A Disappearance in Fiji
Fiji

A Disappearance in Fiji

by Nilima Rao

Society & Class Historical Fiction Mystery Fiction 2023

Summary

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.

Reviews

Login to leave a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first!

You might also like

A Shipwreck in Fiji
A Shipwreck in Fiji
Nilima Rao
Country
Fiji
Oceania
About the author
Nilima Rao
Nilima Rao

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.

View author page
Details
Published
2023
Author
Nilima Rao