Kolkata Noir
Table of Contents
Kolkata Noir
Kolkata Noir from author Tom Vater is my latest and greatest read! Have you read Kolkata Noir yet?
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“Life in Calcutta was murder. And time was its most reliable assassin.”
Kolkata Noir
About Kolkata Noir
Becker is a British traveler in trouble. Madhurima is a rising star police officer. In these three explosive tales, the two join forces to investigate the city’s crooked high society.
On the way, they take on deluded would-be messiahs in search of Mother Teresa’s stolen millions, encounter fanatics, circus freaks and cannibals, fall in and out of love and pay homage to one of the world’s most beautiful and toughest cities.
Amidst passion, murder and mayhem, is there room for two lovers driven by justice and compassion?
Tom Vater’s ‘Kolkata Noir’ is a riveting crime fiction cycle of three novellas set in the past, the present and the future.
Thoughts on Kolkata Noir
Kolkata Noir is a fairly short read, at just 208 pages, and three short stories of the past, present, and future.
I am not entirely sure what I was expecting when I picked this book up, but I was hooked! I’m a big fan of short stories because it takes serious skill to write short stories and be worthwhile to read. If you’ve read my thoughts on Beautiful, Complicated Family or Like Only a Woman Can, then you know exactly how much I appreciate quality character development without becoming boring and tedious.
My favorite part about these three short stories is that they all intertwine with each other, yet they can stand on their own just as well.
Because the character development is on point, it was easy to find myself enjoying the three stories, and wanting to see more of Becker and Madhurima and rooting for their success.
I’m not going to tell you about the books, because I can’t do them justice in this review. I’m simply going to tell you that they are absolutely worth a read! Because these are short stories, they are actually perfect to sit and read either before bed or at breakfast over coffee.
Final Thoughts on Kolkata Noir
I was impressed at how quickly I was hooked into reading Kolkata Noir, and constantly wanted to keep reading until I was done. Tom Vater writes brilliant short stories that keep you wanting to read more.
This was the first book I’ve read from Tom Vater, however it will definitely not be the last!
“The air was warm and dirty, ready to be chopped into spongy blocks of unpleasant solidity.”
Kolkata Noir
Discussion
Have you read Kolkata Noir or any other novels from Tom Vater? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
About the Author
Tom Vater is a writer and editor working predominantly in Asia.
He has published four novels, The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu, currently available in English and Spanish, and the Detective Maier trilogy which includes The Cambodian Book of the Dead (2012), its follow-up The Man with the Golden Mind (2013), and finally The Monsoon Ghost Image (2018).
His articles on Asian politics, tourism, the environment, minorities, pop and youth culture have been published in many publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Times, The Guardian, The Mekong Review, Marie Claire, and Geographical.
He is correspondent for Germany’s largest independent travel publisher Reise-Know-How in Thailand as well as The Daily Telegraph’s Thailand destination expert, and a frequent contributor to the Nikkei Asian Review.
He has published several non-fiction books, including the highly acclaimed and bestselling Sacred Skin (with his former wife, photographer Aroon Thaewchatturat), the more recent Burmese Light with photographer Hans Kemp and Cambodia: Journey through the Lad of the Khmer with photographer Kraig Lieb, the best selling illustrated book in Cambodia in 2018/2019.
Tom is the co-author of several documentary screenplays, most notably The Most Secret Place on Earth, a feature on the CIA’s covert war in 1960s Laos.
Purchasing Kolkata Noir
If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Kolkata Noir, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.
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11 Comments
Kelly
I haven’t heard of Tom Vater before but I like short stories so I might check this one out. It certainly sounds like an interesting and thrilling set of short stories.
Nicole Anderson
I totally agree that it really does take some skill to pull together a successful and gripping short story. What you have shared here sounds quite spellbinding and is a tale I would love to sink my teeth into. The exotic location, interesting characters, and plot all seem to be enticing from reading your review and thoughts. Definitely want to look at getting this.
Lyosha
I love stories divided into short stories, it makes my reading better and more fun. I really enjoyed your timely review because I am starting to pack for vacation and a book is much needed
Gerald Godinho
I have heard about the author but have never read any of his books. Is it about Calcutta India? Sounds very interesting. I will see if I can get it on kindle. love your blog. love everything you do. All the best and Merry Xmas and all the best for 22.
The Reading Wife
Merry Christmas, Jerry! I am so excited to see what amazing things the new year brings for you and your family. Yes, this book is about Calcutta, India. This book is available for the Kindle, and is free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.
Britt K
I’ve never read anything by Tom Vater before, but this sounds great! I have started exploring short stories recently due to the fact that I can sit down and enjoy them entirely on a break during my busy schedule without running the risk of being completely lost in the book and losing track of time hahaha! I’m definitely going to have to check this out – it looks like it’s going to be a great read by the fire during the winter months.
The Reading Wife
You’re just like me, Britt! I have stayed up waaaay past my bedtime more than once because I got sucked into a book and completely lost track of time. Lol. That is one of the best parts about reading sometimes. But other times it is more distracting because there is already too much going on.
Melanie
The first book you have read of Toms but definitely not the last that is high praise indeed. This is deffo going to go straight on my must read list for surex
The Reading Wife
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Melanie!
Seriah Sargenton
I have not read nor heard of Tom Vater yet, but based on your review it sounds like such an intriguing and great book. I always look stories that are broken up into smaller short stories because they’re easier for me to read.
The Reading Wife
I am the same way, Seriah! Sometimes a short story is the best way to keep my attention.