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Loading... The Bangalore Detectives Club: A Novel (original 2022; edition 2023)by Harini Nagendra (Author)
Work InformationThe Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra (2022)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This is a cozy mystery set in 1920s India. The author is a Professor of Sustainability who lives in Bangalore. A young bride, Kaveri, has moved to Bangalore to be with her new husband Ramu. Kaveri is smart and forward-thinking and loves solving calculus equations. Ramu is a doctor at the local hospital. She is afraid Ramu will be firm and traditional in his views but finds him kind and progressive. Ramu introduces her to the English hospital director Dr Charles Roberts, and his wife Daphne. While having dinner at the Century Club they discover a man has been murdered, Ponnuswamy the local pimp. Kaveri becomes obsessed with helping Deputy Inspector Ismail solve the crime. This was an enjoyable read which provided some background to the area, including recipes at the end. I struggled somewhat with the number of characters and their names, probably due to listening to the audiobook version. It would have been easier to keep track on a different format. I don’t really like murders when the motivation is blamed on mental health, as it seems a little cliche and perpetuates a misconception. I would also have liked to see more development of their relationship as it was brand new but didn’t feature greatly. There were also a few inconsistencies such as speaking about her love of complex calculus when she is solving a simple arithmetic problem, and they both seem very modern for the era. Nevertheless these small things aside, Kaveri was a likeable character and I would happily read another of her adventures. Sporadically engaging and readable, the story provides a picturesque insight of 1920's India and the colourful life of well-to-do citizens. While it is pleasant to read about Kaveri, the main protagonist, the flawed plotting and unrealistic portrayal of the life and times detracted from a solid narrative. The novel is not plotted sufficiently well, being contradictory or begging belief too many times. It was enjoyable from a cozy mystery perspective, a bit of political/cultural tension. But overall the sleuthing/mystery part was a bit dull. The main character spoke to suspects and they just spilled their secrets. She moved easily from clue to clue, and the police inspector started sharing evidence with her. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesKaveri and Ramu (1) AwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Fiction.
Mystery.
HTML: The first in a charming, joyful cozy crime series set in 1920s Bangalore, featuring sari-wearing detective Kaveri and her husband, Ramu. Perfect for fans of Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry handsome young doctor Ramu, she's resigned herself to a quiet life. But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace and quietâ??and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene. When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman's mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn't as hard as it seems when you have a talent for mathematics, a head for logic, and a doctor for a husband ... And she's going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition, and intrigue in Bangalore's darkest alleyways. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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While creating a lovely cozy mystery story, Nagendra also explores colonialism, caste systems, and other social constructs. A good start to what promises to be a fun series.