A Very Pukka Murder: A Maharaja Mystery

Set in the tiny princely state of Rajpore, Indian comic book writer Gaind’s first novel is both a satisfying locked-room mystery and a keenly observed comedy of manners. On Jan. 1, 1909, Rajpore’s maharaja, Sikander Singh, who usually likes to start his day with a frosty flute of champagne, learns that Maj. William Russell, a high British government official, has been found dead in his bed. When Russell didn’t respond to his servant’s knocks, a cavalry officer had to break into his bedroom because it was bolted from within. A keen mystery solver, Sikander hops into his Rolls-Royce and hastens to Russell’s bungalow in Rajpore’s English settlement. Sikander determines that Russell was poisoned, but members of the British enclave, keen to avoid a scandal, hamper the maharaja’s subsequent investigation. It becomes clear that Russell had quite a few nasty little secrets and unpleasant proclivities that caused him to be despised by practically everyone. Fans of traditional mysteries and those with an interest in British colonial history will be rewarded. (Nov.)