By Uzma Jalaluddin
ISBN: 9780063434875
This first book in a series is a cozy mystery one might not have expected from the previously romance genre author, Uzma Jalaluddin. The book has equal parts humor, mystery, and drama and is definitely recommended!
Synopsis
“When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.
After her husband’s unexpected death eighteen months ago, Kausar Khan never thought she’d receive another phone call as heartbreaking—until her thirty-something daughter, Sana, phones to say that she’s been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique. Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years.
Returning to the Golden Crescent suburb where she raised her children and where her daughter still lives, Kausar finds that the thriving neighborhood she remembered has changed. The murder of Sana’s landlord is only the latest in a wave of local crimes which have gone unsolved.
And the facts of the case are troubling: Sana found the man dead in her shop at a suspiciously early hour, with a dagger from her windowfront display plunged in his chest. And Kausar—a woman with a keen sense of observation and deep wisdom honed by her years—senses there’s more to the story than her daughter is telling.
With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth. Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty? But even Kausar can’t predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way…”
What’s to like
Kausar’s character is not a typical South Asian protagonist, and I love her! She is smart, witty, confident, full of life, and at fifty-seven years, she is ready for her ‘next act’. All other characters in the story are well-developed too, and it made reading their interactions all the more fun.
The author has also skillfully built in many themes and woven the stories of the characters well, so that they tie together beautifully. For instance, the back story about Ali and his traumatic death was used as a thread to tie together the story in this book while also setting the stage for the sequel to this book.
Perhaps the most important aspect of a mystery book is what makes this a stellar novel. The whodunnit part of the book was superbly written, with multiple suspects, but the final reveal is not what you might have anticipated. For a previously romance genre author, it is a great feat.
What’s not to like
Some parts of the book felt dragged, and the story seemed to be going around in circles, e.g, when Kausar kept returning to the plaza to separately interview people. Some parts felt unrealistic for the storyline. Kausar just randomly showing up at an investor’s meeting in her shalwar kameez might be too much of a stretch for a desi aunty. The dinner party at the end, where the killer is revealed, was probably the most absurd. Why Imran’s family accepts Kausar’s invitation and bears through the entire dinner to learn something she might know was beyond reasonable. After all, her daughter was the prime suspect in the investigation.
The arc of the story itself is a bit disappointing once you are two-thirds into reading the book. The build up of the suspense around Fermin/Salgado’s story keeps the reader turning the pages but after its climax the remaining one-third of the book, which sets the groundwork for the sequel, is not as interesting and seems slow.
Lastly, the biggest issue I have with this book is the problematic portrayal of women who are homemakers or stay at home instead of having another profession. It seemed to me that the value of domestic labor was portrayed as being worthless. I think it is important to acknowledge that doing the round-the-clock job of parenting and housework is the most difficult and valuable work that can be done and should not be looked down upon.
Book Review Rating: 3.5/5
NOTES:
Book Review Rating: 4.5/5
Content Warnings: Death and extra-marital affair. Age advisory 14+
