Sujata Massey Provides Fifth India Mystery, A STAR FROM CALCUTTA, with Perveen Mistry

For the only female lawyer in Bombay in 1922, it seems every situation offers a new challenge. Can Perveen maintain her dignity in a culture that's suspicious of women in new roles? Will her father allow her to tackle important cases, or will his natural tendency to protect her always diminish her role? 

And, for those who've been following this Soho Press series that began with The Widows of Malabar Hill, will Perveen and her (very much forbidden) European heartthrob be able to keep their relationship adequately hidden?

On the monsoon-soaked morning that opens A STAR FROM CALCUTTA, Perveen's father announces that their day is already committed to a new client: Champa Films, owned by Subhas Ghoshal and his actress wife from Calcutta. Perveen quickly says, "No introduction needed! I'm familiar with his films and the Calcutta star he's married."

And it's the star that has caught Perveen's attention -- "Rochana's involved in sword fights and riding runaway horses and car chases. She's quite famous for being the best at it."

This isn't reassuring for her father, who prefers the formality of Parsi theater. But to Perveen's surprise, he already has a plan to place her as lead counsel in the case, which is about Rochana the actress. At the film studio Jamshedji tells the producer, "I will always be available, but I believe it would be more appropriate for my eminently qualified daughter to be your chief counsel."

Soon the case takes on fresh complications -- a death, a disappearance, roaming film animals (all too real), and a labor strike. Is the film company too broke to pay properly? Why has Rochana vanished? And where is the girlfriend Perveen's brought with her, who should be helping to maintain propriety in this wild compound of scantily garbed and possibly cocaine-high performers?

How will Perveen handle a court appearance, a coroner's results, and the complications of culture classes? With Massey's smooth writing and clever plot twists, this is a delightful page-turner rich with details of a nation entering global modernity ... and with the often difficult changes in expectations for women and the people who care about them.

Well paced and satisfying, with nearly 400 pages, this sequel shows Massey taking firm hold of her material and well aware of the expectations of the genre. It's a good change from the standard American legal thriller, a comfortable "read," and offers insight into the divided cultural landscape of one of today's Great Powers. More on the author, here: sujatamassey.com.  And for reviews of earlier titles in the series, click here.

 

Phryne Fisher #22, THE LADY WITH THE GUN ASKS THE QUESTIONS

Whether you met her in one of the series on Public Television, or in one of the 21 earlier books by Kerry Greenwood, it's not surprising if you wish you ran into her more often. Australian sleuth Phryne Fisher is elegant, stylish, and a liberated woman of the 1920s. With her friends among the police and her ever-loyal assistant Dot, Miss Fisher exerts her lively curiosity and sharp wits to solve all sorts of murders and related crimes.

Book 22 in Kerry Greenwood's Miss Phryne Fisher series, THE LADY WITH THE GUN ASKS THE QUESTIONS, is a story collection crammed with delight. Only half of that pleasure involves the crimesolving -- the other half is the way Greenwood allows the stories to reveal her writing process and how she chooses her adventures. Her "Apologia" at the start of the collection offers:

As you will see, sometimes I try out some of the cast of a novel in a short story to see if they like me enough to stay for a whole book, there being a great difference between 3,000 and 85,000 words, and an author needs to pick her company if she has to give them house room for so long.

Greenwood follows this short introduction with a second, called "On Phryne Fisher," that reveals how she began the series. If you're already a fan of the books, some of this won't be new -- but it's still fascinating. For instance, "Because I wanted her to be a female wish-fulfillment figure, I wanted her to be like James Bond, with better clothes and fewer gadgets." Bingo! Greenwood adds, "She's a bold creature for the 1920s but not an impossible one. None of the things she does are out of the question for that brittle, revolutionary period." And then there's the author's insight on the balance that good historical fiction must convey: "Too much detail and the reader is bored. Too little and it fails to convince."

