Cleverly, Barbara

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Cleverly, Barbara

PERSONAL:

Born in England; married Peter Cleverly (second husband); children: one son, five stepchildren. Education: Graduated from Durham University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Cambridge, England.

CAREER:

Writer. Former teacher of French, English, and Latin.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, Crime Writers' Association, 2004, for The Damascened Blade; The Last Kashmiri Rose was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

WRITINGS:

MYSTERY NOVELS; "COMMANDER JOE SANDILANDS" SERIES

The Last Kashmiri Rose: Murder and Mystery in the Final Days of the Raj, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2002.

Ragtime in Simla, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2003.

The Damascened Blade, Constable (London, England), 2003, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2004.

The Palace Tiger, Constable (London, England), 2004, Delta Trade Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2006.

The Bee's Kiss, Constable (London, England), 2005, Delta Trade Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2007.

Tug of War, Constable (London, England), 2006.

Folly Du Jour, Constable (London, England), 2007.

OTHER

An Old Magic, Suffolk Press (England), 2003.

The Tomb of Zeus, Delta Trade Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Former schoolteacher Barbara Cleverly turned to writing crime novels after an outline she entered in the Crime Writers' Association/London Sunday Times Debut Dagger competition was short listed for the prize. The outline was then expanded into her first book in the "Commander Joe Sandilands" series. The Last Kashmiri Rose: Murder and Mystery in the Final Days of the Raj is set in British-occupied India in 1922 and follows Scotland Yard detective Joe Sandilands, who was sent to India to advise the Bengal police but soon finds himself on the case of a British woman who supposedly committed suicide at the outpost of Panikhat. Although the woman is found in the bathtub with her wrists slashed, Sandilands learns that this is the fifth suspicious death of a British officer's wife to occur there since 1910. All of the women died experiencing their worst fears or phobias. For example, in the current case, the woman with the slashed wrists was deathly afraid of blood. The other deaths involved fire, drowning, snakes, and heights. Aided by Nancy Drummond, a close friend of the previous victim, and a local Indian police sergeant, Sandilands eventually uncovers a complex murder plot.

A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that in The Last Kashmiri Rose, "Sandilands and other characters, both British and Indian, come across as living, breathing people." Writing in Kirkus Reviews, a contributor noted that the novel "covers all the hallmarks of this bygone colonial era" but added that Cleverly's "rudimentary plotting skills … in no way equal her sense of time and place." However, Emily Melton wrote in Booklist that "Cleverly's debut novel, deftly plotted and filled with unexpected twists, effectively captures the sights and sounds of 1920s India."

In Ragtime in Simla, Sandilands is tracking down the murderer of Feodor Korsovsky, a Russian singer killed by a sniper's bullet while he and Sandilands traveled by car to Simla, summer capital of the British Raj. Sandilands soon learns that an identical murder occurred at the same spot, called the Devil's Elbow, a year earlier. In that still-unsolved case, the victim was a British national who had come to India to claim part of a company owned by his brother. Sandilands is helped on the case by a local superintendent, and he soon pierces the façade of the colonial hierarchy to uncover a plot involving blackmail by a brothel owner and a spiritualist running a con game. Rex Klett, writing in the Library Journal, noted that "Cleverly's great plot, exotic Indian surrounds, and historical ambiance … recommends her latest to most collections." A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote: "Fully developed characters and a convincing portrayal of time and place lift Cleverly's second historical." In a review for Booklist, Barbara Bibel dubbed Ragtime in Simla "perfect armchair travel for historical mystery fans."

The Damascened Blade finds Sandilands on the India-Afghanistan border assigned to protect visiting American heiress Lily Coblenz, who is on an adventure holiday. The duo is at an outlying fort when a local Pathan prince is murdered. The prince's tribe then kidnaps a British lord and his mistress and demands as ransom that the prince's killer be discovered and summarily executed. Sandilands begins his investigation of the case, which he must solve in one week's time if the British couple is to be spared. John Escott, writing on the Shots Web site, commented that while the "characters are nicely drawn," "the book didn't hold my interest for all of its 287 pages." However, a Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that the "marvelous historical delivers on the promise of the author's first two mysteries." Bibel, writing in Booklist, noted that "Cleverly uses her portrayal of life at the fort to capture the essence of the declining British Empire."

Sandilands is next sent to investigate a string of royal murders in The Palace Tiger. The maharaja is on his death bed, and two of his sons have died in close succession under mysterious circumstances. Only one son remains alive, and Sandilands is charged with protecting the sole heir to the throne while he attempts to uncover the motive behind the murders. Shannon McKenna remarked in a review for Bookreporter.com: "Cleverly unfolds a classic whodunit against an exotic backdrop. Her descriptions of the palace … are intriguing enough. Add to that a clever mystery and a dashing detective, and it makes for an appealing read." Mystery Reader Web site contributor Jane Davis noted that "Cleverly does an excellent job of conveying the complexity of the Raj and all it entails and presents believable characters with remarkable historical accuracy."

The Bee's Kiss tracks Sandilands back in his native England, where he is asked to look into the murder of a London socialite. Dame Beatrice Joliffe was found dead in room at the Ritz Hotel, and although all signs point to burglary, the murder of a number of the Dame's former companions complicates the investigation. The novel was described by Jo Ann Vicarel in a Library Journal review as a "beautifully plotted, character-driven masterpiece that will be snapped up by fans of historical mysteries." A Kirkus Reviews critic pointed out that if the book is "not quite as atmospheric as Sandiland's Indian excursions," it is "intricately plotted, with clever red herrings." "Cleverly combines a colorful historical setting," wrote Bibel for Booklist, "with a complex plot and well-developed characters."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August, 2002, Emily Melton, review of The Last Kashmiri Rose: Murder and Mystery in the Final Days of the Raj, p. 1929; September 1, 2003, Barbara Bibel, review of Ragtime in Simla, p. 67; July, 2004, Barbara Bibel, review of The Damascened Blade, p. 1823; July 1, 2006, Barbara Bibel, review of The Bee's Kiss, p. 36.

Bookseller, October 29, 2004, "Cleverly a Cut above the Rest," p. 6.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2002, review of The Last Kashmiri Rose, p. 840; August 15, 2003, review of Ragtime in Simla, p. 1046; June 15, 2006, review of The Bee's Kiss, p. 602.

Library Journal, September 1, 2002, Rex Klett, review of The Last Kashmiri Rose, p. 218; October 1, 2003, Rex Klett, review of Ragtime in Simla, p. 120; July, 2004, Rex Klett, review of The Damascened Blade, p. 63 July 1, 2006, Jo Ann Vicarel, review of The Bee's Kiss, p. 52.

Publishers Weekly, July 15, 2002, review of The Last Kashmiri Rose, p. 57; August 4, 2003, review of Ragtime in Simla, p. 57; June 14, 2004, review of The Damascened Blade, p. 46.