Secrets in the Stones
-
-
4.4 • 18 Ratings
-
-
- $6.99
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
A slain lawyer and a stolen diamond compose quite a puzzle for an eighteenth-century anatomist in this historical mystery for fans of Caleb Carr.
Newly released from the notorious asylum known as Bedlam, Lady Lydia Farrell finds herself in an equally terrifying position—as a murder suspect—when she stumbles upon the mutilated body of Sir Montagu Malthus in his study at Boughton Hall.
Meanwhile American Dr. Thomas Silkstone has been injured in a duel with a man who may or may not have committed the grisly deed of which Lydia is accused. Despite his injury, Thomas hopes to clear his beloved’s good name by conducting a postmortem on the victim. With a bit of detective work, he learns that Montagu’s throat was slit by no ordinary blade, but a ceremonial Sikh dagger from India—a clue that may be connected to the fabled lost mines of Golconda.
From the mysterious disappearance of a cursed diamond buried with Lydia’s dead husband, to the undying legend of a hidden treasure map, Thomas must follow a trail of foreign dignitaries, royal agents—and even more victims—to unveil the sinister and shocking secrets in the stones . . .
Praise for Secrets in the Stones
“Satisfying . . . . Harris’s rich portrayal of Indian influences on Britain, along with fresh twists in the protagonists’ romance, adds appeal.” —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1784, Harris's satisfying sixth Dr. Thomas Silkstone mystery (after 2015's Shadow of the Raven) finds attorney Sir Montagu Malthus, who controls Lady Lydia Farrell's estate, opposed to her relationship with the upstart Silkstone. When Lydia discovers Malthus dead in his Oxfordshire home, she becomes a suspect in his murder, along with the commoners who will be impoverished by Malthus's plan to enclose estate lands. Silkstone investigates, finding odd clues, including an unfamiliar kind of rope and prints from a man's slipper-like shoe. When the grave of Lydia's first husband is robbed of the rare diamond ring with which he was buried, Silkstone guesses that the crimes link to the diamond's complex history. Several murders ensure before Silkstone uncovers the surprising truth. Though the backstory can be overcomplicated, Harris's rich portrayal of Indian influences on Britain, along with fresh twists in the protagonists' romance, adds appeal.
