A slain lawyer and a stolen diamond compose quite a puzzle for an eighteenth-century anatomist in this historical mystery for fans of Caleb Carr.
Newly released from the notorious asylum known as Bedlam, Lady Lydia Farrell finds herself in an equally terrifying positionโas a murder suspectโwhen she stumbles upon the mutilated body of Sir Montagu Malthus in his study at Boughton Hall.
Meanwhile American Dr. Thomas Silkstone has been injured in a duel with a man who may or may not have committed the grisly deed of which Lydia is accused. Despite his injury, Thomas hopes to clear his belovedโs good name by conducting a postmortem on the victim. With a bit of detective work, he learns that Montaguโs throat was slit by no ordinary blade, but a ceremonial Sikh dagger from Indiaโa clue that may be connected to the fabled lost mines of Golconda.
From the mysterious disappearance of a cursed diamond buried with Lydiaโs dead husband, to the undying legend of a hidden treasure map, Thomas must follow a trail of foreign dignitaries, royal agentsโand even more victimsโto unveil the sinister and shocking secrets in the stonesย .ย .ย .
Praise for Secrets in the Stones
โSatisfyingย .ย .ย . . Harrisโs rich portrayal of Indian influences on Britain, along with fresh twists in the protagonistsโ romance, adds appeal.โ โPublishers Weekly