Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am happy to share my thoughts about
Homicide in the Indian Hills today!
Homicide in the Indian Hills (A Jane Wunderly Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – India
Publisher : Kensington (March 25, 2025)
Hardcover : 432 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496741218
ISBN-13 : 978-1496741219
Kindle ASIN : B0D9J63SLZ
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 Ootacamund 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?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Mr. Redvers has been sent on an assignment to Ootacamund (Ooty), India, of course, his bride Jane Wunderly accompanies him with it sort of being a honeymoon. It is a beautiful place with serene gardens and flourishing tea plantations, which Jane hopes to visit and enjoy while Redvers does his best to stop revolutionary plans within the government.
On the train ride to Ooty, Jane and Redvers meet Gretchen Beetner, a British woman who is a member of the Indian National Congress. India is under British rule, and there is great unrest, so she would be in some of the meetings with Redvers. She and Jane became quick friends, and she was able to give them information and news about happenings in the region. Gretchen felt very safe traveling about town, but then news came of her demise. Said to be a terrible accident, Jane and Redvers fear it was murder.
The newlywed couple is right in the middle of all the bureaucracy and sabotage as they do their best to get to the truth. Could this be Jane and Redvers’ last adventure?
I was immediately drawn into this story by the descriptions of Redvers and Jane’s train ride across the countryside. The steam train on a narrow track over narrow stone bridges on the mountainside. Jane was keeping her eyes on the inside of the car while I would have been gazing out the window at all the things to see. There were also detailed descriptions of the villas, gardens, and tea plantations that I enjoyed. I was surprised by all the British food served when Jane, Redvers, Gretchen, and others preferred the wonderful Indian cuisine.
I love the relationship between Jane and Redvers. Jane gets more independent and confident every day, but with her curiosity and intellect, that can be a bad thing. She had her assignments every day. Being a little nervous about the wildlife and not a fan of the modes of transportation, she strived to keep up her part of the investigation. Redvers attended his meetings, but there was time for them to do a little covert sleuthing. I appreciated their social consciousness and their support of the resistance/decolonization. They truly complement each other and make a great team.
Ms. Neubauer introduced a vast cast of English and Indian characters. They were detailed and unique: from the officials to the servants to the wives, mistresses, townspeople, and even a prince, making them easy to remember. They added an authentic feel to the region and timeframe.
The mystery was very intriguing as it encompassed much more than the death. The struggle for Indian independence was palpable. Jane and Redvers followed some of the clues alone, and there was a frightening threat possible everywhere they went. Their whole trip was one ordeal after another. The twist at Gretchen’s funeral sent things in another direction and stirred things up. Jane received a deadly warning. Then Redvers goes missing as everything is coming to a head for an exciting search and reveal.
You can tell the author did a lot of research for this story. India in 1927 was a hotbed of unrest, and she fictionalized it while staying true to history. She also piqued my interest in knowing more about the faraway country and its history.
Homicide in the Indian Hills is an excellent historical mystery with well-crafted characters, a complicated mystery in a troubled time, set in a beautiful region of the world. Readers are taken on a virtual vacation to India with a bird’s-eye view of a well-plotted and well-written mystery. It was a Perfect Escape!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About the Author
Erica Ruth Neubauer 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 Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine for several years and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. When she’s not writing, Erica Ruth enjoys traveling, yoga, and craft beer. She lives in Milwaukee, WI.
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