A sweeping historical-adventure trilogy following a master jewel thief whose final great score traps him inside the violence of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Book 1:
A Necklace Worth Dying For
Book 2:
The Siege of Delhi
Book 3:
The Dance of Destruction
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Plot: Set against the backdrop of the Great Game and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Tournament of Shadows is a sweeping historical adventure trilogy that follows Bill Sikes, a legendary nineteenth-century cat burglar and master jewel thief, as his final great heist draws him into one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Victorian age. What begins as a hunt for priceless jewels soon becomes a desperate struggle for survival amid espionage, rebellion, and the collapse of an empire.
As rival intelligence networks, secret conspiracies, and military campaigns converge across India, Bill discovers that fortunes are won and lost not only through theft, but through information, loyalty, and deception. Against a landscape of besieged cities, advancing armies, revolutionary new weapons, and shifting alliances, he must navigate a dangerous world where every move is part of a larger game—and the stakes are measured in nations as much as treasure.
Blending meticulously researched history with fast-paced adventure, Tournament of Shadows combines espionage, treasure hunting, military conflict, and larger-than-life characters into an epic tale inspired by the real events that reshaped Victorian India.
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Book 1: A Necklace Worth Dying For
Bill Sikes came to India for jewels. Not war. His assignment is irresistible: locate the lost pieces of a legendary necklace, prove their royal provenance, and reassemble one of the most valuable treasures in the world. A Golconda diamond with blood trapped inside it. A heart-shaped red spinel. An ancient emerald engraved with a promise of love. Two perfect loops of pearls.
But India is changing. Officers whisper about mutiny. Elites hide their fortunes. Weapons move in secret. And every frightened ruler, banker, criminal, and courtier knows that something terrible is coming. Bill believes he can finish the job and escape before the country explodes. Then the final clue leads beneath the Taj Mahal.
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Book 2: The Siege of Delhi
Delhi has fallen into rebellion. Bill Sikes has nowhere to run. Mutineers control the palace. Prisons stand open. Banks and bazaars are being looted. The telegraph is cut. The police are gone. And the roads outside the city are becoming killing grounds.
Bill has spent his life stealing from civilization. Now he must rebuild a small part of it underground. With a dacoit gang, a hidden bank tunnel, bribed gate guards, and a frightened poet as his host, Bill creates the black market that feeds, arms, hides, and transports the people trapped inside Delhi.
But beyond the walls, John Nicholson is gathering an army. The siege train is coming. And when the great guns arrive, there may be no city left to save.
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Book 3: The Dance of Destruction
The walls of Delhi have fallen. The city has not surrendered. Loyalist columns enter through the breaches and vanish into burning streets. Rebel guns hold the gates. Civilians hide beneath collapsing buildings. Every rooftop, courtyard, mosque, and alley becomes a battlefield.
John Nicholson leads from the front. Then a bullet brings him down. Inside the Golden Bear Treasury, Bill Sikes is wounded, surrounded, and running out of ammunition. Manglo and hundreds of civilians depend upon the thief who once came to India only for profit.
Beyond the vault lies war. Beyond the city lies revenge. And before Bill can return home with the necklace that began his journey, he must survive the dance of destruction.
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Series Bundle
All three books in one e-book.
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