A nest of vipers

The third installment of the Bangalore Detectives Club series, following Murder under a Red Moon (2023), offers a winning blend of historical mystery and detective work propelled by the-clock-is-ticking danger. The setting is Bangalore, India, in 1921. Kaveri Murthi, Bangalore's first woman detective--young, recently married, and passionately devoted to mathematics, Sherlock Holmes, and human rights regardless of sex or caste--attends a circus performance that goes off the rails in several ways. The big-name magician disappears from a cage. Masked thieves take over the arena and strip British women of their jewelry. And the abusive husband of Kaveri's employee and friend, Anandi, who attends the circus with Kaveri, is found stabbed to death after she leaves Kaveri's side. Ratcheting up the tension is the impending visit to Bangalore by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), who has been touring India and facing widespread protests or empty streets. The only beings that are falling for him are the drugged tigers his servants present for him to shoot. This last detail is one of many that make Nagendra's mysteries fascinating to read. A courageous heroine; intriguing social history embodied in clothes, housing, and food; Indian jadoo magic; and a propulsive plot all add up to a rewarding read.

Nagendra masterfully melds character, plot, and period detail in her transporting third historical mystery featuring amateur detective Kaveri Murthy (after Murder Under a Red Moon). It's 1922, and the city of Bangalore is preparing for a visit from the Prince of Wales. Given that royal visits to Bombay and Calcutta during the previous year were "marked with riots and arson," British authorities have already begun cracking down on activists advocating for Indian independence. Amid that tension, Kaveri attends a street magic show with her friend, Anandi. When a man in the crowd locks eyes with Anandi and mimes slitting his throat, she refuses to acknowledge that she knows the man. After the performance is over, Kaveri and Anandi find him dead from a broken neck, and Anandi admits he's her estranged husband, Pawan. With Anandi arrested as the most obvious suspect, Kaveri and her husband, Ramu, set out to clear their friend's name. As they dig deeper into the dysfunctional couple's past, they stumble on a plot that could pose greater danger to the visiting prince than any political protest. Nagendra is in peak form here, expertly mining the era's political frisson for top-shelf suspense. Fans of Abir Mukherjee's Wyndham and Banerjee series will devour this. Agent: Priya Doraswamy, Lotus Lane Literary. (May)

The lady detective of Bangalore returns in the third "Bangalore Detectives Club" mystery (following Murder Under a Red Moon). It's 1922 when Kaveri Murthy, her husband Ramu, and friends attend a magic show featuring the famous magician Das. During an elaborate Houdini-like escape trick involving a cage, a sword, and a basket of snakes, Das disappears. Shortly thereafter, the crowd is surrounded by thieves in masks. Pandemonium ensues, and Ramu and Kaveri are separated from their friend Anandi. Amid the chaos, Kaveri glimpses Anandi talking to her husband, who is one of the thieves and an abusive man she fled months before. Later, when Anandi's husband's body is discovered outside the circus, she becomes a suspect. Determined to prove her friend's innocence, Kaveri is hurt when Anandi tells her not to get involved. Even her friend, Inspector Ismael, won't talk to her and wants her nowhere near the case. Everyone is cautious, including the members of the Bangalore Detectives Club, due to an upcoming visit by the prince of Wales and growing unrest within the Indian independence movement. VERDICT An interesting blend of cozy mystery and historical fiction. The real charm of this novel is found in the setting and the characters, particularly the relationship between Kaveri and Ramu.--Vicki Briner