But of course, the whole point of this collection is to present the stories themselves. It's actually a republication of a 2007 group, with four brand new stories added, all set in 1929. The author admits she's done a light re-edit on the earlier stories to tidy up some loose ends -- and then explains more. "Hotel Splendide" is based on an urban myth first written down in the 1920s; "The Vanishing of Jock McHale's Hat" was written for a Christmas collection ("I wanted something light and frivolous, yet with dark undertones"). "Marrying the Bookie's Daughter" explores Phryne's personal independence (can you really expect her to accept a marriage proposal?). And in the midst of all this, of course, these are proper mystery stories, embedded with neat clues, clever puzzle twists, and Phryne's marvelous personal style: "You horrible little insect," she tells one criminal, adding, "I suppose it is educational to find out that you can't have everything that you want," as she offers to lock up the perpetrator with a snake, instead of turning him over to the police.

Summer's just about here — and this is a great addition to the reading pile for real relaxation and plenty of smiles. If you read a copy ASAP, you might even be ready to re-read it at the opposite end of the season. Think of how frugal you'll prove yourself to be! And by that point, you may even have decided which of Phryne Fisher's tea gowns would suit your own style. (Right?)

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Brief Mention: FAREWELL BLUES from Maggie Robinson, Series Finale

There are plenty of mentions that FAREWELL BLUES is the end of Maggie Robinson's light-hearted and romantic Lady Adelaide series (including on the author's website), so this is not really a spoiler! This is the fourth book of these 1920s mysteries, with paranormal humor provided by Lady Adelaide's late husband Rupert, assigned to help her solve crimes and resolve her personal life, as a way to recover from his own sins and finally make it to heaven.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Lady Adelaide books has been the protagonist's gradual realization that she may become involved with a man from entirely outside her social "set." Not only is Inspector Devand Hunter a police officer—he's also of Indian heritage and London's not ready for such a romance.

The casual racism repeatedly demonstrated in the series is lightened here by Dev narrating some of the chapters, and by the entertainment value of Rupert's ability to pop in and out of scenes, as well as to pry into Lady Adelaide's thoughts. Series fans will want to discover how Robinson wraps up the series, including her three (!) epilogues. 

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Exhilarating New 1920s India Mystery from Sujata Massey, THE BOMBAY PRINCE

Half the fun of of reading really good historical fiction is the pain-free way a book can take you into another time, "experiencing" the differences almost as if you were there. International fiction offers the same advantage in terms of location instead of time travel.

So in the third "Mystery of 1920s India" from Sujata Massey, THE BOMBAY PRINCE, you get double the delight in one smoothly written adventure.

Plus, Massey's protagonist, female lawyer Perveen Mistry, is breaking barriers for the women of her time, the first in her career in Bombay. She's compassionate, smart, and rarely makes mistakes in judgment. That means a Massey mystery can focus on crime and detection, instead of on rescuing the amateur sleuth.

It's November 1921 as THE BOMBAY PRINCE opens, and an independence movement is roiling India's political landscape. Long ruled from afar by Great Britain, India's people have paid the usual prices of the colonized: marginalizing minorities (like the Parsi culture that Perveen Mistry has grown up with), skimming revenue, and refusing to let the national leaders actually lead. A visit from the Prince of Wales fans the flames of Gandhi's otherwise peace-centered movement, street protests break out, even shop looting, and Perveen struggles to get appropriate treatment for the body of a murdered Parsi college student, Freny, who'd recently sought Perveen's legal advice. The timing puts Perveen herself into danger—it's easy for men around her to assume that a woman walking alone out in the city is asking for the worst kind of trouble, and impossible for them to see her as a professional, or worth respecting at all. When she tries to stop the looting of a shop where she knows the staff, she becomes a target, attacked with both scorn and sexual threat.

Fortunately for Perveen, some Parsi men spot the trouble and tackle her assailants, telling her to run, and she actually gets a ride from a solicitor known to her family, who delivers her to the family's driver.

