Description

Two women at the opposite ends of a war, that will leave its footprints in the columns of history, find themselves thrown together by the circumstances.

1857 – The year of the great uprising, India’s first freedom struggle. Amidst the upheaval and chaos Adeline Campbell, wife of Captain George Campbell, along with her daughter, takes shelter in Kothi Gulnar. The mistress of Kothi Gulnar is the beautiful Bella Ali Khan, sister of Talukdar Haider Ali Khan.

2019 – Ava Appleton, a gemmologist living in London, is gifted an antique and valuable pendant called l’Esmé by her partner. The spectacular pendant along with its beauty possesses something else that is undefinable and mystifying. Ava starts experiencing some uncanny phenomena that propels her to embark on a quest of unravelling the mystery of l’Esmé, which brings her to India. She finds the ruins of Kothi Gulnar in Lucknow, India, with the remains of a woman in its basement, bringing to light a chilling tale of failed love, betrayal, deception and dark secrets.

About The Author:
Archana Pathak is based in Pune, though she hails from Lucknow. She has done a Master’s in English Literature from Lucknow University. She has been an educationist and taught English for a decade and a half.

She is a voracious reader and loves to read books related to various genres, but her preferred genre is mystery fiction. The romanticism of literature and historically rich culture of Lucknow with a dash of intrigue, have been the inspiration behind her love for writing.

‘Footsteps in Time’, her debut novel, was published in November 2020. ‘The Indian Emerald’, a historical mystery, is her second novel. She aims to be a full-time writer and is planning to write a series as well.