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Joe Sandilands #1
The Last Kashmiri Rose
In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case.Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice, knowing the next victim is already marked to die.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
267 people are currently reading
3183 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cleverly
45 books230 followersBarbara 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews
May 5, 2013
Ovo je autorka koja mi je "urednički" posebno draga... Za sve ljubitelje Agate Kristi i egzotike... Divan serijal detektivskih romana koji se dešavaju u Indiji... u prošlom veku... Pošto sam bila uporna i dosadna pokleknuo je i hrvatski urednik pa je tako ova autorka objavljena i u Srbiji i u Hrvatskoj... :)
June 1, 2020
Rating: 3* of five
The Publisher Says: In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case. Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice…knowing the next victim is already marked to die.
My Review: This series begins on a high note, with the character of Joe Sandilands romping through soon-to-be-de-Britished India. He is an appealing character. He isn't, however, interesting enough to make me want to read more books in the series.
About the mystery itself, I was a little bit more interested in its solution than I expected to be. I was pretty sure I knew who was murdering the women, and was suspicious about why...but honestly I was surprised by the motivation of the killer. I was a little more involved than I expected to be as the body count mounted.
What I wasn't was convinced that the killings were in any way part of a pattern that convinced me. Sandilands appears to be chasing his own tail, and I'm never clear that he's actually investigating and solving the actual crime.
Well, it's not a terrible book. It's nicely written. India is a good backdrop, and it's well evoked. But what we have here is a failure to launch. I'm...well...oh heck, I have to say it...bored. Bored. Bored. Bored.
Cross posted at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
The Publisher Says: In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case. Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice…knowing the next victim is already marked to die.
My Review: This series begins on a high note, with the character of Joe Sandilands romping through soon-to-be-de-Britished India. He is an appealing character. He isn't, however, interesting enough to make me want to read more books in the series.
About the mystery itself, I was a little bit more interested in its solution than I expected to be. I was pretty sure I knew who was murdering the women, and was suspicious about why...but honestly I was surprised by the motivation of the killer. I was a little more involved than I expected to be as the body count mounted.
What I wasn't was convinced that the killings were in any way part of a pattern that convinced me. Sandilands appears to be chasing his own tail, and I'm never clear that he's actually investigating and solving the actual crime.
Well, it's not a terrible book. It's nicely written. India is a good backdrop, and it's well evoked. But what we have here is a failure to launch. I'm...well...oh heck, I have to say it...bored. Bored. Bored. Bored.
Cross posted at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
May 2, 2022
Five British women have died in twelve years time, all in March and Joe Sandilands is asked to find out how and why and ultimately who.
May 7, 2022
It's 1922 in India during the time of the British Raj, and Commander Joe Sandilands of the Scotland Yard is planning on returning to England. The detective is requested to stay in India for a special investigation into a possible suicide by an officer's wife in Panikhat. Joe is aided by the Indian policeman Naurung Singh. He also gets social information about the cavalry unit and the wives from Nancy, the attractive best friend of the victim.
Joe discovers that five officer's wives had died under questionable circumstances during the month of March in the last dozen years. Each one was a victim of her own worst phobia--a snake bite, drowning, a fall from heights, etc. The husbands were devastated by the deaths of their beloved wives. Joe and Naurung must determine how the murderer chooses the victims. It's the month of March and the killer might strike again!
I enjoyed "The Last Kashmiri Rose" for its historical aspect as much as for the suspenseful plot. The atmosphere of Panikhat, the station of a British cavalry unit about 50 miles from Calcutta, shows the cultural and tribal attitudes in India at that time. I liked Barbara Cleverly's 2001 debut, and will look to see where Joe Sundiland is headed next.
Joe discovers that five officer's wives had died under questionable circumstances during the month of March in the last dozen years. Each one was a victim of her own worst phobia--a snake bite, drowning, a fall from heights, etc. The husbands were devastated by the deaths of their beloved wives. Joe and Naurung must determine how the murderer chooses the victims. It's the month of March and the killer might strike again!
