When her daughter is arrested for murder, Kausar doesn’t hesitate to go to help however she can. She returns to Toronto. She’s determined to clear Sana’s name, even without Sana’s help. Such a fun cozy! Kauser connects with old friends and makes new ones, building community along the way. But she might also be making some enemies….Hoping for a sequel.

Detective Aunty is wrapped in humor and love, making for a delightful read. I so enjoyed the cozy mystery take on a South Asian and Muslim family. I thought Uzma Jalaluddin balanced the lighthearted feeling of a cozy read alongside the realities of complicated family life, which in the case of this book, is compounded by the family's experience as immigrants.

The characters are lovable and relatable. I felt this book tackled grief and family life in a lighthearted, yet relatable way.
And, I'm always appreciative when an author weaves in the culture of the main characters. I really enjoyed seeing into the everyday lives of this family and I feel like I learned a small bit about their culture.

I listened to the audiobook version of this title and felt that the narrator, Deepti Gupta, wonderfully captured Kausar Khan's voice.

This book is a good choice for readers and fans of the Vera Wong books by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audio ARC copy of Detective Aunty, in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been a fan of Jalaluddin’s writing ever since her debut novel, Ayesha At Last. Her stories, which highlight South Asian and Muslim communities, consistently feature well-rounded, witty characters you can’t help but fall in love with. That said, I found this title just okay. The pacing felt uneven, with not much happening plot-wise in the first half of the book. While Detective Aunty didn’t quite blow me away, I’ll likely pick up the next installment in the series when it’s released.

I just couldn't get into this title. I wanted to like it, but the pacing was too slow for me. While I liked the main character, I just couldn't get into the story. Not sure if it was how it's read or just that I didn't connect with the plot and/or author.

I was not expecting to see a mystery novel from Uzma Jalaluddin, but I don't know why I was surprised considering there was some great intrigue woven throughout her debut novel, Ayesha at Last.
I was pretty impressed with this, it was twisty and introspective. Kausar Khan is a fascinating lead character, turning to investigation later in life for the sake of trying to help her daughter. The dynamic between Kausar and her oldest granddaughter was especially engaging and the vibrance of the neighborhood in Toronto where most of the action takes place had me wanting to visit. This is the kind of book that leaves you anticipating the rest of the series. I would love to see this adapted for television as well! I listened to this in audiobook format and very much enjoyed Deepti Gupta's narration. She is a new narrator for me and I was very impressed.

🎧🅰🆄🅳🅸🅾🅱🅾🅾🅺 🅵🅸🅻🅴🆂: 🅳🅴🆃🅴🅲🆃🅸🆅🅴 🅰🆄🅽🆃🆈🎧

✨𝘿𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙐𝙯𝙢𝙖 𝙅𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣✨

𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: 𝚄𝚣𝚖𝚊 𝙹𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚗
𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧: 𝙳𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒 𝙶𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚊
𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝: 𝟹𝟸𝟶 𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 || 𝟷𝟷 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜
𝙂𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙮 @𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚕 | 𝘼𝙇𝘾 𝙗𝙮 @𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘
𝙑𝙞𝙗𝙚: 𝚂𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕 | 𝙹𝚊𝚠-𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 | 𝙲𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣: 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙱𝙰𝙼! 𝙰𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝. 𝙺𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚛 𝙺𝚑𝚊𝚗, 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚙 𝚎𝚢𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚝𝚜, 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚍. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚠𝚎𝚋 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜, 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚊𝚕𝚜. 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎.

𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚: 𝙳𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒 𝙶𝚞𝚙𝚝𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝙺𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚛—𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚖, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎.

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙-𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧: 🔥🔥🔥

𝙄𝙛 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚:
* 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝙺𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚢𝚎 𝙶𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝

* 𝙼𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝙾𝚕𝚍 𝙱𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚢 𝙽𝚎𝚟 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑

* 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚋𝚢 𝙰𝚕𝚔𝚊 𝙹𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒 

𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚊𝚕?

