Reviews

I am now caught up with the Malabar House series featuring India’s first female Police Inspector, Persis Wadia. I’m all for female empowerment but boy does this woman get on my nerves 😬

I read this immediately after the second book in the series, The Dying Day and I think in retrospect that diminished my reading experience. The two books and the mysteries featured in them felt very formulaic - a group of foreign soldiers in India involved in crime & punishment as it were. In this instalment, Persis is investigating three seemingly unrelated murder cases - one, a cold case, a frozen body found in the Himalayan foothills; the second, a couple brutally murdered in their beds; and the third, a priest struck down in his church. Persis must collaborate with Inspector Oberoi, another chauvinistic man relegated to Malabar House after an affair with the wrong woman; whom she cannot stand. Really, the amount of people Persis cannot stand is practically the whole entire world. Her judgment spares no one - not even her new intern, Seema Desai, who is battling poverty but is determined to haul herself out of it by learning a trade. Persis is unnecessarily cruel to her and I could have slapped her for her arrogance.

The way she treats Archie continues to be disgusting. For all the high standards she supposedly holds herself to, she’s as ordinary and hypocritical as the ‘normal’ people she disdains. What was enraging was her extremely immature & juvenile reaction to her father Sam dating! I can understand her initial reluctance when the facts are revealed, but even then her refusal to communicate is beginning to feel unreal. She will not communicate with even the people she claims to be close to, but expects them to tryst her and reveal every thought in their heads to her! Truly her ego and arrogance are now beginning to jar. I might admire her tenacity at work, indeed she’s like a dog with a bone; but I do not sympathise nor empathise with her. She needs counselling stat!

The mystery too followed the pattern in the previous book - four men connected by their past and a secret, that leads to their brutal deaths. Persis shows her usual doggedness in following clues and solving ciphers (Khan seems inordinately fond of them), with help from her team (even Oberoi). She however always needs to be saved from brutal death, by - guess what? - Men! The poor darling 😏 There was a point in the book where I was hoping she would die - I was so angry with her attitude! There was also a neat little twist in the end however, although it required much suspension of disbelief!

I did as always enjoy Khan’s atmospheric writing and descriptions - this time of a temple in Badlapore and Dehra Dun in addition to Bombay. I’m hoping Khan writes a more ‘local’ mystery next, by which I mean one that involves Indians and is not set in the context of WWII. However if he doesn’t start showing me decent character development in Persis, I’m going to have to rethink continuing with this series. I can’t help comparing her to Sujata Massey’s Perveen Mistry and although they’re two entirely different women in different time periods, Perveen a lawyer, Persis an Inspector, united only by their ‘firsts’ and struggles, as of now, Perveen is my firm favourite. She has a grace and warmth that Persis lacks.

alonewithnutella's review

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.0

rebelbooksta's review

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5.0

Registering my first book post of the year. Masterpiece by #VaseemKhan. He’s got the flair (modus operandi) for witty puzzles, codes, riddles, then cleverly amalgamates them with historical episodes, cultural references, socio political satire, deconstructs the British Raj era, throws in cameos, aquatints you with madmen criminals and defeats them with a headstrong woman sleuth all at the core of the murders. Vaseem Khan plots murder like no other. Vastly Knowledgeable writer.

I’ve read all his books and realized he’s outdone himself in his 3rd installation of #TheMalabarHouseseries.

Was truly impressed by the Caesar Cipher he created in this one. The stories behind his code breaking invention were just so riveting. (previous book was a treasure hunt with puzzles & riddles). Real work of art.

I have to say the Karishma Mandir and it’s enormous vaults immediately reminded me of the Padhmanabhaswamy Temple’s saga. Was so thrilled when the actually writer confirmed it to be his source of inspiration.

Enjoyed the parts of the Gurkha contingents and their significance in colonial history.

Loved it so much Oberoi got slammed down. Also, the climax of the madman meets Persis was heart-racing.

I’m not revealing anymore. #TheLostManOfBombay is stimulating. Kickstarted 2023 with this scintillating book and my heart’s so contented. Devoured in a single night. Vaseem Khan is an incredibly talented writer. This is his best yet.

The @audible_uk #audiobook narration by #MayaSaroya was the perfect company for the immersive read.

Ayo Gurkhali!

#bookstagram #crimefiction #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #bookreviewersofinstagram #book #sgbookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #read #bookblogger #crimeseries #crimewriter #BabyGaneshDetectiveAgency #audible #audiobook #crimethriller #womensleuths #hodderandstoughton #hodderbooks

numbat's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

3.0

vaishsviews's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I can’t believe I waited a year to read this but it was definitely worth the wait. Vaseem Khan never fails to write a good mystery that hooks you from the first page.

Persis Wadia, the only female Indian Police Detective, is back at Malabar House, trying to solve the mystery of the Ice Man. He has been found in the Himalayan foothills with little attached to him but a notebook. Whilst trying to solve this, two murders spring up in the city. It seems that there may be a killer specifically targeting Europeans.

It was nice to be back in Persis’ world where she is constantly underestimated and has to constantly prove herself. I loved the introduction of the new characters and the reunion with old characters. Seema Desai, a mentee of Persis, proves that there are others trying to make their way, as women in a post-independent India. Archie Blackfinch, a British criminalist, and his budding relationship with Persis. I understand the contentions behind their relationship and why it’s not an easy choice but I also hope they end up together!

I loved the constant guessing and the unraveling of the mysteries and secrets and conspiracies. It matched the flow perfectly and everything was revealed as and when it should be. Vaseem Khan has such a way of effortlessly weaving history and fiction, to provide the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. I was pleased with the history that was peppered in throughout the story; the telling of the struggle for Indian independence and the fragile state of the nation, post-independence. I feel like it’s also worth mentioning that you don’t need to have read the other two books in the series because Khan does such a good job of catching the reader up to speed, where appropriate.

At times, the writing became a little unrealistic when Persis was going about her day-to-day life. It just reminded me of the fact that Persis is written by a male author and so it doesn’t properly encapsulate the female experience. However, this is a small note and does not detract from the plot or narrative in any way.

This may just be the first series where each series, thus far, has been rated 5⭐️! I cannot wait for the release of the fourth book later this year.

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