I enjoyed "The Last Kashmiri Rose" for its historical aspect as much as for the suspenseful plot. The atmosphere of Panikhat, the station of a British cavalry unit about 50 miles from Calcutta, shows the cultural and tribal attitudes in India at that time. I liked Barbara Cleverly's 2001 debut, and will look to see where Joe Sundiland is headed next.
September 8, 2007
THE LAST KASHMIRI ROSE – VG
Barbara Cleverly – 1st book in series
Set in 1920s India, Commander Joe Sandilands, a Scotland Yarder completing a stint with the Bengal Police, is on his way back home when the provincial governor asks him to look into the recent death-by-suicide of an army officers young wife. Nancy Drummond, a close friend of the dead woman, reveals that four other officers’ wives have also died apparently by accident or misadventure over a period of 12 years, each in March.
Even when you know “who dun it,” there’s a twist. Very good characters, dialogue, settings, racial bias, a bit of romance and pathos—all combine to make this a very good mystery and excellent first book. I’ve already ordered signed UK copies of books 2 and 3!
Barbara Cleverly – 1st book in series
Set in 1920s India, Commander Joe Sandilands, a Scotland Yarder completing a stint with the Bengal Police, is on his way back home when the provincial governor asks him to look into the recent death-by-suicide of an army officers young wife. Nancy Drummond, a close friend of the dead woman, reveals that four other officers’ wives have also died apparently by accident or misadventure over a period of 12 years, each in March.
Even when you know “who dun it,” there’s a twist. Very good characters, dialogue, settings, racial bias, a bit of romance and pathos—all combine to make this a very good mystery and excellent first book. I’ve already ordered signed UK copies of books 2 and 3!
March 15, 2021
Joe Sandilands from Scotland Yard is summoned to investigate a woman’s suspicious death. He finds more than he set out to find.
It has an exotic setting, a very compelling tale of intrigue and mystery with very
likable characters. I enjoyed it very much.
It has an exotic setting, a very compelling tale of intrigue and mystery with very
likable characters. I enjoyed it very much.
August 12, 2016
Lots of people, when they've discovered I'm the author of a series featuring a Mughal detective (Muzaffar Jang) have asked me whether anybody else has created an Indian historical detective. A few have actually told me about another historical detective series set in India, even though the detective isn't Indian: Barbara Cleverly's Joe Sandilands series. After having this series recommended by several people, I decided I should finally get down to trying out the first of the books, The Last Kashmiri Rose.
It is 1922. Joe Sandilands, of Scotland Yard, is about to set sail for England after six months in India when he is summoned by the Acting Governor of Bengal and assigned a case: Peggy Somersham, the young wife of an officer of the Bengal Greys regiment—stationed in Panikhat—has been found in her bath with her wrists slashed. The verdict has been suicide, but Peggy's friend Nancy, who is the wife of the Collector at Panikhat, is not so sure.
Helped by Nancy (to whom Sandilands is immediately and intensely attracted) and a Sikh havildar named Naurung Singh, Sandilands begins his investigation. And discovers very soon that the Bengal Greys— or, more specifically, the wives of the officers of the regiment—have a tragic past. In March 1910, Dolly Prentice, the wife of an officer, died when their home burnt down while her husband was away. Then, over the next three years—before The Great War began—three other officers' wives died, all in March, all seemingly dead by accident: drowned in a ferry accident, killed in a fall down a precipice, bitten by a cobra.
As Sandilands burrows in, he discovers murky secrets, and finds himself more deeply involved in the lives (and deaths) of the Bengal Greys than he would have initially imagined.
I liked the mystery here; the plotting was good, and I was riveted, wondering where this was going and how the deaths of five different women could possibly be linked together. The unravelling of the mystery was interesting, though there were certain aspects of the denouement that didn't sound very plausible to me. Also, Sandilands's affair with Nancy seemed unnecessary and rather distasteful to me, given the background to it that finally emerged...
