Dimensions
130 x 197 x 26mm
Amen Corner, London, 1864. Sarah O'Reilly has been enlisted to help Lily Korechnya, a wealthy widow who writes a column for the paper under a pseudonym, catalogue Lady Cynthia Herbert's magnificent jewel collection. She is especially struck by several large gems that belong to the Maharaja of Benares, which Lady Herbert has promised to have made into a special charm. The gems include a fiery red diamond that seems to exert an unsettling influence over anyone who touches it. Then two gruesome murders take place, both of whom are strangled in an unusual, distinct way. A local simpleton, Holy Joe, is blamed for the murders but neither Lily or Sarah are convinced the police have the right man. The trail of the missing gems leads them back to India, ghosts and the dangerous cult of the destroyer goddess Kali.
