From the front lines of BBC war reporting to the fragrant, frenetic lanes of Chandni Chowk, Paul Waters has taken one of the most delicious career pivots in recent crime fiction. His debut mystery, Murder in Moonlit Square, introduces the unlikely but irresistible sleuthing duo of Sister Agatha Murphy—a sharp-eyed, semi-retired Irish nun—and Avtar Mehta, the suave owner of the Delhi Haveli Hotel. Part love-letter to Old Delhi, part classic whodunit laced with humour and humanity, the novel has stormed the Indian bestseller charts and left readers begging for more. In this exclusive conversation, Paul reveals the real-life aunt who became Sister Agatha, the coincidence too good to ignore, why he’ll never stop getting deliberately lost in the galis, and—most excitingly—gives us the very first whisper of book two: Death at the Elephant House.

Question: Paul, from BBC war zones to the winding lanes of Chandni Chowk—what a leap! What made you trade breaking news for breaking mysteries in Murder in Moonlit Square?

Paul Waters: When I was planning one of my previous books, Blackwatertown, a thriller set on the 1950’s Irish border, I thought of writing non-fiction. I had heard so many juicy stories from a little-known insurgency that had not been properly reported nor made the history books. However, I then considered the risk of being sued for defamation and the risk of retaliation from people still passionate about that recent history. So I decided to use what I knew as the basis for a fictional story inside, with a strong foundation in fact.

By the time I wrote Murder In Moonlit Square, I was a firm convert to fiction. Fiction can sometimes let a writer tell a powerful story in a more compelling way. And it allows me to bring in romance and humour, as well as mystery.

Question: An Irish nun solving crimes in the heart of Old Delhi — that’s not a pairing anyone saw coming. How did Sister Agatha Murphy first walk into your imagination?

Paul Waters: My leading characters Sister Agatha Murphy and Avtar Mehta are both inspired by real people. Avtar is more straightforward. I have a friend who runs a hotel in Delhi, and he’s such a decent man, and good fun. He’s given me a lot of insight into how hotels operate. I can recommend the real life Hotel Sita International in Paharganj, though it is very different from my fictional Delhi Haveli Hotel in Chandni Chowk.

The inspiration for Sister Agatha Murphy is more unusual. First of all you need to know that I fell in love with India when I fell in love with my wife Aneysha. She was born in Chandigarh and grew up in Delhi.

My fictional Sister Agatha is partly inspired by my real life auntie Agatha who was an Irish teaching nun. She spent her career at schools and colleges across India. Her final position was Principal of Jesus and Mary College in Delhi. Her former students tell me she was a formidable woman, but with a sense of fun. However,  in her first posting in Pune, the real life Sister Agatha taught my wife’s late mother. That coincidence was too bizarre and wonderful to ignore, and it gave me the of pairing a shrewd semi-retired Irish nun with a brave Indian hotelier. Two amateurs who try to outwit both killers and the police.

Question:  Chandni Chowk in your book feels alive—you can almost smell the jalebis and hear the rickshaws. Did you actually get lost in those lanes while researching, or was it all stitched together from observation and instinct?

Paul Waters: I love wandering the lanes of Chandni Chowk. It makes my research such a pleasure. The food, the sights and the architecture are fascinating, and the people so friendly. And yes, I do get lost. But that’s deliberate. Each new archway, staircase or gali is a temptation I cannot resist. And then great conversations follow.

Question: The title itself, Murder in Moonlit Square, feels cinematic. If you had to pitch the book as a film, what would be your elevator line — and who would you cast as Sister Agatha?

Paul Waters: The book title, Murder In Moonlit Square, is a tribute to the setting. Chandni = Moonlit (or moonlight, or silver). Chowk = Square.

It can be hard to describe your own writing, but this seems a good summary:  A warm and witty mystery set in Delhi, where a streetwise Irish nun and an Indian hotelier take on murder and mayhem, while keeping a sense of humour.

Question: You mix crime and community in one story. What was the spark behind blending Old Delhi’s street life and a whodunit plot?

Paul Waters: Chandni Chowk was the spark. I wanted to write a story that felt and smelt and sounded authentic – set in a real place that readers would recognise, but not a caricature of India. However, good storytelling means turning up the action, colour and emotion a notch. And Chandni Chowk is already one of the most vivid lively places, with rich history and diversity – so it was the perfect setting. 

Question:  Sister Agatha and Avtar Mehta make such a magnetic duo — she’s instinctive and moral, he’s suave and pragmatic. How did you strike that chemistry between faith, charm, and mystery?

Paul Waters: The key is that neither of them is perfect. They each have their vices, secrets and vulnerabilities. But they rise to any challenge despite being flawed humans like everyone else. They’re brave not because they are not scared, but because they try to do what is right, even though they are sometimes afraid.

Also, they are equals. They work as a combination. I alternate between their points of view. The odd-numbered chapters are from Sister Agatha’s point of view. The even-numbers have Avtar in the lead. I hope this means the reader get the best of both worlds – an insider and an outsider viewpoint on India.

Question:  The book’s already being praised as “a love letter to Delhi.” What did you fall in love with most while writing — the chaos, the contradictions, or the people who make it all work somehow?

Paul Waters: I love that Murder In Moonlit Square is being described as a ‘love letter to Delhi’, because I love the city. Anyone living in Delhi knows its problems. You only have to take a breath. But for me the question is easy to answer. As I mentioned before, I fell in love with my wife first, and she introduced me to the city.  Over the years since I have explored Delhi on foot, through conversation and reading. But face-to-face is the best way to learn about Delhi life and stories. Preferably over masala chai, badam milk or Old Monk rum. 

Question: And finally — because we have to ask — will Sister Agatha return? Perhaps Murder on the Metro or The Case of the Missing Mango Lassi next?

Paul Waters: Yes! Sister Agatha Murphy and Avtar Mehta will be back. Murder in Moonlit Square had such a great reception. It entered the Indian fiction bestseller charts at number three! And stayed in the top ten for a number of weeks. The press and social media reviews have also been very favourable. And readers have been so encouraging when we meet in person. Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed it. You get the credit for my publisher wanting a sequel.

Thank you for your suggested titles. I am currently completing book two in Haveli Hotel Mysteries series. It is also set in Chandni Chowk, the month after the events in book one. Murder In Moonlit Square took place in December. The sequel happens in January. I probably should not reveal the title. But as we’re among friends, I can exclusively reveal that book two is called – Death at the Elephant House.