Mohanbari Murders by Esha Pandey is her first book of the crime series.
The blurb:
Simran, the swashbuckling, no-nonsense new ASP of the Mohanbari District is baffled when a nine-year-old is found dead in a busy market lane. Determined to crack her first heinous crime, she doesn’t leave any stone unturned. While trying to figure out the case her path crosses with Major Imran. Sparks fly, but she is determined to hate him. As the matter gets more complicated, Simran begins to trust Imran.
Running through the nooks and alleys of dingy Mohanbari and the mysterious forest nearby, Simran must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.
The story:
Daughter of a decorated army officer, Simran Jamwal is posted as an Assistant Superintendent of Police at Mohanbari District. She wanted to be a horse riding instructor given her deep love for horses. Instead, she had joined the Indian Police Service two years ago.
One morning, she received information that a nine year old boy has been found murdered in Jhariang a colony of daily wagers, mostly immigrants from Bihar and Assam, who worked in teagardens to sustain themselves, in Bhawaipura, a small tehsil in Mohanbari district. And when she reaches the scene of crime, she realises that Major Imran is running a parallel investigation.
And with her never give up attitude, she confronts him.
My take:
A fast-paced murder mystery, this book kept me on the edge of my seat till I finished it. There is murder and drug trafficking, there are informers and lots of clues. Given her police background, the author has given details of the investigation including code names, making the investigation realistic.
The cover shows a strong willed, confident police officer. Simran has been depicted to be a strong girl and then there is Major Imran who wants to flirt with her, and this gives a bit of softness to the book, but please don’t mistake softness for romance, may be attraction…
Writing is crisp, language is simple and the characters are realistic.
Looking forward to more books in the series, because that is when we will get to know more about the characters and their relationship.
Metro Reader 