Some people will kill for the perfect match.

Radhi has a new crime to solve. The body of the assistant at Temple Hill’s top matchmaker is found sprawled next to a heavy bronze statue of the Nataraja — the god of dance.

But was she the intended victim or was it her boss, Sarla?

Sarla reckons she’s seen it all. Blissful unions, marriages of convenience, Mr and Mrs Good Enough. Not to mention the bitter unfortunates who never made it down the aisle.

Jealous rivals. Jilted lovers. Jaded rejects. Who among them is angry enough to commit murder?

In the marriage game, everyone has their secrets. And Radhi quickly learns some are more deadly than others.

An amazing read from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Joffe books for this eARC.

"A Matrimonial Murder" by Meeti Shroff-Shah is a delightful addition to the cozy mystery genre, infusing a traditional whodunit with a vibrant Indian setting and a dash of social satire. The novel is the second installment in the "Temple Hill Mysteries" series, and it doesn't disappoint with its intricate plot and well-crafted characters.

Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's posh Temple Hill neighborhood, the story revolves around Radhi, a writer and traveler who returns to her roots after a stint in New York City. She's in search of inspiration and healing from a broken heart, but instead finds herself entangled in a murder investigation. The victim is the assistant at Temple Hill's top matchmaker, found next to a statue of Nataraja, the god of dance. Was it a case of mistaken identity, or was the assistant the intended target?

Shroff-Shah's narrative is rich with details of Mumbai's elite matchmaking scene, providing a peek into the lives of those seeking marital bliss, whether it be love, convenience, or compromise. The author's gift for humor and suspense shines through as Radhi digs deeper into a world where everyone has secrets, some more deadly than others.

The strength of the book lies in its character development and the setting. Radhi is a protagonist with depth, grappling with her own past while trying to solve the mystery. The supporting cast is equally compelling, from the matchmaker Sarla, who has seen all facets of matrimonial aspirations, to the array of suspects including jealous rivals and jilted lovers.

"A Matrimonial Murder" is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and those who enjoy a good laugh with their suspense. It's a book that keeps you guessing until the end and leaves you satisfied with its resolution. Shroff-Shah has indeed created a mystery that's both entertaining and insightful, making Radhi's adventures a welcome escape for mystery lovers.

I enjoyed reading this book. This is like the Indian matchmaker show on Netflix combined with an Indian detective. It was a lot of fun to read though the mystery didn't seem as complicated. I would read this author again.

After a suggestion by her agent/friend to write about arranged marriages and matchmaking services, Radhi contacts Sarla Seth, who runs the most successful and well known matchmaking service in the Temple Hill area of Mumbhai, Soul Harmony. Sarla is a wealthy woman with a big personality, a strong-will and stylish, and was a close friend of Radhi's deceased mother. Sarla loves her "niece", and opens her business up to Radhi’s scrutiny. Sarla looks forward to Radhi's essays about matrimonial services, but also sees this as an opportunity to use the upcoming book as promotional material for her business. She also gets Radhi to agree to going through the process herself to provide her future readers with the author’s point of view.

All looks well, but Radhi quickly finds out that Sarla and her business partner Kiran have been receiving threatening messages in the form of a nasty notes, each accompanied by a tarot card.

Radhi cannot not look aside, and decides she'll not only write her book, but she'll investigate who might have it out for Soul Harmony. The list of suspects is not small, as there are a few disgruntled staff members, a competitor, and a few unhappy parents for whom the unions resulting from using Soul Harmony resulted either in failed engagements or divorces, both of which are seen as black marks against the young women using the service, and against Soul Harmony's vaunted reputation. Then, to everyone's shock, the private investigator employed by Soul Harmony is murdered, and the police officer in charge of the case immediately dismisses anything Radhi has to say about what she knows and has discovered.

In contrast to the positive progress Radhi is making with her investigation, she is dreaming persistently about the car crash that killed her parents years earlier. Radhi has unfortunately not resumed her therapy since moving back to Temple Hill, and is drinking and smoking too much as a coping mechanism. She also begins writing a mystery novel, based on what happened to her in her first investigation (book one).

Radhi discovers lots of unpleasant truths about the relationships amongst staff and the business partners, and eventually discovers the person(s) behind the threatening notes and the murder.

