The Damascened Blade

Joe Sandilands #3

by Barbara Cleverly

In the northwest frontier 1910, the screams of a wounded British officer abandoned at the bottom of a dark ravine are heard by a young Scottish subaltern. Ignoring the command to retreat to base the Highlander sets out alone, with dagger in hand, to rescue his fellow officer from the Pathan tribesman who is slowly torturing him to death. But the bloody outcome of this rescue attempt is not what anybody could have predicted. Over a dozen years later the backwash of this tragedy threatens to engulf Joe Sandilands. On a welcome break from his policing duties, Joe is spending a fortnight with his old army friend, James Lindsay, commander of the British army's front line fort at Gor Khatri on the Afghan border. However, the fragile peace is soon broken resulting in the death of a Pathan prince and the taking of hostages, and Joe and his companion are given seven days in which to identify, arrest and execute the killer before the frontier erupts into war. The deadly edge of the final days of the Raj sets the backdrop for this third engrossing novel in the popular Joe Sandilands series.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, India, Historical, Crime

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2003

About the author

Barbara Cleverly was born in the north of England and is a graduate of Durham University. A former teacher, she has spent her working life in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk; she now lives in Cambridge. She has one son and five step-children.

Her Joe Sandilands series of books set against the background of the British Raj was inspired by the contents of a battered old tin trunk that she found in her attic. Out of it spilled two centuries of memories of a family – especially a great uncle who spent a lot of time in India – whose exploits and achievements marched in time with the flowering of the British Empire.

Reviews

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 4 out of 5]

I onda se promenio urednik u Laguni i zanemario sve što je ranije rađeno... i što su čitaoci zavoleli... :(

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1922 on the Northwest frontier border of India with Afghanistan. Cleverly provides a real sense of the setting and time period, along with the tribal culture of the times. Definitely my favorite part of the novel. Joe Sandilands has taken a couple of weeks to visit his friend Major James Lindsey at the frontier fort he commands. A number of interesting visitors arrive during this time, including a young American heiress, Lily Coblenz, whom Joe has been told by superiors to look after. She has been seeking a more authentic experience than what she has found in the British occupied city of Simla. Well, she will be getting more adventure than she bargained for when a tribal prince is found dead at the fort after an evening's entertainment. Is it food poisoning or something more ominous? Joe is being placed on the case and must resolve the mystery before his Chieftan father attacks the fort in retribution. There are some strong characters besides Joe, James and Lily. My favorite was Grace, the respected middle-aged doctor who is quite at home in the British, Indian, or Parthan communities.

Cleverly hones in on the concept of hospitality and retribution among the Parthan culture, and it plays out nicely throughout the story.

Nice addition to the series.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly is the 3rd book of the Joe Sandilands mystery series set in 1922 Peshawar District, North-West Frontier Province of India. Joe Sandilands, former military officer, is a Scotland Yard detective. He's sent to a remote fort near Khyber Pass on the Afghan border with an American heiress from Chicago. Lily Coblenz is eager for adventure, brushes off warnings of danger. Her quick wits and courage serve her well, as she encounters way more adventure than she expected.

A large cast of visitors arrive at the fort with Joe: the fort commander's wife Betty, doctor Grace on her way to the Amir in Afghanistan, and several British officials (too many are introduced at once, bogging down the story, making it difficult to effectively remember distinct individuals, but eventually each has a clear role and impact in the mystery).

Pathans Zeman and Iskander are honored guests at the fort (whether the visiting British officials like it or not). Next morning, Zeman is found dead on the stairs, apparently a victim of food poisoning. Joe finds Lily an intelligent confidante, the only other one who recognizes foul play. What Joe cannot tell is who is guilty, who is covering it up?

The primary theme of the book is "badal" (revenge), a fundamental principle of the Pathan code of conduct; secondary theme is "melmastia" (hospitality). Fort commander James Lindsay must offer melmastia to honored guests, while aware they are motivated by badal.

Zeman's death is followed by a kidnapping, a frantic search of hostile desert, then a clever rescue aided by a coincidental childbirth. Plot twists keep up the excitement, and allow Lily to show off her sharp-shooting prowess. An enjoyable adventure rich with detail of historic India (now Pakistan), including a caravan of traders traversing the Khyber Pass in their annual trek along the Silk Road.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t remember reading this, but when I entered it, it showed I did…in 2016. I enjoyed the setting, the history, and most of the characters, but this isn’t one Ms Cleverly’s best.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE DAMASCENED BLADE – EX
Barbara Cleverly – 3rd in series (UK release)
On a break from his policing duties, Joe Sandilands is visiting his old army friend, James Lindsay, commander of the British army's front line fort at Gor Khatri on the Afghan border. An uneasy peace is in operation, but into this situation is injected an ill-assorted group of visitors to the fort.

