The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

Joshi’s gorgeous sequel to The Henna Artist turns on a royal construction scandal and a black market in 1969 India. The story begins with the collapse of a new cinema during its star-studded premiere in Jaipur, bringing embarrassment to the palace and the Singh-Sharma building firm. Twelve years have passed since henna practitioner Lakshmi Kumar was forced to leave Jaipur in shame; she moved to rural Shimla with her orphaned, street-wise ward, Malik, married an esteemed doctor, and established a healing herb garden. Malik, now 20 and educated, is back in Jaipur as a builder’s apprentice; Lakshmi arranged Malik’s job to protect him from getting wrapped up in the local drug and gun-running outfit, which happened to the brother of Nimmi, a nomadic young Himalayan widow Lakshmi has been watching over. Malik suspects fraud was behind the ill-fated cinema project after he uncovers sketchy contracts and doctored invoices. Lakshmi returns to Jaipur and calls on her royal connections to help Malik bring out the truth. Meanwhile, Malik and Nimmi have developed an attraction, to Lakshmi’s dismay. Joshi’s sensuous descriptions of food, local color, and Lakshmi’s art make this worth savoring. Fans of the series will hope there’s more in store. Agent: Margaret Sutherland Brown, Folio Literary Management. (June)