The more I learn, the more realize how little I know. I knew nothing about the history of Fiji, its being a colony of England, and its sugar cane economy resting solely on indentured servants from India. 

This book delves into all these aspects of life on the island, as shown through the eyes of Akal, a disgraced Indian policeman exiled to Fiji. He doesn’t feel connected to the coolies (the workers) despite their both being Indian. As a higher caste person, he can’t - or won’t - see how similar they are. 

Akal is tasked with finding a missing coolie but it turns out to be a more far-reaching case than he first thought. This is where we learn the complicated relationship between Fiji, India, and England. We see the casual racism of the white Europeans for anyone darker, the lack of respect for a policeman who, as an Indian, has “no right” to investigate his white “betters.” This grates on Akal every time but he has to bite his tongue and pretend the racism doesn’t bother him. 

There’s a wonderful friendship between Akal (Indian), a fellow policeman (Fijian), and a doctor (Englishman). It illustrates how racial prejudice is something learned, not something inherent. To hear the three laughing together mitigates a tiny bit of the awfulness that has come before. 

My first 5-star review of the year! A while back, I picked this off a cart full of advanced reader copies, and never found the time to read it. I'm so glad I did. It was a fascinating look at a part of history and culture that I am not even passingly familiar with - colonial Fiji. Like many mysteries with a strong sense of the place, the characters are the reason to read the book. I hope for more adventures with Sergeant Singh. 

Thank you to SOHO Crime for the book.