THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL

Soneela Nankani's narration brings 1920s Bombay and Calcutta to life in the first of the Perveen Mistry mysteries. The first female solicitor in Bombay, Perveen works at her father's law firm. Asking questions about donations by the three widows of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner, she uncovers a plot to siphon funds. Nankani adopts a soft, uninflected tone for the narrative and incorporates a variety of subtle Indian accents for the dialogue. Perveen is portrayed with both Indian and British accents depending upon whom she speaks with, most particularly when associating with her British friend, Alice Hopkins-Jones. Indian terms are fluidly interspersed with English ones, adding to the ambience of this engaging mystery with a surprising number of twists and turns. M.B.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2018]