Homicide in the Indian Hills
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
Intrepid American newlywed Jane Wunderly learns that tigers aren’t the only dangers lurking in 1920s India, when a murder in a popular resort town threatens to destabilize the local government and undermine the resistance movement for Indian self-rule . . .
Ooty, 1927: Accompanying Mr. Redvers on an assignment to Ootacamund to quell revolutionary rumblings, Jane finds there’s more than meets the eye to India’s Queen of Hill Stations. Ooty’s lush tea plantations and tranquil gardens barely conceal its secrets—scandalous affairs, political sabotage, and a mounting anti-colonial movement. Even Redvers intends to subvert his official mission in Ooty by arranging a series of clandestine meetings with local resistance leaders. But it’s not until the shocking death of a British national that Jane and Redvers are truly drawn into Ooty’s deepest shadows.
Jane’s suspicions that the death is more than a tragic accident are soon confirmed, but word of a murder could stoke Ooty’s simmering tensions into a full boil. Navigating corrupt local officials, festering personal vendettas, and a complicated network of bureaucratic entanglements that lead to the top tiers of government, Jane and Redvers edge closer to the truth . . . and its deadly consequences. Someone is willing to spill blood to protect their interests: will Jane become just another of Ooty’s darkest secrets?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Neubauer's entertaining latest (after Secrets of a Scottish Isle) begins with newlyweds Jane Wunderly and Redvers Dibble traveling to India by train in 1927. Redvers, an English banker, is visiting the mountain town of Ootacamund ("Ooty" for short) on official business. The American Jane, meanwhile, plans to explore Ooty's lush gardens and tea plantations. On the train, the couple bumps into British expat Gretchen Beetner, a former member of the Indian National Congress whose outspoken opposition to British rule in India instantly enchants Jane. After the three strike up a friendship, Gretchen is found dead, the victim of a supposed tiger attack. Jane and Redvers suspect foul play, however, and quickly identify people close to Gretchen with reasons both personal and political for wanting her dead. A second killing raises the stakes and intrigue, leading Jane and Redvers to believe they might be in peril. As they sort through a mélange of blackmail and betrayal, they cling to each other for support. Neubauer's solid puzzle plot is accented by well-drawn characters, evocative scenery, and captivating historical detail. Series fans will enjoy themselves.
