Engraved in Stone

Muzaffar Jang #3

by Madhulika Liddle

Two years after the Taj Mahal is finally built, many secrets shroud its walls...

In Agra to escort home the beautiful Shireen, Muzaffar Jang maverick nobleman and ace detective - reluctantly finds himself at the centre of yet another murder investigation when Mumtaz Hassan, a prominent trader, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. The Diwan-i-kul, Mir Jumla, on his way to invade Bijapur, hands the task of finding the killer to Muzaffar. With almost no evidence to work with except an ambiguous scrawl on a scrap of paper found clutched in the dead man's fist, Muzaffar knows he must find the killer before the Diwan-i-kul returns if he wants to save himself an invitation to a beheading.

As he begins to uncover the dross beneath the golden opulence of the dead man and his murkily amorous past, Muzaffar chances upon another mystery: a long forgotten tale of a woman who vanished inexplicably one evening.

Muzaffar Jang once again pits his wits against an array of potential suspects - even as he loses his heart to Shireen.

About the Author
Madhulika Liddle lives in Delhi and has worked in hospitality, advertising and instructional design before giving it all up to focus on writing. Her short stories have won several awards, including the top prize at the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association's Short Story Competition, 2003. Engraved in Stone is her third book about the Mughal detective, Muzaffar Jang. Besides fiction, Madhulika also writes on travel and classic cinema.

Genres: Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Murder Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Madhulika Liddle is best known for her books featuring the 17th century Mughal detective Muzaffar Jang, although she is also a prolific writer of short fiction, travel writing, and writing related to classic cinema.

The Muzaffar Jang Series: Madhulika’s best-known series of works are historical whodunnits featuring the 17th century Mughal detective, Muzaffar Jang. Till now, four books in the series have been published:
The Englishman’s Cameo (2009)
The Eighth Guest & Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries (2011),
Engraved in Stone (2012), and
Crimson City (2015).

In October 2021, Madhulika Liddle published The Garden of Heaven, the first novel of a four-novel series called the Delhi Quartet. This is a series of historical novels that will span 800 years of Delhi's history. The Garden of Heaven was long-listed for the Book of the Year (Fiction) Award of the annual Tata Literature Live! literature festival.

In March 2023, Madhulika's The Pledge: Adventures to Sada was released. A fantasy adventure novel, this is the first part of a two-part series called The Mandala Purana, written in collaboration with film-maker Kannan Iyer.

Short stories: Madhulika has written a range of short stories in different genres, including black humour, humour, crime and detection, and social awareness. Several of these have won awards (including the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s (CBA) Short Story Competition, for A Morning Swim, in 2003) or have been selected for anthologies. Her story, Poppies in the Snow, was longlisted for the 2015 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize.

Short story collections:
My Lawfully Wedded Husband & Other Stories. Black humour shorts, all of which have a twist in the tale.
Woman to Woman: Stories. A collection of twelve women-centric stories.

Madhulika is also known for her travel writing, which has been published in Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller (India), Lounge (Mint), and other periodicals.

In addition, she is a cinema buff and blogs (mostly about classic cinema) at www.madhulikaliddle.com.

Awards and Recognition:

CBA Short Story Competition – Honourable Mention (2002) for Love and the Papaya Man
CBA Short Story Competition – Overall Winner (2003) for A Morning Swim
Winner of Oxfordbookstore e-Author version 4.0
Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize (2015) - Longlisted for Poppies in the Snow
Book of the Year Award, Tata Literature Live! (2023) - Longlisted for The Garden of Heaven
Starting 2022, Crimson City (Muzaffar Jang #4) is being taught as an elective to Delhi University students majoring in English

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Second Muzaffar Jang novel about a nobleman solving murders in Shahjahanabad, against the backdrop of imperial politics. I found this one a bit slow moving, perhaps because there is a lot of history on the page; a more active edit would have made all the difference. Didn't guess one of the murders, saw the other a mile off. Notwithstanding I like the character and the setting a great deal and enjoy the comic relief bestie (which is rare) and will read more of these.

[Sneha Pathak (reader_girl_reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

Engraved in Stone is a historical mystery in the Mujaffar Jung series by Madhulika Liddle. The series is set during last the reign of Shahjahan and deals with the murder of a rich merchant in Agra which Jung is asked to look into. The Mughal political intrigue forms the background of his investigation.

