The Silent Sculptor

By Prasad Giri

A master sculptor is dead. His apprentice has been arrested. And the only witness may be a figure carved in stone.When Maya Iyer accompanies Dr. Arun Menon to the magnificent Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, she expects to observe a historic restoration project. Instead, master sculptor Devraj Acharya secretly shows her an unfinished figure whose jewelry, flowers, and gaze conceal an intricate code.Devraj claims that priceless temple sculptures have been removed, replaced with nearly perfect replicas, and quietly sold to wealthy collectors. Before he can reveal the object at the center of the conspiracy-and the person responsible-he is found murdered beside his unfinished work.The evidence points to Devraj's resentful apprentice, Nikhil Gowda. Maya is not convinced.Following the clues Devraj left in stone, Maya uncovers falsified restoration records, manipulated museum classifications, forged provenance documents, shell companies, and a sophisticated network trafficking India's sacred heritage. The trail leads from temple workshops and private collections to galleries, auction houses, and museums far beyond India.But Devraj's final carving conceals more than a record of stolen art. It protects an eight-hundred-year-old secret powerful people are prepared to kill to suppress.With Arun helping her interpret the temples' history and Inspector Shankar Hegde struggling against influential suspects, Maya must decipher Devraj's silent testimony before another piece of India's past disappears forever.The Silent Sculptor is Book Three of the Maya Iyer Mystery Karnataka Series-a richly atmospheric mystery of murder, stolen antiquities, coded carvings, and the enduring power of stone.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HGHPWR64
• ISBN13: 9798193713210
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 508 Pages
• Weight: 1.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"