The Shadow

Published March 2025’

The Shadow

A ritual killing. An ancient curse. What's myth... and what's murder?

After a bruising encounter with a terrorist group, Detective Kamil Rahman has decided to hand in his resignation to the Met and set up a detective agency with his friend Anjoli. But when his boss asks him to go to India to investigate the murder of a British engineer who was found with eighteen arrows stuck in his body, Kamil agrees to take the case, as long as Anjoli can accompany him.

When they arrive in Mumbai, they find someone is on a gruesome killing spree, striking down those connected to the engineer in increasingly macabre ways. Meanwhile, an old friend of Kamil’s gets in touch to beg for his help: he believes his family are cursed, and that he is going to die on his 47^th birthday, just like his father and grandfather before him.

As the body count rises, Kamil is torn between solving a very real murder case and protecting his friend from a grisly – if far-fetched – fate. Can he catch a killer and prevent an ancient curse before more people lose their lives?

The Shadow

Published March 2025’

Reader Reviews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Surjit P

My thoughts about Ajay Chowdhury’s The Shadow is a captivating blend of historical intrigue, police procedural, and supernatural suspense. This gripping novel follows Detective Kamil Rahman as he delves into a series of ritualistic murders in Mumbai. Chowdhury’s vivid descriptions of the bustling city and its darker underbelly create a rich and immersive atmosphere. The plot is intricate and filled with unexpected twists, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed, with Kamil Rahman emerging as a complex and compelling protagonist. The author skillfully blends historical facts with supernatural elements, creating a unique and thought-provoking narrative. The tension between the rational and the irrational adds a layer of psychological depth to the story. The Shadow is a must-read for fans of crime fiction, historical fiction, and supernatural thrillers. It’s a testament to Chowdhury’s talent as a storyteller and a promising start to a new series.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gill L

Best one yet! Kamil Rahman is about to resign from the Met to set up a Detective Agency in partnership with Anjoli. On offering his resignation, he is instead offered a case in Mumbai – personally requested by Darius Mehta an old friend and now CEO of a huge building company there. An expert British engineer has been murdered while advising on the building of a spectacular road over the sea along the Mumbai coast; murdered in a bloodthirtsy, ritualistic way. Kamil persuades Anjoli to accompany him to India on this ‘last’ case. Their relationship still in ambiguous mode…, we remain ‘hoping’.
Lovely to read another Kamil case, especially back in India. It begins with a flashback to 1947 and violence between Hindus and Moslems where Darius’ Grandfather Xerxes (young CEO of company) refuses to open his gate to save numerous employees and local people and their families – his wife having just given birth to a son. A curse is cast after the resulting bloodshed and death. We then shift to present day, and the current case. Murders begin to stack up… I can’t stress how good this series is – and this is the best instalment so far. An intricate investigation, set against mysticism and the supernatural. Brought back memories of an author I read in the 80’s – T.N Murari, I think. (I‘m looking up recent reissues as I write!)
It’s spooky, evocative and un-nerving, frightening, violent and absolutely wonderful. It also makes you laugh in places… – and I still want it televised! Highly recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dave B

The Shadow is a bit of change of direction in Ajay Chowdhury’s excellent Kamil Rahman series in that there’s suggestions of the supernatural……something that would normally have me throwing a Detective book aside in exasperation.
Thankfully this is relevant to a very involving story and I think this is the strongest book in the series.

On the verge of handing his notice in Rahman is asked by his boss to go to India to investigate the bizarre,ritualistic killing of a British Engineer. agreeing on condition that he can take friend/unsuspecting love interest Anjoli with him. On arriving in Mumbai Rahman stays with an old friend ,Darius, who is panicking as his 47th birthday approaches, an event that has already seen a curse on his family apparently kill previous generations. When more bizarre deaths appear to be linked to both Darius and an old nemesis of Rahman things get very complicated ……and very deadly.