When it comes to historical accuracy, The Last Kashmiri Rose was a bit baffling. On the one hand, there were a lot of details that were accurate: the description of a colonial household, for example, or the common Anglo-Indian phrases that were used, or Anglo-Indian society and its ways, especially in the army and police. On the other hand, there were other things that were blatantly incorrect and which peeved me. Oddly transcribed Hindustani words like khitmutgar (instead of khidmutgar) or saddhu (instead of sadhu) are forgivable; translating Shalamar Bagh as 'Garden of Cupid', talking about Kali being equivalent to a churel, referring to Naurung Singh and his father as 'the Naurungs' (this is India we're talking of, not China!)... And a havildar who has servants? Or a Mogul garden pavilion with a dome?
I would probably have appreciated this book much more if I weren't Indian. Being Indian, I couldn't help but end up being very distracted by various inaccuracies. Perhaps I should try one of the later Sandilands mysteries, set in Europe. The India ones I might be better off without.
It is 1922. Joe Sandilands, of Scotland Yard, is about to set sail for England after six months in India when he is summoned by the Acting Governor of Bengal and assigned a case: Peggy Somersham, the young wife of an officer of the Bengal Greys regiment—stationed in Panikhat—has been found in her bath with her wrists slashed. The verdict has been suicide, but Peggy's friend Nancy, who is the wife of the Collector at Panikhat, is not so sure.
Helped by Nancy (to whom Sandilands is immediately and intensely attracted) and a Sikh havildar named Naurung Singh, Sandilands begins his investigation. And discovers very soon that the Bengal Greys— or, more specifically, the wives of the officers of the regiment—have a tragic past. In March 1910, Dolly Prentice, the wife of an officer, died when their home burnt down while her husband was away. Then, over the next three years—before The Great War began—three other officers' wives died, all in March, all seemingly dead by accident: drowned in a ferry accident, killed in a fall down a precipice, bitten by a cobra.
As Sandilands burrows in, he discovers murky secrets, and finds himself more deeply involved in the lives (and deaths) of the Bengal Greys than he would have initially imagined.
I liked the mystery here; the plotting was good, and I was riveted, wondering where this was going and how the deaths of five different women could possibly be linked together. The unravelling of the mystery was interesting, though there were certain aspects of the denouement that didn't sound very plausible to me. Also, Sandilands's affair with Nancy seemed unnecessary and rather distasteful to me, given the background to it that finally emerged...
When it comes to historical accuracy, The Last Kashmiri Rose was a bit baffling. On the one hand, there were a lot of details that were accurate: the description of a colonial household, for example, or the common Anglo-Indian phrases that were used, or Anglo-Indian society and its ways, especially in the army and police. On the other hand, there were other things that were blatantly incorrect and which peeved me. Oddly transcribed Hindustani words like khitmutgar (instead of khidmutgar) or saddhu (instead of sadhu) are forgivable; translating Shalamar Bagh as 'Garden of Cupid', talking about Kali being equivalent to a churel, referring to Naurung Singh and his father as 'the Naurungs' (this is India we're talking of, not China!)... And a havildar who has servants? Or a Mogul garden pavilion with a dome?
I would probably have appreciated this book much more if I weren't Indian. Being Indian, I couldn't help but end up being very distracted by various inaccuracies. Perhaps I should try one of the later Sandilands mysteries, set in Europe. The India ones I might be better off without.
February 9, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up for the depth reached here.
Not only is this locale and context for Raj (Bengal region) India of 1922 perfect, but the tribal and cultural mix is worked entirely into the plot, characters, hierarchy, societal, cultural to a degree you are just not finding at all in this current decade.
Written more than 20 years ago- it is within books just like this that I presently miss the most in this genre most especially. This doesn't suffer fools. And each and every person is not a dysfunctional personality disorder or DSM5 condition for the popular "action". Or are the conversations based on anger, triviality or celeb type of "news" or popularity. You are set precisely within the cauldron of transmission of governmental powers in every dicey way, as well from one era to another.
The Cleverly books of this series aren't so easy to come by in the library system, but I'll try to read all I can. Most are only in small paperback form, as well.
Here she has captured the various mores and placements of job and position to a carved degree. Not only within the British, but within the various Indian groups and interchanges.
I didn't know who the murderer was until page 208. And even then I knew who and how but not entirely the why.
