The Broken Crown

The Broken Crown by Prasad Giri is a cozy historical mystery set among the ruins of Hampi, the UNESCO World Heritage site that was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in Karnataka, India. When a young archaeologist is found dead at the foot of the Mahanavami Dibba, forensic accountant and amateur sleuth Maya Iyer follows a trail of ledgers, photographs, coins and copper plates from Bengaluru to Hampi and Dharwad. She and Arun Menon uncover a hidden queen, a gold crown broken into four pieces, and a land dispute worth hundreds of crores. This fair-play whodunit blends the Tungabhadra River, ancient temples and boulder-strewn hills with a puzzle of family secrets and historical greed. It is Book 6 of the Karnataka series of the Maya Iyer Mysteries, and readers can start here or at Book 1, The Banyan Tree Murders. It is a good fit for fans of Indian cozy mysteries, female detective series, treasure-hunt mysteries and travel-rich armchair adventures.

Keywords used: cozy mystery, Hampi, India, Vijayanagara Empire, Karnataka, Maya Iyer, amateur sleuth, forensic accountant, fair-play whodunit, historical mystery, treasure-hunt mystery.