A FABULOUSLY ENGROSSING AND ATMOSPHERIC CRIME MYSTERY THAT WILL TRANSPORT YOU STRAIGHT TO MUMBAI.

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 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 risk everything to find out the truth.

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

A Very Hard Book to Put Down!

This is a mystery in a setting new to me and it is both riveting and refreshing!

Radhi has been living in the metropolis of New York but, on the heels of a failed relationship and writer’s block, she returns home to Mumbai where her late parents’ apartment is waiting for her in Temple Hills. Before she even has time to settle in, her friend’s father dies but all is not as it seems. Determined to get to the truth, Radhi and pregnant Sanjana determine to delve deep to find out what actually happened – and not what appears to have happened. In this rich neighbourhood where position and power is everything, they will have their work cut out for them!

This is a really good mystery which had me suspecting almost everyone – except, of course, the guilty! I know next to nothing about Mumbai and the cultural references had me enthralled; the social hierarchy is quite mesmerising and very entertaining! Amidst the traditional values, Radhi is a young woman who is independent and treading water between two worlds, and the author has created a whole bunch of fascinating and – mostly – charismatic characters. Really well written, there is always something happening which made this a very hard book to set aside when real life came calling! I’m delighted that this is the first in a series and I will certainly be on the lookout for the second novel. An absolutely terrific read and one I’m very happy to recommend. 5* – and well worth each and every one!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: murder mystery

• Format: ebook
• Size: 266 pages
• Publisher: Joffe Books
• Publication Date: 09 December 2021
• Book Links:
• https://www.goodreads.com
• https://www.amazon.co.uk

Author Details

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 plotting the murder of
perfectly innocent people.

Meeti lives with her daughter and husband in Mumbai.

• Twitter: @MeetiShroff
• Instagram: @meetishroffshah