A witty, wildly funny, poignant and, at times, tragic novel about the passing of an age where nothing seems to matter until the hard, cruel world comes knocking at the door. It’s 1971, and the travelers who end up in the flea-pit Lux Hotel in Calcutta are determined to have a good time. There’s ex-public schoolboy Gordon, the cool American Larry, a weird pair of Australians, and Freddie Braintree, the acid casualty.

Their scene is innocence and inner journeys. But there's a war going on between India and Pakistan and a mysterious hippie killer is lurking in the dark alleyways of the city. Meanwhile, Hugh, the straight one who is trying to build a career, is covering the war for a British newspaper but he hasn't a clue what he is doing. The shocking massacres and brutality he witnesses cast a long shadow over all their lives.