Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

When Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry a young doctor named, Ramu – a man she barely knows – she has no idea what life will have in store for her. Will this be the end of her education? Her passions? Her freedoms? Her happiness? After all, in the 1920’s, women from good families aren’t supposed to even step outside their homes without being escorted by their husbands. One evening at a party, Kaveri witnesses something unusual in the garden. Not long after, the party turns into a murder scene. Clever, headstrong Kaveri is swept onto the case and finds that her new, quiet life in Bangalore might not be so quiet after all.

Keep reading below for my full review!

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Imagine being a smart, independent young woman trying to solve murders in a male dominated society. And imagine doing it all in a sari! Such is the life of our main character, Kaveri Murthy, in “The Bangalore Detectives Club,” by Harini Nagendra.

But before we talk about this book, can we just talk about the sari for a minute? I’ve never been more intrigued by a piece of clothing before!

The sari has existed for more than 5,000 years and is considered to be one of the oldest form of garments in the world. The sari consists of 4.5-9 yards of unstitched fabric that is draped around the female form in a variety of beautiful ways. This single piece of cloth must remain unstitched due to ancient Hindu belief that stitching in cloth makes it impure. The word “sari” is believed to be derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “strip of cloth.” Saris are worn everyday by hundreds of millions of women around the world. The cost of a sari can range from seven dollars to thousands of dollars. The most expensive sari in the world, according to “The Guinness Book of World Records” is called, Vivaah Patu and cost a whopping $74,830! This stunning piece of cloth is embroidered with gold and silver metals, and contains a variety of jewels including; diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls. Wow!

Ok. Now back to the book!

One of my favorite parts about “The Bangalore Detectives Club,” is how immersed I got in the India of the 1920’s. During this time period, Colonial India was on the verge of gaining its independence from Britain and I found learning about this culture fascinating.

I will say, for a detective novel, I did find the mystery aspect of the story somewhat lacking. There was nothing too exciting or unexpected about that plotline, in my opinion. However, the novel makes up for that slight disappointment in the historical/cultural details and character development. I absolutely loved the relationship between Kaveri and Ramu! To me, this was the true strength of the novel. Neither of them knew what to expect from each other when they got married and watching their relationship grow from strangers, to friends, and finally, to lovers was very endearing.

This is book one in “The Bangalore Detectives Club” series and I will definitely be following along as the new books are released. This style of mystery book reminds me of “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” “Maisie Dobbs,” and the “Flavia de Luce Mystery” series – all of which I love!

So, if you are in the mood for a charming mystery novel – this is the book for you!

P.S. When you read the part where Kaveri goes swimming for the first time in Bangalore and has to do her laps while weighed down by a sari, you’ll be extra grateful for our modern swimsuits! I think I would drown trying to swim with all of that fabric entangling me!!