This is quite a complex tale but one that also introduces many aspects of India’s culture ,religious ,social,political and historical, all of which add to and play big parts in the story. Quite sobering is reading the author’s notes after the story and realising what appears to be a quite shocking and borderline unbelievable part of the plot is something currently mooted in Mumbai.

I really enjoyed The Shadow on a number of levels. Firstly it’s an excellent thriller but also I was intrigued enough about several of the references to Mumbai,it’s places,people and history that I spent a few hours after finishing it Googling them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shirley S

Another case for Detective Kamil Rahman in partnership with his friend Anjoli. This time the action takes place in India and the vivid descriptions of Mumbai add depth to the story. The complex plot is full of twists and turns that kept me glued to the page. Although the book can be read as a standalone I would recommended reading the previous books first. Hugely enjoyable – the best book of the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chris C

Very enjoyable continuation of a series worth reading from the first book.

This one set in India with good knowledge of the country. Same principal characters, Anjoli and Karim, with their ‘will they won’t they’ love story.

The plot is convoluted with highly imagined murders but I did guess ‘who done it’ this time. Cannot wait for the next instalment!

I highly recommend this detective series. I read an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Iain M

It was too long a wait between the last and this latest offering from Ajay, but like his previous titles, it doesn’t disappoint,. Although to be honest, I much prefer the storyline to encompass the restaurant a bit more. For once, I managed to work out most of the ending by the time those final pages were turned, although one mystery lingered on until the next time.
Hopefully there won’t be a long wait until that next one.
If you are unfamiliar with Ajay’s books, make up for lost time and read them from the start. You won’t be disappointed.
Recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bonita S

Complex mystery with a bit of superstition and supernatural mixing with the exotic Mumbai and Indian culture. Murders by 18 arrows and spontaneous combustion from a family curse thread through complex politics and human interactions. A different and engaging read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ciaran S

Excellent latest part in the Kamil Rahman series, which sees him in Mumbai alongside Anjoli, investigating the murder of a British national with links to a company run by Kamil’’s old friend. Feels like a bit of a dry run for how a Kamil and anjoli detective agency could work, and the dynamic is enjoyable as they both shadow the local police and run their own investigation. Strong sense of place, too-notch mystery with a proper spooky vibe (it’s not a ghost story, but it’s ghost story adjacent), and the relationship with Kamil and Anjoli remains entertainingly ambiguous.
Great continuation, looking forward to the next one already.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nic J

4* The Shadow – Ajay Chowdhury. A twisty, fun edge of your seat thriller which is enjoyable from start to finish.

Detective Kamil Rahman from the Met Police is unexpectedly sent to Mumbai to recover the body of a murdered British man in what appears to be a ritualistic killing. He asks his friend (and potential ‘partner’) Anjoli to accompany him, as the two consider their romantic and business future together.

The dead man was an engineer who had been contracted by Kamil’s old friend Darius and hence he finds himself staying with Darius and getting sucked into the mystery of what happened and why. As the bodies stack up, and Darius has concerns about his own safety linked to a curse which has struck his family over several generations, Kamil and Anjoil find that their trip has taken a very sinister turn.

This is the 5th book in Ajay Chowdhury’s excellent series with Kamil Rahmen, which started with The Waiter. While The Shadow would be a fine standalone, I would thoroughly recommend them in order as they are a fantastic read and each one brings a little more of the characters and turns up the white knuckle ride.

It is a hugely welcome return for Kamil and Anjoil and a real treat for the action to be set in India, rather than Brick Lane. The plot is fabulously twisty with a few gasp out loud moments. The wider cast of characters add depth and the conclusion is worth the wait. In some of the previous books some of the storylines have been a little frivolous but that wasn’t the case here. Looking forward to the next in this excellent series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Douglas & Dianę H

