Judy D. (jldogs) reviewed The Widows of Malabar Hill (aka A Murder on Malabar Hill) (Perveen Mistry, Bk 1) on + 5 more book reviews
I wasn't going to rate this book because I got to page 42 and just couldn't convince myself to read anymore. However, paperback swap won't accept a review without a rating, therefore, the two stars. I'm an avid reader and years ago I would have finished this book regardless. But at my age, with so many good books to yet read, I don't waste my time on anything that doesn't hold my interest almost immediately.
Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed The Widows of Malabar Hill (aka A Murder on Malabar Hill) (Perveen Mistry, Bk 1) on + 1032 more book reviews
Sujata Massey starts a new mystery series set in 1920s Bombay, India. Perveen Mistry is working for her father's respected law firm as the first female lawyer in India. When a question arises about the will of a wealthy man, Perveen is the only one who can visit his 3 wives, as they keep purdah - seclusion from all men, never leaving their section of the home. But the agent left to look after them seems to have nefarious designs on their inheritance, and when he's found dead the police are not that interested in doing a real investigation. Perveen feels it her responsibility to ferret out the truth and ensure that the women and their children receive what's rightfully theirs.
There are two timelines running through the book, one in the novel's present-day setting of 1921 and the other 5 years earlier, when Perveen was an unhappy new bride. She had dropped out of law school to get married, but her horrific experience and shortcomings of the law as it related to women spark her determination to see what justice can be done for others. This provides a subplot related to her ill-fated marriage.
Massey's extensive research into the city of Bombay as it was in the 1920s informs every page of this book. In fact I felt it was at times just too educational, as though Massey wanted to put in everything she learned just because it was interesting. Social status of women, of different religions, the law as it relates to them, architecture, language, clothing, food - so many different things. I liked Perveen very much; she is an excellent protagonist and her profession should enable a lot of different scenarios. The family also has much potential: her father the lawyer, her mom is something of a socialite, and the brother is running the family's successful construction company. Easily enough material for a very long-running series if Massey can keep it going.
There are two timelines running through the book, one in the novel's present-day setting of 1921 and the other 5 years earlier, when Perveen was an unhappy new bride. She had dropped out of law school to get married, but her horrific experience and shortcomings of the law as it related to women spark her determination to see what justice can be done for others. This provides a subplot related to her ill-fated marriage.
Massey's extensive research into the city of Bombay as it was in the 1920s informs every page of this book. In fact I felt it was at times just too educational, as though Massey wanted to put in everything she learned just because it was interesting. Social status of women, of different religions, the law as it relates to them, architecture, language, clothing, food - so many different things. I liked Perveen very much; she is an excellent protagonist and her profession should enable a lot of different scenarios. The family also has much potential: her father the lawyer, her mom is something of a socialite, and the brother is running the family's successful construction company. Easily enough material for a very long-running series if Massey can keep it going.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Having been a fan of Sujata Massey's award-winning Rei Shimura mystery series, I was thrilled to hear about this first Perveen Mistry mystery set in 1920s Bombay, India. There are two interwoven timelines in The Widows of Malabar Hill. One is present-day Bombay in 1921 which shows us Perveen working hard to become an integral part of her father's law firm. The second timeline takes us back to 1916 so we can learn what happened to Perveen to make her the woman she is five years later.
The story itself is a version of the locked room mystery. The widows live in purdah on Sea View Street. They stay in the women's section of the house, they do not leave their home, and they do not speak to any man who is not part of the immediate household. When a man dies inside a house where few people are admitted, it's going to take knowledge of the interior workings of the place to learn the truth. As a woman, Perveen is perfect for the role of investigator. She's also perfect in another way: she's become a feminist who's passionate about the rights of women and children. She shows us how such restricted lives are led and the intricate maneuverings that must be done in order to conduct an investigation. (Some policemen are much less willing to conduct themselves according to the beliefs of those who have become a part of their investigation.)
The mystery is a strong one because readers must acquaint themselves with this unfamiliar world in order to piece together what happened. And what can I say about the setting? Massey pulled me right into this world, and I was almost on sensory overload. The old ways versus the new. Bombay's rapid growth into a vibrant major city. The various political, religious, and social factions that chafed against each other on a daily basis. And one woman, with the support of her parents, who's strong enough to stand up for what's right.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!
The story itself is a version of the locked room mystery. The widows live in purdah on Sea View Street. They stay in the women's section of the house, they do not leave their home, and they do not speak to any man who is not part of the immediate household. When a man dies inside a house where few people are admitted, it's going to take knowledge of the interior workings of the place to learn the truth. As a woman, Perveen is perfect for the role of investigator. She's also perfect in another way: she's become a feminist who's passionate about the rights of women and children. She shows us how such restricted lives are led and the intricate maneuverings that must be done in order to conduct an investigation. (Some policemen are much less willing to conduct themselves according to the beliefs of those who have become a part of their investigation.)
The mystery is a strong one because readers must acquaint themselves with this unfamiliar world in order to piece together what happened. And what can I say about the setting? Massey pulled me right into this world, and I was almost on sensory overload. The old ways versus the new. Bombay's rapid growth into a vibrant major city. The various political, religious, and social factions that chafed against each other on a daily basis. And one woman, with the support of her parents, who's strong enough to stand up for what's right.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!
