Blood Caste: The stunning historical crime debut of the year set in Colonial-era Hyderabad

Is Jack the Ripper at large on the streets of Hyderabad? 1895. When three bodies are discovered with mutilations bearing an eerie resemblance to the Ripper’s London victims, Chief Inspector Soobramania – known as Soob – is summoned to investigate. Suspicion alights upon three powerful men: a Russian grand duke and an English earl visiting the city, and their friend, a Deccani noble, who is also the stepson of one of the victims. Faced with the thorny imperial politics of accusing relatives of Queen Victoria, Soob must ally with his rival in the British Residency Police, Inspector Wilberforce, to hunt down the killer. So begins a deadly game of cat and mouse played in the shadow of empire, where high birth protects foul deeds and spilt blood counts for less than wealth. A richly textured and utterly compelling historical crime thriller from a dazzling debut voice.