In a land where the caste system and suttee has been / is traditional. And where specific tribal morality is relative to a very shifting scale of what we would or might call recompense on other continents. Or others just plain calling it revenge. Or for others- it is merely balancing "the karma". This was a terrific example. No more so than within this period, all these years later when relative morality is rife with opposites of conditions and actions for what is deemed "good" behavior. Both in crimes and in daily actions at that. Up is down and down has become up.
I might have read one of these latter books of the series? I will rectify reading as many as I can of hers. There's depth that is 90% missing in this genre within the moderns.
Not only is this locale and context for Raj (Bengal region) India of 1922 perfect, but the tribal and cultural mix is worked entirely into the plot, characters, hierarchy, societal, cultural to a degree you are just not finding at all in this current decade.
Written more than 20 years ago- it is within books just like this that I presently miss the most in this genre most especially. This doesn't suffer fools. And each and every person is not a dysfunctional personality disorder or DSM5 condition for the popular "action". Or are the conversations based on anger, triviality or celeb type of "news" or popularity. You are set precisely within the cauldron of transmission of governmental powers in every dicey way, as well from one era to another.
The Cleverly books of this series aren't so easy to come by in the library system, but I'll try to read all I can. Most are only in small paperback form, as well.
Here she has captured the various mores and placements of job and position to a carved degree. Not only within the British, but within the various Indian groups and interchanges.
I didn't know who the murderer was until page 208. And even then I knew who and how but not entirely the why.
In a land where the caste system and suttee has been / is traditional. And where specific tribal morality is relative to a very shifting scale of what we would or might call recompense on other continents. Or others just plain calling it revenge. Or for others- it is merely balancing "the karma". This was a terrific example. No more so than within this period, all these years later when relative morality is rife with opposites of conditions and actions for what is deemed "good" behavior. Both in crimes and in daily actions at that. Up is down and down has become up.
I might have read one of these latter books of the series? I will rectify reading as many as I can of hers. There's depth that is 90% missing in this genre within the moderns.
November 11, 2010
This was a diverting mystery, but it doesn't make me want to read more of this series or the author. I did like the (to me) exotic time and place, that of the last years of the British Raj in 1922 in the Bengal region, and for better or worse I don't know enough to know if it's accurate, but it makes me curious, so I have to give the author snaps for that. I also have to admit she kept me guessing, with several twists and turns--not so much who, but how and why--but she also played fair--all the clues were there from early on.
I think there are two major reasons I won't be reading more. First, I didn't care for her style. She had one tick in particular I found annoying. I'm not sure if it's a British thing, but it's not a habit I remember elsewhere. She uses quotes for thoughts of the characters, so I wouldn't be sure if it was something being said out loud until the tag at the end of the sentence. A relatively minor thing, and one I might have overlooked had I found the series setting or character strong enough.
But the main reason I won't be reading more is the detective protagonist; Joseph Sandilands didn't appeal to me. First, he's a cad. He's planning on seducing Nancy, the young woman who brings the case to his attention soon after they meet even though he knows she's married, and in those days the social consequences would have been dire. It's not just a spontaneous moment of passion or falling in love, but more cold blooded than that. And he's no Sherlock Holmes--Nancy, his Indian assistant, Naurung, often seem ahead of him. If you don't like the detective, and he doesn't have the quirkiness or brilliance of a Holmes or Poirot, there's little impetus to continue on.
I think there are two major reasons I won't be reading more. First, I didn't care for her style. She had one tick in particular I found annoying. I'm not sure if it's a British thing, but it's not a habit I remember elsewhere. She uses quotes for thoughts of the characters, so I wouldn't be sure if it was something being said out loud until the tag at the end of the sentence. A relatively minor thing, and one I might have overlooked had I found the series setting or character strong enough.
But the main reason I won't be reading more is the detective protagonist; Joseph Sandilands didn't appeal to me. First, he's a cad. He's planning on seducing Nancy, the young woman who brings the case to his attention soon after they meet even though he knows she's married, and in those days the social consequences would have been dire. It's not just a spontaneous moment of passion or falling in love, but more cold blooded than that. And he's no Sherlock Holmes--Nancy, his Indian assistant, Naurung, often seem ahead of him. If you don't like the detective, and he doesn't have the quirkiness or brilliance of a Holmes or Poirot, there's little impetus to continue on.
