cover image The Train at Bundarbar

The Train at Bundarbar

Duncan MacNeil. Walker & Company, $15.95 (191pp) ISBN 978-0-8027-0895-3

During the Raj, floods inundate northern India. Sent to aid the victims, the 114th Highlanders, the Queen's Own Royal Strathspey Regiment, is immobilized by the roiling waters. Compounding difficulties is an urgent SOS from a train stranded by high water and besieged by mutinous Pathans. Capt. James Ogilvie leads his company to the rescue; the train carries not only his beloved Fiona Elliott but also crates of gold bullion worth 100,000. The Pathans make off with the treasure, and when Ogilvie gives chase, they outwit him by returning to the train and holding the passengers hostage. Filled with episodes of derring-do, the novel also emphasizes the arrogance of those who served the Raj. Though not graced with subtlety or complex motivation, this adventure should satisfy readers who relish Kipling and John Masters. February 15