Today I am hosting a Guest Review by Elaine Tomasso of A MUMBAI MURDER MYSTERY by Meeti Shroff-Shah. This is book 1 in the Temple Hill Mystery series.
A MUMBAI MURDER MYSTERY (A Temple Hill Mystery Book 1)
Format – Kindle
Publisher – Joffe Books
Publication Date – 9th December 2021
Genre – Crime thriller, mystery and suspense
Author – Meeti Shroff-Shah
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “What a fantastic, fabulous and completely engrossing cozy mystery.” The Book Decoder
THE DAZZLING DEBUT FROM YOUR NEW FAVOURITE MYSTERY WRITER.
Radhi returns home to Mumbai to lick her wounds after a failed relationship and a bout of writer’s block, but she soon gets caught up in the tangled mystery surrounding the death of her best friend’s father.
Among the rarefied circles of Mumbai’s posh Temple Hill, there is nothing more tragic than loss of face — not even loss of life.
Radhi’s pregnant best friend Sanjana’s father is found dead in his study. Everyone says it’s suicide. And yet, just hours before, he was telling Sanjana that he couldn’t wait to hold his grandchild in his arms.
Something feels off to Radhi. Her suspicions are further raised by the surly cook and timid young maid’s odd behaviour.
And who did the second cup of tea on his desk belong to?
Radhi is determined to uncover the truth. But the deeper she digs beneath the diamond-studded prayer meetings and the lavishly catered ‘pure-veg’ brunches, the faster she finds herself drawn into a web of festering grievances, hidden agendas and long-buried secrets.
As the intense Indian summer draws to an end and the monsoon sets in, Radhi risks everything to find out the truth.
A FABULOUSLY ENGROSSING AND ATMOSPHERIC CRIME MYSTERY THAT WILL TRANSPORT YOU STRAIGHT TO MUMBAI.
Fans of Faith Martin, Richard Osman, Victoria Dowd, Vaseem Khan, Ian Moore, Louise Penny, Shamini Flint and Agatha Christie will devour this brilliant, atmospheric murder mystery.
ABOUT THE SETTING
The series is situated in fictious Temple Hill, a quiet and privileged neighbourhood in Mumbai, located by the Arabian Sea. It comprises of four, leafy, sun-dappled slopes that lead up to the main Temple Hill road. Wide streets are lined with gulmohar trees in flaming reds and sunny yellows. The area still retains an old-world charm, which means the stout, pastel-coloured buildings haven’t been converted into ambitious high-rises of glass and steel. The neighbourhood is dotted with small parks, little galleries where local designers are always showcasing clothes and jewellery. There are also high-end gyms and yoga studios interspersed with tiny florists, cafes and confectionary shops. And situated amid all these gentle trappings of everyday life are the five ancient Jain temples that give Temple Hill its name.
READERS LOVE A MUMBAI MURDER MYSTERY:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I loved this book. It was well written, with such great atmosphere and sense of place, plus a very likeable heroine, I just couldn’t put it down.” Hannelore
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book is almost as good as a trip back to India. It has it all . . . A wonderful read!” Connie
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Atmospheric, well plotted, with a superlative sense of place and with a wholly credible cast of characters, this is an enjoyable and immersive read and hopefully the start of a long-running series. Bravo!” Ruth G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is a compelling mystery with a plethora of suspects and a complex, lovable amateur detective who is determined to seek out the truth even if it hurts . . . Overall, an absorbing read, and I will definitely read the next book in this series.” Pooja P.
Guest Review – Elaine Tomasso
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of A Mumbai Murder Mystery, the first novel set in the Temple Hill area of Mumbai to feature writer Radhi Zaveri.
Rhadi has returned to Temple Hill with a broken heart and writer’s block, but her return is marred by the suicide of her best friend, Sanjana’s father. Or is it suicide? Rhadi and Sanjana aren’t so sure.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Mumbai Murder Mystery, which is a cosy mystery with a warm, vibrant atmosphere. The novel is told entirely from Rhadi’s point of view, so the reader knows what she knows and can guess along with her. I failed miserably so the reveal was a surprise to me, but fairly obvious when explained.
I like the author’s approach to the plot. There is no sensational reveal or big development, instead it is a steady accumulation of small facts and discoveries, which together lead to the unassailable, if not provable, truth.
In some ways, however, the plot takes second place to the world of Temple Hill. The denizens are rich and place appearance above everything else as the most important value in their lives, so unlike the Templehill area of my hometown. Their interactions are fascinating, but maybe not so different from rich enclaves the world over and that’s a guess, not being part of that rarified world. I was equally fascinated by the Indian lifestyle and food that the author depicts. It is a rich atmosphere and the author makes no apologies or offers any explanations for it. I didn’t get some of the terms used although frequent use gave me an idea, like I think didi means sister. I didn’t find it annoying I think it added to the rich tapestry of life in a foreign country.
I like Rhadi, who is a mixture of Indian and western cultures. She has plenty of neuroses, but also the smarts to battle them and this novel sees her come to terms with the tragedy of her past and set out towards a brighter future. I’m looking forward to following her journey.
A Mumbai Murder Mystery is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
MEETI SHROFF-SHAH
Meeti is an award-winning copywriter, content writer and mother (though no awards for this yet). When she isn’t busy writing ads that make toothpaste sound like an aphrodisiac, Meeti can be found with a cup of ginger tea, gazing contently at the yellow gulmohars outside her window and plotting the murder of perfectly innocent people.
In 2016, Pan Macmillan India published her memoir, Do You Know Any Good Boys? – a funny guide to the Indian arranged marriage – based on the awkward arranged dates she had with 40 different men, before she met her husband.
Meeti lives with her daughter and husband (yes, the same one she took such pains to find) in Mumbai.
BOOKS BY MEETI SHROFF-SHAH
A TEMPLE HILL MYSTERY SERIES
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A MUMBAI MURDER MYSTERY
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