This cosy mystery follows Kauser Khan as she faces a family crisis. Kauser and her husband moved from Scarborough to North Bay after the death of their younger son. Kauser took it very hard, and wasn't able to handle life in the same surroundings. That was years ago, and with Kauser's husband dying a little less than a year ago, she's been adjusting to a new solo life, while still keeping in contact with her daughter in Scarborough and her son in England.
When her daughter, Sana, phones her to see that she needs her, and that Sana is suspected of murder, Kauser overcomes her fears and books the next flight to Toronto. Her best friend May drives her to the airport and we hear from her how Kauser is one of those people who notices things. Small things that others don't, but that tell one things about situations and people. She encourages Kauser to get to the bottom of things, but Kauser's first consideration is Sana and her family, particularly her two young daughters.
After her children were both in school, Sana started a clothing boutique in a small strip mall near her home. Her husband was supportive, and Sana has been doing well. When she went into the store early one day, she finds her landlord in her store and very dead. When the murder weapon is found to be from the store as well, Sana finds herself the prime suspect.
Kauser arrives at Sana's and lets herself in, but with no one home, she gives in to curiosity and walk over to the mall, checking out the investigation, and observing things closely. Back home, she finds that Sana has been released and both girls are home from school.
Kauser notices some issues with Sana's relationship with her husband, and a tension within the family. As she digs deeper into the family dynamics, she also reaches out to old friends, both those of her and her husband, and those of her children. Using these connections, she arranges for a lawyer for Sana, and follows her instincts as she asks for other favours to answer the questions that come to her.
The book also leaves a hint for a future sequel, one I would definitely be interested in.
I liked the main character, and her skills with relationships. There's a lot going on, but she is able to use her skills, and the way that some underestimate her due to her age, gender, and religion, to gather the information that she needs.

I've been an Uzma Jalaluddin fan since I read Hana Khan carries on several years ago, and I've eagerly awaited each new release since then. Detective Aunty is a bit of a departure from her usual works in the sense that the lead is not a young woman. Instead, Kausaur Khan is a widow living in the north of Canada who returns to Toronto for the first time in 15 years only after her daughter is accused of murder. Kausaur, who has noticed details others often miss for her entire life, decides to find the real killer and clear her daughter's name. This is the first in a new series, and I look forward to reading what other crimes occur in the Golden Triangle and seeing Kausaur's prospective new romance unfold!

Despite the intriguing look at an immigrant community in Toronto, this multicultural cozy mystery -- the first in a new series -- was too slow paced for me. Other mystery fans may find the sedate unspooling of the story just their cup of tea.

I love a great mystery and this story delivered just that! I was invested throughout the book. The family dynamic is heavily rooted in the story. It's the perfect way to be introduced to Muslim culture while following this woman's story while solving a cozy mystery.

This was a cozy mystery with more cultural substance than most. Featuring a somewhat splintered family drawn back together by another tragedy, Detective Aunty takes place in the Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto.

This gave me some Vera Wang vibes. I enjoyed seeing how the family dynamics shift and grow and the way the mystery unfold. I definitely can’t wait to read the next installment.

My only issue was the pacing; in parts it felt a bit slow but not enough to impact my overall enjoyment.

Delightful mystery set in Desi community in Toronto. For fans of Vera Wong - lots of family dynamics and community tensions as a neighborhood gets gentrified.

3.75 ⭐️

Kausar Khan never thought she would return back to Toronto, but after twenty years she finds herself back in the city after receiving a shocking call from her daughter Sana. Sana has been arrested for the murder of her landlord. Determined to help her daughter clear her name, Kausar grabs the notebook she’s known for carrying around and returns to a city that no longer feels like home. With her natural detective skills, help from old friends, and her oh so curious and sneaky granddaughter, she’s on a mission to uncover the truth… It really does take a village

I love a good cozy mystery, but Detective Aunty was a struggle to get through. It was quite a slow burn. I started and stopped several times because the plot moved too slowly and my engagement level decreased. While the storyline itself was interesting things didn’t really pick up until around 50-60% in which is far too late in my opinion. Slow build-up aside, I did enjoy the humor, cultural references, and character development.


Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted review copy

This was such a good time and I cannot wait for the next installment. This book had me guessing the entire time which is hard to do after reading probably 200 or so mysteries at this point. I loved the relationship between Kausar and her best friend as well as the one between Kausar and her older granddaughter.

Unfortunately, this cozy mystery wasn’t for me. I really wanted to love it but it was too slow. I was never really invested in the story or the characters. I felt like the plot dragged. I loved the setting: Toronto, Canada. I loved getting a glimpse into the desi culture. I loved that the FMC was middle-aged. But in the end it wasn’t enough for me to love this book.

2.5⭐️ rounded up

I just finished Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin. I loved it! The characters, the food, the mystery...all makes me hope for a second book in the Detective Aunty series.

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalauddin is the first in a new series. This is fantastic news, because I am hooked! This cozy mystery was so entertaining!
Kausar had removed herself from true interaction with her family and friends when she fell into a depression after the death of her teenage son.

