Murder at the Imambara: A Novel

The novel transports readers to Awadh at the height of Lucknow's cultural brilliance. Muharram brings thousands of mourners to the magnificent Asafi Imambara, where Ghalib witnesses a mysterious death. His search for the truth draws him through bazaars, imambaras, colonial mansions and hidden passages into a dangerous political conspiracy.

Murder at the Imambara is the eagerly awaited prequel to Raza Mir's Murder at the Mushaira.

Raza Mir is the author of Murder at the Mushaira, Ghalib: A Thousand Desires and The Taste of Words: An Introduction to Urdu Poetry. He is also the co-author of Anthems of Resistance: A Celebration of Progressive Urdu Poetry.

In 1829 Lucknow, the young Mirza Ghalib arrives to experience the city's celebrated Muharram commemorations. But when a man plunges from the top of the Asafi Imambara, Ghalib finds himself drawn into an investigation that reaches far beyond a single death.

As more bodies appear, Ghalib uncovers a network of political conspiracies involving influential men and the Nawabi establishment. Meanwhile, the East India Company quietly watches the weakening kingdom, ready to expand its influence. The result is a richly atmospheric historical thriller blending murder, poetry, culture and political intrigue.