The Widows of Malabar Hill (Perveen Mistry Series #1) by Suiata Massey

I picked this one up on the Nook (I believe based on someone’s “best of” list?)  Set in India between 1916 and 1921, the setting was appealing for its very “different”ness from what I generally read.  Mysteries are not my first choice when looking for a new book but I can be up for anything that will keep me entertained and engaged.  This one did both.  I was intrigued by Perveen and her backstory and equally curious about how the widows of the title had gotten into the situation that drives the central mystery.   

Observations on Bombay in 1920:  its hard to believe that Perveen’s experiences took place 100 years ago-while so many things have changed, sadly, so much has not!  Though clearly we have come a long way, we are still fighting the same battles for equality both in the home and in the workplace.  You would think that 100 years would be long enough for us to have mastered this but alas, no. 

Cin-opsis:  Perveen, a young, ambitious lawyer, works for her family’s law firm.  Though she completed law school, by virtue of her sex she is considered unworthy of serving clients as the primary solicitor.  Her father hires her as he has great confidence in her abilities-oh, and by the way, he is the only lawyer who would hire her so she had little choice but to take up with the family shingle.  In addition to her challenging professional life, Perveen also has a complicated personal history, having escaped an abusive husband in a time and place where women were expected to bow to their married family no matter the situation.  In The Widows of Malabar Hill, Perveen attempts to sort out the meaning behind a will and in the course of her investigation, solve a murder.

Quoteable Quote which made me laugh with sympathy as I have spent many a lunch hour hunched over my desk:

 “It was vulgar to eat and work, but she had so little time.”  Her father’s response upon seeing the remains of her food in the waste bin:  “It is a lowly habit to take anything more than tea and biscuits in the office.  Your grandfather would weep.”

Rating:  #4 Liked It