I tore through The Blue Monsoon by Damyanti Biswas in two days! This is book two in the Blue Mumbai series and is such an atmospheric read. 

Set in Mumbai during torrential rains, Senior Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput is called to a brutal crime scene (a male body is found dismembered on the steps of Kaali temple, a Hindu place of worship). Not long after, video footage of the murder surfaces online on the account of a Bollywood social media influencer. The city and police force are on edge. In the midst of this investigation, Rajput is struggling to find balance between his job and caring for her wife who is wheelchair bound and pregnant. 

Wow. This is such a complex mystery, told with alternating points of view which I found fascinating. The descriptions of the setting transported me and when I had to put the book down, I had to take a few moments to remind myself that I wasn’t actually in Mumbai myself! Biswas also works in themes of caste and religious politics which I found thought-provoking as I followed the twists and turns of the mystery. I also appreciated the character list at the start of the book and the glossary and author’s note at the back. This book will be published tomorrow, October 24, 2023 and recommended to mystery/thriller readers!