I enjoyed this, even though I have no patience for arranged marriage and all it entails. Radhi again proves to be a good observer and empathetic, though she does find her eyes opened about all that engaging a matrimonial service entails for one's privacy and potential success in finding a mate.

I appreciated that Radhi is still processing, or attempting to process, her feelings about the loss of her parents. Her unwillingness to confront and deal with her feelings felt real, as well as her increased consumption of alcohol and unwillingness to take any possible romantic relationships deeper.

Author Meeti Shroff-Shah again provides insight on Mumbhai's complexity, from its economic disparities, to its cultures, giving us a sense of the city's vibrancy and colour. And the food! Oh my goodness, I was so hungry reading this book, as the variety of meals and snacks Radhi ate were mouthwatering in their descriptions.

I hope Radhi returns to deal with a new situation.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was an interesting murder mystery with a lot of Indian culture twists. I like how it delved into the ongoing discussions about marriage and class opportunities.

Book Review: A Matrimonial Murder by Meeti Shroff-Shah

Rating: 3 stars

In A Matrimonial Murder by Meeti Shroff-Shah, readers are taken on a journey into the intriguing world of Temple Hill's top matchmaker, where the discovery of a body next to a statue of the god of dance sets off a chain of events that Radhi must solve. The question arises: was the assistant the intended victim, or was it her boss, Sarla?

The author, Meeti Shroff-Shah, crafts a vivid and descriptive setting in Temple Hill, bringing the location to life with incredible detail. The side characters are strong and add depth to the story, enriching the narrative with their own secrets and motives.

However, while the setting and characters shine, the mystery itself falls a bit flat. The plotline left me wanting more depth and complexity in the solving of the crime. Additionally, the pacing of the story is slow, which might deter readers seeking a more fast-paced read.

In conclusion, A Matrimonial Murder offers a captivating backdrop and interesting characters, but the mystery aspect may not fully deliver for some readers. If you enjoy a leisurely unraveling of secrets in a richly described setting, this book may be the perfect match for you.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I unfortunately was not feeling this book. I felt like I was missing something while reading it and so I did a bit of digging and realized this is a sequel or companion to another book except goodreads did not have it listed as such so when I was offered a copy I had no clue.
That being said, the story got away from me and I just couldn't get into it.
Thank you for the copy however.

This is a second in a series, but I actually didn’t know it until I had read for awhile and then it said it was book 2.
This is a cute & cozy mystery set in Mumbai, where there are so many descriptions of what it’s like there, the food & how the people are as well. I haven’t read anything set in Mumbai before, so I was intrigued whenever I kept reading it.
Radhi, is writing a book about arranged marriages & she contacts one of her mom’s friends who runs a dating/matching making agency for some insight for her book. She barely got started whenever she finds one of her employees bludgeoned to death in HER office.
Throughout the story, we see the continuous tension between traditional India, with its aunties, arranged marriages, and traditional women roles as well as the more modern one, where women might not want to get married at all and/or choose to have children.
I loved the strong women in this book & how mostly all of the women in this book are protagonists. The book was very well paced & I plan on going back to read the first one!

An entertaining mystery set in modern-day Mumbai, the book offers an entertaining view of Indian society and a decent plot. The ending is a little unconvincing, but I enjoyed the ride.

Radhi is working on a book about arranged marriages, she is working with a family friend Sarla, getting more insight at her matchmaking agency, when one of Sarla’s employees is murdered. Thus begins this cozy murder mystery set in India.

I didn’t realize this book was part of a series, it read fairly well as a standalone, though I would probably know a bit more about Radhi from the first one. I enjoyed this mystery a lot, everyone was a suspect and Radhi somehow involves herself in everyone’s business. She also holds a lot of guilt and thinks negatively about her actions and I think this is something that she will be able to work on as the series goes on.

I was drawn to this book because the area in that the story takes place in Mumbai is where many Gujarati people live and I really enjoyed the references to chai time, snacks and annoying aunties.

Finding the perfect match is never easy, but that is why Sarla, Temple Hills matchmaking services exist. That is until one day when a murder takes place. Sarla turns to amateur sleuth Rhadi to help her figure out what went wrong. Shroff-Shah does an excellent job of intertwining love with murder. Everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise. So many amazing twists and turns. Absolutely loved reading this and thank you for the ARC.

Whodunit…?
The second in the Temple Hill series of mysteries finds Radhi with a new case to investigate when a body is discovered next to a bronze statue. Why was the top matchmaker of Temple Hill killed and whodunit? More to the point - was the victim actually the intended victim at all and just who on earth would be angry or bitter enough to kill? As the sleuthing begins, secrets may well out. An engaging and nicely written mystery with a deftly drawn cast, a beguiling setting, a firm sense of time and place and a solid mystery at its heart.

This was a cozy mystery set in India...outlining cultural expectations and the strength of women. Our MC is writing a book on arranged marriages when a murder falls into her lap. You can feel the tension between family members, which allows this book to be more emotionally driven than most mysteries.
The WOW factor of this book...

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Radhi has a new crime to solve. The body of the assistant at Temple Hill’s top matchmaker is found sprawled next to a heavy bronze statue of the Nataraja — the god of dance.

Fantastic mystery! Great characters and great plot twists.

I was hooked from the cover and then I've heard the description and was sold. It was invested in what was going on and thought it was great to have rivals and jilted lovers. There were a lot of mystery elements that I enjoyed about this and that it worked with the overall plot of the book. The characters were well written and I enjoyed solving this book with them. Meeti shroff-shah have a grea writing style and i can't wait to read more.

I really enjoyed this book! I love a cozy mystery, and this one has a great story and characters. It’s full of rich descriptions, from music and clothing, to the food. Oh my, reading about the food made me so hungry! The author did a great job of introducing characters, and dropping clues to make you suspect each one in turn. But it wasn’t overly complicated or convoluted. I didn’t realize this is the second book in a series, so I will definitely pick up the first one.

If I'm being honest, I wanted to like this more than I did. The writing style had me bored and this book was almost a DNF for me due to it being so slow about halfway in. I enjoyed the cultural exploration and the characters but that was it, unfortunately.

First of all thank you so much to NetGalley and Joffee books for giving me an advanced reader copy of this book to review.

I tried really hard to stay invested in this book because there were some really cool and intriguing parts of this story. The only issue was that around 50-60% I almost DNF’d (Did Not Finish) because at that point it had such a slow slump, I wasn’t invested in who the killer was, and was still very lost in a lot of the verbiage and terms. That being said, I pushed through and am glad I did. I think there’s a lot of potential here. It’s a very interesting premise and I love a cute cozy mystery. The murder itself wasn’t interesting enough, though, and I thought the main character’s romance needed work. I loved some of the elements, and thought some of it needed work. I loved the dynamic of the main character telling off the intrusive older women, and the caring auntys, and the sister relationship. Overall, I give this book a solid 3/5.

NetGalley/Publishers have got to be better when promoting a second book in a series! I had no idea until I started reading and it said it was book 2.

That being said! Due to the nature of mystery series like this one, I think missing out on one is fine because I didn't feel like I was missing very much, though I will most likely go back to read that one because I enjoyed this one so much. It's fun! A cozy mystery set in Mumbai, there's so many descriptions of culture and food and people, it's already interesting based on that. Our main character Radhi is a great main character and the author Meeti Shroff-Shah is so good at balancing the mystery, characterization and story. Really enjoyed this and I'm excited read more form the author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you binged on Indian Matchmaking airing on Netflix? If you have, A Matrimonial Murder by Meeti Shroff-Shah would be an excellent choice for a cozy mystery read. Add in a whodunit scenario to that series, and this book would be created. Expected Publication is February 13th, 2024.

This book is a second in the series, and though this one can be read as standalone, reading the first one would be better to understand the life of the main character. Radhi, our main character, wants to know the ins and outs of the arranged marriages of India. She is helped by Sarla, who runs her own marriage bureau and is Radhi's foster mom of sorts. Did Radhi bargain for a little more than expected?

This is a perfect book for readers who like cozy mysteries and want to learn about Indian cultures and traditions. I loved how the author portrayed the reality of situations in India. The only thing I would say is that the reader is completely unaware of a lot of things going on. I would have liked a little bit of clue on those, but again, it's a personal preference.