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫 (3.75)

🏷 #DetectiveAunty #UzmaJalaluddin #cozymystery #CandiceReads #HaleYeahBooks #BlackGirlsRead #wellreadblackgirl #AudiobookReview #bookreview

I absolutely adore Detective Aunty! A murder mystery collides with old family wounds in this debut novel about second chances. The narrator is perfect and really brought the story to life.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I fell for Kausar Khan and her family in this wonderful mystery. The story was so heartfelt and moving Kausar helping her daughter get out of a murder charge after being away from the town for years and also the way she slowly came to deal with the death of her son years ago. I hope this becomes a series because I want to go back and enjoy more time with this unexpectedly delightful family.

Thank you for the ARC.

The striking cover art of Detective Aunty immediately caught my attention, prompting me to read the description—and from there, it quickly climbed to the top of my TBR pile. The novel is packed with multiple intertwining plot lines: Did Sana commit murder? What’s happening in her marriage? How did her teenage daughter come into so much money? With these mysteries unfolding, the cast of characters grows, each adding layers to the intrigue.

At the heart of the story is Kausar, the determined mother and curious detective, who returns to Toronto after her daughter, Sana, is arrested for murder. While Kausar is loving and deeply concerned, her personal grief and heartbreak have kept her disconnected from much of her daughter’s life. Now, she is committed to being present—to solving the case, keeping Sana out of jail, and mending the fractured relationships..

Filled with mystery, secrets, and complex family dynamics, Detective Aunty delivers a gripping narrative that explores both crime and relationships. The character development is rich and well-crafted, setting the stage for future novels that will undoubtedly expand on this world.

ARC via Netgalley

I thought this was a solid first move into mysteries by Uzma Jalaluddin. I love her romance books and I thought the main character Kausar was an interesting lead who has room to develop as she goes. That being said it was slightly too slow paced for me personally. I like cozy mysteries but this had a bit too much description of financial crimes for me. I will definitely give the next one a try.

Kausar gets a life changing call from her adult daughter Sana. Sana has been arrested for murder and she needs her mom to help take care of her and her own two daughters. Sana owns and runs a clothing store in a small suburb shopping center and her landlord was found killed in her store. Kausar is determined to prove her daughter's innocence and uncover the true murderer. This is a cozy mystery but with serious elements. There's humor as well as heart break and sadness. It was a fun read with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the audiobook! The narrator was great.

I can definitely see this book as being the start of a series. It is set up in a way that makes you get to know the characters and begin to care for them. While it wasn't my favorite detective, it will definitely make me want to read more books in this series. I think it was a solid 1st book.

Always grateful to have another diverse mystery to recommend to our library patrons! I enjoyed the Toronto setting as I knew nothing about the city. Looking forward to more in the series.

Uzma Jalaluddin makes a smooth and seamless transition from romance to cozy mystery. Kausar Khan, a recent widow, receives a call from her grown daughter Sana, begging her to return to Toronto. Sana is suspected of murdering the landlord of the shopping plaza where she operates a clothing boutique. Kausar leaves her small town and returns to the suburb where she raised her children and where Sana still lives. The neighborhood has changed, and the killing is only the latest in a series of local unsolved crimes. With evidence mounting against Sana, Kausar turns to sleuthing to clear her daughters name. Using her keen observational skills and ability to get people to confide in her, she searches for the truth. Kausar is a tenancious aunty who must come to terms with her past as well as her future. Recommended for fans of Robert Thorogood's "Marlow Murder Club" series,

I can't wait for more Kausar adventures in the future. The narrator does a great job in capturing the emotions of the characters and tries her best to convey the accents of the various community members so they are distinct but not in a mocking way. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of the book.

I loved this book!

I'm not usually a mystery reader, but I decided to give this a try since I'm a fan of Jalaluddin's Romance books.

The setting was perfect- with multicultural, immigrant Toronto serving as a vibrant background. The amount of well-rounded characters in the community added to the depth of this story. The coziness factor was perfect for me- there is a murder but it happens offstage with no graphic violence or bloody scenes to worry about. And well, the intrigue- trying to figure out the whodunit was a delicious journey.

I especially enjoyed the main character, Kausar, a recently widowed grandmother originally from Pakistan, now in her 50's returning 'home' to Toronto to help her daughter who's been accused of murder. Sharp and ever curious, she has a knack for solving mysteries, yet she's discounted by most of the people she meets as just a harmless old auntie. She uses this to her advantage, of course.

