Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
G.P. Putnam's Sons (2015), 384 pages
Description
India, 1937: William Avery is a young soldier with few prospects except rotting away in campaigns in India; Jeremiah Blake is a secret political agent gone native, a genius at languages and disguises, disenchanted with the whole ethos of British rule, but who cannot resist the challenge of an unresolved mystery. What starts as a wild goose chase for this unlikely pair-trying to track down a missing writer who lifts the lid on Calcutta society-becomes very much more sinister as Blake and Avery get sucked into the mysterious Thugee cult and it's even more ominous suppression. There are shades of Heart of Darkness, sly references to Conan Doyle, that bring brilliantly to life the India of the 1830s with its urban squalor, glamorous princely courts and bazaars, and the ambiguous presence of the British overlords-the officers of the East India Company-who have their own predatory ambitions beyond London's oversight.… (more)
Media reviews
[T]he Strangler Vine” is more than just a picturesque quest through exotic lands. Carter makes a subtle critique of how fact and fiction, myth and history intertwine.
The quest takes some surprising turns, and Carter (Anthony Blunt: His Lives) is masterly at keeping the reader guessing what’s really going on. The final revelation is both jaw-dropping and plausible.
It’s a great read, white tigers and all.
As well as being a rattling good yarn in the traditions of GA Henty or Rudyard Kipling, this is also a well-informed and enlightened modern book that has a properly sceptical view of imperialist propaganda. I do not remember when I enjoyed a novel more than this.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Ameise1
What a great start to a new series. William Avery is young and not long in Calcutta. He works for the East India Company and is homesick for England. He is very well read and loves the books of Xavier Mountstuart. He spends the evenings in the casino, playing and drinking too much and is therefore
Avery and Blake feel like Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holms. They are in a similar relationship to each other and react very similar.
The story grabbed me from the beginning and I will definitely continue reading this series.
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heavily in debt. Then he gets an assignment together with Jeremiah Blake to find the lost Mountstuart. What he does not know yet is that he and Blake should be pawn victims for the Company. Blake is a weird guy and often does not talk to Avery, which irritates him a lot. Over time, however, a deep friendship grows between them and both know that they can trust each other blindly. In this story, you learn a lot about life in India in the 1830's. It also shows the inglorious role played by the East India Company for India.Avery and Blake feel like Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holms. They are in a similar relationship to each other and react very similar.
The story grabbed me from the beginning and I will definitely continue reading this series.
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LibraryThing member alanteder
Terrific swashbuckler is the first of Miranda Carter's "Blake and Avery" series.
This is in the junior and the mentor partnership line, with East India Company (the first multi-national?) naive officer Avery partnered with cynical veteran Blake (who had otherwise abandoned the "company") on a
Carter's research brings the atmosphere and period to life and her appendix provides some of her references including the then period exploitation quickie "Confessions of a Thug" (apparently unreadable in today's terms) which mostly cribbed off Sleeman's writing (which were themselves likely partly fictional) and the most recent non-fiction works "Thuggee: Banditry and the British in Early Nineteenth-Century India" and "Thug: The True Story Of India's Murderous Cult."
Was a great bargain as the Audible Daily Deal for $3.95 on April 3, 2017.
This is in the junior and the mentor partnership line, with East India Company (the first multi-national?) naive officer Avery partnered with cynical veteran Blake (who had otherwise abandoned the "company") on a
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manhunt search that takes them into the true-life world of Major-General Sir William Henry Sleeman's repression of the so-called Thuggee Cult in late 1830's India. As you may guess, #FakeNews or #GovernmentLies are not a modern-day invention but have been used as a tool of repression and oppression since time immemorial. Carter's research brings the atmosphere and period to life and her appendix provides some of her references including the then period exploitation quickie "Confessions of a Thug" (apparently unreadable in today's terms) which mostly cribbed off Sleeman's writing (which were themselves likely partly fictional) and the most recent non-fiction works "Thuggee: Banditry and the British in Early Nineteenth-Century India" and "Thug: The True Story Of India's Murderous Cult."