When her daughter is accused of murder, Kausar has to get to know her family again to solve the crime. There is a lot of character growth as Kausar starts her “second act,” more than in a typical cozy. The story is as much about the family dynamics and navigating broken relationships as finding the culprit. This doesn’t slow down the plot though, as detective aunty has a fairly complicated mystery to solve.

The story is set in an immigrant community in Toronto, and it was great to get to know a diverse group of people with different cultural backgrounds. The author does a great job at making a reasonably large cast of characters feel real, even when we only meet them briefly. Kausar’s best friend, May, is a lot of fun and a great friend, offering humor and solace in equal measure.

The final reveal reminds me very much of an Agatha Christie ending where everyone is brought together, and the detective considers why each one might be the culprit until the true murderer is announced. It worked quite well in the style of the story.

This is definitely recommended and I’m impatiently waiting for the next in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the e-ARC.
4.5 stars rounded to 5

Was not for me I don’t think it’s my writing style it was a slow burn for me I wanted to live the story but it fell flat

I've enjoyed Jalaluddin's books in the past; this cozy mystery felt like a natural and sure-footed departure. I look forward to reading more in this series!

When Kausar's daughter, Sana, calls to let her know she's the prime suspect in a murder, Kausar drops everything and heads to Toronto to help--both with Sana's kids and the house, AND investigating the murder. Kausar has always been observant, and has helped solve some minor shenanigans in her town, but murder is a new one. With an absent son-and-law, a victim everyone seems to hate, and police set on arresting her daughter, Kausar as her work cut out for her. Particularly when Kausar hasn't set foot in Toronto since her son's hit and run death years prior. Now, back again, she's determined to find justice for at least one of her children.

While Kausar bristles every time someone insinuates she is old--this is simply her second act--she leans into the elder aunty persona when it helps her obtain information. As a huge fan of Miss Marple, I am a sucker for this schtick, and Kausar is a fun iteration of the trope. The mystery was extremely clever, and I certainly did not see the (very complicated) solution coming. The ending teases a longer arc and I can't wait to see where book two takes us.

Thanks to Harper Perennial for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It wasn’t as lighthearted as I expected it to be, but I appreciate that it delves into the nuances of more difficult topics such as arranged marriage, being a homemaker, and police bias all from a Muslim South Asian perspective. I also liked that Kausar Khan is a flawed main character who acknowledges her shortcomings as well as her privileges (for the most part). She wasn’t always likable in the book which I think was intentional on the author’s part.

The plot of this book was smooth for the most part; there are some loose ends which I’m sure will be nicely tied up in an upcoming sequel. I found myself going back and forth trying to guess who the killer could be and was surprised when the reveal happened at the end which rarely happens when reading a murder mystery book! There were many subplots but one which I hope makes a return if there is a Book 2 is the relationship of the victim’s daughter which was actually really heartwarming and well-written even though we didn’t get to see much of it.

Overall, I recommend this book if you’re looking for a diverse mystery that is a bit more real and raw than your typical cozy mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Excellent read with good, detailed investigation, a MC who develops and grows as a person as the story progresses and teaches me about an immigrant community that is different from the ones that my family had in their new country. You don't have to be of the same ethnic to understand the devastation of grief for a child and later that of a husband of many years. Her rapport with others and the natural inclination to ask questions serves her in good stead and she also becomes a partner with her teenaged granddaughter and others.
Loved the read, but I'm one of those who needs to hear the correct pronunciation of words I do not know how to say correctly, so I really hope it comes out in audio soon!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial via NetGalley. Pub Date May 06, 2025
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A delightful new mystery from Uzma Jalaluddin, Detective Auntie finds newly widowed Kausur forced to return to Toronto, and the ghosts of her last, when her daughter is accused of murder. Desperate to clear her daughter's name, Kausur puts her detecting skills to use while also rediscovering her role in her family and the world.

I really enjoyed this one! I'm not much of a mystery fan, so take my words with some salt. To me, this reads a step up in intensity from a cozy mystery. A lot of the elements are there (no one liked the victim, {older} civilian female protagonist is on the case, love interests), but you've also got racism and misogyny (some of which is coming from inside the house). I really like that you've got a female MC in her 50s ready to start her second act. I'll definitely be on the look out for the next book in the series!
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC!

I read everything that Uzma Jalaluddin writes because I know that she never, ever disappoints. "Detective Aunty" was no exception. Kausar's voice was strong and clear, her motives sure, and her drive impossible to ignore. Watching her unfold the mystery was so engaging. The mystery was also accessible -- I was able to follow along and solve little pieces of it myself, as she did. The cast of characters was interesting and unique, as is the hope with cozy mysteries. The ending both shocked me and didn't shock me -- but in a good way. Mysteries should never fully take you by surprise, in my opinion, because you should be able to work some things out for yourself, and I did. Needless to say, if Kausar Khan finds herself investigating more mysteries in the future (which I sincerely hope she will!), I'll be an avid reader.

pretty fun mystery with a well-written protag and a suitably unlikeable victim. 4 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.