Strangler Vine The

Product Description

Calcutta, 1837. Young Ensign William Avery is tasked by his employers - the East India Company - to track down disgraced agent Xavier Mountstuart, lost to the jungle.

Accompanied by dissolute, errant genius Jeremiah Blake, Avery is sure their mission is doomed. When their search leads them into Kali-worshipping, Thugee territory, survival depends upon trust. Fighting for their lives, the pair close in to their elusive quarry only to discover the horrifying truth behind their mission. With death and danger on all sides, is it too late to save themselves?

'Splendid, enthralling, an exotic mystery that captivated me.' Bernard Cornwell

'A vivid, historical page-turner, a rattling good yarn. I do not remember when I enjoyed a novel more than this.' A.N. Wilson, Financial Times

'A rip-roaring ride through a violence-riven Raj. A great read, white tigers and all.' Independent

'Excellent, a witty and entrancing historical thriller. An inspired mix of sensation novel and odd-couple road novel. It gives us the gilt and grubbiness, in the prose equivalent of HD.' Guardian

'Fresh and original with many surprises in store . . . Avery is the guileless Watson of the partnership, and Blake the opaque Sherlock.' Evening Standard

'A pinch of Moonstone, a dash of Sherlock and a soupçon of Fu Manchu . . . splendid romp.' William Dalrymple