Mrs D' Silva and The Lucknow Ransom

Beautiful widow Joan D'Silva is at Howrah Station, fleeing Calcutta with her 11-year-old son Errol. Also on the same train is Laxhimi, a notorious hijira prostitute: charismatic, sensual and powerful. They are both running away to Lucknow to escape danger, but soon their lives will become entangled in a web of corruption and blackmail. Who is responsible for the poisoning at the factory? Is it the Workers Revolutionary Movement, the Children of God under the sway of the charismatic Swami Naik, or someone else entirely? If only the police could help. But Detective Inspector Mallothra has based his investigative style on Mickey Spillane novels so it's down to Joan, her friends, and of course Errol, to unmask the perpetrator. With a cast of colourful characters, this new novel by Glen Peters is inspired by his youth in the dwindling Anglo-Indian community. It is a witty, vivid tale of intrigue, immersed in the sights, sounds, smells and especially the tastes of 1960s India and will appeal to readers who've enjoyed Deborah Moggach's These Foolish Things (the inspiration for the recent critically acclaimed film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).

Glen Peters was born in Allahabad India and spent most of his school years in a suburb of Calcutta. His family emigrated to the UK in the late 60s where he completed his university education. He was President of his Students Union for a year and then worked as an engineer with British Gas for a number of years before he joined Price Waterhouse in London. He has been with the firm for 25 years and was made a partner in 1988. In 1995 he and his wife purchased a rundown mansion in Pembrokeshire which started a love affair with West Wales. He founded Project Rhosygilwen in 2006 which aims to use the arts as an engine of rural regeneration.