Debut novel dares to imagine a plot to steal Sri Lanka’s most sacred treasure

Jezeem Jameel, a Sri Lankan author living in Chichester, England, has burst onto the literary scene with his debut novel ‘The Monsoon of the Covenant,’ published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. Bold, imaginative and steeped in history, the book dares to ask: what if Sri Lanka’s most sacred treasure was targeted in a daring theft?

The novel unfolds in 1998, a year charged with symbolism as the nation prepared to celebrate 50 years of independence from Britain with Prince Charles as Chief Guest. Amid the grandeur of national celebration, intelligence reports hint at a chilling plot: the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the separatist terrorist group that waged war against the state for decades, are preparing to steal a sacred treasure that, for centuries, conferred legitimacy upon kings and symbolised sovereignty over the island.

At the heart of the story is the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Buddhism’s most venerated shrines. Nestled beside the Royal Palace of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, Sri Lanka’s last monarch, the temple is a masterpiece of gold, silver, bronze and ivory craftsmanship. Within its sanctum lies a treasure brought into the island in the 4th century, safeguarded ever since by monarchs, monks and a lay custodian.

Against this setting of history, faith and legend, The Monsoon of the Covenant spins a tale of suspense. It is described as a heart-stopping thriller about the guardians of a 300-year-old royal secret, and about the lengths to which enemies of the state might go to strike at the very heart of the nation.

The choice of subject matter makes the book as provocative as it is gripping. In popular fiction, the Crown Jewels have often been treated as Britain’s ultimate symbol of sovereignty and power. For Sri Lanka, the treasure is an object of reverence to millions. 

Controversial or not, this is a novel that refuses to be ignored. With its daring premise, richly drawn backdrop and tense political undercurrents, The Monsoon of the Covenant heralds the arrival of a new Sri Lankan voice in contemporary fiction — one unafraid to probe the collision between history, faith and the thriller genre.