After a breakdown that led to early retirement, Neville Wadia, revered in the force as one of Mumbai’s finest top cops, doesn’t wish to have anything to do with crime anymore. He settles down in a Himalayan village with his wife Shehnaz, but his tranquillity vanishes when his neighbour’s wife is murdered. After solving the case, the Wadias flee the Himalayas for a murder-free life, and check out Goa in their hunt for a peaceful retirement spot.
Before they know it, Neville is involved in a murder case again. Joshua, a young investigative journalist, was found battered on the beach a year ago — the Goa police had hurriedly declared his death as accidental, and flaunted a post-mortem report to back their statement. With the help of a support group of bereaved mothers in the UK, Joshua’s family got a post-mortem done again, which clearly pointed to murder — they want the case re-opened.
Joshua’s sister Mia arrives in Goa determined to discover the truth, and Neville is by her side. Mia is clueless about what exactly her uncommunicative brother was investigating, so they try to find out who Joshua’s friends/acquaintances in Goa were, and hope to find clues that lead them to his killers. Once the process begins, they are stunned by the enormity of the task ahead: It’s not just crime and corruption they have to consider (like, say, the obscenely wealthy Lobos with political connections, land-grabbing tendencies, and friends in the police force); there’s also a small rabid Hindu group that allegedly murders rationalists in the picture. In fact, Joshua had spent a fair amount of time with an aged author who was on their hit list.
In a stroke of luck, Neville bumps into a former colleague at a party, who connects him with higher-ups in the Goa police force. Needless to say, they are delighted to assist this legend. Shehnaz points out to Neville that this arrangement suits him best: “…a man in uniform to do the legwork, leaving you to do the thinking.” The investigation picks up pace, leading to the shocking discovery of more murders.
It’s not as if you will be breathless through the hunt for the killers, though, because Mukherjee’s style is relaxed. There are charming descriptions of the languid Goan lifestyle and the idiosyncrasies of Parsis. While cliched, they still provoke chuckles.
The investigation is rather thrilling, and the lead characters are engaging. Shehnaz is a supportive wife, although she has misgivings when Neville puts on his metaphorical deerstalker. Neville is charming and you love him even more because it’s so wonderful to meet upright police officers, even if they exist only in fiction.
Scarlet Sands
By Udayan Mukherjee
Picador
pp. 327; Rs 450
