The Last Kashmiri Rose

It's tough for me to find books which simply grab me with their intelligence and quality of writing. However, once I do I generally make my way through all the work of that particular author. Donna Leon and her Inspector Brunetti series is a case in point. Barbara Cleverly has woven a tale set in the British Raj in 1922. Detective Joe Sandilands, decent, smart, human and intuitive finds himself drawn into solving a mysterious set of murders right before his scheduled return to Blighty.. His disappointment is mitigated by the appearance of a deeply attractive woman who is there to inform and guide him through exquisite British social mazes which envelop the crimes. A very cool and compelling adventure.

After reading, A Bee's Kiss by Cleverly, I decided to check out her debut novel, and I'm glad I did. Her main protagonist, Joe Sandilands, a veteran of the Western Front and a member of the London Metropolitan Police, is on assignment to India for the purpose of sharing the latest investigative techniques with local law enforcement officials. Just as he is about to return to London, he finds himself investigating the murder of an officer's wife which leads him to four older murders. I think Cleverly captured the atmosphere of the British Raj when the sun was just beginning to set on Britain's control over great swaths of India. I stayed up until the wee hours of the night to see "who done it."

Barbara Cleverly is an amazing author. This is the best book I've read in years. The story moved so smoothly and drew me in on every page. It is not often that I read a book in a weekend, with a very busy schedule, but reading this story was a definite priority. For a terrific plot, engaging characters and a murder mystery that is complex and intriguing, The Last Kashmiri Rose will not disappoint.

I've just finished this and I'm starting right overat the beginning. This brilliantly-plotted novel hadme turning the pages right down to the lastbreath-catching wriggle. I know who did it and - moreimportantly - why - but I'm treating myself to asecond helping. The Indian setting is colourfully captured and thecharacters convincing and sympathetic, the wholecaptured in a great style - Cleverly manages to be atonce light but authoritative. Her dialogue isauthentic and right for the period (sadly, I'm oldenough to know!) What a treat to hear that clipped,literate, 1920's style! The hero-detective, Joe Sandilands, is a refreshingchange from the cops we have gotten used to over the lastfew years; Cleverly allows him to be charming andprincipled and he comes without the heavy baggage of afailing personal life. More in the pipe-line, I hope?

As a long-time fan of historical novels, I've gotten pretty bored with the standard Victorian, medieval, etc. periods, no matter how well they are written. I like a book which "takes" me to times and places I've never been before and know little about. This book not only satisfied me in that respect but it contained an interesting plot involving well-rounded characters with a good mixture of human strengths and foibles that I could relate to and care about. (Although I must admit that I'm happy to have learned more about this period of Indian history from a distance of over 3/4 of a century. It sounds like a terrible era that's happily behind us.)In my opinion, all fans of historical novels should read this one. I'm eagerly looking forward to the author's second entry in this promising series.