Synopsis "The Kala Ghoda Affair a Lalli Mystery (in English)"
Bombay, 1896. A handsome Indian Prince loses his heart to a Europeanwoman of striking beauty. She is staying at the only hotel fit for Europeans-Watson's, in the elite Kala Ghoda area of the city. The Prince gifts his ladylove a necklace of gold set with a beautiful sapphire of so deep a blue that itis known as the Kala Ghoda. But then Fate intervenes. An epidemic of theplague sweeps the city and the lady sets sail for Paris without even biddinggoodbye. Before her ship sails, she returns the Prince's gift through his groom, Madan. When the jewel case is opened, the necklace is there, but the sapphireis not. Madan is accused of the theft, and hanged. The Prince loses his ladyand, in years to come, his fortune.The sapphire appears to have fulfilled its prophecy-that it will bringmisfortune to anyone who possesses it. The groom is forever known as 'MadanChor', and the scandal follows his family for four generations.To find a jewel that has gone missing for 125 years seems an impossibletask-even for Lalli. She finds unexpected help in Jean Claude, the retiredChief of Police from Paris, who is here to investigate l'affaire du cheval noir-an investigation begun more than a century ago by Edmund Locard, thelegendary detective. It was Locard who was originally engaged to find thesapphire.It is up to Lalli and Jean Claude to finish the task Locard began. And, despitethe re-emergence of Lalli's old enemy, Rassiwala, and his evil designs-this iswhat they achieve. Not for nothing is Lalli, long retired, still the Last Resortfor the Mumbai Police.
