Book Review - The Dalhousie Murders - Aneeta Sharma

 

A couple honeymooning in Dalhousie stumbles upon a dead body and set things in motion. The victim is identified as the employee of a firm named Grow Green Enterprises co-owned and co-partnered by Lalit Bharucha and his wife Kiyana.

Inspector Kanet is tasked with the investigation that keeps taking him back to the firm at every step. To make matters complicated, a detective named Indraneil keeps approaching him with information that the police inspector finds speculative and with no basis. As the number of suspects lines up and as the case takes up many angles, it becomes a race against time for the inspector and the detective to find the culprit before another crime is committed.

The plot:

I like a good old-fashioned crime mystery/thriller which keeps the reader hooked on to the story, creates intrigue about the same but sans any gory details, unnecessarily heavy violence and harrowing descriptions of crimes/crime scenes that we find in so many thrillers. The plot of Dalhousie Murders matches all the requirements for a good old mystery. There is a crime which is not unnecessarily detailed, there is intrigue but no gore/horror and the suspense has been retained until the end. Most of the chapters end with a new angle/twist in the tale that keeps the reader interested. The plot also brings new insights into the gray shades that are a part of the human psyche and makes us question everything we thought we knew about justice and redemption.

The characters:

Every character in the story adds to the plot. Each character has their own unique trait that sets them apart. I am not a fan of too many characters in a single story. But this story, even though it has many characters, has given them unique personalities, traits and quirks that make them memorable. It is challenging to keep the reader focused while adding multiple characters to a story and the author has done a fantastic job of creating such characters who leave their impressions upon the reader. My personal favorites from the story are Inspector Kanet and detective Indraneil. I loved their conversations that are laced with sarcasm and subtle humor. I hope the author keeps bringing them in her future works. I would like to see more of these two!

The mystery element:

The story can be classified as Mystery/Thriller and does ample justice to this genre. With descriptions that create the perfect aura required for the particular scene, the author has woven a wonderful mystery around the whole plot, always keeping the reader on the edge with tantalizing hints and teasers for more plots to be uncovered.

Review:

Dalhousie Murders is a captivating, riveting and intriguing tale of crime, redemption, human psyche and the hidden lives that people battle with. It is definitely a must-read! In the acknowledgement section of the book, author Aneeta Sharma has stated that this book is the first of a detective series. I really look forward to reading more of her works and I also hope to meet some of my favorite characters in the rest of the series. I recommend this book to readers who are looking for a good mystery that will keep them on their toes and which they will want to finish in one reading.