December 15, 2009
"The Last Kashmiri Rose" was a NYTimes notable book in 2002. Marilyn Stasio called the novel a "spellbinding debut mystery," and "classic in design." The setting is 1922 Colonial India during the later days of the Raj. Investigator Joe Sandilands is assigned to investigate the death of five officers' wives, each death occurring during the month of March over successive years, broken by occurrence of World War One. Each victim's death takes the form of the victim's phobia--fire, drowning, a fall from great height, snake bite, blood (an apparent suicide by cutting her wrists). Were the incidents a series of unfortunate accidents or acts of murder? An engaging and entertaining read.
February 29, 2012
Romantic twaddle!
I checked the back of the book to see if there was a glossary, or at least a pronunciation guide, but no luck there. Maybe there's one online. I don't mind some Hindustani thrown in for local color or artistic verisimilitude, but I read aloud in my head and stumbled over a lot of it.
Back to my accusation of romantic twaddle: I should probably take into account the time period this purports to represents, as well as the location. "Oh, don't let the daughter find out!" Don't let her know her father was a multiple murderer and her mother was a drunken slut. And that scene with her at the graveside - twaddle!
At least Joe's affair was adequately explained, if more romantic twaddle. Nancy and Andrew might have a delightfully satisfactory love life - but he can't have children, so he and her uncle sanction an affair with Joe who conveniently looks similar to Andrew so she might get preggers. Oh, come ON - like no one in that small group is going to notice that she has a baby nine months after Joe leaves after not getting pregnant all that time up to then. And gossip is the main entertainment of such a small and closed community.
I also don't believe that Singh Senior would have been so stupid as to not recognize what should have been a familiar figure to him ... twice. This is not an Englishman not bothering to look at the Indian servant class. This is an Indian police officer interrogating a witness. "He was Indian to the soles of his feet" - but I didn't bother to look at his face. Pah!
That Chedi was Prentice's lover was pretty obvious. And, just hearing me describe the first half of it, my husband said, "It's the first victim's husband." I'm still hoping if I read it a second time, it will have been Andrew in the closet, killing, and then jumping out the window and hobbling down the alley.
Might read more by the author, but will shut one eye if more romance shows up. Ew.
I checked the back of the book to see if there was a glossary, or at least a pronunciation guide, but no luck there. Maybe there's one online. I don't mind some Hindustani thrown in for local color or artistic verisimilitude, but I read aloud in my head and stumbled over a lot of it.
Back to my accusation of romantic twaddle: I should probably take into account the time period this purports to represents, as well as the location. "Oh, don't let the daughter find out!" Don't let her know her father was a multiple murderer and her mother was a drunken slut. And that scene with her at the graveside - twaddle!
At least Joe's affair was adequately explained, if more romantic twaddle. Nancy and Andrew might have a delightfully satisfactory love life - but he can't have children, so he and her uncle sanction an affair with Joe who conveniently looks similar to Andrew so she might get preggers. Oh, come ON - like no one in that small group is going to notice that she has a baby nine months after Joe leaves after not getting pregnant all that time up to then. And gossip is the main entertainment of such a small and closed community.
I also don't believe that Singh Senior would have been so stupid as to not recognize what should have been a familiar figure to him ... twice. This is not an Englishman not bothering to look at the Indian servant class. This is an Indian police officer interrogating a witness. "He was Indian to the soles of his feet" - but I didn't bother to look at his face. Pah!
That Chedi was Prentice's lover was pretty obvious. And, just hearing me describe the first half of it, my husband said, "It's the first victim's husband." I'm still hoping if I read it a second time, it will have been Andrew in the closet, killing, and then jumping out the window and hobbling down the alley.
Might read more by the author, but will shut one eye if more romance shows up. Ew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2010
I would really like to give this book 3.5 stars. Alas we don't have that option.
