Set in 1922 on the Northwest frontier border of India with Afghanistan. Cleverly provides a real sense of the setting and time period, along with the Set in 1922 on the Northwest frontier border of India with Afghanistan. Cleverly provides a real sense of the setting and time period, along with the tribal culture of the times. Definitely my favorite part of the novel. Joe Sandilands has taken a couple of weeks to visit his friend Major James Lindsey at the frontier fort he commands. A number of interesting visitors arrive during this time, including a young American heiress, Lily Coblenz, whom Joe has been told by superiors to look after. She has been seeking a more authentic experience than what she has found in the British occupied city of Simla. Well, she will be getting more adventure than she bargained for when a tribal prince is found dead at the fort after an evening's entertainment. Is it food poisoning or something more ominous? Joe is being placed on the case and must resolve the mystery before his Chieftan father attacks the fort in retribution. There are some strong characters besides Joe, James and Lily. My favorite was Grace, the respected middle-aged doctor who is quite at home in the British, Indian, or Parthan communities.
Cleverly hones in on the concept of hospitality and retribution among the Parthan culture, and it plays out nicely throughout the story.
Quick read for the planes & airports on my latest trip. This book immerses you in the Mughal empire of the 17th C. " during a time of unimaginable weaQuick read for the planes & airports on my latest trip. This book immerses you in the Mughal empire of the 17th C. " during a time of unimaginable wealth & power, murderous sibling rivalries, & cruel despotism..." (from the book cover). Fascinating read. Royal intrigues and warring factions are present across all countries & cultures and this unfolds in Hindustan (India) of the Mughal empire where the minority Muslims rule and the clash of religion and status is seething underneath the grabs for power among the Emperor's family. Amidst this backdrop the magnificent Taj Mahal is being built and a forbidden love story is unfolding. I've always wanted to see the Taj Mahal and this book only whets my appetite further....more
A thoroughly entertaining murder mystery read! Everyone seems to be hiding a secret in this second installment of Detective Joe Sandilands, Scotland YA thoroughly entertaining murder mystery read! Everyone seems to be hiding a secret in this second installment of Detective Joe Sandilands, Scotland Yard. Joe is trying to leave his assignment in India again and this time is lured to the mountains of India to escape the heat for a "holiday". He becomes involved in working on a murder with the local police when a famous singer he has given a lift to, is shot & killed in front of his eyes as they were traveling to Simla. And that is just the start of this twisty story. I felt transported to this British summer retreat in India during the Raj period. How the British co-opted and used this country was ably presented despite being wrapped up in the mystery. This was a step up from the debut novel, yet I was still hoping for a little more character development of our M.C.
I don't know how I have read so much over the years with British characters and or setting and not seen the word tiffen before! ...more
Enjoyable read. It's 1922, the waning years of British held India, Inspector Joe Sandilands is sent to investigate a suspicious death of the wife of aEnjoyable read. It's 1922, the waning years of British held India, Inspector Joe Sandilands is sent to investigate a suspicious death of the wife of a Bengal Grey cavalry unit officer. Sharp-eyed & curious Nancy Drummond convinces Joe that there may be a connection to other deaths that have occurred over the last 12 years. Is someone targeting the wives of these officers and if so why? If these deaths are related, who's next and can Joe find the killer before he strikes again?
Joe: "I believe it's time the police force stopped being a servant of the aristocracy and became the guardian of society and that sounds very pompous so I suppose you're right. I am a sort of social missionary." My kind of guy....more
I enjoyed the story. I love being educated about a time & place I know little about. Set during a time of unwanted change, as the British decide to adI enjoyed the story. I love being educated about a time & place I know little about. Set during a time of unwanted change, as the British decide to add India to the British Empire, the Rebel Queen of the title was a true figure in India's history, but certainly not the first of their warrior queens. The story is narrated through the eyes of truly the main character, one of her female guards, Sita. Which I always thought was the stuff of legends (a cadre of female warriors, that is) such as the Amazons. The best part of the novel was all the detail about customs of India during the mid-late 1850's. A time when girls & women were kept secluded most of their lives, married off at 9 or 10, and practiced immolation on their husband's funeral pyre....more
4 stars for the writing & ability to make a nonfiction read like fiction. The topic itself, not so fun. Boo follows primarily 3 families that live in 4 stars for the writing & ability to make a nonfiction read like fiction. The topic itself, not so fun. Boo follows primarily 3 families that live in the Annawadi slum next to the airport in Mumbai, India. Although life is drudgery & hard work to eke out a living among those with the determination to live, Boo shows us that even among the poorest caught up in a cycle of poverty and living in a land of corruption throughout governmental & charitable structures, these people aspire to something better. Hopes are dashed over & over, some succumb to the despair, others continue to strive. No happy endings here, but it is difficult to look away....more
3.5 stars. Maybe as this story and writing has a chance to marinate more, I may find the need to elevate the star rating. So literary fiction is proba3.5 stars. Maybe as this story and writing has a chance to marinate more, I may find the need to elevate the star rating. So literary fiction is probably one of my least favorite genres. I bought this long ago and it fulfills a challenge. The writing IS beautiful, poetic at times, but also can be disjointed. The randomness of the capitalization of words was disruptive to the flow for me, because I kept trying to find patterns or meaning behind the usage. The back & forth through time did flow for me pretty seamlessly until towards the end, but I think that was because I was more than ready for the climax to occur!!
There is a lot squeezed into this story telling of small and big things. The many characters are fleshed out in all their human complexity. We are introduced to a dysfunctional family in India, and learn about their daily lives (the small things) and how woven through the big things leads to the "day that changed everything". The big things: Indian politics, racism r/t caste and color, and misogyny among others. A sense of foreboding builds throughout the unfolding of the story of their lives. There are myths. secrets, the bond of twins, loss of innocence, forbidden love, and betrayal. ...more