Welcome to Litsy!

May selection for #12booksof2024 goes back to the mystery genre, as promised.

Not only is it an interesting story, but also the book was a surprise gift for guests at Malice Domestic, which I attended for the first time this year.

A long look at the mixture of cultural elements in lawyer‘s family in some unspecified village outside Dehli. And then a depressing parallel in Massachusetts. The 1st hundred pages are vibrant and dynamic and I truly loved reading them. The fun fades and purpose is curious. But I enjoyed the book overall.

The story is told mainly through Mr Byrd‘s point of view, a middle aged English man traveling through India after a breakdown in the UK. In the remote mountain town where the English had found respite from the heat in the plains, Byrd also finds an idyllic quiet home in the bungalow near the presbytery. He fills his days driving around town with Jamshed, having dinner with the padre& teaching his young protege Priscilla. But … .

I‘ve still got time to read more books so this won‘t be my final count, but I did meet my Goodreads Challenge of 100 books, so that seemed worth celebrating. Apparently Covenant of Water was the longest book I read this year and it I think will also make my top 10. But I am not one to do a Best of the Year List until I actually reach the end of the year! So that‘s still to come. And if you‘re a Goodreads user, send me a friend request.

One of the best things about a kindle is getting a sample before you buy. The reviews would have me buying this in a heartbeat but I bailed half way through the sample. The writing is poor and I find that the main protagonist is an annoying snob. Should I continue and maybe buy? Is it worth it?

4 Stars • 4th in the series • In The Mistress of Bhatia House, Perveen Mistry, Bombay's only female solicitor in the 1920s, investigates the suspicious death of a resident in a women's boarding house. Amidst personal challenges, she unravels secrets and navigates societal norms to solve the mystery.

#TheMistressOfBhatiaHouse #PerveenMistry #SujataMassey

My next book. I started this morning

At times I feel like this book should be called "How many horrible things can happen to one family".

From the connecting train being delayed this morning to finding out I would be spending the whole of the afternoon and evening alone instead of seeing a friend, I was quite low by the time I got off the aeroplane in Cape Town. And my book, my one book I had idiotically packed, was nearly finished. So I consoled myself...

#LiteraryCrew discussion time! I have 5 questions posted as spoilers. These can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or searching the group hashtag.

Please feel free to visit the questions whenever you like. This time, there are several links for more information.

December‘s book is Kaia Alderson‘s Sisters in Arms. The official post will go up tomorrow!