This was a very enjoyable & readable book. I really like the story: clever and unusual, great characters, intriguing setting, and so on. It was sometimes difficult to read which seems like a contradiction of the previous thought but let me explain. It was a British edition, therefore single and double quotes are switched. All dialogue was enclosed in single quotes. While this has not bothered me too much with other books it was very frustrating in this one. I often had to reread a passage because I was sure if Joe, the main charater, was talking out loud or in his head (which was also enclosed in single quotes.) And finally, someone should have suggested the author use the return key a bit more frequently. I would like to think it would make a good audiobook but there are a lot of unusual names which could cause confusion for the listener.
BUT, I loved the story. It was a great mystery set in early 1920s British India. I really felt like I was there. I look for to the next one in the series.
This was a very enjoyable & readable book. I really like the story: clever and unusual, great characters, intriguing setting, and so on. It was sometimes difficult to read which seems like a contradiction of the previous thought but let me explain. It was a British edition, therefore single and double quotes are switched. All dialogue was enclosed in single quotes. While this has not bothered me too much with other books it was very frustrating in this one. I often had to reread a passage because I was sure if Joe, the main charater, was talking out loud or in his head (which was also enclosed in single quotes.) And finally, someone should have suggested the author use the return key a bit more frequently. I would like to think it would make a good audiobook but there are a lot of unusual names which could cause confusion for the listener.
BUT, I loved the story. It was a great mystery set in early 1920s British India. I really felt like I was there. I look for to the next one in the series.
March 20, 2013
This is the beginning of Cleverly's Joe Sandilands series, with the Scotland Yard policeman located in India in 1922. It's a good solid read. Sandilands is asked to investigate five murders, all Englishwomen who were wives of British officers, which occurred one at a time over a 10 year period. The challenge of his well presented detective effort is to find the links that tie the murders together as a prelude to finding the perpetrator. The background tension of an India about to explode against British rule, and the total cluelessness of the British that this is coming, is an undercurrent which permeates the book. Sandilands is an interesting character who is further developed in subsequent books, at least one of which I have read.
April 22, 2017
Set in 1922 in India during British rule, the Last Kashmiri Rose is an exotic and evocative mystery. The imagery of India is hard to forget from its crowded streets to the British military compound to the countryside. We get to know Scotland Yard's Joe Sandilands as the outsider coming to investigate the recent murder of a British officer's wife, but soon he begins to believe it is linked to murders of other officer's wives in the past 12 years, which always occur during the month of March. What links the murders becomes part of the mystery because the modus operandi is different in each case. I thoroughly enjoyed this, not at all familiar with the period or setting, and yet I could picture it vividly. Even the horse that Sandilands is assigned to ride for his time there becomes an interesting character in the book. Can't wait to read more in this series. Four and a half stars.
January 16, 2009
Enjoyed this book very much, it has just about everything you want: a fresh, beautiful exotic setting; a strong, confident protagonist; a poignant love story; and a complex plot. This engrossing tale of serial murder takes place in the final days of the Raj in India, and this author takes you there. "In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? Inspector Joe Sandilands, is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths" thus this story begins.
August 28, 2020
Absolutely unbearable.
December 1, 2015
It's 1922 and Commander Joseph Sandilands of Scotland Yard has spent the past few months seconded to the Bengal Police. He's just about to make his much-looked-forward-to departure for home when the British governor and the governor's shapely niece Nancy dragoon him into investigating the mysterious death of the wife of a cavalry officer. Soon it becomes evident that this latest is the fifth in a series of strange and horrific deaths of officers' wives that goes back over the past decade or so. It doesn't take Joe long to deduce that there's a very vicious, coldly calculating serial killer at large and to induce Nancy into an adulterous liaison.
I quite enjoyed this book, set as it is in a milieu with which I'm not familiar. On the downside, it was pretty obvious from quite early on who the baddy must be -- to the point that I assumed there'd be a twist at the very end where it was revealed to us that the killer was someone else entirely. Also, a lot of the prose was a bit knotty and dull, not least because Cleverly's punctuation is execrable. (There's a preview of a later novel at the back of this one, and at a quick glance I'd guess someone told her this in the interim.) On the other hand, the women are well characterized and Cleverly's evocative portrayal of the place and time seems accurate.
