Cover Image: The Mistress of Bhatia House

The Mistress of Bhatia House

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Member Reviews

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
I have been reading Sujata Massey's new series with Perveen Mistry since the beginning.
I really like how the character is developing, and getting more confident with her life.
There's lots going on in this book - it gives a fascinating glimplse into post WW1 colonial India. It is really interesting how Perveen is a lawyer but not a lawyer; her relationship with her father is complicated because of it.
Some of the legal issues explored concerning poor women and legal rights were enlightening as well.
I'm also wondering where Perveen's relationship with her British boyfriend is going to go as well.
Solid book, well plotted, but would benefit from being read in sequence in the series.
Would appeal to readers of realistic historical puzzlers with female protagonists.

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Perveen Mistry is back in another well-written, complicated mystery, one which shows culture bumping against social realities, especially those of women trapped by caste and living in poverty. I enjoyed trying to sort through a multitude of possible suspects for the crimes, but more I loved learning about the history and culture of India in 1922. Perveen navigates promoting the rights of women while loving her family and especially her father who is a bundle of contradictions, supporting her but still a product of his setting. She is also becoming aware of her own privilege and how much harder life is for lower caste people. Much has changed in a 100 years but in many parts of the world, much hasn't. Very occasionally I felt like the story became didactic, but the action never lagged. A must for fans of the series.

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