A Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award Winner
In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in a military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university's clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by the widower of one of the victims, Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon. But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous.