The Bangalore Detectives Club

By: Harini Nagendra

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

The first in a charming, joyful cozy crime series set in 1920s Bangalore, featuring sari-wearing detective Kaveri and her husband, Ramu. Perfect for fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry handsome young doctor Ramu, she’s resigned herself to a quiet life.

But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace and quiet—and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene.

When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman’s mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn’t as hard as it seems when you have a talent for mathematics, a head for logic, and a doctor for a husband…

And she’s going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition, and intrigue in Bangalore’s darkest alleyways.

©2022 Harini Nagendra (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

A real whodunit!

I loved the story, which gave enough clues to keep you guessing plus a taste of the British colonial period through the eyes of Indians.

Love cultural setting&accuracy; characters; plot

Well done. Looking forward to more from our heroine Karvare and her good-hearted husband and their circle of friends!

Fun and interesting

While the writing in some places was a little awkward, the story was fun, and the myriad characters made for an interesting mystery. (Though I had identified the murderer pretty early on, just lacking a motive.) There’s nothing too surprising about the book, things unfold rather as expected for a book of this genre. But it was interesting to read about the rising unrest in the country, as the Indians led by Gandhi sought to oust the British. There were many pointed remarks about the racism, as well as the disparities in the Indian caste system and the plight of women in such a toxic patriarchy. But these were passing moments, just adding some veracity to the story, but not distracting from it. Overall, I enjoyed the book a great deal.

The narrator was quite good, too. Very easy to listen to.

Great new series!

I enjoyed the characters, the story, and the narrator! Thank you Audible for the recommendation!

Expertly woven story!

The plot, twists, and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and hardly able to put this one down! Excellent work!

good read but a bit predictable

I listened to this whole book in a little over a day. I really loved the descriptions and characters, but in the end it was a bit predictable. but I really hope that this becomes a series!

very enjoyable

This is very well written and beautifully narrated. The story seems a bit contrived, but the depiction of and insight to the social life of colonial India makes it a very worthwhile & enjoyable read.

Loved it

I enjoyed the reader and character development. First time reading this author. I’d check out more books

Charming!

What a charming mystery! I listened to the audiobook version on 1.15 speed and enjoyed the narration as well as the tangly (but not impossible to follow) mystery. If you are interested in Indian culture, clever women leads, and satisfactory endings, you'll like this story. I hope there are more books forthcoming from this author.

BEST MYSTERY SINCE MAGPIE MURDERS. Extraordinary Wonderful Lyrical Mystery

Absolutely LOVED this book. The story and characters are marvelous, giving a glimpse into India in the 1920s. The narration is almost lyrical with a mixture of English and Indian names that are magical in the hands of the narrator. This is a MUST LISTEN TO for any mystery fan.