A ritual murder at a Mumbai temple exposes the city’s dark secrets and ravages the personal life of a detective in this sequel to The Blue Bar.

Amid incessant rains pounding down on Mumbai, Senior Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput is called to a shocking crime scene. A male body is found dismembered on the steps of a Kaali temple. Drawn into his flesh are symbols of a tantra cult. The desecration of a body at a Hindu place of worship puts the city on edge and divides Arnav’s priorities: stopping a fanatic from killing again and caring for his wife who’s struggling through a challenging pregnancy.

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Then video footage of the murder is uploaded onto the account of a Bollywood social media influencer, triggering twists in the investigation Arnav didn’t see coming. Caste systems at war. A priest under suspicion. And an anonymous threat that puts his wife’s welfare at risk. When more bodies are found, the savagery of the city begins to surface—and Arnav fears that no one is safe from a bigger storm brewing.

My Review

When I read the character list at the beginning (not having read The Blue Bar) I thought I’m never going to remember who all these people are. But as you start reading it soon becomes clear.

The story takes place in Mumbai, during the monsoon season and it’s constantly pouring with rain. It opens with the discovery of a man’s body, horrifically disfigured and certain body parts cut off. The body is found on the steps of a temple dedicated to the Goddess Kaali, thereby desecrating a place of worship. Senior Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput of the Mumbai Police Force is called to the scene – he was the main character in The Blue Bar. His wife Tara is in a wheelchair after being shot trying to protect their teenage daughter Pia.

However, I have to admit that Sub-Inspector Sita Naik is probably my favourite character. She’s so brave in both a world and a police force dominated by men, many of them corrupt. Followed by forensic officer Surat Tambe, with his long white beard and eccentric ways. Forensic pathologists are always eccentric in books, but I guess they have to be with the job that they do.

The fourfold caste system features highly in The Blue Monsoon. It’s very well explained by the author, so we can really understand its implications. Of course, it’s long been illegal to discriminate in India, but that doesn’t stop people from still using it against others. It was based mainly on the profession you were born into eg teachers and priests, rulers and warriors, landowners and merchants, or skilled workers like ironsmiths and weavers. The untouchables, now known as the Scheduled Caste, were outside the hierarchy, and often persecuted and segregated.

The corruption in the police force is deeply shocking. At one point a senior officer accepts a bribe in exchange for allowing a victim’s body to be cremated before it can be identified, in order to spare the family shame and destroy their business and their standing in the community. Whaaat? And he’s not even fired, let alone prosecuted.

The imagery of the Remy Virgin Hair Factory (the name is explained in the story) is so well written. The long hair used for wigs hanging up to dry on the roof. It must appear terrifying – like faceless heads, their tresses blowing out behind them.

I never expected the outcome, it was a real surprise to me. This is a marvellous book – I read way into the night. It has so much depth and religious and political background, compared to the usual police procedural.

Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheBlueMonsoonTour and to NetGalley for an ARC.

About the Author

Damyanti Biswas’s short fiction has been published at Smokelong, Ambit, Litro, Puerto del Sol, among others, and she’s the co-editor of The Forge literary magazine. She’s the author of You Beneath Your Skin, an Amazon-bestselling crime novel, which has been optioned for screens by Endemol Shine. Her next crime novel, The Blue Bar was published by Thomas & Mercer, received a starred review on Publishers Weekly,  and was one of 2023’s Most Anticipated Mysteries & Thrillers on Goodreads. Its sequel, The Blue Monsoon will be released by Thomas & Mercer this October.

Author’s Website: www.damyantiwrites.com

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