In the opening book of this popular and charming series set in the 1930s among the rolling green hills of colonial Ceylon, Inspector Shanti de Silva is not finding life in his new post in the sleepy town of Nuala as restful as he had hoped.An arrogant plantation owner with a lonely wife, a crusading lawyer, and a death in suspicious circumstances conspire to present him with a puzzle that he will … that he will need all his experience to solve and prove his worth to his new boss.
If you love entertaining and absorbing mysteries, spiced with colourful characters and a dash of humour, don’t miss The Inspector de Silva Mysteries. Treat yourself to a copy of Trouble in Nuala today.
What reviewers say about Trouble in Nuala:
“This is an unexpected treasure. Set in 1930s Ceylon. It is an interesting look at colonialism from the colonial side. I was engaged from the first page and kept in thrall until the end. Inspector DeSilva and Jane are well drawn characters and I plan on following them through further adventures.” Anna
“The sweltering heat and dazzling light of Ceylon in the 1930s pour out from the pages of “Trouble in Nuala”. Shanti de Silva, Nuala’s police inspector, navigates the complexities of colonial society under British Imperial rule even as he unpicks the threads of a classic murder mystery. First-class entertainment, with a memorable mix of characters.” P. Bristow
“A captivating, relaxed read which was thoroughly enjoyable to the last page, set in a charming era, with an endearing lead character and in an interesting location.” Amazon Customer
“Clever plotting, sharply defined characters and luscious description make this a hugely enjoyable read. I look forward to volume 2”. Ros
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A historical mystery set in 1930s Ceylon (Sri Lanka), under British colonial rule. Nuala is a fictional small town, perfect for Inspector de Silva and his English wife, so he believes, a quiet place where not much happens–the most exciting event is the local cricket match. That changes when a plantation owner is found murdered, and there are plenty of suspects who wanted the unpleasant man dead. Di Silva must investigate without much evidence and without upsetting the British government agents. I liked Shanti di Silva who loves his English wife, Jane, but not English food! Harriet Steel is a prolific author of historical mystery and historical fiction. The eighth Nuala book was just released (April 2020).
In 1930’s British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Inspector de Silva investigates the death of a plantation owner with the help of his English wife, Jane. One of the reviews of this series describes the books as “gentle” mysteries, and I agree. The books have a measured pace—rather like the inspector—and give a vivid depiction of life in Ceylon between the wars.
A thoroughly relaxing read. Golden Age feel
There are wonderful descriptions of life in British colonial Ceylon in the 1930s.
Inspector Shanti de Silva and his English wife, Jane carefully mingle with the British society.
Jane gently corrects all the Shanti’s misuse of British sayings lending humor to the scenes. Spoiler:
A local nasty British tea factory owner of a rundown tea plantation is found dead and Shanti must be careful to avoid ruffling feathers while he solves the murder.
A frightened wife, a dismissed mistreated worker, lawyer and a financier are among the suspects
Shanti slowly pieces all the clues together to solve the murder.
Ceylon, 1930s, law-enforcement, lawyers *****
1930s Ceylon, the police, the overbearing British, and murder. It’s not hard to figure out who will be the victim, but the who and how are posers til the end of the book! An excellent listen on its own merit, but listening to Matthew Lloyd Davies is a real treat.
Enjoyed the first book in the series, I bought the entire series to date. Charming police mysteries set in 1930’s Nuala, a fictional town in Ceylon. Memorable cast of characters in each book.
I have read all of the available Inspector Silva mysteries by Harriet Steel and love them. Not dark or weird, just good mysteries with likable characters from the time of British colonial rule in India. Very enjoyable!
Cozy Mystery in 1930’s Ceylon
Kindle version ends at 90% followed by the first chapter or so of the next book.
Suitable for teens and adults
No sex
No strong language
No violence
Inspector de Silva, a native of Ceylon, suspects murder, but because of British rule must step lightly in his investigations due to lingering prejudices.
Likable characters – I hope his wife, an Englishwoman, as well as a few other characters will be further developed in the sequels.
Good plot. Straightforward whodunit.
Yes, I will be reading the sequel, and then determine whether to continue the series.