Trouble in Nuala --A Place in Old Ceylon

Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in a small village of Ceylon, a tea plantation owner has appeared to die of a heart attack, leaving a young widow and her small son behind. Shanti de Silva, a native son, is the local policeman. He is married to a British woman and lives under the governorship of the British. He is mild-mannered and though he loves his native food and customs, he loves his wife enough to endure the British soirees, luncheons and idioms with humor. He is not particularly sure that the death is natural but lacking any sure signs of foul play he is unwilling to rock the boat until something more definite appears.
He and his two subordinates deal with roaming sheep and a herd of horses that seem to be everywhere disturbing traffic. When he finds a used teacup at the death scene with a vaguely familiar odor coming from the dregs, he finds himself looking for more evidence that this unpopular man was indeed murdered. Red herrings and several forays into the countryside that bring no clues ensue. Yet, there are several people who seem rather suspect and Inspector de Silva ponders it all amongst the roses of his beloved garden and over vegetables and roti until he solves the mystery.
A delightful cozy mystery set in an exotic local at a colonial time in the history of the British Empire with interesting characters and events.

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