Ragtime in Simla - (Joe Sandilands) by Barbara Cleverly (Paperback)

About the Book

The author of "The Last Kashmiri Rose" pens this richly atmospheric historical mystery. Scotland Yard detective Joe Sandilands is sent to the capital of the British Raj, located at the foothills of the Himalayas, as he investigates two chilling murders in 1922.

Book Synopsis

Simla 1922. While the rest of India bakes in the hot season, up in the pine-scented coolness of the Himalayan hills the English have recreated a vision of home. Here are half-timbered houses, amateur theatricals, gymkhanas and a glittering vice-regal court for the socialites. The summer capital of the British Raj is fizzing with the energy of the jazz age. It is toward this country that detective Joe Sandilands is heading as the guest of the governor of Bengal. But when Joe's travelling companion, a Russian opera singer, is shot dead at his side on the road to Simla, he finds himself plunged into a murder investigation. As Joe begins to unravel the mystery which has its roots in the aftermath of the First World War, he discovers that behind the sparkling facade of Simla lies a trail of murder, vice and blackmail.

From the Paperback edition.

Review Quotes

"Ms. Cleverly deftly transports readers to an exotic locale filled with intrigue, suspense, and characters skilled in the art of deception. This is a perfect travel for historical mystery fans."--Booklist

"Fully developed characters and a convincing portrayal of time and place lift Cleverly's second historical...the author's talents seems capable of transcending any shift in scene."--Publishers Weekly

"The sense of place is exotic, enveloping and superbly depicted. Joe Sandilands second outing is a filling follow his auspicious debut."--Contra Costa

About the Author

Barbara Cleverly is the author of nine novels of historical suspense, including The Damascened Blade, winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award, The Last Kashmiri Rose, Ragtime in Simla, The Palace Tiger, The Bee's Kiss, Tug of War, An Old Magic and The Tomb of Zeus. She lives in Cambridge, England where she is now at work on the newest Joe Scandilands novel, Folly du Jour.