Excerpt from A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"Inspector-General, sir," Akal rattled off with crisp precision, to no response.

Akal maintained his military bearing as Thurstrom continued to ignore him. The room was quiet but for the scratching of the inspector-general's pen and the sounds of the trainees learning how to march outside. Thurstrom finished with his piece of paperwork and put his pen down, finally focusing on Akal.

"Singh, I have a problem." Thurstrom jabbed his finger in Akal's direction with vigour. "And I am making it your problem."

"Yes, Inspector-General, sir?" Akal rattled off again, with slightly less precision.

"We've got a missing coolie out at the Parkins plantation in Nakavu. A woman. We have taken a report, and the plan was that whoever goes out that way next would do the usual checks. But some busybody missionary has gone and told the newspaper that there is no way she ran away. Went out to print this morning." He stood up and leaned over the table, brandishing a copy of the Fiji Times like a pace stick. "He is saying she must have been kidnapped. It's a bloody mess. And the Indian delegation arrived yesterday."

The vaguely named Delegation for India's Relations with Fiji was visiting to review the Indian indentured servitude program. Until now, nobody had seemed overly concerned about this. The Fiji Times' reporting on the delegation had focused on who was attending the gala reception planned that night, and, crucially, what they would be wearing. The delegation's actual purpose had been relegated to a single sentence towards the end of the article.

"I've heard rumblings that the Indian government are keeping an eye out for situations like this," Thurstrom continued, beginning to pace the office and slapping the newspaper into his hand. "They want to see how we treat a crime against an indentured worker. I tried to get Keane involved to head off the political mess, but do you think he's paying any attention?"

David Keane was the agent-general of Immigration. He had arrived six months ago, having never laid eyes on an indentured worker before, and had since lived in an uneasy sort of ignorant bliss. He had done nothing thus far to investigate the abuses that were alleged to be rife against the Indian labourers, male and female. Akal had arrived on the same ship as David Keane and he also had yet to make it out to a plantation. This was something he was glad of, in a quiet, selfish corner of his heart.

"I wish there were somebody else I could send," the inspector-general said, pausing mid-pace to give Akal a sideways glance. Akal gritted his teeth. "But having a senior Indian officer involved might just get the Indian government off all our backs. Go see this idiot missionary and report back to me posthaste. Try to get him to calm down and see reason. If we can get him to stop screaming that she has been 'kidnapped' maybe this whole thing will go away."

Akal hesitated before reluctantly raising the topic of his current unresolved, frustrating case.

"Sir, what about the Night Prowler investigation? I don't know if you have heard, but he struck again last night."

"Hmmm ... the Night Prowler," Thurstrom muttered, sitting heavily back down in his chair. "Do you know what I think, Singh? We just should not have women in the colony. Bloody headache."

"The Night Prowler targets children, sir."

Thurstrom glared at him. "Well, if there are no women there will be no children, will there, Singh? You do know how children are made, don't you?"

"Ah, yes, sir." Akal tried not to squirm.

Thurstrom's glare turned even sharper. "The Night Prowler investigation, it hasn't been going well for you, has it, Singh? Haven't caught the bugger, have you?" "No, sir." Akal struggled to keep the resentment off his face but failed to keep it out of his voice. Thurstrom knew very well that he had not "caught the bugger."

"It seems my first impression of you was accurate." Akal could feel the warmth creeping up his neck. The Night Prowler had been peeping into the windows of the children of Suva for months before Akal had arrived. He had been handed the case with no description of the perpetrator, no pattern to the night-time excursions and no leads whatsoever.

Excerpted from A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao. Copyright © 2023 by Nilima Rao. Excerpted by permission of Soho Crime. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.