Malabar House

Vaseem Khan

On the eve of 1950, as Bombay stands at the threshold of a new era, Inspector Persis Wadia is relegated to the overnight shift at Malabar House—the city police’s unwanted outpost and India’s first female detective. When a prominent British diplomat is found murdered, Persis is drawn into a politically charged investigation alongside a visiting Scotland Yard criminalist. Facing institutional prejudice, social upheaval, and powerful interests determined to control the truth, she must rely on her intelligence and resolve to navigate a case far larger than a single crime. Blending atmospheric historical detail with intricate plotting and a fiercely compelling heroine, this richly textured mystery explores ambition, identity, and a nation defining itself.

Vaseem Khan

Set in post-independence Bombay, this atmospheric historical mystery follows Inspector Persis Wadia as she investigates a baffling murder with roots reaching far beyond the city. As the case draws her into a web of secrets, political tensions, and buried loyalties, Persis must confront the limits placed on her both as a woman and as one of India’s first female police detectives. Rich in period detail and driven by a compelling investigation, the novel explores identity, justice, colonial aftermath, and the personal cost of uncovering the truth.

Vaseem Khan

In 1950s Bombay, India's first female police detective, Persis Wadia, finds herself at the center of a dangerous political conspiracy when she kills a gunman attempting to assassinate the nation's divisive Home Minister at a public rally. What begins as a clear-cut act of heroism quickly unravels into a complex web of political intrigue, where Persis must navigate treacherous power dynamics and hidden agendas to uncover the truth behind the assassination attempt. As she investigates deeper, she discovers that nothing is as straightforward as it seems, and her actions have set off a chain of events that threatens to destabilize the fragile new nation. This gripping political thriller eschews explosive action sequences in favor of tense, intelligent plotting that explores the murky intersection of law, politics, and justice in post-independence India. Vaseem Khan masterfully captures the turbulent atmosphere of a young nation grappling with its identity while delivering a compelling mystery that keeps readers guessing until the final revelation.