
A British barrister takes the witness stand after becoming embroiled in a shocking murder in colonial India Unassured of a family inheritance, Henry Thresk dedicates himself to pursuing a career in law. His determination is exacting; as a man of limited means, it has to be. Even when he meets Stella, a supremely appealing young woman, he refuses to consider love and marriage. He must stick to the path he has laid out for himself. Eight years later, on a solicitor call to Bombay, Henry finds himself face to face with a photograph of his long-lost love. Stella is married to Captain Ballantyne, an older man clever at politics and languages who is revealed to be a violent brute. Henry is determined to rescue Stella, but before he can enact a plan the captain is discovered shot to death with his wife’s rifle. Henry, a respected man of the law, is called as a witness for the defense—only the first of many twists in this deftly plotted mystery. If his instincts are wrong, he will sacrifice his life and career for a woman he hardly knows. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Author

Major Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London - 22 November 1948 London) was a British author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel The Four Feathers. He studied at Dulwich College and graduated from Trinity College, Oxford in 1888. He was a contemporary of fellow Liberal Anthony Hope, who went on to write the adventure novel The Prisoner of Zenda. His first novel, A Romance of Wastdale, was published in 1895. He was the author of more than 20 books, including At The Villa Rose (1910), a mystery novel in which he introduced his French detective, Inspector Hanaud. His best-known book is The Four Feathers, which has been made into several films. Many consider it his masterpiece. Other books are The House of the Arrow (1924), No Other Tiger (1927), The Prisoner in the Opal (1929) and Fire Over England (1937).