Kolkata Noir is another fantastic story by Tom Vater. In fact, it is three great stories tying in to a forty year long tale of unrequited love and international intrigue. The story follows a female Indian police inspector and a British photographer as they go about finding the murderer of a wealthy man. In the process of solving the case, they deal with a variety of social and political issues which eventually end up separating the two. However, they meet again in twenty years, and then again in forty!
Told in three novellas, Kolkata Noir takes place in 1999, 2019 and 2039, telling the story in the past, present and future, giving this tale both a contemporary and speculative feel to it. We get to see the lives of the two main characters change as they go from hopeful youths to complicated older people aiming for a safe retirement in a world that is slowly drowning.
In short, the story of Kolkata Noir is amazing, a lot of story is packed in to these three short pieces of writing. Vater does a good job of tying up all the loose ends in each novella, so they do not leave you wondering, as can often happen with shorter stories. The characters are well written and interesting. Having different needs that make them feel like individuals instead of just characters.
So, is Kolkata Noir worth reading? It is a definite must read for fans of classic crime and noir dramas. Pick it up and you will have a blast!