Engraved in Stone

Two years after the Taj Mahal is finally built, many secrets shroud its walls... In Agra to escort home the beautiful Shireen, Muzaffar Jang maverick nobleman and ace detective - reluctantly finds himself at the centre of yet another murder investigation when Mumtaz Hassan, a prominent trader, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. The Diwan-i-kul, Mir Jumla, on his way to invade Bijapur, hands the task of finding the killer to Muzaffar. With almost no evidence to work with except an ambiguous scrawl on a scrap of paper found clutched in the dead man's fist, Muzaffar knows he must find the killer before the Diwan-i-kul returns if he wants to save himself an invitation to a beheading. As he begins to uncover the dross beneath the golden opulence of the dead man and his murkily amorous past, Muzaffar chances upon another mystery: a long forgotten tale of a woman who vanished inexplicably one evening. Muzaffar Jang once again pits his wits against an array of potential suspects - even as he loses his heart to Shireen. About the Author Madhulika Liddle lives in Delhi and has worked in hospitality, advertising and instructional design before giving it all up to focus on writing. Her short stories have won several awards, including the top prize at the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association's Short Story Competition, 2003. Engraved in Stone is her third book about the Mughal detective, Muzaffar Jang. Besides fiction, Madhulika also writes on travel and classic cinema.