The Strangler Vine
It is 1837, and the British East India Company is the overlord of Indian politics. Ensign William Avery is a British officer in Calcutta awaiting his next assignment to a cavalry unit. While unassigned, he is ordered to accompany a former English officer who has “gone native,” Jeremiah Blake, to search for a famous writer, Xavier Mountstuart, who has disappeared. During their expedition into India’s interior, they get caught up with the Thuggee cult, a group of secret killers that is being earmarked for extinction by Major Sleeman in Jubbulpore. Soon Avery doesn’t know who he can trust to complete his mission. Blake is not forthcoming with information, and he is becoming suspicious of Major Sleeman and his treatment of the native population.
This novel is the author’s first attempt at fiction, and she has written an exciting tale of conspiracy and betrayal that is both compelling and gripping. The images presented show a country strangled by the East India Company, just like the local strangler vine chokes off the growth of local trees in the jungle.
I found the writing immensely readable and rich in historical detail. This interesting blend of history and mystery has been well researched; the author does a masterful job of drawing readers into Indian culture and politics of the 1830s. I can’t recommend this book too highly.
