Diamonds of the Holy Trail

Diamonds of the Holy Trail is a recount of the author's travel experiences in India, developed into a fiction of light hearted intrigue. The main characters are Paul Mecclesfield, an Australian accountant, and Kunwar Singh.

Paul goes to India for a holiday but mainly to satisfy his curiosity (mid-life crises?) by being a participant in a 'Himalayan Odyssey' to look at the religion of Hinduism.

Kunwar, a 30 year old vaisyas (merchant caste) has taken upon himself to provide funding for the reconstruction/upgrading of part of the holy trail which had been bypassed when the Government constructed an alternative route, leaving many stallholders who solely depended for their existence on the pilgrim trade, out on a limb. He finds no problem with ripping off the rich to give to the poor, and is known as a loveable rogue.

Kunwar is instrumental in the theft of a valuable diamond immediately after its sale by auction in Sydney. The diamond named 'Elygra' accidentally finishes up in Paul's possession at Bombay airport. Right along the holy trail to the origins of the Holy River Gange there are incidences of intrigue, tension, kidnaps, police and army involvement (diamond to fund terrorists?) with reconciliation all around in the end.

There is some romance, descriptions of fascinating Indian people and the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas.