Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 1922 India, Massey's provocative fourth entry in her Perveen Mistry series (following 2022's The Bombay Prince) finds Perveen, Bombay's only female solicitor, volunteering to defend a young ayah who has been arrested for inducing her own abortion. The woman denies she was ever pregnant, and as Perveen investigates, she slowly uncovers corruption, fraud, and possibly murder, all tied to the misappropriation of funds raised for a women's hospital. Things get more complicated when Perveen's sister-in-law, suffering from severe postpartum depression, leaves her newborn with Perveen's parents and goes home to her mother. The complex mystery sometimes takes a backseat to Massey's deep dive into social issues during the Raj, especially the lack of rights for women of all classes. Those matters are mostly well-handled, though--through Perveen, readers see an Oxford-educated lawyer from a privileged family plausibly contend with the sexism and racism of her time and place--and when Massey returns to the plot's core mystery, she manages some nifty suprises. This is a transporting mystery. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary. (July)
Booklist Review
The star of Massey's award-winning series, Perveen Mistry, is an Oxford-educated lawyer who represents clients caught up in the complexities and cruelties of life under British rule in 1922 Bombay. Her own life, as a woman separated from an abusive husband and as the only woman lawyer in Bombay, puts her in the cross hairs of Indian expectations and British entitlement. In this, the fourth in the series, Perveen is a guest at a fundraiser on the grounds of the lavish Bhatia House near Bombay, the good cause is a greatly needed women's charitable hospital. A grandson of a wealthy businessman accidentally catches fire; his Indian ayah, or nursemaid, risks her own life to put out the fire, saving the child. Incredibly, the nursemaid is put in jail, charged with having had an abortion. Perveen takes up the nursemaid's case, and the reader learns of the shocking racist and misogynist practices of the time. Massey creates very strong characterization and vividly detailed descriptions of daily life. A solid companion series would be The Bangalore Detectives Club, by Harini Nagendra.
Kirkus Review
The only female lawyer in colonial Bombay again turns sleuth to aid a hapless servant. Before presenting a party on June 1, 1922, that celebrates wealthy Uma Bhatia's founding of a charity hospital, Massey reveals the lamentations of Oshadi, the elderly housemistress of the Bhatia domestic staff, over the constant friction between Uma and her sister, Mangala. At the party, attorney Perveen Mistry meets India's only female obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Miriam Penkar, but the celebratory mood is marred when the clothing of Uma's young son, Ishan, catches fire. Sunanda, a young servant who rushes to dowse him, is scolded by Mangala, who says she should have been watching the boy. Perveen notices that Sunanda herself has been badly burned. A few days later, while collecting a bail refund, Perveen is shocked to see that Sunanda is now under arrest. Her alleged crime is taking "an oral abortifacient," abetted by Oshadi. Sunanda's pleas of innocence prompt Perveen to step up immediately to represent her. She naturally enlists the help of her new friend Miriam. Sunanda's situation has clear resonance a century later. This complex case is just the tip of an iceberg whose corruption is progressively revealed by Perveen's investigation. As tradition dictates, Perveen lives with her parents; a buoyant subplot follows the family's adventure with the arrival of new baby Khushy, daughter of Perveen's brother. While anchoring her novel in a mystery, Massey offers a striking depiction of India in the 1920s, complete with maps, detailed descriptions of the customs of the time, and a panoramic cast of characters from every social stratum. A complex whodunit that also provides a fascinating immersion in a bygone era. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
In 1922 Bombay, Perveen Mistry, the city's only woman lawyer, attends a fundraiser for a women's hospital. When the hostess's young son Ishan is burned in an accident, Sunanda, his nanny, risks her own life to douse the flames. Nevertheless, Sunanda is blamed for not watching Ishan more carefully. Later, as Perveen attends to court business, she sees Sunanda being led away to jail with other prisoners, having been accused of drinking an abortion-inducing tea--a criminal offense. Perveen takes Sunanda's case pro bono, uncovering foul play, deadly plots, and surprising twists along the way. This fourth installment in Massey's Perveen Mistry series (following Bombay Prince), skillfully narrated by Sneha Mathan, is a complex murder mystery featuring government and police corruption, blended with a powerful portrait of sexist and racist practices in 1920s India. Mathan enhances the production with her lilting delivery and distinctive character voices. VERDICT A delicately rendered, multifaceted novel for those seeking a historical mystery that addresses larger societal issues. Share with fans of Vaseem Khan's "Malabar House" series or Abir Mukherjee's A Rising Man.--Ilka Gordon