Kaveri was resting her sore feet in a bucket of hot water when she heard the gate open. Ramu had come home early. She tried to jump out, but her sari got caught in the bucket. By the time she’d disentangled herself and stepped out, Ramu was in the compound, alighting from the car. He turned to her, impassive as ever, though she saw the sides of his mouth twitching. Kaveri murmured a hasty apology as she fled to the garden with the bucket in tow. Just as she reached the papaya plant, he called, ‘Careful, Kaveri. Don’t cook the papaya plant. The water must be hot.’
She could definitely see his face twitching now. She gave up, and began to laugh, wringing the moisture from the folds of her sari at her feet. Ramu smiled back.
‘Did you sprain your leg?’ he asked.
‘It’s a long story,’ replied Kaveri. ‘Let me get you your coffee and then I can tell you the details.’
Kaveri and Ramu are such a sweet couple, and so supportive of each other. They were surely quite progressive for the 1920s in Bangalore, where the story takes place.
Official synopsis:
But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace and quiet—and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene.
When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman's mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn't as hard as it seems when you have a talent for mathematics, a head for logic, and a doctor for a husband...
And she's going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition, and intrigue in Bangalore's darkest alleyways.
First of all, the book starts out with the author pointing out that there are not only some simplified versions of the recipes in the story included at the back of the book, but also an appreciated glossary of some terms from the 1920s in Bangalore with which the reader may not be familiar. While there were some unfamiliar words and phrases, they were usually discernible from context clues.
Kaveri was such a cute, independent young bride. She expected married life to be boring and predictable, but she lucked out in the husband department. When a local crime catches her interest, she’s excited to use all the skills she’s learned from her reading and schooling to try and help the police find the culprit. While they say many husbands of the time would not support such crazy actions from a wife, Ramu is amused and wants to help his wife safely uncover clues and learn important facts about those who may be involved.
As far as the actual crimes went, the true guilty party was a surprise, at least to me. Reading as Kaveri and Ramu put the facts together (along with the help of the police detective, Ismail) was so fun. I’m excited that this book says it’s the first in a series, as I’d give this one 4 out of 5 stars. It was an interesting mystery set in a time and place I haven’t read a lot from. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries and Indian stories.
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Becki Bayley is a wife, mom, and reader. She likes to go with the flow and sometimes post pictures on Instagram as PoshBecki.
GIVEAWAY:
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Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Thursday, June 9th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified via email the next day, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.
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The Bangalore Detectives Club, by Harini Nagendra
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