Nilima Rao

About

Nilima Rao is a Fijian Indian Australian writer whose work explores cultural identity, migration, and the complexities of colonial history. With roots in Fiji’s Indo-Fijian community and a life in Australia, Rao draws on her multicultural background to tell stories that illuminate the experiences of people navigating different cultural worlds. Her debut novel, A Disappearance in Fiji (2023), is a historical mystery set in colonial Fiji in 1914. The novel introduces Sergeant Akal Singh, an Indian police officer investigating the disappearance of an indentured woman, and combines a compelling detective story with an examination of colonial racism, caste prejudice, and the exploitation of Indian labourers. The book received widespread critical recognition and was included on several best-of-year lists for crime and historical fiction. Before becoming a published novelist, Rao worked in data-related roles, and she continues to balance writing with her professional career. Through her fiction, she brings attention to lesser-known histories of the Pacific and the enduring effects of colonialism, using engaging mysteries to explore questions of justice, belonging, and social inequality.

Books on TheBookRoads

All genres Historical Fiction Mystery Fiction

All themes Society & Class

Newest first Oldest first

A Shipwreck in Fiji

Set in Fiji in 1915, during the First World War, A Shipwreck in Fiji follows Sergeant Akal Singh, an Indian police officer still struggling to establish himself in the British colonial administration. Recently transferred to the Pacific island colony, Akal is sent to Ovalau, a neighbouring island, to investigate reports of German soldiers supposedly hiding thousands of miles from the European front. He is also tasked with accompanying two visiting European women on a sightseeing trip and supervising a young local constable. What begins as a series of seemingly routine assignments soon becomes complicated when a controversial local shopkeeper is found dead and a group of Norwegian sailors is imprisoned in a Fijian village. Accompanied by his friend and colleague Taviti Tukana, Akal must navigate conflicting accounts, local politics, and the prejudices of colonial society. Meanwhile, the aspiring journalist Katherine has her own reasons for visiting the island. Blending historical mystery, humour, and social commentary, Rao explores colonial power, racial and class divisions, and the challenges of seeking justice in a society shaped by unequal authority.

2025 Fiji

A Disappearance in Fiji

Set in Fiji in 1914, A Disappearance in Fiji follows Akal Singh, a 25-year-old Indian police sergeant whose promising career in Hong Kong has been derailed by a professional mistake. Transferred to the British colonial outpost of Fiji as punishment, Akal feels isolated and longs to return to India or Hong Kong. His prospects change when an Indian woman named Kunti disappears from a sugarcane plantation, prompting accusations of kidnapping and attracting unwanted public attention. Assigned to investigate, Akal encounters conflicting accounts from plantation owners, Indian indentured labourers, and Indigenous Fijians. As he uncovers inconsistencies in their stories, he begins to suspect that the disappearance reveals something far more troubling than a simple missing-persons case. Blending historical mystery with social commentary, Rao explores colonial racism, caste prejudice, and the exploitation of indentured Indian workers. Through Akal’s investigation, the novel reveals the inequalities underpinning colonial Fiji while examining how a detective’s understanding of justice can change when he confronts the realities of those living under oppressive systems.

2023 Fiji

Country

Fiji

Oceania