Homicide in the Indian Hills - (A Jane Wunderly Mystery) by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Ooty, 1927: Accompanying Mr. Redvers on an assignment to Ootycamund to quell revolutionary rumblings, Jane finds there's more than meets the eye to India's Queen of Hill Stations. Ooty's lush tea plantations and tranquil gardens barely conceal its secrets--scandalous affairs, political sabotage, and a mounting anti-colonial movement. Even Redvers intends to subvert his official mission in Ooty by arranging a series of clandestine meetings with local resistance leaders. But it's not until the shocking death of a British national that Jane and Redvers are truly drawn into Ooty's deepest shadows. Jane's suspicions that the death is more than a tragic accident are soon confirmed, but word of a murder could stoke Ooty's simmering tensions into a full boil. Navigating corrupt local officials, festering personal vendettas, and a complicated network of bureaucratic entanglements that lead to the top tiers of government, Jane and Redvers edge closer to the truth . . . and its deadly consequences. Someone is willing to spill blood to protect their interests: will Jane become just another of Ooty's darkest secrets?"--

Book Synopsis

Intrepid American newlywed Jane Wunderly learns that tigers aren't the only dangers lurking in 1920s India, when a murder in a popular resort town threatens to destabilize the local government and undermine the resistance movement for Indian self-rule . . .

Ooty, 1927: Accompanying Mr. Redvers on an assignment to Ootycamund to quell revolutionary rumblings, Jane finds there's more than meets the eye to India's Queen of Hill Stations. Ooty's lush tea plantations and tranquil gardens barely conceal its secrets--scandalous affairs, political sabotage, and a mounting anti-colonial movement. Even Redvers intends to subvert his official mission in Ooty, by arranging a series of clandestine meetings with local resistance leaders. But it's not until the shocking death of a British national that Jane and Redvers are truly drawn into Ooty's deepest shadows.

Jane's suspicions that the death is more than a tragic accident are soon confirmed, but word of a murder could stoke Ooty's simmering tensions into a full boil. Navigating corrupt local officials, festering personal vendettas, and a complicated network of bureaucratic entanglements that lead to the top tiers of government, Jane and Redvers edge closer to the truth...and its deadly consequences. Someone is willing to spill blood to protect their interests, will Jane become just another of Ooty's darkest secrets?

Review Quotes

Praise for the Jane Wunderly Mysteries:

"A wild 1927 adventure on a Scottish island includes a mysterious cult and a murder...Some historical tidbits and a starkly beautiful landscape add interest." --Kirkus Reviews on Secrets of a Scottish Isle

"This fast-paced, adventure-filled mystery should win Neubauer new fans." --Publishers Weekly on Intrigue in Istanbul

"If you're looking to escape reality, dive into this historical mystery read!" --Milwaukee's "The Morning Blend" on WTMJ4 on Intrigue in Istanbul

"Neubauer moves further away from the retro whodunits of her franchise's previous installments and closer to the hidden-treasure search beloved of interwar movie serials." --Kirkus Reviews on Intrigue in Istanbul

"A hidden gem in the trough of thrillers...this was by far a unique murder-mystery book with an unforgettable setting. Page-turning and terrific." --The New York Post, Best Mysteries of the Year on Danger on the Atlantic

"You'll be forgiven if the music from Titanic plays in your head while you explore a gorgeous ocean liner and watch Jane and Redvers solve an intriguing mystery." --Criminal Element on Danger on the Atlantic

"Because Jane is a modern woman, she uses her own smarts and her own skills to eventually solve the crime and nab the culprit. Jane is faced with starting to come to terms with her own past and beginning to look ahead to a future. She's also American, so this reader is wondering if she's headed back stateside in the next installment. I can't wait to find out." --Mystery Scene on Murder at Wedgefield Manor

"Neubauer's sprightly follow-up...The country house intrigue and an unconventional chase reap rewards. Readers will look forward to further cases of the intrepid Jane and the mysterious Mr. Redvers." --Publishers Weekly on Murder at Wedgefield Manor

"A retro whodunit with a comfy cast and a nifty solution." --Kirkus Reviews on Murder at Wedgefield Manor

"Stunning revelations, romance, adventure, and intrigue abound in this multilayered, delightfully entertaining whodunit. Neubauer's debut dazzles, with a smart plot, remarkable scenery, and skilled execution." --Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW on Murder at the Mena House

"Jane is a feisty heroine, the setting is enticingly depicted, and there are several intriguing subplots. Fans of Agatha Christie will enjoy this homage." --Booklist on Murder at the Mena House

"A roaring Twenties adventure." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine on Murder at the Mena House

"A welcome vacation...Erica Ruth Neubauer could whisk you off to a swanky Egyptian resort in the 1920s with plenty of cocktails and a mysterious handsome stranger." --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Murder at the Mena House

"Fans of Elizabeth Peter are going to want to get in on the ground floor of Erica Ruth Neubauer's Jane Wunderly mysteries." --Jess Lourey in CrimeReads on Murder at the Mena House

"With deft characterizations, an engaging plot, and the most compelling heroine I've found since Amelia Peabody, Erica Ruth Neubauer's Murder at the Mena House is the best book you'll read this year. I can't wait for the next installment of this phenomenal series." --Tasha Alexander, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius on Murder at the Mena House

"What a refreshing surprise to be back on the Nile in this confident and accomplished debut. Neubauer pays proper homage to the Golden Age, but her crisp style and witty heroine ensure that Murder at the Mena House zips along in a thoroughly modern manner. I hope plucky Jane Wunderly has a long sleuthing future ahead; I, for one, am already looking forward to her next adventure." --Catriona McPherson, author of Go To My Grave on Murder at the Mena House

"A thrilling new series!" --Victoria Thompson, national bestselling author of Murder on Union Square on Murder at the Mena House

About the Author

Erica Ruth Neubauer is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Jane Wunderly Mysteries, as well as an Anthony Award and Lefty Award finalist. She spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer, and one as a high school English teacher, before finding her way as a writer. She has been a reviewer of mysteries and crime fiction for publications such as Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine for several years, and she's a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Erica Ruth lives in Milwaukee, WI. Visit her at EricaRuthNeubauer.com.