Aside from the mystery aspect, there is also a romantic element that I'm hoping continues in the next installment of the series.

And another aside is that I adored that this novel was centered around women and their relationship to themselves and each other.

The narrator did a fantastic job - keeping me fully engaged throughout and even when she voiced the multiple oher characters in the book.

I can't wait to read the other installments of this series!

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮…

Kausar Khan is a widow who is called to the small neighborhood in Toronto where she once lived when her daughter is suspected of murder. Her keen observation skills and sharp wit make her an excellent amateur sleuth.


The story is a leisurely whodunnit that will have you trying to solve the case alongside Kausar. The strong family and friendship ties, portrayed with complexity and depth, were a highlight of the story. Kausar’s relationship with her daughter and her granddaughter was exceptionally well done. Kausar comes off a bit stoic, but you see how these relationships affect her deeply.


While the story gives us a peek into the desi/Muslim community, it is fun to watch Kausar use her skills to obtain information from community members.


The book closes with a bit of an open ending, so I’m glad this is just the beginning of the series. I can’t wait to see what Aunty’s up to next.


🎧I enjoyed having the audiobook to share my time with in this book. Narrated by Deepti Gupta, I felt I was genuinely listening to Aunty.


Thank you @harperperennial for this gifted book. Thank you @harperaudio @harpercollins for the gifted audiobook via #netgalley.

This a cozy, whodunit mystery series starter with a widow and meddlesome aunty, Kausar, filling the role of detective to clear her adult daughter's name of a murder. Kausar returns to Golden Cresent, the suburb where here and her late husband raised their family, only to find there might be more to the story than her daughter is letting on. Friendships, family and food set a cozy stage for Kausar to start her second act. Thank you to NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

I don't know if its my mid-30s catching up to me, but I love a cozy mystery, especially when its an Aunty solving the murder. Detective Aunty was a fun and slow burn mystery. I enjoyed entering the world of immigrant families within a community in Toronto, and exploring those dynamics.

If you're looking for a diverse cozy mystery, give Detective Aunty a try!

Thank you to NetGalley for the access to this publication in exchange for my honest opinions.

A fantastic start to a new Canadian cozy mystery series featuring Kausar Khan, a feisty South Asian widow with a knack for solving mysteries, who rushes from her North Bay home when her daughter gets arrested for murder in Toronto.

I really enjoyed this amateur detective story featuring an older female lead. Kausar loves her family and has missed spending time with her daughter and granddaughters. She digs into what's really happening with her son-in-law, her daughter's store and finds herself in a bit of romance with an actual police detective.

Great on audio and recommended for fans of the Vera Wong series. I can't wait to read more of Kausar's second act adventures! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

A delightful mystery with quiet depths. Pros: Uzma Jalaluddin has a sure hand with plot, pacing, and character-building. The story rolls along smoothly and quickly; though the narration is 10.5 hours, the time flies by. The main character, Kausar Khan, is appealing and any woman/mother in her same time of life can quickly relate to her concerns, worries, and priorities, but there is multi-generational interest here: younger readers (30s) can relate to Kausar's daughter, Sana, and the character of Kausar's teenage granddaughter adds further perspective. The author includes a great deal of information about Desi culture--though never in an artificial, teachy way--which is particularly interesting to readers unfamiliar with South Asian traditions. This level of detail and scene-building adds much to the cozy flavor of the story. As the layers of involvement unfold, the family/community plotline adds a lot of interest. Themes of grief, generational trauma, depression, adolescence, independence, and later-life romance add surprising depth to the story: Kausar is a wise mother and Auntie, and the author lets us inside her thoughts and decisions in a way that add greatly to the story. Deepti Gupta does a wonderful job with the narration, neither going over the top or underplaying character voices.
Cons: Not many! There is of course a great deal of suspension of disbelief at Kausar being allowed the level of access and involvement she gets to the investigation, and the historic connection the author leans on for this access is a bit thin. Also to tie up the multiple plot threads at the end, the book relies on an Agatha-Christie-ish group reveal that, while a cute reference to Kausar's love of Christie mysteries, does make it nearly impossible for the reader to have a sense that they could have figured the mystery out based on the clues Kausar comes across along the way.
All this said, I can't wait for the next installment in this budding series!