Was a great bargain as the Audible Daily Deal for $3.95 on April 3, 2017.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
I found the history of British colonization and deceitful treatment of the people of India very interesting. Carter has created a mystery in which the reader becomes ensnared trying to figure out who is the bad guy. I found the plot starting to drag as I got further into the book, but all that
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detail is necessary in order to fill readers in on the relationship between the British and the Indians. Also because of the detail, Carter has created characters of depth. The reader really does know the characters. This was a book that might have been better read in hard book form rather than electronic. On a Kindle it is too hard to access the dictionary of Hindu words that found in the text of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Xleptodactylous
There was nothing particularly terrible about it, except the first person narrative which I am wholly put off by in most cases, and the writing wasn't captivating. It just was very formulaic with obvious anecdotes and phrases and sayings we have read in countless other books. Whilst I'm sure it's a
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good ole ripping yarn, I'm not interested in the characters, the setting nor anything else. Show Less
LibraryThing member benjclark
What a marvelous book! Great historical fiction requires a lot of research, and sometimes authors are so (justifiably) proud of the work they've done, they neglect their characters and plot, using their fiction in an attempt to instruct readers. That is emphatically NOT the case in MJ Carter's The
Anxiously awaiting the sequel, and I hope many many more.
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Strangler Vine. The wonderfully developed Blake and Avery walk and talk and truly feel alive in their context, seamlessly doing what early Victorians are bound to do -- investigate the mysterious. They are not curious anachronisms clanging away like precocious, exuberant children, mere mouthpieces for an author (justifiably) disgusted by the values and beliefs of the past. Carter has a clear understanding of the past, as a reader should expect of a well-garlanded historian, but is in fact something of a rarity in fiction. Especially that she handles her story so well, allowing the reader to sink in and travel along. Anxiously awaiting the sequel, and I hope many many more.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
This book reminds me of classics books written in an earlier time. The story takes place in the mid 1800's in colonial India when the English ruled there. The story revolves around the search for a missing author who has been researching a criminal gang known as the Thuggee who are believed to be
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responsible for robbing and murdering thousands over the years. Two men, Blake and Avery, are given the job of ferreting out where he is but along the way the uncover a much more sinister plot. If you enjoy old school English novels you will like this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
The cover art and synopsis instantly hooked me and I knew I had to read this book. 1837. India. Colonial India. British Rule. Sold and sold. The story follows young Avery as he is tasked to helping a secretive older officer track down an acclaimed Indian poet who has gone missing. While trekking
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through the jungles and interacting with natives, Avery discovers that maybe British rule isn't as good for India as he had formerly thought. Corruption, starvation, and indifference seem to be the biggest gifts that the East Indian Trading Company has bestowed upon the natives. The further into the wilderness they go, the more Avery's morals and will will be tested. A fascinating historical novel that will open reader's eyes to the absurdity of Colonial rule. Intriguing all the way through. Show Less
LibraryThing member polarbear123
All in all a good mystery thriller. The denouement is satisfying. My only gripe is that although the historical knowledge is without doubt very impressive, sometimes the level of detail used does get in the way of the flow of the plot. Definitely worth a look though, especially if you have any
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interest at all in india's history. Show Less
LibraryThing member janerawoof
It was probably a mistake to read this one on the hottest days of the year -- 90 degrees and super muggy! Even so, this one I couldn't put down; I had to see how it progressed. 1837, the Raj in India -- twenty years before the Sepoy Mutiny. A duo, former Army officer, Jeremiah Blake, who has spent
The novel dripped with atmosphere. We saw low-caste people, dacoits, Europeans, and the Rao's elegance. I felt as though I were transported back to India of that time, the writing was so vivid. The novel reminded me of a rousing H. Rider Haggard novel, with breathless excitement on every page. And the idea of their quest reminded me of "Heart of Darkness", though the denouement differed. Pacing was very good. I especially enjoyed the exciting tiger hunt.
Highly recommended.
