Death in the Andamans [Paperback]

M. M. Kaye (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 11, 2000

Death in the Andamans is a masterpiece of mystery and romance from one of our most beloved authors. When a violent storm lashes the tiny Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, Copper Randal barely manages a safe return to Government House. She does get back in one piece with her hostess, Valerie Masson, Val's fiance, and handsome naval officer Nick Tarrent, but one of the islanders is unaccounted for when the boats return to harbor. Cut off from the mainland and confined to the shadowy, haunted guest quarters, Copper and the other visitors conclude that one of their number is a murderer. The killer must be found before the storm destroys all trace of any possible clues. In Death in the Andamans M.M. Kaye has created the perfect blend of exotic setting and expertly crafted whodunit that mark her as one of our greatest literary talents.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally published in England, this tale of romance and murder on a few tiny islands in the Indian Ocean was written in the '30s and is based on an actual experience of the then-young author. Copper Randal is visiting Valerie, a school friend who is the daughter of the commissioner of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The British community there is small and eccentric, its predictable social rounds occasionally enlivened by visiting naval officers. A Christmas Eve picnic is interrupted by a raging tropical storm, during which an indigent British plantation owner is killed. A visiting Navy doctor voices suspicion of murder and is the next victim. With communications to the mainland cut, the storm still in force, terror takes over the island as the search for motive turns up a surprising number of suspects. One is handsome Nick Tarrent, friend of Valerie's fiance and object of Copper's troubling romantic fantasies. With its satisfying plot, deft characterization and emphasis on setting and atmosphere, this early effort from an established talent is both fresh and credible. 40,000 first printing.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"M.M. Kaye [is] one of the finest storytellers of our time." --Mystery News

"M.M. Kaye has a marvelous touch with atmosphere, place, and time." --Houston Chronicle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (February 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312252811
• ISBN-13: 978-0312252816
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better mysteries, and an incredible look at Andamans, January 3, 2006

By 

A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death in the Andamans (Paperback)

If you ever wanted to travel to the Andamans, then this is definitely the book for you - the detail of what the islands were like, and also life for the colonial ruling class, is wonderful. M M Kaye used to take copious notes of all the places she visited just in case she decided to write a book about them later - something she did about six of the places she was stationed with her husband. Most of the people she writes about are from the colonial class themselves, born in exotic places such as Kashmir, Egypt, etc. It was a world she recognised and wrote about with confidence

Death in the Andamans is about Copper who is invited out to stay with her friend Valerie whose stepfather is one of the colonial administrators who lives on the island of Ross. Together they challenge if only unconciously, the reigning belle of the Island, Ruby, who is in her 30's but stagnating there because of circumstances she has created for herself.

Into this stifling atmosphere Copper arrives and all around Christmas time. A christmas eve picnic to a nearby island goes horribly wrong when a storm whips up and Ferrers Shilto who is sailing back is swept away. That puts a damper on Christmas eve, but christmas is worse when his body is washed up on the shore. A cursory examination of the body cites accidental death, but a young doctor wants to look further and disappears mysteriously - later to found sewn up in the shroud the original body was in.

Meanwhile Copper and Valerie hear footsteps and creeping around inside the house and are frightened by it, and by the fact no prints are ever seen despite the wet floors.

Nicely timed mystery and lovely romances - several of them in fact.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't put it down murder mystery!, December 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Death in the Andamans (Hardcover)

When was the last time you curled up on a rainy day with a good whodunit? "Death in the Andamans" is the perfect book if you enjoy the "locked door" variety of murder mystery. The plot and characters can be found in many similar books - what separates this one is the good writing. It's all there: spunky young heroine, dark enigmatic stranger, a cast of suspects - all marrooned on an island during a hurricane. The outcome - a dead body and a murderer on the loose among them. Throw in some unearthly sightings and some clever detecting and you've got yourself a nice read. M.M. Kaye is one of my top five writers. In addition to her mysteries, she also wrote historical fiction. Try "Trade Wind", "Shadow of the Moon" or "The Far Pavillions" and you'll see how talented a writer she is.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful, April 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Death in the Andamans (Hardcover)

Perhaps my favorite of M.M. Kaye's 'Death in' series. I wanted to visit the house in this book myself. All her mysteries take place in exotic locales under British rule. A favorite style of mine, the late 1930's to early 1950's. Tourists sightseeing, meeting for cocktails, planning murders, etc. All the fun British characters, without being heavy or too 'vedy vedy British'. I great read!