There is no doubt that Liddle has done a lot of research into the era and it shows in her writing. Her writing is poetic and she describes the age with all its nuances in great detail. Be it the architecture, the flora and the fauna, the life style of the ric amirs and the poor majority or the clothes they wore, it all comes to the reader in vivid detail. In fact, the mystery part isn't as exciting as the glimpse into the era one gets. That's why i can't rate it more than 3.5 stars. As a mystery, it was weak. As a historical novel, exquisite.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were introduced to a dashing and handsome nawab in 'The Englishman's Cameo' by Madhullika Liddle. According to a wikipedia entry,

The Englishman’s Cameo introduces Muzaffar Jang, a twenty-five-year-old Mughal nobleman living in the Delhi of 1656 AD. Muzaffar ends up investigating a murder of which his friend, a jeweller’s assistant, is accused. The book became a bestseller in India, and was published in French by Editions Philippe Picquier, as Le Camée Anglais.

Muzaffar Jang is young, intelligent, futuristic and well read. His parents died when he was young. He was brought up by his wise and kindly older sister, Zeenat and brother-in-law. In the first book, Muzaffar takes upon himself the task of investigating a murder to help his friend.

Eighth Guest and other Muzaffar Jang mysteries is a collection of short stories featuring Muzaffar Jang as he goes about solving various mysteries. Although the stories can be read independent of each other, there is a thread of continuity between them.

Engraved in Stone is the latest novel in the series. Catching the eye of the high and mighty is not always an advantage, Muzaffar knows. When the Diwan-e-kul hands the task of finding the murderer of Mumtaz Hassan, a prominent trader, to Muzaffar, he is not entirely thrilled. One misstep and he could find himself on the gallows. Muzaffar sets off immediately, chasing after an elusive murderer before his trail gets cold.

He is aided by his loyal friend and cousin Akram. Not 'aided' really. Merely 'accompanied' by. Akram is a bit of a dandy and is happy being a pampered nawab with a good heart. I am always happy to see Akram by Muzaffar's side, he is good fun. I hope he is there in ALL of Muzaffar's books.

The USP of these books is the beautiful backdrop of historical Dilli. I love the descriptions of the bazaar, the clothes, the men (and women) and their manners, the food, the jewellery. I can feel the swish of their chogas and dupattas as they go about their business. Madhulika's sound knowledge of history and faultless language is what enhances this effect.

This time round, Muzaffar has a love interest as well. Beautiful Shireen was introduced to us in the last story of the previous book. Zeenat is keen on Muzaffar settling down with Shireen. Muzaffar is not sure about this, he has shadows in his heart, left by a previous love.

If you like historical fiction, you will love this book. As I did. The only bit of annoyance for me was the harping on the perfection of Shireen. I hope we will have no more of that in the future books. Madhulika's writing is so evocative that it brings the world of Muzaffar to life.

[Sucharita Dutta-Asane · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 'Engraved in Stone' we find an evolved Muzaffar Jang, a complete, nuanced, intropsective character who brings the setting and other characters to life. We look around Agra and its social and political life through his eyes. Readers of 'Englishman's Cameo' will recognise a more sensitive Jang Sahib in this book. To this, the writer adds her amazing understanding of architecture and monument-building during Shahjahan's reign.
Madhulika Liddle weaves her story around the time the Taj Mahal was being built and post-Taj, with an ailing and comparatively weaker emperor beset with the empire's woes and intransigent sons. Agra throbs with life, business and conpiracy, and Muzaffar Jang finds himself thrown into this setting along with his hesitant willingness for love waiting in the wings. We go along with him in his search for the murderer and in the process, find other stories take shape and define life, living, love, jealousy, and passion. Its easy to relate to the characters and to forget that it is only a story we read. Madhulika's language throbs with life and contemporaneity.

[Anand Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Muzzafar Jung mystery . Looking forward to reading other books in this series by Madhulika Liddle

[The Book Outline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her book Engraved in Stone, Madhulika Liddle brings to life a fictional detective character from seventeenth century India. The vivid description of setting that provides the necessary historical backbone of this novel is deeply engrossing and will hook the historical fiction readers right from the beginning. However, the painstaking effort to portray the historical setting has occasionally slowed down the pace, which in turn may disappoint the usual readers of detective fiction. But that is until Chapter three ...

Read the review of Engraved in Stone at http://www.thebookoutline.com/2013/03...

[VaultOfBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

By Madhulika Liddle. #3 in The Muzaffar Jung Series. Grade B+

The moment I was handed over this book, I was a hundred per cent sure I would love it. History, one of my favourite subjects, combined with a murder. It had all the ingredients for a perfect unputdownable read. And truth be told, Liddle’s novel did not disappoint me at all.

