In the new Bangalore Detectives Club Mystery, Kaveri Murthy is enjoying herself in Mysore, India, surrounded by the beautiful city's palaces, temples, and lakes—filled with sacred crocodiles—until an old friend from Bangalore turns up dead.

When Bangalore's most famous lady detective, Kaveri Murthy, visits her parents in Mysore in 1923, she finds herself under pressure from all quarters. Between the demands of her overbearing mother, exacting teacher, and inquisitive baby daughter—where's the time to solve crimes?

But fate has other plans for Kaveri, and they don't include retirement. Before she knows it, she's handling not one, but three cases: the queen commissions her to find the palace's stolen sacred royal diamond; a young princess in desperate trouble; and Inspector Ismail on the trail of a cunning master forger. At the reappearance of a dangerous acquaintance, once thought dead, Kaveri thinks the stakes couldn't get any higher, but then she finds the body of an old friend from Bangalore and her mission turns personal.

Mysore seems to be a peaceful city of palaces, temples, and lakes filled with sacred crocodiles—but the bodies continue to pile up. With the help of her ace sleuth team—husband Ramu, housemaid Anandi, and milkboy Venu—detective Kaveri must solve her most dangerous case yet, all without overstepping the demands of polite society.