THE BENGALI INHERITANCE

Not as showy or active as the Nicholas Maasten books, but very good of its intricate kind--this story features Chief Inspector Richard (""flied lice Charlie"") Chart and his British second in command who underestimates him. They're working on the murder of an Indian on a street in Hong Kong and the case leads slowly back to a sabotaged plane during WW II with its manifest of gold and valuables which fell into the avid hands of a member of Japanese Intelligence. Throughout Sela displays considerable intelligence--that other kind--and a mandarin sense of place and people.