Although it helps to have read the first two books in the series to understand Joe, the other characters are interesting and well developed. She conveys a very tangible sense of place and there are twists and turns that keep you going to the very end. Set against a backdrop of English-occupied India in 1892, this is an excellent mystery, and one certain to be on my 2004 Top Ten list.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3 1/2. The plot got really bogged down in the middle part, if not for that it would have earn 4 stars.

The women characters were really well done. From Betty, the officer's wife, competent and bright (pregnant too) to Grace, the elderly doctor on a mission to Lily, the young American free spirit. Even secondary women characters with only cameo, I'm thinking about the Australian gypsy and the young chief's wife were bright lights in this novel. It's rare that you get so many strong, competent, smart female characters all at once.

Now the story, this is the British Indian and what is now Pakistan frontier in the 1920's. Tribal wars, feuds, grudges and revenge. We join Joe Sandilands, Cleverly's hero, in his next adventure. A fort at the edge of the wilderness, a dead visitor that has the potential to bring out full out tribal war. A list of suspect to death that may or may not be murder. The overall idea is good, the resolution is good, it's the execution that brings down the pace. There are secondary characters that we don't need to know so much about. I'm thinking of the British Air Force officer or the Delhi bureaucrat. They have their role to play into the plot but too much time was spend on their background. Unless Cleverly plans on bringing them back.

So good characters, good plot overall but slow pace.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Colbenz, American heiress, smart, willful, independent AND very desirous of experiencing the real and untamed India... had proven to be too difficult to handle while at Simla and was then sent with two other women to a Raj fort near Afghanistan... under Major Commander James Lindsay's protection with James' friend Joe Sandilands as her bodyguard... again, owing to Sir George Jardine's powerful influence and manipulations. The other two women were Betty Lindsay, the fort commander's heavily pregnant wife and her doctor, Dr. Grace Holbrook who was a well~respected figure with both the British and the Hindu communities and who stopped at the fort to await her escorts to the Amir for his treatment. There were other visitors there with their own agendas when the son of another Amir was declared to be dead by Dr. Grace as a 'death by misadventure' a verdict that did not sit well with the dead man's best friend... so he kidnapped hostages and one of them was Lily, who showed her grit and mettle in the face of more adventure than she can handle. The death had something to do with the Pathans' need to seek retribution and restore honour... it would be safe to assume that the vendetta had its roots in the past... for some personages at the fort had histories that dovetailed and heroes could be villains depending on whose perspective. Another engrossing colourful epic~story.

[Maude · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Damascened Blade is the third book in the series set in the age of the British Raj. In this novel, Scotland Yard Detective Joe Sandilands is responsible for the guarding of a young American woman in India's North-West Frontier. "Lily Coblenz, accompanied by a cunning businessman, a woman doctor, and two quarreling military strategists, expects the adventure of a lifetime when she arrives at a remote British outpost.

When the son of a Pathan tribal leader is discovered dead, Sandilands knows that his mission to protect Lily has suddently taken a startling new turn that may bring them all to the brink of war.

I have liked many of Barbara Cleverly books but this book was just a so-so for me. The story was told well but just never captured my interest and was about ten pages too long. It may be I am overdosed on reading right now, or that it was predictable.

Having said that, I would still recommend this book as Cleverly is a good writer and I have enjoyed many of her previous books.

[Linda Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the first two a long time ago and was waiting for the third one to come out. This is it. It's 1922 and Joe is still in the Northwest border country. He has been tasked with shepherding an adventure-seeking American heiress to keep her out of trouble. The fort has several guests, and all have their own agenda. A lady doctor arrives and she will be escorted by local tribesmen. Before the morning arrives, one or the tribesmen dies. Can Joe and his friend, fort commander James 'Jock' Lindsay, avert retribution by the locals?
Whilst it's an easy read, it deals with the culture clashes experienced by the British during their occupation of the area. The scenery is well-described as are the people - their care and respect for women and family, and the security they put in place to protect themselves from the conquering British.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The time is 1910, the place is India’s North Western Frontier – although strictly speaking under 21st-century geography, we’d now call that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. It’s a wild and isolated place peopled by dangerous tribesmen who have traditions of honour that are alien to western minds. When a small group of military men from the Highlanders are attacked by Pathan tribesmen, the order is given to pull out; to leave the dead and bring out the wounded. And if the wounded can’t be rescued, then don’t leave them to the assault of their merciless attackers. One man falls into a ravine and is left behind. A young soldier disobeys the order to retreat and heads back to help his comrade who is being tortured. He kills the man’s torturers and then does what he knows he must. He puts the man out of his agony with a bullet to the head. And then……..well then you can sit back for another 280 pages of Barbara Cleverly’s book' The Damascened Blade' before you’ll finally understand what that was all about and how it’s connected to the plot that follows.

