The Widows of Malabar Hill
Books | Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Traditional
4
(122)
Sujata Massey
1920s India: Perveen Mistry, Bombay's only female lawyer, is investigating a suspicious will on behalf of three Muslim widows living in full purdah when the case takes a turn toward the murderous. The author of the Agatha and Macavity Award–winning Rei Shimura novels brings us an atmospheric new historical mystery with a captivating heroine. This Deluxe Edition features: an interview with the author, discussion questions, essays on the real-life inspirations behind the novel, delicious recipes taken from the story, and previews of The Satapur Moonstone (May 2019). Perveen Mistry, the daughter of a respected Zoroastrian family, has just joined her father's law firm, becoming one of the first female lawyers in India. Armed with a legal education from Oxford, Perveen also has a tragic personal history that makes women's legal rights especially important to her.Mistry Law has been appointed to execute the will of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner who has left three widows behind. But as Perveen examines the paperwork, she notices something strange: all three of the wives have signed over their full inheritance to a charity. What will they live on? Perveen is suspicious, especially since one of the widows has signed her form with an X—meaning she probably couldn't even read the document. The Farid widows live in full purdah—in strict seclusion, never leaving the women's quarters or speaking to any men. Are they being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous guardian? Perveen tries to investigate, and realizes her instincts were correct when tensions escalate to murder. Now it is her responsibility to figure out what really happened on Malabar Hill, and to ensure that no innocent women or children are in further danger.Inspired in part by the woman who made history as India's first female attorney, The Widows of Malabar Hill is a richly wrought story of multicultural 1920s Bombay as well as the debut of a sharp new sleuth.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Sujata Massey
Pages
400
Publisher
Soho Press
Published Date
2018-01-09
ISBN
1616957794 9781616957797
Community ReviewsSee all
"I'm DNFing this one pretty early on a few chapters in. I could only get this book audibly and partly I'm not jiving with the narrator.
The other part is how heavy handed the culture references are, it's almost every other sentence I'm like 'What is that... What does that mean...What does that look like?' And there is just so much of it, most I will butcher trying to spell out trying to look it up.
I would say laymen's terms or other descriptors would have been appreciated for the people who aren't a part of the culture and its many branching culture differences. "
Sarah
"My rating - 3.75 ⭐"
Pranjuli
"My favorite new detective heroine. Well-paced, steeped in scenery, memorable characters. Set in 1920s India where the history competes with the murder for your attention. The book left me wanting so much more. "
L
Lalolo
"This was a weak 3.5 for me, but I typically round up, so I felt it was only fair for this novel. It started out so promising, and it launched an interest in Indian history for me that I felt broadened my understanding of the world. I went down some interesting rabbit holes while reading this, from studying language and religion to researching India's role in WWI, and I really loved that aspect of the book. The story suffered from an interesting but ultimately unnecessary side plot that elaborated on Perveen's past. I felt that her story could have been told differently and did not warrant the lengthy flashbacks, especially when the mystery was so entertaining. I still really liked this and would be curious to check out the next in the series!"
A P
Allie Peduto
"Excellent book of Indian culture in a novel"
M w
Mucki wright
"Very beautifully written!! Love the female protagonist approach set in 1920s. The beautiful descriptions of Old Bombay and India is a trip down memory lane. Urged me to pick up the second book in the series #thebombayprince"
V B
Vinnie Bhadra