Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Adi Tantimedh's "Her Nightly Embrace" is the first installment in the Ravi PI series, and it introduces us to a world where the line between the mundane and the mystical blurs with delightful ease. The protagonist, Ravi Chandra Singh, is an unlikely detective—a failed religious scholar turned private investigator. He works for Golden Sentinels, a high-end London detective agency that deals with cases too scandalous for the public eye.

The narrative is a whirlwind of eccentric characters, from Ravi's colleagues—a pair of ex-cops who are also a couple, a stoner with a hidden intellect, a cheerful former publicist, a techie prankster, an ambitious lawyer, and a dangerously skilled hacker—to the clients who are as diverse and complex as the city they inhabit.

Tantimedh's writing is sharp and witty, with a narrative style that is both engaging and immersive. The book is structured as a cycle of interlinked stories, each one building on the last to create a tapestry of intrigue and supernatural occurrences. Ravi's visions of Hindu gods add a layer of depth to the character and the plot, suggesting that he might be more than just a detective—he could be a modern-day shaman.

The series is set against the backdrop of London's rich and famous, but Tantimedh ensures that the city's multicultural vibrancy shines through. The author's portrayal of London is not just as a setting but as a character in itself, with its own moods and secrets.

"Her Nightly Embrace" is a genre-bending novel that combines elements of mystery, thriller, fantasy, and crime. It's a story that doesn't shy away from exploring the darker aspects of society, yet it does so with humor and a sense of hope. The book is a testament to the idea that even in the face of overwhelming odds, one can find meaning and purpose.

"Her Nightly Embrace" is a compelling start to what promises to be an exciting series. It's a book that will appeal to those who enjoy their mysteries served with a side of the supernatural and a dash of humor.

Ugh, this book. Such a promising concept! South Asian Londoner sees visions of the Hindu gods, uses this to solve magical crimes.

Unfortunately the book itself is boring and extremely male-gazey. For example, not even ten pages in the main character has sex with a woman he just met on a plane, after a brief, very stupid conversation about her tattoos and intention of going on a ~spiritual journey~ to India. (This is not critiqued. A white woman with a Kali tattoo is apparently just a chill, kinky sex partner.) The vibe of female characters being around only to throw themselves at the main character continues throughout the whole book, with one of the main women being basically an insane nymphomaniac. Every female character feels like she was imported from a trashy pulp novel of the 1950s, not a book published in 2016.

The conceit of Ravi seeing gods – the main reason I read this – also didn't work for me. It was never clear if they were hallucinations or actual visions, and while I'm all for books leaving some things ambiguous, but in this case I just felt confused and unengaged.

Not recommended.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5528300911

This three part book is about a private detective in London. HIs colleagues are a group of colorful characters.
They plod ahead to try to solve complex cases.

Please read this. I liked the characters, the family, the relationships, and the sarcasm. Four stories (actually episodes) all different, intriguing and fun. Sadly, and I truly wished I understood the need for Foul profanity. The runs cheapened the unique stories. They went from class to trash.

Four stars for creative premise and stories.
Two stars for inexcusable foul language.

#netgalley
#hernightlyembrace

The first book in the series, Her Nightly Embrace was a fantastic read!

Really enjoyed reading this mystery novel and highly recommend it to readers of thrillers and mysteries.

The storyline was captivating and the characters were easy to follow.

Definitely, a must read!

DNF no rating on Goodreads, but 1 star here I guess because it makes me put a rating. I just could not get into this story. The writing was really good but the plot, I think, was not for me.

The first novel in Tantimedh's Ravi PI crime series.
HER NIGHTLY EMBRACE introduces readers to a new private investigator: Ravi Chandra Singh. Based in London, he is part of a private investigation firm populated by quirky and somewhat dysfunctional/questionable colleagues. Tantimedh does a great job introducing readers to his protagonist and his supporting cast.

Fast-paced, entertaining, and offering a nice, alternative perspective on private detectives and crime in London. It's quite easy to see why it was picked up for a TV adaptation.

Recommended. Looking forward to reading other novels and also giving the TV show a try.

Are you a fan of the TV show Leverage, where a rag tag group of people with questionable pasts work together to help the "little guy" get out of jams? Then you might enjoy this book. I was reminded of that show very often while I read, aside from the fact that our bookly protagonist can see Gods, they are quite similar. And, I guess, the rag tag bunch in this book aren't always helping the "little guy", but often just someone who has enough coin to hire a detective agency.

I enjoyed this book, and the characters were certainly colorful and endearing. The book is told in 4 small stories, each flowing right into the next, divided by the cases that are being worked on. That gives it a certain Sherlock Holmes vibe that I'm sure isn't accidental. The common thread that holds this all together is Ravi, who is navigating a new beginning in a life where he in no longer a teacher, has to help pay for his sister's wedding and also is somehow obligated to pay off his mother's gambling debts.

It was fast paced, entertaining, and not too serious or dark despite the content of some of the cases. Overall, a nice speedy read that didn't ask too much of me, and provided an escape into the seedy world of private eyes.

A nice start to a new series. You'll enjoy the twisty mystery and the unique characters in this well written novel.