Twelve years later at the isolated fort of Gor Khatri, commander James Lindsay is waiting for a convoy of visitors. With him is his old friend Joe Sandilands, a British police officer on secondment from Scotland Yard. Joe has been asked to take care of (or as he sees it probably to babysit) a young American heiress called Lily. Lily has come to India in search of adventure and she’s determined to have it. Joe is more interested in keeping her safe and out of trouble.

Lily is not the only visitor travelling to the fort. There’s Dr Grace Holbrook, en route to an assignment as the personal physician of the Amir of Afghanistan. She’s a remarkable woman, speaking the local languages, at home with both the Brits and the locals, she’s a real one-of-a-kind pioneer. Not quite so well suited to the trip is Sir Edwin Burroughs, a boorish senior Indian civil servant on a fact-finding mission to investigate whether British resources are being wisely invested in defending the border. Lord Rathmore is the Chairman of West India Trading and he wants to go to Afghanistan and work out how to fill their markets with British goods. The final visitor heading to the fort is Fred Moore-Simpson of the RAF who wants to examine the prospects for using aircraft to patrol the frontier. The final visitor is one James is looking forward to seeing – his heavily pregnant wife Betty.

Waiting at the fort are two local men, Zeman and Iskander, envoys of the Amir, travelling with a large group of armed escorts. They are charged with the task of meeting up with Dr Grace and taking her safely to the Amir and as such, they are also to be treated as honoured guests. A big dinner is thrown for all the visitors and the next morning, Zeman is found dead. When Iskander refuses to accept the findings of Dr Grace’s hasty autopsy, he takes matters into his own hands. Unless James can deliver to him his friend’s killer by the end of the week, Iskander will kill one of the group at the fort. And James, as the man in charge, is all set to put himself literally in the firing line if he and Joe can’t identify the killer.

I am fascinated by India and I read all sorts of novels by Indian writers or set in India. I also enjoy the odd crime novel, though if I’m honest, my crime reading leans towards high tech state of the art forensics rather than bumbling old-style sleuthing so I was stepping out of my usual genre rather with 'The Damascened Blade'. However, the location more than made up for the reservations I had about historical crime fiction. The North West Frontier is a fascinating area and I wanted to know more about the place, about the traditions of the tribal groups and the issues Cleverly touches on relating to ‘honour’ and revenge. She brings alive the barren and inhospitable craggy landscape beautifully as well as introducing the colourful world of the harem and the privileged by restricted life of the royal women. Whilst I wouldn’t have wanted to be there with the characters, I did feel as if she’d taken me there alongside them.

In Joe, I found a slightly bumbling sleuth, one who seemed as clueless as I was right up to very near the end when he almost seemed to stumble across the truth. In James and Betty, we find the sweet young couple, separated by duty and his first love, the Army. The contrast between Burroughs and Rathmore displayed the conflict between civil service and trade, the challenge of keeping costs under control on one side and the urge to expand a trade empire whilst others worry over a geographic power base. The RAF man represents the onward march of technology and the lady doctor and Lily, the changing roles of women in the empire. As the lone American, Lily is almost as much a foreigner as the local tribesmen, and represents a feisty ‘Annie Oakley’ approach to frontier life and its challenges.

