The Midnight Palace

The book begins with a chase through the streets of Calcutta in May 1916.Lieutenant Peake pauses for breath outside the ruins of the Jheeter's Gatestation knowing that he only has a few hours to live. Inside his overcoathe is sheltering two newborn babies - twins, a boy and a girl. Pursued byhis would-be assassins, Peake runs at full tilt to the house of AryamiBose, to whom he entrusts the children. In 1932 we meet the boy, Ben, andhis group of friends the night before they are due to leave St Patricksorphanage. They have formed a secret club, The Chowbar Society, that meetseach week at midnight in the old ruin they have christened The MidnightPalace. Their final meeting is due that evening but then Aryami Bose turnsup at the orphanage with Sheere, Ben's sister, and tells them the story ofthe parents they never knew. Their father was an engineer and writer whodied in tragic circumstances at the inauguration of Jheeter's Gate station.But as the novel unfolds, there is more to this story than meets the eyeand they are lured by a shadowy figure from the past into a final showdownin the ruins.