I quite enjoyed this book, set as it is in a milieu with which I'm not familiar. On the downside, it was pretty obvious from quite early on who the baddy must be -- to the point that I assumed there'd be a twist at the very end where it was revealed to us that the killer was someone else entirely. Also, a lot of the prose was a bit knotty and dull, not least because Cleverly's punctuation is execrable. (There's a preview of a later novel at the back of this one, and at a quick glance I'd guess someone told her this in the interim.) On the other hand, the women are well characterized and Cleverly's evocative portrayal of the place and time seems accurate.
April 6, 2013
Murder mystery beach book about the last days of the Raj and therefore the last knockings of the British Empire. The mystery was well thought out and spun out. Unpleasant characters, being smug, all of them apart from the native Indian characters. The native main Indian characters were subservient (but talented), and the peripheral ones were either grateful (to the British for charity) or murderous and drug fuelled bandits. The smugness was in the writing about how wonderful British India was (Nancy) and Joe's contrary thoughts about the problems of the Raj, put in a way that made me want to gag it was so patronising. Won't bother reading more Joe Sandilands, there are much better murder mysteries out there.
June 21, 2014
I picked this book up at a thrift store because it intrigued me. Reading it I found it to be interesting. I like the character of Sandilands and I enjoyed the time era Barbara Cleverly wrote it in. And while I enjoyed the plot I was a bit puzzled by the dalliance Sandilands had with Nancy. I understand that she had her own agenda going and stuff, but I don't feel like the dalliance worked for the book itself. The plot was very well thought out and although I did quickly figure out who the murderer was the ultimate motive for committing the murders was different from the one I thought and the way that particular twist came out was well played. I do look forward to the next book in the series. A great book for those who want post WWI mysteries.
January 11, 2008
Cleverly's first novel intrigued me because it combines 2 of my favorite genres: historical fiction and mysteries. I enjoyed reading about the last days of the raj. Joe Sandilands is a good detective who works with the young wife of a British official to solve the deaths of wives married to calvary officers over the course of a number of years...a good job for a first novel...
July 6, 2018
Joe Sandilands: 1
The main character is supposed to be a well-respected law officer, yet he develops an unseemly interest in a married woman, which was offputting. This doesn't make him more like James Bond, it makes him look like a stereotypical male idiot unable to make sound decisions, because he's driven by hormones. The author makes use of a lot of British-Indian terms which left me checking the dictionary every few pages. It would have been extremely useful to have a reference at the end of the book, but alas. I suppose it adds to the setting, but when you can't understand what's going on without having to look it up, it does make for an annoying read. Otherwise, a solid mystery story with an interesting resolution, though the middle did drag a bit.
The main character is supposed to be a well-respected law officer, yet he develops an unseemly interest in a married woman, which was offputting. This doesn't make him more like James Bond, it makes him look like a stereotypical male idiot unable to make sound decisions, because he's driven by hormones. The author makes use of a lot of British-Indian terms which left me checking the dictionary every few pages. It would have been extremely useful to have a reference at the end of the book, but alas. I suppose it adds to the setting, but when you can't understand what's going on without having to look it up, it does make for an annoying read. Otherwise, a solid mystery story with an interesting resolution, though the middle did drag a bit.
February 14, 2018
The author put me right in India while reading this. The plot and characters were well drawn. The prose was realistic, smooth, and very readable. I loved Joe and thoroughly enjoyed this book.
July 1, 2019
Strangest happy ending I have read in a long time.
I will look foreword to meeting Joe Sandilands again. I liked him.
I will look foreword to meeting Joe Sandilands again. I liked him.
September 14, 2008
I had read the Palace Tiger some time ago and needing something to read I decided to revisit Cleverly's character Joe Sandilands.
This is the first of several Sandilands mysteries and like the Palace Tiger I enjoyed this one as well.
As with the other, Cleverly details life from the English perspective in India and does so with great depth of description from the beauty of the land and people to the stresses of life by the English.
In the Last Kashmiri Rose, Sandilands is ready to return to England when he is called on to investigate a murder. What he finds is a potentially connected string of murders that take place in the month of March over many years and involve the wife of an officer of the Greys.
Sandilands is assisted by Naurung. I really liked this character and thought he provided depth and perspective as a native amongst all the English principles.
