Mark Twain wrote: We despise all reverences and all the objects of reverence which are outside the pale of our own list of sacred things. And yet, with strange inconsistency, we are shocked when other people despise and defile the things which are holy to us.

A Disappearance In Fiji
by Nilima Rao

Series:
#1 in Sergeant Akal Singh Mystery

Category:  Mystery

Average Rating:  3.0

1914, Fiji: 25-year-old Akal Singh would rather be anywhere but this tropical paradise--or, as he calls it, "this godforsaken island." After a promising start to his police career in his native India and Hong Kong, Akal has been sent to Fiji as punishment for a humiliating professional mistake. Lonely and grumpy, Akal plods through his work and dreams of getting back to Hong Kong.

When an indentured Indian woman goes missing from a sugarcane plantation and Fiji's newspapers scream "kidnapping," the inspector-general reluctantly assigns Akal the case, giving him strict instructions to view this investigation as nothing more than cursory. Akal, eager to achieve redemption, agrees--but soon finds himself far more invested than he ever expected.

Now not only is he investigating a disappearance, but also confronting the brutal realities of the indentured workers' existence and the racism of the British colonizers in Fiji--along with his own thorny notions of personhood and caste. And early interrogations of the white plantation owners, Indian indentured laborers, and native Fijians yield only one conclusion: there is far more to this case than meets the eye.

Nilima Rao's debut is full of sparkling wit, vibrant characters, intriguing mystery-solving, and fascinating historical detail, both unflinching in its treatment of the atrocities of colonialism and hopeful for a better future.

Jeff

[2026-03-02 23:42:17]

Rating:  3

This is a compelling mystery with vividly drawn characters in an unusual and interesting setting. The story isn't overly suspenseful, but it's engaging. This is the first book in a series, but thankfully, it does not end with a cliffhanger. Sid Sagar voices the characters with appropriate accents and generally delivers an excellent performance. Mystery fans looking for something a little different might want to give this one a listen.