mukherjee’s confidence. He went out and bought ‘Killing Floor.’ It took the author two days to finish the novel. Lee’s simplicity and tight plotting impressed him.

Mukherjee had already started contemplating a story about a British detective in India set in WWI. Reading ‘Killing Floor’ encouraged him to write it.

He had a blast writing the first ten thousand words. But then he went back and read them. This was a mistake because the experience crushed him. Mukherjee hated everything he had written thus far, and he would have given up if he hadn’t discovered the Telegraph Harvill Secker Crime Writing contest.

The competition encouraged unpublished writers to submit their stories. All they wanted was the first five thousand words and a synopsis. Mukherjee, despite his reservations, had ten thousand words on his hands.

So, he refined the first chapter and submitted it along with the synopsis. To his utter shock, the author won the competition. They reached out to Mukherjee and gave him the good news: his book would be published.

Unfortunately, the author did not have a book. However, the victory had given him the kick he needed to finish his manuscript.

Abir Mukherjee Awards

Mukherjee won the CWA Historical Dagger Award and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. He has also received Jhalak, Barry, and Edgar Award nominations.

Best Abir Mukherjee Books

The author has an interesting quirk. He wants his wife to hold his hand before sending a draft of a new book to his editor via email. Mukherjee’s best books include:

A Rising Man: Captain Sam Wyndham saw his assignment in Calcutta as a new start. But the former Scotland Yard detective had taken up his new post at the worst possible time.

A senior British official was dead, and the note left in his mouth had warned the British to leave India. The message promised violent consequences if they failed to obey.

Political dissent was rising, and finding answers was easier said than done. Fortunately, Sam was not alone. He was joined in his investigation by an arrogant inspector and an Indian-born Sergeant.

A Necessary Evil: The Kingdom of Sambalpore wasn’t quite what Sam expected. Yes, Sambalpore was brimming with wealth and beauty. But Sam knew that the façade was just one aspect of a complex equation.

Someone had assassinated the heir to the throne, and they had done so in Sam and Banerjee’s presence. Adhir had plenty of enemies. The prince’s modern sensibilities had drawn the ire of the kingdom’s religious zealots. His brother was expected to sit on the Sambalpore throne despite his reputation as a feckless playboy.

Sam would rather avoid the political machinations of the kingdom. But he has to wade into dangerous waters to find the person responsible for the assassination.

When Does The Next Abir Mukherjee book come out?

Abir Mukherjee doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Hunted and was released on May, 7th 2024.

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