Abir Mukherjee and the Beauty of Historical Mysteries

The Book Case

ABC News

Fiction, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.7 • 913 Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Abir Mukherjee was a revelation to us, even if he is already an international bestseller. The Burning Grounds, the sixth of the Wyndham and Banerjee mystery series will keep readers guessing while dazzling them with terrific writing. His series takes place during turn of the century in Imperialist India, and he exposes the good, bad and ugly, from both a British and native perspective. He knocked us out, and we bet his Wyndham and Banerjee series will knock out our listeners too. Join us! Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 6) A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham & Banerjee Book 1) A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 2) Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 3) Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 4) The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 5) Hunted by Abir Mukherjee Burmese Days by George Orwell Shooting an Elephant (An Essay) by George Orwell The Distant Echo by Val McDermid Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie The Long Drop by Denise Mina Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Think about cheese.
0:02.0	Make your thoughts cheesier.
0:04.2	Now add 100% chicken breast fillet,
0:06.3	Chipotle sauce and Amadea cheese melt.
0:08.3	And it's giving the new cheesy chicken stack at McDonald's.
0:12.0	Did we mention it's cheesy?
0:13.9	Cheese.
0:15.8	Availments at the 4th of Jan, 2026 from 11am.
0:18.1	Price and participation may vary.
0:19.2	Subjects availability.
0:29.6	Yes, folks, it's time again for the bookcase.
0:32.3	I'm Charlie Gibson, the bookcase with Kate and Charlie.
0:35.1	Kate likes to call you all book nerds.
0:37.2	I think that is highly unfair. I like bibliophiles. Far more dignified,
0:40.4	Kate. I don't know. I mean, you're talking to somebody who liked silly costumes, who is currently
0:46.1	wearing a scarf indoors. Dignity has never really been that big of a thing for me. If there
0:52.1	was a stupid hat, I put it on. If there were
0:54.4	dumb shoes, I tried them on. And now, because I'm in Minnesota and below zero weather,
0:59.0	I just wear a scarf all the time every day, like underwear. So dignity's never really been
1:04.4	that huge in my book. If I had been alive at the time of Downton Abbey, I would have been thoroughly,
1:10.7	I don't know, banished. You wouldn't have been allowed in the house, no. No, probably not. You are the only adult that I know that has multiple pairs of Dili Boppers. I do. I do. I absolutely do. I have headbands with weird things on them. You do. And that's kind of my, you know, again, I don't rate dignity very high on my list of priorities.
1:29.4	We have a wonderful, wonderful book for you today. And I want to get in Kate to why we read it.
	...

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