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years in India soaking up the culture and languages and is a master of disguises along with a young "griffin" [inexperienced] Army lieutenant, William Avery, are tasked by the East India Co. to search in the jungle for a famous pulp writer, Avery's boyhood idol, Xavier Montstuart. The novel narrates their search. They set out from Calcutta. At Jubbulpore, a dreary place, no one will give them any information. Why? The major in charge is especially unhelpful. At Doora, they meet the Rao [Maharajah] and we get a feel for his opulent court. He gives them a hint of where to go next and they plunge deeper into the dark jungle. They find the author and he's not what they expected. They are captured by Thugs and must fight their way free. The ending was completely unexpected, with betrayal, treachery.The novel dripped with atmosphere. We saw low-caste people, dacoits, Europeans, and the Rao's elegance. I felt as though I were transported back to India of that time, the writing was so vivid. The novel reminded me of a rousing H. Rider Haggard novel, with breathless excitement on every page. And the idea of their quest reminded me of "Heart of Darkness", though the denouement differed. Pacing was very good. I especially enjoyed the exciting tiger hunt.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member NatalieSW
Willing to admit part of the reason I loved this book is the time period about which it's written—one of my fascinations. Well-researched but not pedantic at all, interesting and provocative characters, some of whom are real historical figures. Very exciting, rather John-Buchan-esque, written
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with greater consciousness of today's reader's sensibilities. Good characters, escapades, nice writing, great climax and end. Show Less
LibraryThing member neurodrew
The Strangler Vine
M.J. Carter
October 18. 2015
William Avery is a jejune subaltern in the East India Company’s army, assigned to Jeremiah Blake, a former agent of the Company who has married in India, then lost his wife, and become more native than English. They are to look into the disappearance
M.J. Carter
October 18. 2015
William Avery is a jejune subaltern in the East India Company’s army, assigned to Jeremiah Blake, a former agent of the Company who has married in India, then lost his wife, and become more native than English. They are to look into the disappearance
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of a poet, who had recently written a scandalous roman a clef about high society in Calcutta, then vanished in the north while researching the Thugee. The two travel to a remote Indian state, where Avery saves the Maharajah’s life from a tiger, and they find that the Thugee conspiracy is essentially a fiction of the Company. The strangler vine chokes the life from trees along the route, serving as a symbol of the Company and its effect on India. Very engrossing plot and engrossing period detail. Depth of character was also very good. Show Less
LibraryThing member oparaxenos
I happened upon this work by chance in a London bookshop, recognizing the author from her non-fiction work. This was a good yarn for those (like me) who have never lost their adolescent love of adventure stories set in faraway lands. Carter's portrayal of pre-Mutiny India is an excellent backdrop
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for this tale of derring-do and mystery. Show Less
LibraryThing member maneekuhi
"The Strangler Vine" (SV) is the first of two books , so far, written by Ms. M J Carter with Blake and Avery as protagonists. SV takes place in India in the later 1830's; the subsequent book (Infidel Stain (IS) will be released in the US later in 2016) is set in London. When the reader first meets
There are two excellent action scenes worthy of the very best Indiana Jones movies, alone worth the investment of reading time. The prose, particularly the descriptions of time and place, is just excellent. And yes, there's a bit of a twist, not overdone by the way, but something of a stretch and and a bit murky, but that's all right. I had only one bone to pick with this book but I think it's an important one. I was left with the impression that every Indian depicted in this story fell into one of two classes - they seemed to be either poor, often criminal, "coolies" or powerful but uncaring dictators running their mini-kingdoms. Amazing how they evolved to such capable people as to manage a country of a billion people when the Brits ran away only 100 years later. Since IS is not an India based story, I might read it. Regardless, I recommend "The Strangler Vine".
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them, both young men have ties to the British army and therefore to the Company (The East India Company), though it is not always clear as to who is controlling whom or what. Blake had been an officer but seems to have run afoul of some of the more senior boys for his insubordination and other sins including independent thinking, and Avery is somewhat younger, in constant debt and love. A famous author of the day has gone missing, and they are are sent out from Calcutta to track him down. (the "why" part is somewhat unclear at the beginning of the novel and for me, at least, also unclear at the end.) But little matter. What follows is a slow bonding between the two, built largely on growing respect for their individual talents, as they race northwards and encounter a number of adventures.There are two excellent action scenes worthy of the very best Indiana Jones movies, alone worth the investment of reading time. The prose, particularly the descriptions of time and place, is just excellent. And yes, there's a bit of a twist, not overdone by the way, but something of a stretch and and a bit murky, but that's all right. I had only one bone to pick with this book but I think it's an important one. I was left with the impression that every Indian depicted in this story fell into one of two classes - they seemed to be either poor, often criminal, "coolies" or powerful but uncaring dictators running their mini-kingdoms. Amazing how they evolved to such capable people as to manage a country of a billion people when the Brits ran away only 100 years later. Since IS is not an India based story, I might read it. Regardless, I recommend "The Strangler Vine".