Comparing the two, the Palace Tiger probably had a slightly stronger ending, but that is not to say this book didn't end well.
Cleverly was able to create a dramatic ending featuring all the significant characters with just enough opening for the reader to think there might be yet another twist.
This is the first of several Sandilands mysteries and like the Palace Tiger I enjoyed this one as well.
As with the other, Cleverly details life from the English perspective in India and does so with great depth of description from the beauty of the land and people to the stresses of life by the English.
In the Last Kashmiri Rose, Sandilands is ready to return to England when he is called on to investigate a murder. What he finds is a potentially connected string of murders that take place in the month of March over many years and involve the wife of an officer of the Greys.
Sandilands is assisted by Naurung. I really liked this character and thought he provided depth and perspective as a native amongst all the English principles.
Comparing the two, the Palace Tiger probably had a slightly stronger ending, but that is not to say this book didn't end well.
Cleverly was able to create a dramatic ending featuring all the significant characters with just enough opening for the reader to think there might be yet another twist.
April 3, 2016
Joe Sandilands of the Met is coming to the end of his secondment to the Bengal police and looking forward to going home to England when the governor asks him to look into the suspected murder of the young wife of a British Army officer. With the help of Nancy Drummond, who also takes the role of Joe's love interest, Sandilands discovers that there have been four other suspicious deaths over the past few years. Each of the dead women was killed in circumstances where they had to face their worst fears and all the murders took place in the month of March.
The period for this murder mystery is the 1920s and the author captures the uneasiness of the end of Empire and the atmosphere of India pretty well although at times I wished she would do more than rely on using Anglo-Indian words that are unfamiliar to modern readers and be more descriptive.
Sandilands' investigation delves into the lives of several British officers and other colonials and for the most part, creates credible and interesting characters. I saw the solution to the mystery coming quite a way off but this is still a good read.
The period for this murder mystery is the 1920s and the author captures the uneasiness of the end of Empire and the atmosphere of India pretty well although at times I wished she would do more than rely on using Anglo-Indian words that are unfamiliar to modern readers and be more descriptive.
Sandilands' investigation delves into the lives of several British officers and other colonials and for the most part, creates credible and interesting characters. I saw the solution to the mystery coming quite a way off but this is still a good read.
July 6, 2017
Enjoyable read. It's 1922, the waning years of British held India, Inspector Joe Sandilands is sent to investigate a suspicious death of the wife of a Bengal Grey cavalry unit officer. Sharp-eyed & curious Nancy Drummond convinces Joe that there may be a connection to other deaths that have occurred over the last 12 years. Is someone targeting the wives of these officers and if so why? If these deaths are related, who's next and can Joe find the killer before he strikes again?
Joe: "I believe it's time the police force stopped being a servant of the aristocracy and became the guardian of society and that sounds very pompous so I suppose you're right. I am a sort of social missionary." My kind of guy.
Joe: "I believe it's time the police force stopped being a servant of the aristocracy and became the guardian of society and that sounds very pompous so I suppose you're right. I am a sort of social missionary." My kind of guy.
November 8, 2012
meet Joe Sandilands, Scotland Yard Detective. Joe is readying to leave British India for home when he is asked to investigate a Suspicious death. An officer's wife has died...but is it suicide or murder.as he pursues his investigation, he discovers that there have been other murders. cleverly gives us a studied introduction to the world of the British in India in the 1920's . She captures the mood and the mores of this society as the story unfolds, If you enjoy Historical mysteries I would highly recommend this novel. and there is also a romance. this is the first in the series.
October 14, 2007
I have a new series to enjoy! Joe Sandilands is an interesting character, and post WWI colonial India makes a fascinating backdrop for murder. Wives of the Bengal Grays (a group of British soldiers) have died under unusual circumstances over the last few years, and Joe must unravel the mystery.
December 24, 2011
A Joe Sandilands mystery set in post WWI India. A British upper class police officer is "seconded" to the governor of India for special investigations. This story is one of them. The description of the locale and the times and customs are fascinating. The mystery is not bad either.
December 19, 2022
Oh,My.So predictable,so full of stereotypes,so silly.Twenty pages in,you know who the culprit is.
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