Another brilliant book in the Kamil series . Kamil and Anjoli are sent to Mumbai to investigate the death of a British engineer and organise the body’s repatriation. Kamil’s friend Darius also requested his presence as he believes he is under a curse to die on his 47th birthday. Whether so many people needed to die towards the middle of the book is unclear but didn’t detract from the fast pace. As always, lifting it above the standard police novel, Chowdhury mixes in political, social and religious issues plus plenty of talk of food.
Having been to Mumbai and Elephant Island last year I can appreciate how good Chowdhury’s descriptions are.
This is not really a stand-alone and should be read as part of the series. Some characters reappear in this book and others are referred to. Also it would be a shame to miss out on so many good books.
I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next installment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dennis W

You can take the policeman out of India but you can’t take India out of the policeman, so DC Kamil Rahman of the Met jumps at the chance of going to Mumbai to shadow the investigation into the murder of a British Engineer. He has several motives for taking the job, mainly because the engineer was working for Mehta and Son whose CEO, Darius Mehta, is an old friend. He also wants his girlfriend, Anjoli, to visit the country of his birth for romantic reasons, and to clarify in his own mind that retiring from the Met and setting up as a Private Detective with Anjoli as his partner is a sensible move. The two of them have had conspicuous success in this role so there evidence that they could make a go of it, and he feels that his progress in the Met is being stifled. Arriving in Mumbai, they become Darius’s house guests (house equals luxurious mansion, servants, and a driver). It soon becomes clear that the murder might be linked to the company’s current project, but the investigation is not straightforward, not least because there is a curse on Darius which says he will die in flames on his upcoming forty-seventh birthday; just as his father and grandfather had. No pressure then!
This is the fifth in this excellent series, and it is intricately plotted, in terms of the murder investigation, the love affair between Kamil and Anjoli, and the mysterious deaths attributed to the curse. There are touches of humour but overall this is darker than the previous books. The multicultural city of Mumbai plays a large part in the story, not just as a backdrop but also as a source for rationalising the events, which might seem irrational to a western reader but are made understandable by this masterful writer. The dénouement is sensible and believable within the multiple conventions of this society. If this is the first one you have read I suggest you find the previous ones, not because you need the background but because you’ll enjoy the stories.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CeeCee S

Book 5, Kamil Rahman, Met Police

1947 – During the riots and carnage following Indian Independence Day the Mehta family are cursed. Xerxes Mehta and his male descendants will all perish on their 47th birthday.
Present day – Kamil takes the decision to leave the Met and work with Anjoli in a detective agency. However, before they leap into the unknown, a request comes from Mumbai for Kamil to assist the local police with a shocking murder inquiry and Kamil is persuaded by his boss to remain in his post for now. He travels to India, accompanied by Anjoli, who has agreed to help him. A British man, Peter Bell, has been horribly killed. He was working for Kamil’s old friend Darius Mehta, now CEO of Mehta and Sons and is the grandson of Xerxes. Is Peter’s death connected in someway to Mehta? Is Darius himself in danger? Our intrepid pair are on the case.

This is a good series and I’ve enjoyed them all and although there are moments of humour, this one is possibly the darkest. There are puzzling off notes right from the start and the murder they are investigating is an odd, ritualistic one which gives rise to more questions than answers. The more they dig the more dangerous it becomes with odd behaviour from Darius and from another old acquaintance in Arjun Sharma. What lies beneath the caginess? This only serves to make Kamil and Anjoli persevere in order to find the answers. There are multiple inconsistencies, a great deal of malevolence and a rising body count, all of a grotesque nature.

I love the Mumbai setting and it’s many locations are utilised so effectively in some tense and dangerous scenes. The descriptions are vivid, so sights, sounds, taste and smells are easily imagined. I particularly like how the many varied aspects of Indian culture and beliefs (Parsi, Hindu, Muslim) are seamlessly woven into the storytelling although parts do make for uncomfortable reading.

Although at times the plot does go round and round somewhat, there are plenty of twists and turns as well as the likeable characters of Kamil and Anjoli to keep me reading on to a most unexpected finale. I like the tantalising nature of their relationship and of course, Anjoli’s t-shirt slogans!

Overall, this is a good addition to the series with an excellent portrayal of Mumbai with all its complexities and religious, economic and societal differences. I like the supernatural element and how this is explained. An engaging read.