Against the turbulent backdrop of war torn Europe and India in the final days of the Raj, Adam Cullworthy, a British army officer, is introduced to the, romantic and often treacherous life of his school friend Rindi Debrahm. The story, which spans 30 years from 1928 to 1959, opens at Kushnapur Palace in the foothills of the Himalayas. Home to Rindi's father the Maharajah of Kushnapur, it holds secrets of family conspiracy, religious conflict and a multi-layered web of intrigue surrounding a precious, bejewelled Indian sculpture. Adam is drawn into this exotic and secretive world, but could never have imagined the role they had planned for him and the profound effect this would have on his life.