"You are returned, Alhamdulillah!" As Mustafa invoked thanks to Allah, his voice cracked with emotion. "Violence has swept the city ... You sari is torn. What happened?"

Perveen pulled the sari closer around her. "There were so many people. I was rushing in the street, and it must have happened then." ... All she wanted was to wash herself at home, to erase the memory of the brutal men. And hide under her own covers. ...

Mustafa's voice was firm. "Your father said on no account will you go anywhere but that hotel. And I'm coming in the car with you for protection."

What none of them could predict is that the European man who's caught Perveen's affection in an earlier book in the series might be at the same hotel. Even in her professional duties in the days ahead, what Perveen struggles to offer her family firm's legal clients puts her at further risk—especially when she probes the student's death further and begins to guess who's responsible.

Massey writes in swift, colorful scenes that sweep the action and danger along, drenched with period manners and struggles. If the dialogue is at times a bit stilted because of such formality, the pace never wavers, and Perveen's battle for self-determination is driven as powerfully as India's. 

No need to have read the earlier two books of this series (The Widows of Malabar Hill, The Satapur Moonstone)—just plunge into this new release from Soho Crime, an imprint of Soho Press (publication June 1). Massey's skills are strengthening with each book, and this is definitely her best yet. But if THE BOMBAY PRINCE wakes you to wanting to know more about India's modern history, you'll want the other two titles for your shelf as well. 

This promises to be a continued series well worth savoring!

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Entertaining Roaring Twenties English Mystery, WHO'S SORRY NOW?, Maggie Robinson

Maggie Robinson's been a Maine author of historical romance fiction, but she's launched a fresh new series that's quintessentially English: her Lady Adelaide mysteries, clever and funny and garbed in the froth and fun of the upper-class across-the-Pond version of the Roaring Twenties.

In WHO'S SORRY NOW?, the second in the series, Lady Adelaide Compton, newly widowed at a quite young age (despite feeling SO much older than the Bright Young People around her), accompanies her younger sister to a raucus and slightly risqué club scene -- where she promptly engages in unofficially investigating a pair of murders that continue to multiply. Aided in this pursuit by a Scotland Yard inspector who's charmed by her and willing to give her room to probe the social set, Addie proves her mettle and her sharp sense of how to probe motives.

Remember the trio of motive, means, and opportunity? The scene that Robinson sets corrals them neatly, since everyone dying is part of a small group of friends, either wealthy or descended from collapsed wealth. Included and adding great panache to the group is the Russian Prince Alexei Andropov. And complicating Lady Adelaide's juggling of suitors and possible killers is the annoying presence of the ghost of her late husband, Major Rupert Compton.

Although Charles Todd has praised the series, the ghost here brings none of the gravitas of Todd's Inspector Rutledge series -- Major Rupert was a flying ace and is trying for access to heaven by helping his young widow solve crime! If that tickles your funnybone, tuck in for more entertainment. For example, when Addie's sister gets a lash of the poisoner's attack, Addie seeks the handsome (and Indian-heritage) Detective Inspector Devanand Hunter's permission to jump fully into the case, while Rupert's far too excited:

"Well done, my dear. It's just like old times. Fighting crime. Seeking justice." Rupert bounced up and down on the iron [hospital] bed and gave her a grin. He was still wearing the very same clothes she had buried him in.

She'd been lucky since January 1. Apparently her time was up. ...

"I know. It's most unsettling for you, me showing up again out of the blue. But think of me! Just when I was acclimating so nicely. ... I was rudely torn away again, without even a chance to discover my mission or shave—I know how you dislike my moustache. Never mind. Sacrifices must be made. Cee was in danger, and I know how fond you are of her. It was my duty."

What a speech. Addie's head spun. Did facial hair grow after one was dead? She'd heard ghastly things about fingernails. "How did you know it was poison?"

Rupert shrugged. "How do I know anything? It's a mystery. Or a miracle. You can thank me now."

Addie would have thrown a bedpan—empty or full—at him if one had been handy. But Rupert's words at the Savoy had made her act quickly.

Consider this the lighthearted version of a Jacqueline Winspear crime novel, or a feminine version of P. G. Wodehouse, come to think of it! Don't fight the fun ... just kick up your heels with the Charleston and keep an eye out for clues. [Published by the Poisoned Pen Press, now an imprint of Sourcebooks.]

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

With Secrets and Revelation: DREAMING SPIES, Laurie R. King

If you're a Laurie R. King fan -- and I am -- you probably had DREAMING SPIES on your list earlier this year, and purchased it soon after its release in mid February. I did, too, but I knew there was no rush to review it, so I tucked it away to enjoy later.

So, a few reasons to read (and collect) this 13th "novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes":

* For anyone who's followed Laurie R. King's writing, from the Kate Martinelli (San Francisco) homicide series to the eerie and compelling Stuyvesant & Grey books to the very popular Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes sequence, reading DREAMING SPIES is the best way to discover which direction King's creativity has taken this time, and how she's tying together her many interests. Plus, is her storytelling changing with time? My own answer to this: Yes, she's separating the thread of violent crime from the thread of puzzle solving. Although her 2006 release, The Art of Detection, was a deliberate (and entertaining) effort to tie the Martinelli series to the Russell/Holmes books, it left out some of the dark threat of the early Martinelli books. That darkness now prowls in the Stuyvesant & Gray books instead (so far, just two of them: Touchstone in 2007 and The Bones of Paris in 2013).

* Holmes fans who are not deadly serious in their passions can enjoy the notion of Holmes as a much older man, married to his young student Mary Russell -- and in DREAMING SPIES, Russell asserts her equality to Holmes in terms of deftness with disguise, quick planning, even martial arts. In fact, the premise of the story, which takes the pair into Japan in 1924 to assist a ninja (or more than one ninja!) and other politically significant Japanese figures, is that neither Russell nor Holmes speaks Japanese or has expertise in the "customs of the country." Hence their decision to explore, and then assist, puts them on a level playing field. Actually that means Russell will dominate a bit more than usual, since she's younger and by gender better adapted to the schemes involved this time.

*King is such a good storyteller that this, like her earlier books, is an entertaining diversion with page-turner appeal. She's also a top-notch researcher, so don't let the unexpected appearance of, say, a woman who is a ninja turn up any doubts: Sure enough, there's history to back the concept, with an early Japanese woman becoming an espionage-oriented ninja in the 16th century, running her own network. Russell is a bit too much of a loner to adapt to a network, but she's not going to let a spy who's younger than herself take over the scene! (Or is she?)

*If you've been reading any of the half dozen intriguing series of English mysteries racing into print on the World War I years and the years between the wars -- or even James Benn's World War II series with Billy Boyle -- this 1924/1925 setup will enhance what you're already consuming, adding details of Europe, the United States, and Asia, particularly Japan. It's a time-honored way to enjoy adding history to your plate.

These Russell/Holmes books don't feel like the original Sherlock Holmes tales -- they leave a very different taste in the mind -- and that's the drawback to reading them. The depressed genius of the Conan Doyle character wouldn't balance all that well with Russell's animation and enthusiasms, I think. So, as with the earlier books in the series, enter lightly, for the fun of it. (My one regret for DREAMING SPIES was the near-absence of Holmes's usual remarkable insights ... and with it, I thought, a bit less insight on Russell's part, too. But perhaps they were both overwhelmed with learning that new language, and all that comes with it.)

Best of all, I came away from the book relaxed, taking joy in the twists and resolution of the story, and more attentive to the history and cultures on display. Fun! I recommend reading it -- provided the "reasons" above fit your state of mind as you open the book.