Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

7 reviews

skudiklier's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I've liked every book in this series and this was no exception! This one might have even been better than some of the others--there were so many moving pieces and factors but it never felt confusing or overwhelming. I was fully engaged the whole time. I love reading a series like this where they're definitely readable on their own but reading them all together gives you more insight into the characters and the progression of their relationships.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Classism, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, and Murder

tamara_joy's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Misogyny, Sexism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Racism, Infidelity, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Death, and Alcohol

kimveach's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this fourth book of the Perveen Mistry series. She always focuses on the restrictions imposed upon women in 1920s India. In this case, the book dealt with women's obstetric health and how a man could assault a woman in his household without recrimination. Fascinating information and characters I loved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Medical content, Confinement, Misogyny, Police brutality, Slavery, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

chanteld's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is my favourite book in the series so far. Massey delved into Perveen's family life and showed her insecurities and biases while still delivering a compelling and complex mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Rape, and Murder

kloughlin's review against another edition

challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Pregnancy, Medical content, Murder, and Abortion

Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, and Alcohol

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I love the Perveen Mistry series and always look forward to the next installment. While there were parts of this I loved, there were parts that weren’t as strong. 

The descriptions of people and places, food and clothing, and social rules - spoken and unspoken  - are the most interesting. There is so much about this era in India that I don’t know, and I always want to learn more. I really enjoyed this book up to the last few chapters which I felt were weaker. 

As we get to the end of the book, the tension ramps up. There’s a dramatic scene at a ball but it seems contrived rather than naturally flowing from the plot. The final chapter, in which everything is laid out and explained, redeems the earlier section. 

I’m also mystified by two things. One is that the subject of the title really isn’t that dominant a character. I think The Ayah of Bhatia House would have been a more relevant title. Also, without revealing too much, an offstage character is mentioned as being alive and well but in an earlier book it appeared that character was dying in a hospital. While not addressed in this book, that discrepancy is relevant to Perveen’s life and needs to be clarified in the next book. 

Overall this is a wonderful book full of information and inspiration, and I will always look forward to reading about Perveen. This just wasn’t the best in the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Classism, Abortion, Infidelity, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

medini_l's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Abortion, and Classism

Moderate: Police brutality, Infidelity, Alcohol, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Murder, and Colonisation