<p><b>''Matthew Hervey is as splendid a hero as ever sprang from an author''s pen'' </b><i>The Times</i><br><br>Following the 6th Light Dragoons'' successful campaign in the state of Coorg and the deposition of its deranged Rajah, Lieutenant-Colonel Matthew Hervey is looking forward to a few months'' respite for his regiment, for himself and his family. Indeed, with his reputation restored, he''s rarely felt so content. Alas, such tranquillity is not to last. <br><br> India''s governor-general believes Hervey is just the man to lead a force against the Thuggee and Dacoity gangs whose increasingly vicious attacks threaten not only the stability of a number of friendly princely states but also, of course, the East India Company''s interests in the sub-continent. <br><br> And so Hervey reluctantly leads the Sixth into the field once more. It''s a mission that will prove infinitely more complex, brutal and bloody than anyone predicted. For Hervey has taken the first steps on the path towar