The Satapur Moonstone, Massey - B

                                  As is often the case, the second book in a series experiences a drop off from the debut novel. The British government requests that Purveen travel to the northwest of the country to resolve a conflict amongst the family of a young maharajah about his future education. Of course, there's a lot more going on than education planning. This book reminds us that the Raj was never a completely British operation. Throughout the vast sub-continent, the British presence was often slight. In the northwest alone, in the 1920's, there were dozens of principalities with their own rulers who were assisted, not governed, by a local Imperial agency.