Well, RV Raman’s second Harith Athreya mystery came as a surprise. While A Will to Kill was definitely in the Agatha Christie style, A Dire Isle was a police procedural with the expected wrap-up scene. It just shows how creative Raman is, that he takes his sleuth from one mystery style to another, and they both work.
Bundelkhand in central India, and the small islet, Naaz Tapu, have a long history of legend and superstition. Even when he sees it for the first time, Naaz Tapu elicits a eerie feeling in Harith Athreya. He is commissioned to visit an archeological dig across from the islet. The lead trustee suspects something is wrong at the site of excavation. Before he heads to the site, his host tells him of the ancient legend from the Orchha kingdom, the story of a young couple in love, their disappearance, and a curse on Naaz Tapu, a curse involving an enormous guard and his dog.
Raman finds an excavation site with a group of people who are suspicious and uneasy because the head of the expedition, Mrs. Markham, is disliked. She accuses staff of misdeeds, and recently fired one of the crew. The crew at the site have stories to tell about other expeditions that have been robbed of antiques by a group called Bronze Runners. They’ve been stealing art and antiques for several years, and disappearing quickly. Mrs. Markham wants to protect their site, although there have been no big discoveries. But, she seems determined to make a discovery at the site. However, she violates local taboos by going to Naaz Tapu.
When one of the team disappears at night, Raman and the local police inspector lead a search crew until they find a body. Now, it’s a murder investigation. And, Harith Athreya gathers facts, and listens carefully to all the stories, legends and accusations.
RV Raman’s A Dire Isle is an intriguing police procedural. Raman introduces readers to the stories and sites of central India. Harith Athreya himself is a fascinating character, a man who wants to ignore superstitions, but finds himself affected by the haunting atmosphere and his own claustrophobia when he’s on Naaz Tapu. Readers looking for a unique setting, along with a complex mystery and solution, might want to try A Dire Isle.
RV Raman’s website is http://www.rvraman.com
A Dire Isle by RV Raman. Agora Books, 2021. ISBN 9781951709524 (hardcover), 278p.
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