By Conrad & Wilbur
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781800440159
I was wrong-footed by this one. I know, I know, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Regardless, the illustration style made me think this was something akin to Cinebook’s Papyrus series, and so intended for a younger audience. More the fool me. It’s certainly darker than that, focusing on missing wealthy white men in Bombay during the time of the British Empire.
A level-headed newcomer to India is Alexander Martin, unusual for his young age and the fact that he requested the posting – something that causes some mistrust amongst the more experienced members of the Indian Political Service. But Martin’s measured approach and fresh eyes are exactly what’s needed to make sense of the disappearances, despite the East India Company’s attempts to lay the blame on a convenient scapegoat.
There’s humour here too, largely delivered by Warren Longfellow, an overlooked nephew of a powerful nabob. In fact, there’s quite a cast of characters to keep track of, including Ayesha, gifted to Longfellow as a slave but then swiftly released by his uncle.
By necessity, the story is focused on the white ruling class by virtue of the disappearances. This means there are few local characters, other than Ayesha, that make their presence felt. Ironically, a story about the consequences of imperialism ends up pushing the imperialists to the fore. But there’s good reason for it as the story plays out, and some are at least attempting to do the right thing.
Although the artwork leans heavily on a simplified character style, Conrad doesn’t shy away from depicting the architecture in all its glory. The carvings of Elephanta Island are particularly satisfying.
This is one of Cinebook’s Expresso books, so told in one or two parts – in this case two, so we’ll have to wait until the next one for a conclusion to Martin’s detective work.
And if you liked that: Cinebook’s Expresso offering, Green Manor, shouldn’t be missed.
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