When reading crime fiction I like to know that if I pay attention, it will all make sense eventually. I don’t want to guess too early who the killer or killers might be or I feel cheated. Equally I don’t want to get to the end and think it wouldn’t have been possible in a zillion years to have guessed. 'The Damascened Blade' kept me guessing almost to the end and when the truth was finally revealed, it all slotted into place, tying in the opening chapter with the death of the man in the ravine, and finally giving a reason for all that follows. Is it the most complex and twisting plot I’ve ever read? No, it’s not but it’s good enough. I was there for the mountains, the colour and flavour of the frontier, as well as a good dose of days of the Raj politics and power play, and the book delivered all of these in large doses.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third Joe Sandilands mystery I've read and it's my favourite so far. The setting is fantastic; what is now Pakistan, on the frontier border with the Khyber Pass. The characters are well-crafted; I enjoy Sandilands and I particularly liked Lily, the spirited American girl. The mystery was interesting and the story as well; well-written and well-paced. Barbara Cleverly clearly has found her stride and I'm now looking forward to getting the next book in the series. Well-done!

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Sandilands is spending a few days visiting an Army friend on the Northwest Frontier of India in 1922, when a disparate group of visitors arrive at the fort. After a celebratory dinner party, one guest dies, in suspicious circumstances. Naturally Joe begins an investigation, but the facts don't quite all add up. Very fast-paced, and hard to put down. Highly recommended.

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barbara Cleverly’s Scotland Yard detective Joe Sandilands’s third outing takes him to beyond Peshawar, to a fort called Gor near the Khyber Pass. It is 1922, and the garrison at Gor Khatri, commanded by Sandilands’s old friend, James Lindsay, finds itself having to play host to a number of important guests: a high-ranking bureaucrat in favour of pulling back from the North-West Frontier and letting the fierce tribes of that region alone; a senior Airforce officer, equally hell-bent on using air power to push further west; an ambitious and powerful businessman.

Then, there are rather more unusual visitors. James’s pregnant wife, Betty. Lily Coblenz, the headstrong daughter of an American tycoon who must be humoured because of his hold on weaponry and politics (Lily Coblenz, in India to get a taste of the exotic, has found even Simla too boring, and wants to see some adventure near the Khyber). And finally, Dr Grace Holbrook, who has worked so many years in the area that she is respected and trusted by all the tribes around. So much so that the Amir has appointed her his personal physician and has sent an escort to fetch her from Gor Khatri.

But when the leader of the Afghan escort troop is found dead, poisoned, on the stairs at Gor Khatri, Joe Sandilands—till then given the ignominious task of keeping an eye on Lily—swings into action.

Unfortunately, the action is really not Joe-centric, after all. There’s plenty of adventure, many exotic locales (not to mention equally exotic locals), much horsemanship and tribesmen sneaking along through the ravines, but comparatively little in the way of detective work. What is there of sleuthing, too, is diluted a bit because a good bit of it is done, not by Joe Sandilands, but by Lily Coblenz.

I didn’t much care for the first two Sandilands mysteries, because they were so riddled with errors about India. Both, however, did have a very solid mystery, and the route to the denouement was intriguing. The Damascened Blade, sadly, falls relatively flat when it comes to the untangling of the puzzle. The mystery—the death of the handsome young Zeman Khan—is intriguing, but it swiftly becomes a mere factor in politics of different types and at different levels, and Cleverly returns to it only briefly near the end. It’s almost as if Sandilands & Co. forgot that their adventure still had a mystery at the heart of it.

True, there are (or seem to be, since I’m not well versed with Afghanistan) fewer errors here than in the earlier books, but still, it’s not one I’m going to be re-reading in a hurry.

P.S. Harem (or haram) does not mean ‘sacred’; quite the opposite. ‘Forbidden’ is a rather more apt meaning, and that is the reason why it’s used to refer to a man’s women—his wives, daughters, aunts, cousins, whatever: they are ‘forbidden’ to a strange man. Ms Cleverly, please note.

[Judy Hankom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins in 1910 in the North-West Frontier. A wounded British officer has become trapped in a deep ravine. He is in agony as he is being tortured by Pathan tribesmen. The order has been given to abandon the officer as it seems impossible to reach him. All except for one Scottish officer who sneaks back to help the trapped officer.

Then the story picks up in April of 1922. A young and spoiled American heiress, Lily Coblenz, has come to India to take in the culture and adventure she thinks it has to offer. She has become a pest but one that has to reckoned with as her father is very influential. She wants to see the "real India."

The man in charge, Sir George Jardine, finally makes the decision that Lily shall travel to Peshawar where she will be under the protection of Commander Joe Sandilands. Joe is to see to her entertainment and safety. When Joe gets the assignment from Sir George, he is beyond horrified.

When Lily arrives as well a a few other guests as well as Dr. Grace Holbrook. Also included are two Pathan officers with a contingent of their men. It is up to the Fort administrator to welcome all the new arrivals and to find room for them, excluding the Pathan troops.

