Grave Intentions

SECRETS is a suspenseful mystery novel set in Bundelkhand, India, where a seasoned detective investigates suspicious incidents on a riverside dig, uncovering a legend of an ancient curse.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2022
Publisher: Pushkin Press

SECRETS

Seasoned detective Harith Athreya is back, this time to investigate suspicious incidences on a riverside dig in the heart of remote Bundelkhand.

SUPERSTITION

In this place, rich in myth and history, the legend goes that anyone who sets foot on nearby island Naaz Tapu would be cursed forever.

SLAUGHTER

When an archaeologist defies local folklore, the fallout is swift and deadly. Is the death a result of the ancient curse, or is it a more down-to-earth case of murder? Athreya needs to unravel the truth from legend before the curse strikes again.

The dig site, located on the banks of the Ganges River in Bundelkhand, India, has been the site of numerous unexplained incidents in recent months. The archaeologists working there have reported strange noises, ghostly sightings, and even physical attacks.

One of the archaeologists, a young woman named Maya, had been working at the site for several weeks when she disappeared without a trace. Her colleagues searched the area for her, but they could not find any sign of her.

The local villagers believed that Maya had been cursed by the island of Naaz Tapu. They said that anyone who set foot on the island would be struck down by a mysterious force that would leave them forever dead.

Despite the warnings, Maya's colleagues decided to continue their work on the dig site. They believed that the ancient curse was just a myth and that they could overcome it with their scientific knowledge.

However, their hopes were dashed when another archaeologist, a man named Raj, was found dead on the site. His body was battered and bruised, and there were signs of strangulation.

The local police were called in to investigate, but they were unable to determine a cause of death. The villagers insisted that the curse was responsible, and they demanded that the dig site be closed down immediately.

Athreya, who had been called in to investigate the deaths, was skeptical of the villagers' claims. He had seen firsthand the scientific methods that the archaeologists were using, and he knew that there was no supernatural force at work.

However, he was also aware that the villagers had a long history of superstition and that they were not likely to be convinced by scientific evidence.

As Athreya continued his investigation, he discovered that there was more to the story than just a simple curse. The dig site was located on the site of an ancient temple that had been destroyed centuries ago by a rival tribe.

The temple had been built to worship a powerful goddess, and it was believed that the goddess had a curse on anyone who disturbed her temple. The rival tribe had destroyed the temple in order to claim the land for themselves, and they had vowed to return and destroy it again if anyone ever tried to rebuild it.

Athreya realized that the deaths at the dig site were not the result of a supernatural curse, but of a more down-to-earth threat. The rival tribe had been waiting for years for an opportunity to strike, and they had finally found it.

With the help of his team, Athreya was able to track down the rival tribe and bring them to justice. The tribe was arrested and charged with murder, and the dig site was finally closed down.

In the end, Athreya was able to unravel the truth from legend and save the lives of the archaeologists working at the dig site. He had proven that superstition was not the only force at work in the world, and that science could be used to overcome even the most powerful of curses.

The legend of Naaz Tapu continues to haunt the villagers of Bundelkhand, but Athreya's investigation has shown that there is more to the story than just a simple curse. The dig site may be closed down, but the memory of the ancient temple and the rival tribe that destroyed it will live on for generations to come.

Weight: 258g
Dimension: 129 x 199 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781782277347