Dark Road to Darjeeling
Deanna Raybourn
Mira, Oct 1 2010, $14,95
ISBN: 9780778328209
In 1889, Lady Julia Grey and her second husband detective Nicholas Brisbane enjoy a honeymoon in the Himalayas; not a surprising locale for this pair who met when her first spouse was twitching in his final death dance a few years ago (see Silent in the Grave). While high in the mountains, the happy couple is stunned by family visitors; Julia’s brother Plum and her sister Portia arrive with shocking news.
Portia’s former lover Jane Cavendish insists her husband Freddie was murdered in India. Brisbane couldn’t care less that Freddie’s dead as he wants time alone with his wife. However, the three siblings agree to investigate the homicide to the sleuth’s disappointment. However, he hesitantly agrees to assist his wife and in-laws, but insists they owe him big time. As the inquiry continues into boiling colonial India, they find a horde of potential killers with strong motives, but not one iota of evidence pointing specifically at any of them.
The fourth Lady Julia Grey historical mystery (see Silent in the Sanctuary and Silent on the Moor) is a superb entry in what is a strong series. Shifting continents, but still influenced by the Victorian presence in Asia, as "the sun never sets on the English Empire", Dark Road to Darjeeling is a great whodunit it that showcases the talent of Deanna Raybourn to mix humor with tension in a descriptive late nineteenth century exotic locale. Fans will want to read this terrific whodunit as the Lady Julia Grey saga continues its super storytelling.
Harriet Klausner
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