The Burning Ghats (George Sansi Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Paul Mann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 1997

India cherishes the river city of Varanasi, for it is here on the burning ghats that the bodies of the devout dead are cremated and their ashes scattered over the Ganges. Then, as thousands of pilgrims bathe in the holy waters, a lethal chemical spill swirls down the river, consuming the flesh of all who come in contact with it. More than a thousand people die in agony. Who is responsible?

As Bombay attorney George Sansi pursues the case, he amasses more and more evidence implicating the invincible, rich, and unscrupulous magnate Madhuri Amlani. Sansi braces for a vicious legal battle--but the showdown in court is only the opening skirmish in an all-out war involving cover-ups, blackmail, and assassination at the highest levels of power. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A new and wholly original genre of crime fiction: the epic, industrial, environmental Indian crime novel. The Burning Ghats opens with a horrific disaster, the spilling of toxic chemicals into the Ganges, killing thousands of bathers. Anglo-Indian inspector George Sansi is appointed chief investigator, and the intrigue is set against the sweeping grandeur of India, a newly emerging nation coming to terms with its history. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

With its epic narrative sweep, scenes of exotic sex and business machinations, Mann's third George Sansi story (after The Ganja Coast) is marked more by its features of foreign intrigue than by traditional mystery elements. The insidious perils of power tempt Bombay lawyer Sansi as he does fierce battle with big business after a chemical spill creates a flood of death on the Ganges. Appointed to lead the official investigation into the disaster, Sansi goes up against wily industrialist Madhuri Amlani, one of India's most successful businessmen, who has a good son and a bad son. On Sansi's side is his girlfriend, American journalist Annie Ginnaro, but Sansi's increasing involvement with prime minister Rupe Seshan, who appointed him to the investigation, threatens his relationship with Annie as well as his own moral stance. Mann delivers panoramic tours through Indian history and atmosphere, highlighted by sensually adept mistresses and intriguing insider lore on leveraged mergers and other corporate sleight-of-hand. All this makes for good reading, despite the distractions of characters who are introduced, developed and then abruptly dropped (these include Sansi's mother, a feminist professor, a trio of loutish American businessmen and a disfigured victim of the spill who haphazardly stalks Amlani). In this third Sansi story, Mann's deft Technicolor flourishes engage readers who may be disappointed by a somewhat fragmented plot.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804115508
• ISBN-13: 978-0804115506
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,658,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Mann was born in the northeast of England, the only son of a police constable and a nurse. After a career as an itinerant journalist working in several different countries he settled in smalltown Maine. He is the author of several techno-thrillers, including 'The Britannia Contract,' and the George Sansi murder mystery series set in India, including 'Season Of The Monsoon.' After a 15 year digression he has resumed writing and has two new books on Kindle, 'The Witch's Code,' his first foray into supernatural mystery writing, and 'The Leek Club' a semi-autobiographical novel about growing up in the coalfields of East Northumberland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading!!!, March 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Burning Ghats (George Sansi Mystery) (Hardcover)

Believe me...if you love mystery/thrillers, you'll love this book. Paul Mann has done it again, adding more suspence and adventure to the George Sansi trilogy. Can't wait for the next one to come out. Even if you've never read the previous books, you'll still enjoy this one. Hope you like it as much as I did!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Burning Ghats, April 13, 2003

By 

Dr. June M. Reinisch "Dr. June" (New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burning Ghats (George Sansi Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the third of Paul Mann's George Sansi Mysteries. As a frequent visitor to India, I find these books about the underside of modern Indian society absolutely fascinating. Mann leads the reader into the crevices of Indian life whether the drug scene, Bollywood, or in this one the corporate world and reveals aspects of the culture from the noble to the sinful. Characters from central to tertiary are finely wrought and memorable. I would recommend that the books be read in the sequence of their publication since the main characters grow and deepen in a very satisfying way that adds considerably to the stories being told. I recommend all three books without reservation (Ganja Coast and Season of the Monsoon). For me they are everything a mystery, police procedural, and adventure should be!

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Good concept, bad implementation, December 25, 1999

By 

Sumana Mukherjee - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burning Ghats (George Sansi Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

It was the first Paul Mann I read and I don't think I'm going to read another. The concept is novel (no pun intended), but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. For one, the parallels to real life are so thinly disguised, one wonders if this should be called a novel at all. For another -- and this may seem minor to many -- the author doesn't even seem to know the difference between names and surnames, female and male names, Hindu and Muslim names. It can be really irritating for an Indian reader. Besides, there are plenty of loose ends -- how does Rafee manage to get his revenge anyway? While apparently focusing on the 'modern' India, Mann falls back on the stereotype popular in the west: the land of the Kama Sutra, of incredible poverty, of irredeemable corruption. On the other hand, the author's style is racy -- as long as you aren't asking too many questions. It's the perfect book to buy before a long railway journey -- and leave behind in the train.