The Traitor's Bargain
An East India Company Novel of Power, Betrayal, and Bengal’s Fall
Featured in the January 2026 issue of Kirkus Reviews Magazine.
Unreservedly recommended for Historical Fiction collections - Midwest Book Review
A sweeping historical novel of intrigue, betrayal, and empire set in eighteenth-century Bengal.
The Traitor’s Bargain unfolds during the turbulent years surrounding the Battle of Plassey—the conflict that transformed the British East India Company from a trading enterprise into a potent political power in India.
In the summer of 1757, Bengal, jewel of the East, stands on the edge of a precipice. The East India Company, once mere merchants, manoeuvres to unseat a dynasty. The fiery young Nawab Siraj ud-Daulahfinds himself surrounded by treachery. A powerful banker pulls unseen strings behind the throne. A nobleman, torn between loyalty and survival, faces a fateful choice. A Company officer begins to question the masters he serves. And the son of an aristocrat rises to lead a peasant revolt.
Their lives converge in a crucible of shifting power and rising rebellion, as the fury of a devastated land collides with the ambitions of foreign merchants. Every decision becomes a wager, and every betrayal brings its reckoning.
Based on real events and grounded in meticulous research, The Traitor’s Bargain is a vivid portrait of ambition, resistance, audacity, and moral compromise at one of the most consequential turning points in Indian history.
Critical Reception
The Traitor’s Bargain has begun attracting critical attention for its portrayal of Bengal during the tumultuous years surrounding the Battle of Plassey.
Kirkus Reviews praised the novel’s lyrical prose, immersive realism, and emotional power—calling it both sweeping in scope and intimate in human truth.
Read the full Kirkus review:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rajat-roy/the-traitors-bargain/
Midwest Book Review described the novel as “an original and genuine historical suspense thriller… a fun and engaging read from start to finish” - 'unreservedly recommending' it especially for historical fiction library collections.
Read the full review:
https://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/mar_26.htm#historicalfiction