When sixteen-year-old Biff Brewster arrives in Calcutta to meet his father, he instead receives a mysterious recorded message telling him to go to the New India Bazaar. There, Biff and his friends Chandra and Kamuka are drawn into a dangerous adventure involving a priceless ruby known as the Light of the Lama. As they journey across India, Biff must protect the ruby from a secret cult of stranglers and a gang of international spies who will stop at nothing to steal the gem. Teaming up with a secret agent named Barma Shah, Biff, Chandra and Kamuka face tigers, treacherous bridges, and deadly traps in a suspenseful quest to deliver the ruby and find Biff's missing father. This classic tale from the 1960s brims with exotic locales, colorful characters, and edge-of-your-seat thrills that will keep readers guessing until the very end.