HOT BLOOD COLD BLOOD | TARTAN NOIR MEETS KOLKATA CRIME | Anthology of Best Bengali and Scottish Crime Stories | Edited by Abir Mukherjee

Edited by Abir Mukherjee, Hot Blood Cold Blood is an anthology that brings together a collection of ten stories of crime and mystery written by Scottish and Bengali writers. It is an eclectic mix featuring a host of writers for the lovers of the genre to discover and explore.On the Scottish side, we have stories by writers like the famous Val McDermid, Lin Anderson, Sara Sheridan and Doug Johnston, while on the Bengali side of the anthology, the reins are held by works of writers like Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Anita Agnihotri, Bani Basu, Anish Deb and Rajarshi Das Bhowmik. Straddling the two worlds and brining them together, both by his selections for this anthology as well the characters and setting of his own story, is Abir Mukherjee.The idea of this anthology will interest all crime fiction lovers and give them an idea of the style of various writers included here. The stories are all very different - from a woman plotting the murder of a husband to an old woman committing the last murder of her career, from a murder in the planning to a chase for a Bengali serial killer - you will find different flavours in this single collection. If you are looking for something entertaining, Hot Blood Cold Blood might just be up your alley.

Stephen King once said that reading a novel is like entering into a relationship. It's your comfort corner, a place you know you are loved and protected and you yearn to return to those arms after a long day of work. A short story, on the other hand, now that's a different deal. Mr King compares the experience of reading a thrilling short story to a kiss you steal in a dark alley with a stranger- it thrills you, heats up your blood and sends your pulse into a tizzy.And what a torrid affair I had with 'Hot Blood Cold Blood', edited by Abir Mukherjee and published by @beebooks.Set on the either corner of the globe- Bengal and Scotland, this anthology of stories is connected by a thread that's way thicker than water- Blood.Distance keeps the two lands apart but passion, murder, whodunit and mystery brings it close.The stories shock you, fill you with awe and force your hand onto your mouth. From chasing a Bong murdered to guests dropping dead in hotels, there is some kind of mystery here for everyone.

Hot Blood Cold Blood - Tartan Noir Meets Kolkata Crime, an anthology of Crime Fiction stories, edited by Abir Mukherjee brings out the best of Scotish and Bengali crime stories. In the unusual, contrasting way, the editor shows us the similarities in the usual narrative of differences. From being inspired to making the name and identity of its own, the editor's note itself makes an impact in getting to know two distinct, yet similar writings!I have never read Sherlock Holmes or Byomkesh Bakshi, the two most famous, popular and celebrated characters from both the regions, and yet whenever someone talks about detectives or even the genre of Crime Fiction, these two names always pop up in the head. And it shows their impact. And thus, maybe a similarity! And this book beautifully explores these similarities throughout the stories.Being someone who occasionally reads this genre, this book was a treat and an invitation for me to explore more of the genre as well as the literature of both regions. I read Sharatchandra Chattopadhyay earlier, and after reading this, I'm very much interested in exploring more Bengali stories, especially by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay.The story by Abir Mukherjee combines both the world beautifully and shows the nuances of each of them, definitely making it one of my favourite stories from this collection. Also, his selection of stories was no less than wonder as not only the stories make us curious till the end, building a perfect set up that is expected from the crime stories, it also shows the spectrum of human emotions, the thread that binds the literature of both regions.Overall, I enjoyed reading the stories in the collection, they kept me at the edge till end, and I'll definitely recommend it to you if you are interested in looking forward to see the astonishing amalgamation between Scotish and Bengali literature.

Reading exposes us to so much new information! This book firstly exposed me to the information about the bong-scot connection! How scottish Tartan Noir inspired the first crime fictions in Bengal, the most famous being Sherlock Holmes!In what I will say first of its kind, this book brings into anthology crime fiction of both these worlds.The ten stories boast of some well known names, proficient in the field and are of varied tastes bound together by the theme of crime!I have read a couple of these in my mother tongue already so I can really vouch on the level of translation and no charm lost as well!The title and the cover I think match perfectly - the balmy Kolkata and the cold mountains of Scotland with crime. Also most of the stories have a side verging on the psychological insight, relationships, and emotion making it relevant.So if you want to read ( rather you must! ) some of the best crime short stories in Bengali matched with their best Scottish counterparts together. You have to keep this in your repertoire!Also recommended for translation lovers!