In a brand-new collection of stories set in the 1960s -70s Mussoorie of a bygone era, renowned author Ruskin Bond brings to life a mystery and murder featuring the elderly Miss Ripley-Bean and her friends. The book titled, Death Under The Deodars: The Adventures of Miss Ripley-Bean is published by Penguin India.
The eight stories in the book are classic Ruskin style – full of wit and memorable characters, and will enthrall and delight children as well as adults. As the elderly Miss Ripley-Bean, her Tibetan terrier Fluff, her good friend Mr Lobo, the hotel pianist, and Nandu, the owner of the Royal, mull over the curious murders, the reader will be enthralled and delighted – until the murderer is finally revealed.
About the Author
Ruskin Bond’s first novel The Room on the Roof was written when he was seventeen. He received the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has published a number of novellas, short story collections, books of essays and articles, poems and children’s books. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1993, the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli, and grew up in Jamnagar, Dehradun, Delhi and Shimla. As a young man, he spent four years in the Channel Islands and London. He returned to India in 1955.
He currently resides in Landour, Mussoorie with his adopted family.
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Mukul Bhatnagar's review

A typical Ruskin Bond work- stories set in Mussoorie of the 1960s, with the cultural after-effect of newly departed British. Characters are also same old : spinsters, bachelors, maharanis. Someone who has read Ruskin Bond's works extensively will also realize that one story in the collection has appeared earlier somewhere in is writings (contrary to what the title says, '8 Brand New Stories') : 'Arsenic in the Post' where a paramour sends arsenic and love letters by post to a married woman, both conspire to murder the husband and they are caught when the preserved letters are found from the woman.

But still the book makes an interesting read, especially at bedtime when youre wrapped in a quilt. The characters and a plot may be old, but admittedly theres novelty too. This book is treat for Ruskin Bond fans who enjoy his characters and settings and for casual readers as well.