Sujata Massey
is an award-winning and highly acclaimed mystery writer. Born in England to parents from India and Germany, she grew up mostly in St Paul, Minnesota. She holds a BA in Writing Seminars from John Hopkins University, and started her working life as a features reporter for the
Baltimore Evening Sun. After leaving the newspaper, she moved to Japan, where she studied Japanese, taught English and began writing her first novel,
The Salaryman's Wife. This novel became the first of many in the Rei Shimura mystery series, which has won the Agatha and Macavity awards, and been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clarkawards. Sujata has also written acclaimed historical novels like
The City of Palaces, and her books have been published in more than eighteen countries. Currently, she is based near Washington DC.
Bombay, 1921. Intrepid and intelligent, young Perveen Mistry joins her father's prestigious law firm to become one of India's first female lawyers. Her tumultuous past also makes her especially devoted to championing and protecting women's rights.
When Mistry Law is appointed to execute the will of Omar Farid, a wealthy mill owner, Perveen's suspicions are aroused by a curious provision which could disinherit Farid's three widows and leave them vulnerable. Are the Farid widows--who live in strict seclusion, never leaving the women's quarters or speaking to men--being duped by an unscrupulous guardian?
Perveen decides to investigate, but when tensions escalate to murder, it becomes clear that her own life is in mortal peril and she will need to use everything in her power to outwit a dangerous criminal.
'Perveen Mistry is a rarity: a female solicitor in a bastion of masculinity! An astonishing heroine-fearless, intelligent and determined-she makes a memorable debut in Sujata Massey's
A Murder on Malabar Hill. A gripping whodunnit, full of excitement and heart, the novel also delightfully evokes Bombay in the 1920s-and celebrates the Parsi community that continues to enrich their beloved city.''A marvellously plotted, richly detailed series''A murder mystery that is also a comment on the woman question . . . Massey's expertise lies in the way she brings alive a bygone era . . . Perveen Mistry is a memorable and interesting character whom one hopes to meet again soon when she has yet another mystery to solve.''Sujata Massey draws from Indian legal history to create a feisty Parsi lawyer Perveen Mistry, and sets her in a well-researched and compelling plot to create a mesmerizing mystery set in 1920s' Bombay . . . It is the skilful evocation of an era of political and social churning that sets this far above a mere "whodunnit"''History, mystery and a sprinkling of feminism, wrapped effectively in legal casing, and weaved into a delicious whodunnit-Sujata Massey's
A Murder on Malabar Hill is a page-turner . . . Perveen Mistry is about to become the desi Miss Marple.'
A Murder on Malabar Hill is written in the mould of the classic locked-room sleuth . . . Aided by her razor-sharp deductive skills and quick thinking, [Perveen] overcomes every obstacle-from the sneering condescension of men, British officials or Indian law-keepers, to the blight of a youthful marriage that continues to haunt her. Woven into this matrix of crime and justice is a social history of women's rights. From the pittance inherited by widows to the problems posed by traditions like the purdah in police investigations, Massey's novel combines keen detailing of historical fiction with the breezy pace of a whodunnit.'Sujata Massey has created a wonderful character in Perveen Mistry . . . Sujata Massey masterfully does two things: she informs her readers of the cultural milieu and constraints for women in India back when feminism wasn't even a buzzword . . . And in getting you to train your glance on a world that she has painstakingly researched, Massey-marvel of all marvels---tells an engaging story . . . In Perveen Mistry, Massey has created a heroine for all ages . . . Delightful read. Highly recommended.''
A Murder on Malabar Hill is [an] aggregate [of] traditional mystery, domestic fiction, historical novel, and even legal thriller . . . The crime plot holds up, with a clever, if possibly too subtle, twist at the end. But it is historically grounded moments that give the novel its rich appeal . . . Perveen is the kind of plucky, determined, practical, wounded, ahead-of-her-time protagonist an avid clique of mystery readers adore. She is destined to find a home with fans of like-minded female investigators such as Mary Russell and Maisie Dobbs, whose creators, like Massey, deftly anchor their solid plots in the realities, and challenges, of their times.''In addition to getting an unusual perspective on women's rights and relationships, readers are treated to a full view of historical downtown Bombay-the shops and offices, the docks and old fort, and the huge variety of conveyances, characters, and religions-in an unforgettable olio that provides the perfect backdrop to the plot and subplots. Each of the many characters is uniquely described, flaws and all, which is the key to understanding their surprising roles in the well-constructed puzzle.''Sujata Massey's thriller is a feminist novel about a young Parsi lawyer in 1920s' Bombay creatively working around restrictive laws to help female clients.''Set in1921, Sujata Massey's whodunnit is everything you need for a binge-reading session . . . [A] gripping narrative.''Perveen Mistry is an extraordinary heroine-one of the first female lawyers in India, she's whip smart, strong-willed, and, most importantly, compassionate. Defying convention while draped in a sari, Perveen is sure to join the leads of great mystery fiction.''I was thrilled to read A Murder on Malabar Hill. Sujata Massey has created a completely believable, yet unique heroine in ground-breaking female lawyer Perveen Mistry, who solves mysteries in 1920s' Mumbai (then Bombay). Perveen is strong, tenacious and smart, just the kind of advocate you'd want to have on your side. And as someone who was born and raised in the city, I love the way in which Massey recreates colonial Bombay, down to the architecture, social interactions, politics and gender dynamics. You can feel the breeze coming off the Arabian Sea and taste the pastries at Yazdani's bakery.''Introducing an incisive, sympathetic heroine with a painful past while shedding light on a fascinating cloistered historical world,
A Murder on Malabar Hill is not only immediately engaging-it has staying power.''A fascinating setting, an extraordinary new sleuth, and a story that enthrals you-A Murder on Malabar Hill has all three and more. Sujata Massey's new historical series is absolutely terrific, and you are just going to love Perveen Mistry, India's first female lawyer.''Sujata Massey is one of the most talented writers working today. In her hands, 1920s' Bombay comes alive with the sounds, sights and smells of a place and time where women were still second-class citizens. Perveen Mistry is an unforgettable heroine, fighting for justice in an enigmatic, beautiful and flawed world. With gorgeous prose, Massey weaves a captivating mystery. A Murder on Malabar Hill is an extraordinary novel.'
