London: A United Kingdom-based author has launched the second instalment of his Indian-Irish cosy crime mystery series in London, with its official release in India scheduled for the following week. Paul Waters, a Belfast native who developed a deep affinity for India after marrying his Delhi-born wife Aneysha, has followed up his debut novel with a new book titled Death At the Elephant House.
The series features an unconventional investigative pairing consisting of a semi-retired Irish teaching nun named Sister Agatha Murphy and Avtar Mehta, the proprietor of the historic Delhi Haveli Hotel located in Chandni Chowk. In the newly released second novel, this unlikely pair tackles a complex locked-room mystery involving one of Delhi's wealthiest families, a charismatic gangster, a police standoff, and a cigarette-stealing elephant, all set against the winter backdrop of Lohri festival bonfires in January.
The characters and narrative elements of Waters' books are heavily inspired by real life. His own family history includes an aunt named Agatha, a feisty Irish teaching nun sent to India by her religious order, who eventually served as Principal of Jesus and Mary College in Delhi. Subsequent genealogical detective work revealed that Aunt Agatha had actually taught Waters' late mother-in-law in Pune, a coincidence the author interpreted as a sign to embark on the fiction series.
Waters, an award-winning BBC journalist, conducts his research by wandering the streets of Delhi, observing daily life, and listening to stories from real people. Following promotional events in India, the author plans to expand the series significantly, aiming to write a book for every month of the year to highlight cultural touchstones such as Holi, Diwali, cricket matches, and traditional weddings, thereby offering readers a comprehensive fictional year in the life of India.