With a magical story about art, love, and greed, Rumer Godden returns to India, the country that has inspired many of her greatest works. Set in London and on south India's shimmering Coromandel coast, the story is based on a real case that happened ten years ago concerning the ownership of a priceless bronze statue. An entrancing modern-day morality tale, Cromartie v. the God Shiva Acting Through the Government of India is also at heart a touching love story.

The story opens with the discovery that a revered eleventh-century statue of the Hindu god Shiva has gone missing from the old-fashioned Patna Hall hotel. It ends up in the hands of a Canadian art dealer, Mr. Cromartie, who takes it to London to be appraised by one of the world's chief specialists in Oriental antiques, only to find it impounded by the British police. Insisting the statue was not stolen, Mr. Cromartie takes the case to court and a legal battle ensues.

Michael Dean, a leading young lawyer, is sent from London to assume the case for the defense: the Indian government. There, he is instantly captivated by Artemis, an enchanting and graceful archaeologist staying at the hotel, who proves to be as elusive as the mystery of the theft he is investigating.