Beyond Reasonable Doubt

Salman Curtis, an Anglo-Indian police officer, boards a steamer from London to Calcutta with no idea what his career in India will bring. Over the years he is posted to quiet villages and busy towns, and his work takes him from panchayat meetings to courtrooms. The cases range from petty offences to brutal murders and gang robberies.

The book follows several of the most disturbing crimes he encounters and shows in detail how the investigators worked their way to the culprit. Set in late 19th century India, it draws on research into policing under the British Raj and points to the early methods that shaped crime-solving practices still in use today.