by Paul Scott
First published 1998
In the sweltering heat of 1940s British India, British Army officer Sarah Laing confronts a labyrinth of colonial tensions and murder. Assigned to investigate the assassination of a prominent local leader, she quickly discovers the killing connects to deeper networks of resistance and betrayal. Her investigation threatens powerful interests on all sides—British administrators, Indian nationalist groups, and local aristocratic families with complex allegiances. As violence simmers and independence movements gather strength, Laing must choose between official duty and the dangerous truths emerging beneath the raj's fragile surface. One wrong step could ignite a powder keg of retribution that will consume her and everyone around her.
Genres: historical-fiction, suspense, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, moral-dilemma, political-intrigue
Setting: India
Period: 1940s
493 pages · Paperback · University of Chicago Press
Content warnings: colonialism, violence