The Thief of Taxila

by Veena Muthuraman

English 248 pages 1 edition

‘An exciting adventure set in the fascinating ancient city of Taxila. There’s intrigue; social clashes; mysterious pasts; a puzzling theft… Such a good start to a series, I can’t wait for the next book!’—Madhulika Liddle, author of the Muzaffar Jang Mysteries In the bustling bylanes of ancient Taxila, where scholars debate philosophy and traders exchange silk for gold, danger lurks in the shadows. Xuan, a reluctant scribe from distant China, finds himself entangled in dangerous intrigue. The sacred relics of the Great Buddha and a priceless royal amulet have mysteriously vanished from the Governor’s treasury. When an innocent chariot wheel maker stands accused for the theft, Xuan joins forces with an unlikely band of sleuths—Anahita, the headstrong daughter of the city’s General; Ekla, the chariot wheel maker’s son desperate to clear his father’s name; and Nelli, the sharp-witted daughter of a forest healer. Together, they uncover a tangled web of betrayal, debts, buried secrets and imperial ambition stretching from the ruined stupa of Dharmarajika to the guarded citadel of Sirsukh. As soldiers close in on innocent villagers and political conspiracies come to light, Xuan and his team must rely on their wit and courage to unearth the relics before they are lost forever—or worse, used as a pawn in a deadly power struggle. A masterful combination of historical detail and thrilling adventure, The Thief of Taxila is a riveting tale of friendship, loyalty and deception, set against the richly woven backdrop of the Silk Road, the fabled trade route that linked the East with the West, carrying goods and ideas between the two great civilisations of Rome and China.