Murder in Moonlit Square by Paul Waters

Old Delhi is the setting for this engaging murder mystery. Avtar, an ambitious young Indian hotel manager, and Agatha, a semi-retired Irish nun, join forces to track down the killer of a guest at the respected Delhi Haveli Hotel. The pair’s unlikely friendship begins in the back yard of the Haveli, where they have separately hidden to enjoy a smoke. They are bonding over this joint pastime when there is a disturbance inside the hotel. Avatar is called upon to restrain the culprits and Agatha follows him to offer assistance. When the corpse of a university lecturer is discovered in one of the hotel bedrooms and another guest is suspected of his murder, Avtar and Agatha launch a wide -ranging investigation to uncover the truth.

I loved Paul Waters’ first novel, Blackwatertown. It  brought to life the history of my own culture by telling the story of a criminal investigation in a small Ulster town following the partition of Ireland. The action in Murder in Moonlit Square takes place in a huge city with a population of millions, but it features the same historic issues : religious division, partition, police and national security, the treatment of women and girls.

Agatha’s determination to track down the murderer takes the reader on a journey through Old Delhi, where she encounters some fascinating characters. She is deeply committed to the girls she teaches and the city where she has lived most of her life. Meanwhile, Avtar tries to rescue the reputation of his beloved hotel and save it from closure, to protect the jobs of the employees he regards as his family. Occasionally their personal stories slow down the pace of the action, but the human interest aspect makes up for this.

I look forward to reading the further adventures of these endearing amateur sleuths.