A royal visit to 1922 Bangalore brings danger in Harini Nagendra's A Nest of Vipers

Offering an even twistier and broader-scope plot than the first two books in Nagendra’s series, A Nest of Vipers is dominated by the Prince of Wales’s impending visit to Bangalore in January 1922, and the British colonial government’s determination to quell potential violence by supporters of the Indian independence movement.

For the moment, Kaveri Murthy and her doctor husband, Ramu, plan to enjoy a VIP evening out at the circus with their friend Anandi to celebrate Kaveri’s matriculation certificate in mathematics. But events take several unusual turns.

After their backstage invitation from master magician Das and his teenage son, Suman, who are eager to meet the famous “lady detective,” Kaveri grows startled at reports of local burglaries. The magician’s act is high-risk even without its underlying message of freedom from British oppression, and ultimately his performance erupts into chaos. When Das vanishes, and Anandi’s abusive estranged husband is found stabbed, the couple know they must protect her, since she’s bound to be accused of his murder.

The dynamics in this volume are changing in intriguing ways, which distress Kaveri to no end. Her policeman ally, Mr. Ismail, has turned cold, telling her to back off the case, and Anandi also asks to be left alone.

With her firm moral compass, Kaveri pushes ahead anyway, despite the pain of going against her friends’ wishes. Her desire for a purpose in life feels very relatable. Ramu supports her implicitly, but as a woman in British India, her academic studies can only progress so far, and she’s not content to sit at home.

Besides the incisive character portraits, we have a complicated mystery grounded in its milieu, in which Indians wanting to escape colonial rule are divided on how best to achieve their goal: ahimsa (nonviolence) or brutal force. Definitely recommended, though start with book one (The Bangalore Detectives Club) for maximum appreciation.

A Nest of Vipers was published by Pegasus Crime in May, and I'd reviewed it for May's Historical Novels Review initially. Constable published it in the UK and in India. See also reviews of the first and second books: The Bangalore Detectives Club and Murder Under a Red Moon.