Two years after the Taj Mahal is finally built, many secrets shroud its walls…


Engraved in Stone by Madhulika Liddle
In Agra to escort home the beautiful Shireen, Muzaffar Jang – maverick nobleman and ace detective – reluctantly finds himself at the centre of yet another murder investigation when Mumtaz Hassan, a prominent trader, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. The Diwan-i-kul, Mir Jumla, on his way to invade Bijapur, hands the task of finding the killer to Muzaffar. With almost no evidence to work with except an ambiguous scrawl on a scrap of paper found clutched in the dead man’s fist, Muzaffar knows he must find the killer before the Diwan-i-kul returns if he wants to save himself an invitation to a beheading.

As he begins to uncover the dross beneath the golden opulence of the dead man and his murkily amorous past, Muzaffar chances upon another mystery: a long forgotten tale of a woman who vanished inexplicably one evening.

Muzaffar Jang once again pits his wits against an array of potential suspects – even as he loses his heart…

It has been two years since the completion of the famous mausoleum Taj Mahal when Muzaffar Jang visits Agra while accompanying his elder sister Zeenat Begum on her way to Dilli. He has no intention of staying in Agra for more than a week, but circumstances do not favour his intentions, as he reluctantly finds himself in the middle of the murder of a well-known trader, Mumtaz Hassan, soon after he had invited over Jang for a fine dinner. An aristocrat and nobleman, Muzaffar was also well known in his social circle as an amateur detective, and was handed the task of finding the murderer by none other than the Diwan-i-kul (nowadays known as the Prime minister). His investigations lead him to another long-forgotten mystery of a woman who had disappeared years ago, and was never found.

The writing style is vivid, and the settings have been beautifully described with attention to detail. Liddle has included well-researched excerpts from history as well, which brought to life the market-place, havelis, and the beauty of the baghs in Agra during the 17th century. Even the budding romance and courting between Muzaffar and Shireen has been narrated keeping in mind the customs and traditions of that era. As a reader, I found myself engrossed in the sights and smells of Agra while exploring the city with Muzaffar.

”A caparison embroidered in gold; another of fine brown leather – soft as cotton, said the merchant’s plump fingers as they flitted, curling and uncurling in rapid succession. There were saddlecloths of chintz, quilted and finely embroidered; flocked yalpusts to decorate horses for festivals – or for the supreme honour of carrying an amir to his wedding – and metal rings in the shape of bells, to be attached to fetlocks.”

Liddle, more famously known as a short story writer, has done well in writing a full-fledged novel. The third in the series of the Muzaffar Jang detective series, Engraved in Stone serves well as a stand-alone read as well. Jang, more often than not reminded me of the famous Hercule Poirot, both sharing the knack of keeping in mind small details, which may seem insignificant to the untrained eye, but eventually prove to be the key to solving the case.

The novel did take more than its fair share of chapters to reach a point where I could not put it down, and that too was only in the last three or four chapters. It is not the typical thriller with blood and gore, but more of a mind game. Certain section of the story made it seem like the author was rambling, which definitely slowed down the pace of the story.

All in all, Engraved in Stone made for an interesting and captivating, though slow read.



Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engraved in Stone – Madhulika Liddle
This is Madhulika Liddle’s third book, set in the 17th Century. It features the suave Delhi nobleman Muzaffar Jang, who is an ace at solving crimes. I was reminded of Laura Joh Rowland’s historical mystery novels, which have Sano Ichiro, a Samurai, as the main protagonist.
Madhulika transports the reader to a bygone era, merely two years after the Taj Mahal was built. In fact there’s a section where Muzaffar talks about seeing the Taj being constructed and it’s fascinating. “ I saw the Taj Mahal rise, but in occasional glimpses……………… What I liked best was when Khan Sahib took me to see the stone cutters at work. I’d seen tulips and daffodils in Kashmir, but never in Agra – and these men were creating them, slicing the gemstones and carving the marble, inlaying flowers.” I had goosebumps while reading this, thinking of that grand edifice gradually taking shape, a testament to the exquisite talent of hundreds of workmen. The writing is descriptive yet crisp and within the first few pages we are firmly entrenched in Muzaffar’s world, where languid, pleasure seeking noblemen exist along with wily courtiers plotting wars, where women in zenanas remain away from the eyes of men yet do not hesitate to state their opinions, and the gulf between the rich and the poor is vast.
Muzaffar Jang is in Agra as a favour to his sister Zeenat who is more a mother than a sister to him. In fact Muzaffar’s parents had died while he was still a child and his sister and husband had brought him up. While in Agra, he meets his friend Akram whose uncle Mumtaz Hassan is a very rich and important nobleman. The major players are introduced to us at the dinner hosted by Mumtaz Hassan in honour of Muzaffar. When Mumtaz is murdered in his bed the same night, the Diwan-i-Kul, who is the advisor to the emperor commands Muzaffar to solve the crime.
With the help of his friend Akram, Muzaffar then has to use all his skill and ingenuity to find the culprit. In the process of investigating this crime, Muzaffar stumbles upon another mystery that has remained unsolved for years. These two tracks move forward in tandem taking Muzaffar into the bylanes and gullies of Agra and even to the site of the Taj Mahal. The young nobleman also gets to know his sister’s young friend Shireen, who impresses him with her tact and intelligence. So Muzaffar has a lot happening, both on the personal and professional front.
Engraved in Stone is a good read, not only as crime fiction but also because it throws more light on life in those times and the social and religious influences on the daily life of people. The author has very skillfully incorporated elements of crime fiction as well as lessons in history in the narrative.
In fact I found the historical aspects more fascinating than the murder investigation. Since I haven’t read much fiction set in the times of the construction of the Taj Mahal, this was an engrossing aspect of the novel. The author has written with remarkable clarity on the people associated with the actual construction of that beautiful mausoleum. Even though, I haven’t read the earlier two books in the Muzaffar Jang series, I didn't have any trouble in comprehending the back-stories of the main characters. This can easily be read as a stand-alone book. But this book has whetted my appetite for more from this author and now I aim to catch hold of The Englishman’s Cameo, the first Muzaffar Jang novel.

[Bollyviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had loved the author's first Muzaffar Jang book (The Englishman's Cameo) and this one made the long wait, in between, absolutely worthwhile. Its an engaging story, very well told, and embellished with well-researched period touches that transport you right into the Mughal era.

If you love period mysteries (Ellis Peters, C. J. Sansom, Peter Tremayne and Rosemary Rowe) and classical whodunits (Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey, Georgette Heyer, etc.), with their blend of mystery and romance, you'll love the Muzaffar Jang series. I am looking forward to Muzaffar and his newly-found-beloved Shireen forming a sleuthing team and solving more crimes. So I hope there are more novels in the works.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most challenging issues in writing detective fiction is to set in a millieu where the rule of law doesn't exist in a way we recognise but Ms.Liddle pulls it off quite well in her tales of the maverick Mughal nobleman in 17th century Agra, and recreates the ethos admirably. The other characters are well-delineated too - especially the Mir Jumla. I wish he had returned after the denouement of the mystery, but the way, the story's backdrop has been created, I have expectations of his return in the next installment - which I hope will not be long in coming.....

[Deepashri Varadharajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Ajith Vijayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Engraved in Stone'can be accounted as a good fiction.
A seventeenth century Dilli's life and anbiance is depicted throughout the novel. The pricipal character of the novel is a young and courageous mughal detective Muzaffar Jung. He was accompanying his sister Zeenat Begum to Ajmer to offer prayers at Dargah.On their way they met a young beautiful women Shireen from Agra to the same destination.On return Zeenet befriend her and thought of accompanying her back to Agra and thus Agra becomes the place of action and Taj Mahal becomes the focus point.
As days and events progressed Muzaffar had been ordered by the Diwan-i-kul of Agra to investigate the murder of Mumtaz Hassan, a wealthy and popular personality,as the case progress he finds himself tangled with another mystery of a women who vanished on one fine evening.
Liddle walked back to centuries with ease,making Red fort, bustling market place, Palanquins and the constuction of Taj Mahal back to life. From the beginning till the end Liddle maintained her language style and pattern crisp and clear .

[Qube · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a good while to read. It is very similar to the first full-length novel, except that the mystery is a little thinner here. In the intervening book (the short story collection), Muzaffar Jung seemed to have matured a bit. But in this third book, he is back to his inept amateurishness. Shireen is a silver lining. The language is good, and the writing clean. And the setting retains its attraction.

In summary, a decent historical novel but an ordinary mystery story. Much like her first book.

[Danesh Hussain Zaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

As in The Engishman's Cameo, Madhulika Liddle pays great attention to detail to paint the life of people in the Mughal era. When reading the book, one feels transported to that era. This book, in my opinion, is better than The Englishman's Cameo as the plot unveils itself more clearly in the end. There is also a bit of a drama with Muzaffar donning various attires to solve the case. There is also a bit of a romance thrown in, but just the right quantity and it does not slow the pace.

I recommend this book solely to get to "see" the Mughal era in picturesque detail.

[Tarun73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Muzaffar Jang series. It is spans the making of the taj Mahal and is a fast paced historical detective thriller where the reader can loose them selves in this magnificent historical times in the wonderful city of the Taj . A must read for fans of this genre and die-hard Muzaffar Jang fans

[Zarreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The muzaffar jang series isn't your typical omg I didn't see that coming type of mysteries or page turners to see whodunnit. But the romancing of the era, the food, the settings and the historical fiction part of the gorgeous writing is absolutely priceless!