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Loading... The Mistress of Bhatia House (A Perveen Mistry Novel Book 4) (edition 2023)by Sujata Massey (Author)
Work InformationThe Mistress of Bhatia House (A Perveen Mistry Novel) by Sujata Massey
   Mystery & Detective (186) No current Talk conversations about this book.  PhyllisReads | Mar 19, 2024 |   RATING: 3.5/5 REVIEW: Firstly, I didn’t realize when I checked this book out from the library that it was the 4th in a series. It is more or less standalone, although it clearly references things that happened before the action of this book. It’s not too confusing, though. The Mistress of Bhatia House is a mystery novel that takes place in India in the 1920’s. It stars Perveen Mistry, a young woman who is also the first woman solicitor in Bombay. She especially likes to represent female clients in the hope that their cases can further women’s rights in India. While not ignoring the many roadblocks Perveen must face to practice her profession, it also shows her to be an intelligent and capable young woman, although more than a little stubborn and the kind of person who likes to get her way. While I really liked the set up of this book, it didn’t quite deliver as I’d hoped. I can’t put a finger on what it was, but the pacing seemed really off to me – it was an exciting case but things just dragged…a lot. There were also a lot of plots – including the one about her brother’s wife – that were not resolved and just left hanging. I didn’t hate this book, I actually rather enjoyed it – but it’s far from perfect. Maybe if I read the other books in the series it will make a bit more sense. I’d recommend this as an interesting – if a bit slow – book to fans of mysteries and historical fiction. (  ) Anniik | Dec 26, 2023 | I am disappointed with The Mistress of Bhatia House. Let's hope the next installment of the series will be better. (  ) Violette62 | Oct 10, 2023 |  ) ethel55 | Aug 26, 2023 |  ) CurrerBell | Jul 17, 2023 | no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesPerveen Mistry (4) AwardsNotable Lists
Fiction.
Mystery.
Historical Fiction.
HTML:Bombayâ??s only female solicitor, Perveen Mistry, grapples with class divisions, sexism, and complex family dynamics as she seeks justice for a mistreated young woman in this thrilling fourth installment in Sujata Masseyâ??s award-winning series. India, 1922: Perveen Mistry is the only female lawyer in Bombay, a city where child mortality is high, birth control is unavailable and very few women have ever seen a doctor. Perveen is attending a lavish fundraiser for a new womenâ??s hospital specializing in maternal health issues when she witnesses an accident. The grandson of an influential Gujarati businessman catches fireâ??but a servant, his young ayah, Sunanda, rushes to save him, selflessly putting herself in harmâ??s way. Later, Perveen learns that Sunanda, whoâ??s still ailing from her burns, has been arrested on trumped-up charges made by a man who doesnâ??t seem to exist. Perveen cannot stand by while Sunanda languishes in jail with no hope of justice. She takes Sunanda as a client, even inviting her to live at the Mistry home in Bombayâ??s Dadar Parsi colony. But the joint family household is already full of tension. Perveenâ??s father worries about their law firm taking so much personal responsibility for a client, and her brother and sister-in-law are struggling to cope with their new baby. Perveen herself is going through personal turmoil as she navigates a taboo relationship with a handsome former civil service officer. When the hospitalâ??s chief donor dies suddenly, Miriam Penkar, a Jewish-Indian obstetrician, and Sunanda become suspects. Perveenâ??s original case spirals into a complex investigation taking her into the Gujarati strongholds of Kalbadevi and Ghatkopar, and up the coast to Juhu Beach, where a decadent nawab lives with his Australian trophy wife. Then a second fire erupts, and Perveen realizes how much is at stake. Has someone powerful framed Sunanda to cover up another crime? Will Perveen be able to prove Sunandaâ??s innocence No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.5400Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.51)
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Wikipedia in English
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I like Perveen, and author Sujata Massey expertly recreates 1920s India with its customs, culture, food, and other period details as well as Perveen’s personal struggles to practice law while being limited by the ingrained restrictions imposed by racism, sexism, and India’s caste system.
This novel focuses on the topic of birth control (or the lack of it) in Perveen’s city of Bombay and Massey has done a stellar amount of historical research, as usual. There is a mystery, a large cast of characters, and some questions as to who is guilty and who is innocent. Perveen is also going through personal turmoil as she navigates a taboo relationship with a handsome former civil service officer. And there is a glossary of terms (food, slang, greetings, etc.) to provide cultural accuracy and clarity.
So with all of this why did I only read 100 out of 414 pages? I hated to put down the book out of loyalty to Perveen and hoped it would get better, but felt like I was wasting my time. And honestly, I had trouble staying awake. It wasn’t the enjoyable read I expected after having read the first three books. Too many characters, a “preachy” topic of birth control, the plot dragged, and Perveen wasn’t the same clever assertive woman from the earlier books.
I will try number 5 when it comes out, hoping this was just a fluke. In the meantime, there are plenty of other books in my TBR pile! (