The Kidnapping of Mark Twain

by Anuradha Kumar

English 344 pages 1 edition

In 1896, Mark Twain arrives at the docks of Bombay, wife and daughter in tow, and, after attending a party in his honour, vanishes from his room at the iconic Watson’s Hotel in the dead of night. Desperate to find the legendary writer and avoid an international incident between his country and Britain, the American Trade Consul, Henry Baker, teams up with Abdul, his trusted aide, and Maya Barton, a free-spirited Anglo- Indian with surprisingly intuitive detective skills. But they have their task cut out for them: Mark Twain’s disappearance appears to be entangled with a thriving opium trade; an intimidating, self-righteous preacher; an anxious magician who walks on stilts; a professional thief on the run; and a powerful labour leader, Tuka, whose young wife is found strangled in her bed. Full of fascinating period detail and delightful cameos—and awash with suspense— The Kidnapping of Mark Twain is a thrilling page-turner.