Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

July 17, 2023

Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

Perveen Mistry, the only female solicitor in 1920s Bombay, returns for her fourth adventure, this one involving a young ayah (nanny) in a wealthy Bombay household. The young woman is accused of inducing a miscarriage by drinking an herbal concoction. When the patriarch of the household dies under mysterious circumstances, Perveen knows there is more going on than meets the eye. 

One of the attractions of this series is the atmosphere and descriptions of early 20th century India. There is a murder, but it takes a backseat to social issues that include the prescribed roles of women and the lack of legal recourse when someone commits a crime against them, status/social class, and prejudice. While the plots of this series tend to be complicated, I found the various threads of this story to be particularly complex and difficult to connect. There are also a number of side plots, including Perveen's on-going relationship with a young Englishman, issues within her family, and larger subjects such as the re-districting of princely India lands. While I recommend this series, I like this volume the least so far.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

1920s Bombay

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

August 8, 2021

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

Bombay, 1921 - When a female Parsi student is murdered, Perveen Mistry, the only female lawyer in Bombay, is determined to get justice for the family. At the same time, Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII, the one who abdicates to marry Wallis Simpson) is arriving in India for a four month visit. India chafes under British rule and tensions in the city are high. Perveen isn't surprised when the unrest escalates into riots. Her task is further complicated by racial protests and conflicts between the various religious groups (Parsi, Hindi, Buddhist, Muslim. etc.) as well as the social classes.

Prince Edward's visit to India in 1921 was a complete disaster. There was unrest throughout the country, which is accurately depicted in the novel. I enjoy Massey's Perveen Mistry series, but this one focuses more on political issues than earlier books. Indian independence, the place of women in Indian culture and society, and India's history with England are more front and center than before. The mystery is almost secondary to the political and social issues.

Edward, Prince of Wales, visiting India, 1921

The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey.

This is the second book to feature Bombay lawyer Perveen Mistry (the first title in the series was The Widows of Malabar Hill).

Perveen Mistry is one of the few women lawyers in 1920's Bombay.  Perveen is hired by the British government to negotiate with two women in a remote region who live in purdah (seclusion).  The ladies in question are the mother and grandmother of an under-age maharaja, and they are disagreeing strongly about his education.  Perveen is sent to Satapur to interview both queens and other persons such as the boy's tutor and the prime minister, and to try to get them to come to an accord about his schooling.  But when she arrives, she learns that there is more at work here than just a feuding mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.  Full of intrigue, poison, mysterious deaths, and exotic locations, this is a multi-layered mystery that also touches on issues of India's independence, women's rights, and the modern world barging into traditional societies.

For me, this second Perveen mystery was not as strong as the first.  There were some thin places in the plot and far too many minor characters.  Perveen seems clumsy and not as polished as she was in the previous book (and she also seemed to spend a lot of time clomping through the mud).  But the setting, the time period, and Perveen herself are interesting enough to appeal to many readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a review.