Sekaler Goyenda Kahini 2 by Arindam Dasgupta [Hardcover]

English detective fiction enthusiasts often regard the period from the emergence of Sherlock Holmes until the 1930s as the Golden Age of English detective literature. While such a grand claim might not be as fitting for Bengali literature, it is undeniable that from 1894 to 1915, the number of detective stories written in Bengali far surpassed that of the following decades. In the previous volume, we primarily stopped at 1905 due to the scope of the content. This time, however, we extend the period to include the years from 1905 to 1915, adding another decade. For this period, we have selected seven authors and their detective stories. Notably, the writers of the popular "bot-tala" (street corner) detective tales of the time are also included.

A significant change occurred in Bengali detective fiction during this period—many stories began to include illustrations in order to maintain their popularity. We have made an effort to retain that old flavor. Along with the traditional allure of detective stories, readers of this volume will also discover various unknown aspects of the crime world of old Kolkata and Bengal. Additionally, there are advertisements from books published in magazines and newspapers of the time, which have debunked many of the prevailing misconceptions.