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LibraryThing member dbsovereign
This is a cross between Kipling and one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes stories. And is also an adventure and mystery with a good deal of research backing up the setting in 1830s India. This book paints a picture of a people oppressed by the British East India Company, but our sympathetic heroes
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either know or come to know better the exact parameters of that oppression. Overall, this is an exciting tale that holds us in its thrall, but also educates us about the hazards of colonialism. Show Less
LibraryThing member PaperDollLady
The writing transports the reader to 1830s India. I liked how the relationship between Lieutenant Avery and Jeremiah Blake develops. Some careful pruning of the middle passages to quicken the pace would have tipped me to giving this mystery five-stars. Still, the historical details and ambience is
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what kept me reading through to the finish. Show Less
LibraryThing member cathyskye
Author M.J. Carter brings colonial India to life in that period twenty years before the Great Mutiny of 1857. Life in Calcutta is exotic and expensive. Even a young soldier like Avery is expected to have a minimum of seven servants! To the British, every native of India is inferior-- and so are
At the same time, a fascinating and layered portrait of the Indian people is shown, from the lowest of the servant classes all the way to princes who hand out bags of rubies, sapphires, and diamonds as though they were an endless supply of chocolates. Whenever the political and financial aims of the East India Company differ from what is actually needed and expected in the country, explosive situations arise. The Strangler Vine delves into the devious means the East India Company used to bend everyone to their will.
All this is seen through the eyes of young William Avery, who at first is easily swayed by the company he keeps. Bored and impressionable, he does everything he's expected to do (including running up debts) and even begins to cultivate his own superior air when dealing with the natives. His assignment with Jeremiah Blake is the best possible thing that could have happened to him. Traveling with this taciturn man, Avery gets out into the country away from the stifling influence of the Company to see how the people really live. Blake and his second-in-command, Mir Aziz, are giving Avery an education, and I liked watching the young man change through various encounters both tame and deadly. There's just a touch of Holmes and Watson about Blake and Avery, and it's going to be interesting to see how this relationship grows in future books.
The only two things that detracted from the book for me were its pacing, which kept bogging down, and Avery's romance with Helen Larkbridge, which felt tacked on and unnecessary to the plot. However, The Strangler Vine's setting and its two main characters definitely make me anticipate more books in this new historical series.
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their language, their culture, their food, their architecture-- nothing escapes contempt. The East India Company is there to keep the peace so they can reap the ultimate in profits. That's the bottom line. The less contact with the natives the better.At the same time, a fascinating and layered portrait of the Indian people is shown, from the lowest of the servant classes all the way to princes who hand out bags of rubies, sapphires, and diamonds as though they were an endless supply of chocolates. Whenever the political and financial aims of the East India Company differ from what is actually needed and expected in the country, explosive situations arise. The Strangler Vine delves into the devious means the East India Company used to bend everyone to their will.
All this is seen through the eyes of young William Avery, who at first is easily swayed by the company he keeps. Bored and impressionable, he does everything he's expected to do (including running up debts) and even begins to cultivate his own superior air when dealing with the natives. His assignment with Jeremiah Blake is the best possible thing that could have happened to him. Traveling with this taciturn man, Avery gets out into the country away from the stifling influence of the Company to see how the people really live. Blake and his second-in-command, Mir Aziz, are giving Avery an education, and I liked watching the young man change through various encounters both tame and deadly. There's just a touch of Holmes and Watson about Blake and Avery, and it's going to be interesting to see how this relationship grows in future books.
