It’s 1921 in Bangalore, India when a young wife named Kaveri–married to a handsome doctor–gets involved in solving a murder. A man is stabbed to death. Kaveri learns he’s a pimp with a stable of beautiful women. What do you think a woman who studies her calculus books in her spare time would do?
Kaveri tracks down a prostitute who identifies herself as Mala. More clues are revealed and another body is discovered. Kaveri persists in her investigation despite the danger.
I enjoyed the scenes of life in India in the early 1920s. Kaveri’s husband, Ramu, loves to drive his car through the dusty streets of Bangalore. As you might suspect, the strictures of India in those days cramp Kaveri’s movements. But she earns the respect of Mr. Ismail, the Deputy Inspector of the Wilson Gardens police station, the officer assigned to solve these murders.
This is Harini Nagendra’s first novel. In her Acknowledgements (p. 286), Harini Nagendra, a Professor Sustainability at Azim Premji University in Bangalore, states it took her 13 years to write The Bangalore Detectives Club. I hope it doesn’t take her 13 more years to write a sequel! I can’t wait to read it! GRADE: B
I was waiting to see a review before deciding whether or not this was worth reading. Sounds like it is.
Jeff, I thought the murder investigation held my interest. But the scenes of Bangalore in 1921 and the various cultural differences became the main attraction to me.
Not my cup of pekoe!
George, there’s a lot of new-age Indian fiction out there, much of which I haven’t read yet. The market for Indian fiction writing in English, in India, is thriving.
Prashant, I consider India the key country of the 21st Century. The U.S. is in decline and China has too many problems. Fiction and non-fiction about India will grow with its influence.
1921 was an interesting year in Indian history. Is there any mention of the political happenings of thee time?
Neeru, there were hints of political unrest. I’m hoping the next book in the series spells that out.