Compelling, insightful, and utterly engrossing, this mystery will linger with readers long after they've turned the final page.

A moving, intelligent, and unputdownable whodunit that will stay in the reader’s mind well after the last chapter has concluded. Lana Sabarwal's debut novel, "Maya, Dead and Dreaming," is an exceptional mystery. It distinguishes itself by prioritizing character development and delving into themes of grief, memory, and concealed truths, rather than adhering to typical mystery conventions.

Set in 1952 in Washington state, the story revolves around the unresolved 1938 death of Maya Hickman, a popular teenager whose body was discovered in a shallow creek, deeply disturbing the small town of Shogie. Fourteen years later, Munna Dhingra, Maya's childhood friend and a quiet Indian immigrant, begins experiencing vivid dreams where Maya haunts her, spurred by an anonymous letter. This coincides with a series of escalating, ominous events.

Driven by guilt and a fear of further tragedy, Munna seeks the help of Karenina, a remarkably insightful psychoanalyst skilled at uncovering hidden secrets even in casual conversation. Together, the pair meticulously explores Munna's fragmented memories and the town's pervasive rumors. They gradually expose a network of jealousy, betrayal, and illicit relationships within a close-knit community fiercely protective of its peaceful façade.

"Maya, Dead and Dreaming" is a compelling, intelligent, and engrossing whodunit. Its impact lingers long after the final page, making it a truly unforgettable read.

[NetGalley Read #36]
4.00 ⭐️

"But I forgot about the people! They are the same no matter where you go, these self-appointed gatekeepers of virtue."

A mystery set in a small-ish town, anchored by great characters and supported by a good story.

For whatever reason, I feel like there's something missing from this story. I really liked the characters (Munna, Karenina, Ma, Shelly), dialogue, the central mystery, the setting (beautiful descriptions of the sky, the lakes, the landscape, and the city as a whole), the inner turmoil of the main character and the writing style.

At the same time, I feel that some of the characters felt a little undercooked and some of the dialogue, actually not the dialogue but some of the descriptions felt repetitive (especially with Karenina, I've already bought the quirky, moody quality she brings to the story, as a character, in the very chapter she is introduced. You don't need to mention it in almost every chapter. It wasn't bad by any means, the writing style is something I genuinely enjoyed. It just felt repetitive). Also, it was a cold case and solving it didn't really bring any urgency or stakes to the story. It brought closure to the characters, sure. And there lies my problem with this. This feels like a good story for great characters when these characters deserve a great story. "And soon death will come again" in the letter ended up feeling like anti Chekov's gun. Or maybe not. Death did come but not in the way I expected. It came sort of after.

All that being said, I did enjoy the book immensely. Definitely worth a read. Short-ish (330+ pages). Medium paced. Easy to read with beautiful prose and good execution of the genre tropes.

Recommended. 👍

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that mystery element that I was wanting from the description and had that spirit that I enjoyed from books like this. I was invested in the sleepy town and how the characters were used in this storyline. The characters were so well written and had that element that I was wanting and enjoyed. Lana Sabarwal wrote this so well and am excited to read more from the author.

A young teenager named Maya died mysteriously but the majority of the town accepted the reason to be that of a suicide. Many people believed otherwise despite Maya’s family insisting she was troubled and that’s why she took her own life….

This novel follows, Munna who briefly had a friendship with Maya for a few years before her passing. She always felt in her heart that there was more to the story. Maya begins haunting Maya’s dreams and coincidentally an anonymous letter shows up soon after questioning the death and implying it was in fact a murder.

Munna takes it upon herself to try to solve this murder and the mystery begins to unfold of a tale of “who dunnit” where literally a dozen people could be responsible. What would one person to do to keep the secrets of their family safe all while pinning the blame on someone they’ve spent years of their life despising? This person worked hard to find the ultimate way out of their own circumstances.

I found this to be a very enjoyable read and definitely gave off an old school murder mystery vibe. I also like that it touched on the fact that Munna was a minority in town and that she never thought her opinions about anything mattered, much less those about a possible murder. It in a way is a story of not only finding justice but finding herself in her own unique way at the same time.

Very immersive book. The author manages to keep the reader interested and engaged.
One might find the story predictable but the author has managed to still keep it interesting.
The pace is perfect with no drags or complications

This book pulled me in from the start and didn’t let go. The writing is dreamy and haunting in the best way. I loved the slow unraveling of the mystery and how every detail added to the tension. The characters felt real and layered, and the atmosphere gave off quiet chills. It’s a story that lingers with you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is an entertaining story that picks at the threads of small town life, particularly the knots and tangles that lie beneath the surface.

When a teenager from an affluent family dies under mysterious circumstances her family members insist that it was a suicide and it is ruled to have been so.

But over a decade later, a anonymous letter whose arrival coincides with the one time friend of the dead girl beginning to have strange dreams brings everything to the surface once again.

This book deals with issues of immigrant life, sexuality, trauma and friendship, all set within the frame of a close knit community peopled with unreliable narrators. On the whole, this story is checking out.

Two things drew me to Maya, Dead and Dreaming by Lana Sabarwal: (1) its cover and (2) the mention of Agatha Christie and Jhumpa Lahiri in the description. After reading the synopsis (a mysterious note, a haunting, and a small community being the highlights), picking up this book was easy.

However, much to my dismay, I did not find that this story lived up to its sources of inspiration. While the twists and turns were intriguing enough, figuring out character motivation for even the simplest of actions was difficult. For example, authorities usually attached to such cases do not appear in this story in any meaningful way despite the contents of the letter that sparks the plot. Despite this, it is unclear why these character have to take it upon themselves to investigate on their own.

Furthermore, the handling of sexuality—in regard to both general relationship and queer identities—is off-putting. The dead teen is sexualized in one of the first scenes she appears in, and queerness seemingly is used as a way to cast suspicion. Although the author *may* have intended this as a way to mark the time period, it could have been handled better.

This said, I did enjoy the narrative voice: it was clear why Munna is the pov character, something not all novels are able to convey. I simply wish I understood her motivations better.

In considering that I'm a queer reader and the plot is heavily dependent on the characters' motivations, I personally can't give this book more than two stars.

Thank you Netgalley for providing access to this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book has a compelling mystery but also a certain cozy charm with the small-town setting. I really enjoyed Munna as our narrator; her voice immediately came alive for me on the page and I felt invested in what would happen to her.