The only two things that detracted from the book for me were its pacing, which kept bogging down, and Avery's romance with Helen Larkbridge, which felt tacked on and unnecessary to the plot. However, The Strangler Vine's setting and its two main characters definitely make me anticipate more books in this new historical series.
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LibraryThing member libgirl69
Struggled a little at first but the rich history of India kept me going. Blake is an interesting character, not quite Sherlockian but getting there. Avery is the one who developes through the book, becoming a slightly better person as realisation starts to dawn that all is not well with the Company.
LibraryThing member NatalieSW
Very exciting, rather John-Buchan-esque, written with greater consciousness of today's reader's sensibilities. Good characters, escapades, nice writing, great climax and end. Loved it.
LibraryThing member rwt42
Read 8/16. Found as a Washington Post Notable Book of 2015. Blake and Avery, members of the British East India Company in the 1850's, are assigned to track down a missing person across India in something of a picaresque novel. Excellent writing and story. Best book of 2016 to date.
LibraryThing member sleahey
William Avery is a callow youth posted in Calcutta and immersed in a decadent lifestyle of drinking and gambling. His life changes when he encounters Jeremiah Blake, an apparently degenerate former employee of the Company. The two are assigned the challenge of finding Mountstuart, a very famous and
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beloved poet who has disappeared hundreds of miles from Calcutta. The unlikely and unlikeable duo despise each other, and their mission seems doomed from the start. Of course all is not as it seems, and the internal and external politics of the British Army and the Company make for a great deal of intrigue. Added to all of the survival hardships of the trip, Blake and Avery are forced to cooperate. The prose of this novel is somewhat dense, but the descriptions of rural India during the 19th century prior to the Indian Mutiny, the insight into the caste system juxtaposed with the British colonial society, and the glimpses into the Indian culture of the time all make for a fascinating read. I'm glad to know that there are more books about Blake and Avery. Show Less
LibraryThing member sianpr
A ripping yarn set in India in which the machinations of the East India Company are well and truly uncovered. Great opening in the Blake and Avery series by M.J. Carter - well paced, descriptions of India very vivid and really got into the story.
LibraryThing member maryroberta
Well paced, good characters with complexities, fallibilities, no easy answers. Interesting that reading in concert with Kwame Anthony Appiah's Cosmopolitanism, Ethics in a world of Strangers.
LibraryThing member DGRachel
I absolutely loved this book. The audio is narrated by Alex Wyndham and he does an incredible job of differentiating the voices of the characters. The story is full of adventure, mystery, tension, and twists. I did guess one of them fairly early, but suspecting the truth didn't negatively impact my
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enjoyment of the tale. It is well written and compelling, and the characters are fascinating. I look forward to reading or listening to more Blake and Avery mysteries. Show Less
LibraryThing member pivic
This is a well-written first novel in a planned series of three, where young William Avery from England appears in India, under The Company, i.e. The East India Company. The year is 1837, and at the start Avery gets orders to follow an older, morose and eccentric man, Blake, in order to find a poet
This is an adventure along the lines of Indiana Jones, Agatha Christie, Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle. The language is spot-on and the action is thrilling; the tempo holds throughout the book, and I really wanted to find out what was happening next.
All in all: an adventure, almost veering more towards the young adult way than towards older persons, but it's a well-researched book, recommendable to all who like the above.
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laureate, Mountstuart.This is an adventure along the lines of Indiana Jones, Agatha Christie, Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle. The language is spot-on and the action is thrilling; the tempo holds throughout the book, and I really wanted to find out what was happening next.
All in all: an adventure, almost veering more towards the young adult way than towards older persons, but it's a well-researched book, recommendable to all who like the above.
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LibraryThing member nlpolak
I was curious about this book to see if it would give me any insight to my Anglo Indian ancestors during the era of the book. Interesting plot and I was definitely kept in suspense throughout!
Awards
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2014)
Edgar Award (Nominee — Novel — 2016)
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2014)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2015)
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Thriller)
RUSA CODES Listen List (Selection — 2016)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-01-30
Physical description
384 p.; 6.25 inches
ISBN
0399171673 / 9780399171673