One of the Pathan men is a prince. He is found dead one morning. Then hostages are taken by the Pathans. A very tense situation develops. Joe is given the ultimatum to find whomever killed the prince, to arrest and see him hanged before the whole area erupts in war.

Joe has an almost impossible task. He discovers that there is a bitter feud going on that has its roots in the past, specifically in 1910.

This was a most satisfying adventure. And I really enjoyed it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm continuing to enjoy this set of historical mysteries set in the 1920s in British India. In this case a young American heiress is interested in seeing the 'real' India, not just going to balls and on hunts that are more British than anything else. So she wheedles her way into a party departing for a remote fort near the frontier with Afghanistan where Joe Sandilands just happens to also be visiting an old friend. Much to his chagrin, he's put in charge of her safety.

But it turns out she's not really the one in danger AND she's a bit more than just a flighty rich girl. She's a crack shot, quite athletic, and very intelligent. Joe knows he'll have his hands full but finds himself also quite impressed with her insights when a senior member of a group of visiting Afghans is found dead the next morning.

As usual for this series, the first chapter relates an event from years before -- it does play into the ultimate solution so a reader is wise to pay attention and keep it in mind.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1922 and Joe Sandilands is on secondment from Scotland Yard and is spending two weeks with his friend James Lindsay who commands a fort at Gor Khatri on the front lines in India during the British Raj. Joe is given the task of insuring the safety of an American young woman who insists on seeing the real India. He us not happy with this assignment but his life becomes much more complicated when a local Indian prince dies while a guest at the fort stirring up a huge political problem including the desire of the Prince’s family for retribution and revenge. Kidnapping ensues and it is up to Joe to assist James in avoiding outright war. An involving story and a host of interesting characters make this an exciting read and also provide some education about the British Raj in India.

[Leslie Conner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 of Detective Joe Sandilands while still in India he travels to North-West Frontier to visit an old friend. Here he is assigned an unusual and difficult task. Suddenly much falls in his lap despite not currently being a member of the military. Kidnapping, murder, cultural uncertainties. How does a Scotland Yard Detective determine the truth? A deep look at tribal culture, landscapes and occupying governing of this area of India is fascinating. Britain is trying to claim this rugged territory for their own.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's the first time I've read anything by this author and I found it quite interesting. Set in the 1920s in the hinterlands of India, I think it does a great job of tell what things were like back then under British rule. Of course there is a mystery here to be solved, and there are many layers to this one, that are finally revealed in the final pages. I think you will enjoy it.

[Miriel68 · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the first tow Joe Sandilands's adventures, I was disappointed by this one. The characters were far less interesting and quite cliché. Too much heavy exposition. And the plot itself... it wouldn't be so bad, as far as the murder mystery goes, but it was padded with quite a lot of unnecessary material and descriptions added, one has got an impression, just to create some historical flavour. On the whole, very muddled story.

[John Mosman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mystery in the British Raj, this time in India's Northwest. A murder in a British fort on the frontier of a local Pathan leader adds interesting history to a drawing room mystery, only played out with tribal leaders, revenge and a sparse peace. I am enjoying the series along with the history involved.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Cleverly has a way of transporting me back to the days and eras that Joe Sandilands treads through. I would like to know how everyone is in a year or two! What will become of Lily? (I can see her taking over daddy's businesses!)
Will James and Betty return to Scotland after the baby is born? What of Sir George? Will Grace continue offering aid or will she begin to long for "home"?

[Tracey S Choat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fascinating mystery

Book 2 of the Joe Sandilands series is even better than book 1. So many interesting historical details about the British Raj in the Northwest Frontier and Afghanistan. Four and a half stars!

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this a bit of a slog...the plot was drowned out by the research and sort of lost its moral compass...she has written better!

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific series! Always exciting plot and interesting characters and well worth reading for any mystery fan.

[Teresa Mills-Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm feeling "meh" and 1 star ish. The characters and their dialogue were stereotypical and cringe - worthy.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this may be my favorite book so far in this series. I'm not sure exactly why. The characters are interesting and there are some real surprises.

[Dzheni Karadzhova · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end is amazing! I like the book too much.

[Jessica Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It got off to a slow start, but the story was fasinating after 3-4 chapters.

[Susan Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intersting time and place. Characters don't quite ring true tho. Also the views of the English of their conquered Indian tribes may well be historically accurate but makes for uncomfortable reading