Her Nightly Embrace by Adi Tantimedh
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

321 Pages
Publisher: Atria Books / Leopoldo & Co
Release Date: November 1, 2016

Mystery & Thriller, Action & Adventure, Spies, London-based

Ravi Singh was a religious studies scholar, turned high school teacher, turned private investigator. He has one small quirk; he sees Hindu Gods. He works with an unusual group of people. The book is about their cases.

Her Nightly Embrace: A politician has nightly sexual visits from his deceased girlfriend.
War of the Sock Puppets: A novelist is being threatened because of her beliefs
The Hideaway Bride: An Indian woman disappears after her family arranges a marriage to an arms dealer’s son.
The Leaky Banker: Stolen bank files cost several bankers their lives.
A Wedding, An Offer, And A Vow: Ravi gets a job offer while attending his sister’s wedding

The book is written in first person past tense. The stories are fast paced and I enjoyed the craziness of each case. The main character is developed but we are told a little of the rest. This is the first in a trilogy. The second book, Her Beautiful Monster (published in 2018) is followed by the third book, Her Fugitive Heart (published in 2019).

This was an enjoyable read with a cast of quirky characters. I look forward to the tv series to see how it is portrayed. The overuse of foul language throughout put me off a little as I felt it was not necessary to the story.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I heard a little buzz about this becoming a TV series and was intrigued but I’m not sure if it ever became one. The book follows a PI in several episode-like stories, which for the most part, I found entertaining. It sort of reminded me of how Sherlock Holmes is written in cases. There was nothing particularly special about the stories and I found the plot overall to be fun, but not really captivating.

I don’t think I will be continuing the series, but liked this one well enough to finish and enjoy it for the most part.

This was a really interesting story. I liked the pacing of the plot and the way it was broken into episodes. The character development was excellent and you coukd easily emphasize with all of the characters POVs. I am definitely interested is reading the next books.

I am one of many people that like to read the book before watching the series or movie. Usually the book is a lot better than the other media it’s offered on. In this case the book might have put me off for seeking it out on an other medium.
The premise of the story is quite good, a drop out religious scholar who sees gods turns private eye. I don’t know what the gods actually add to the story, if anything I find the sudden mentions of the gods pretty irritating.
In this book there are 4 cases, 4 different stories, with a thin red line binding the, all together. The common theme is family and depts (financial en emotional). I can see where the writer was trying to go but it all seems a little too forced and out of this world for me.

I found some pretty clear grammar and spelling mistakes in the book as well, sometimes they even made it hard to read. This book could have done with a better edition, it might have made it a better flowing read.

*this book was provided to me by NetGalley for an honest review*

There were several things I loved about Her Nightly Embrace. The character of Ravi Singh, a PI at a somewhat dodgy - if exotic - investigation firm. Ravi - a former religious studies student and disgraced teacher - is swept up into a series of mysteries - all while seeing various Hindu gods. I enjoyed the premise of the books, the use of a diverse main character, the details of Ravi's Indian family and neighborhood, and the shenanigans of the other PIs in the firm. And in many places, the book was quite funny - there were some great one-liners and zingers.

The novel was very episodic, reading very much like the TV serial it's supposed to become. In some ways, I felt like I was reading a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories rather than a connected novel. As long as you accept this going in, it won't bother you.

There were some more glaring issues with the books that were incredibly distracting, however. There was some sloppiness in the copyediting - referring to someone by the wrong name, for example - which drives me bananas. Some of the mysteries themselves were fairly weak and pushed beyond the boundary of any kind of credibility (even when I was very willing to go along for a ridiculous, Mission Impossible style jaunt), and the characters - although interesting - felt very one-note. Overall - the novel felt a like a rushed job and a premise that was probably better explored in the RV series.

This was an okay read, with nothing standing out. But good luck to the author for the series. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

I have a fondness for private investigators and religious scholars, so this book seemed right up my alley. I liked the way the book was divided into distinct cases that nevertheless fit together, and Ravi was a fascinating character to view the world through.

However, most (all?) of the other characters in the book seemed very one-dimensional and can be summed up in a single phrase. While I know this type of book is rife with tropes, the lackluster characters brought this from a four down to a three for me.

That said, I did enjoy it quite a bit and would be happy to recommend it to patrons who like mysteries. It’s a shame that the tie-in podcasts and tv show haven’t manifested—I think that could have fleshed out the characters. I’ll be adding the second book to my to-read list.

Seemed rather disjointed, trying hard to be different, the hero didn’t seem believable nor did the story to me. Blurb says it’s being made into a tv series and I can imagine that might work better than a book

I barely made it halfway through this one before I had to call it quits. It was just trying too hard to be cool while coming across stilted and flat. It reads like a movie or television script, which is what it should have been instead of a novel.

Her Nightly Embrace is a quirky and bizarre book. It's actually a collection of 4 novellas representing 4 cases worked by the team. The team are a group of investigators who have elite clientele, so they are basically non existent. They are a very bizarre group. Ravi, the protagonist, is a former teacher turned PI. When he's stressed, he can see gods which is beyond odd. It's an interesting unique approach to procedural crime fiction. It's entertaining for sure and engaging. It's a guessing game enough to keep your interest. I enjoyed the quirky characters because of their differences. Not normal is refreshing right now. So, if you want to read strange crime fiction, you should enjoy this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.