Blood Moon Over Bengal
The old fighter plane piloted by Elizabeth Mainwarring comes limping in to the parade ground in Calcutta, barely avoiding a crash landing. Elizabeth, accompanied by a childhood friend, has arrived to visit her estranged father, Colonel Mainwarring. But Elizabeth and Fiona find themselves in the midst of a terrifying situation—someone has been raping and brutally murdering Indian, and now British, women. Elizabeth finds herself strongly attracted to Major Covington-Singh, son of the Bengal Maharajah and an Englishwoman. Major Covington-Singh is in charge of the investigation into the women’s murders, but faces severe discrimination because of his Indian blood, even though he is a prince. The details of the English community–their lives, language, and social views–are well woven into the story and plunge the reader into this turbulent part of the Empire in 1932. While the romantic elements didn’t ring quite true early in the book, this is easily overlooked in the pleasures attached to the strong sense of place and the suspense of discovering who is behind the grisly murders. I shall be looking forward to Ms. Pippin’s next novel.
