Royalty in India: Maharani, and Almond Eyes Lotus Feet

There was a time when India was a mass of Princely kingdoms who spent their time warring with each other, patronising the arts, looking (or not-looking) after their subjects, and doing other things that Royals are supposed to do.In Maharani, Ruskin Bond narrates the story of an aging former queen Neena or H.H as the …

Two Disappointing: Why Shoot a Butler?, & Endless Night

Losing one's way and ending up in a strange and (oft times) sinister situation is a plot technique often used by mystery writers. [See Death Knocks Three Times, and The Whispering House]    Georgette Heyer's Why Shoot a Butler? also begins with our hero Frank Amberley (a brilliant barrister as the blurb has it) helplessly lost …

Two Vintage Mysteries: The Secret Agent, and The Town Cried Murder

On 15th February, 1894, two members of the Greenwich Observatory  were startled by a 'sharp and clear detonation, followed by a noise like a shell going through the air'. Looking out, they observed the door porter running across the courtyard. Following him, they saw the warden of the Greenwich Park and some school boys, crowding …

Short Reviews: Kartography, Murder Among Friends, Too Many Cooks

With time being at a premium nowadays and the review pile towering up, I have decided to write short reviews for the books read.KARTOGRAPHY (OR HOW TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR EX AND HIS/ HER SPOUSE) by KAMILA SHAMSIEI first discovered Kamila Shamsie in the late Nineties when I read her book Salt and Saffron. …

First Read: Dr. McCoy – From Sawdust to Stardust

Like last year, my first read of this year too is a book that would make me feel guilty: Terry Lee Rioux' biography of actor DeForest Kelley: From Sawdust to Stardust. Dr. Leonard McCoy, the iconic character, portrayed by Kelley was my favourite amongst all Star Trek characters when I first saw the series around …