It’s satisfying if a suspense novel has a woman in the lead role, seeking answers to mysterious riddles and triumphing in the end. It’s fascinating if the novel is also set in the past and allows you a glimpse of history. And it’s absolutely riveting if the protagonists turn out to be intensely human – with all the flaws and failings that entails.
Two sparkling mystery novels by two stellar writers have recently made it to the news. While Sujata Massey’s The Bombay Prince is the third in her award-winning Perveen Mistry series and is set in pre-Independence Bombay, Clare Chambers has set Small Pleasures in the suburbs of 1950s London. Besides their historical setting, both books feature protagonists who are eminently relatable: women who make mistakes, lust after the wrong men, have career ambitions, and seek the truth despite odds. Read on for detailed reviews.
THE BOMBAY PRINCE
This is the third in the Perveen Mistry series that has already earned Sujata Massey the Agatha Award for best historical mystery novel (2018) and the Mary Higgins Clark Award for mystery writing (2019). Based in Baltimore, Maryland, US, Sujata is the much-acclaimed author of 14 mystery and suspense fiction novels set in India and Japan, and her latest June 2021 release continues to keep the bar high.
This story is from the July - August 2021 edition of eShe.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - August 2021 edition of eShe.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
God On The Tip Of Our Tongues
The pandemic has normalised spiritual discourse and religious references
A NEW APPROACH
Malayalam film actor and Oxford graduate Santhy Balachandran used her anthropology background to conceptualise an avantgarde music video
LOOKING OUT FOR THE BIRDS
Bird steward Karen Mason on why she wants to save the birds on Florida’s coasts and her viral photo of a bird feeding her chick
SORAYA CHEMALY: RIGHTS AND RAGE
Washington DC-based author and feminist activist Soraya Chemaly believes women’s anger can be a powerful force for social justice
A MYSTERY IN HISTORY
We review two novels set in the 20th century with fabulous, flawed female protagonists out to investigate strange goings-on
A MOM'S LIFE
Photographer Debalina Bhatta’s photo feature following her mother’s daily routine is an ode to mothers everywhere
THE RAGA OF LIFE
Mahesvari Autar’s events platform showcases Indian classical music and mantras to audiences in Holland
WOMEN FIRST
Michigan-based artist and entrepreneur Svitlana Martynjuk is determined to facilitate fair representation of women in the global art scene
UNLOCKING CREATIVITY
If the Covid pandemic affected each part of our lives, can art be far behind? Two young Indian painters Aditi Purwar and Shivangi Kalra take us through the ups and downs of their artistic journeys through the pandemic and how it has shaped their personal and creative vision
WORKPLACE WELLNESS
Management consultant Seema Rekha on why employee mental health is vital for company growth and why women make better leaders
