Set in the exotic and mysterious land of Travancore of the 1950's, when life was still slow and detective work was done the old fashioned way,the novel captures the exploits of a self-taught investigator, Velan Poulose, who as an orphan grew up unloved and unfamiliar with the ways of the world but is gifted with a brilliant mind which has the ability to nurture his hidden talent as he built his life around solving complicated cases. Sometimes the cases would find him,at other times he would go after them;some took him to sleepy hamlets by the river bank or the houseboat on the backwaters,some to beautiful islands and hill-stations yet not one of them could escape his keen gaze or his razor sharp reasoning.He didn't have a side kick but he didn't let that slow him down;he derived support from a most trustworthy yet inanimate companion - his custom built umbrella which kept him loyal company as he went after criminals without caring for life or limb; pursuing them through out the lush green countryside until he brought them to justice. Although,these eight cases were the highlight of his career and it brought him much fame after the stories were published in the Travancore Chronicle newspaper ,they are not just about Velan or the numerous other characters but about a unique culture and a beautiful unassuming country where rare spices and coconuts grow and is the fantasy of many a traveller but it also had the power to spring some dangerous surprises on those who inhabited the serene land.