“The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die” by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

“The aunt who wouldn’t die” by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, as the name suggests is about an aunt, or pishima in Bengali, who everyone thinks is dead, but for one member of the household, the new daughter-in-law, Somlata, to whom the aunt comes to every now and then as a ghost, and tries to scare her.
But what does she actually wants?
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This book is like a light, fluffy conundrum of a lot of things all at once, the difficulties of living in a joint family, the struggles of widows and the bahus of the house, the romance of a newly married couple and the ghost of an old aunt reluctant to part away with her belongings, a perfect mix that catches the essence of an Indian household in its true sense.
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Reading the book reminded me of the books that I used to read as a kid, small pocketbook versions, with big fonts and folklore that leaves you with a mushy feeling of having read something wholesome. Although the story is simple and the narration devoid of any hullabaloo of fancy prose, the tale itself brings a warmth to the reader’s heart, like soaking in the sun on a winter afternoon.
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A light yet poignant tale of women from three different generations of a family, trying to maintain the household and uplift it, amidst societal ‘laws’, in their own capacities.
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Thank you @bee.books for this beautiful book, in exchange for an honest opinion.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: translated, indian-literature, bengali-literature, culture, mystery

“To Kill the truth” by Sam Bourne

Sam Bourne’s latest in the series of former White house operative Maggie Costello’s encounters with a dire threat, “To Kill the truth”, opens up with a Professor of History dead, libraries around the world that house evidence of the history of important events like slavery and holocaust are getting burnt, digital records are being wiped out, and someone is trying to destroy all documentation of the greatest crimes committed, in a bid to rewrite history.
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Can you imagine how frightening a world like that would be where there is no written proof of anything and people forget the atrocities some sections of the societies have encountered?
Now it is up to Maggie to find who is behind all these killings and blazing and stop them in time.
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An interesting and thought-provoking premise coupled with a fast-paced and compelling narrative, this makes up for an exciting political thriller.
Although, having read the first one from the series does account for gaps in the character development, but the gripping plot and provocative theme more than makes up for it.
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A highly captivating and riveting political thriller that is sure to stir up your grey cells.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fiction, thriller, political-drama, adult-fiction

“Newcomer” by Keigo Higashino

A divorced woman has been murdered in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo and it is up to the newly appointed detective Kyochiro Kaga to find out who the murderer is. That is when he finds himself closely involved in the lives of the business owners and the people living in the precinct as he goes about interviewing them.
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With a touch of the old school detective novel, each part describes the household of a specific business owner and their connection with the victim along with interesting anecdotes about their day to day lives.
Not only does Kaga tries to solve the mystery he also tries to solve the problems of the people in the neighbourhood because according to him his job as a detective is also to comfort those who have been traumatised by the crime as well.
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Sure it does lack the publicised element of suspense and leans more towards drama, it provides a cozy mystery set in a warm neighbourhood involving simple town folks.
If that is your thing go for it!
A big thank you to hachette_india for providing this copy in return for an honest review.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: mystery, drama, Japanese-Literature, fiction

“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie

“The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.”         – Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

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As always, Agatha Christie never disappoints you. The murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of the most popular novels by Agatha Christie, also the only one to be featured in the 1001 books to read before you die list. And once you read it, you can’t deny that claim.

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The tale is about the murder of a rich man Roger Ackroyd who gets killed on the evening of a widow’s suicide, amidst rumours of a secret affair between the two deceased. The village of King’s Abbot is full of suspects, the nervous butler, Ackroyd’s stepson, his sister-in-law, the house help. It is now up to the famous detective – Hercule Poirot to solve the mystery with the help of the village doctor and narrator, James Sheppard and James’ sister, Caroline.