#ADGIFTED all thoughts and opinions are my own, I like detective, murder mysteries so I tend to read these the most.

A MATRIMONIAL MURDER by Meeti Shroff-Shah

‘What a fantastic, fabulous and completely engrossing cozy mystery.’ The Book Decoder

A DAZZLING MYSTERY FROM YOUR NEW FAVOURITE MYSTERY WRITER, NEW BLOOD DAGGER LONGLISTER MEETI SHROFF-SHAH

Some people would kill for a good match.

In her 30 years as Temple Hill’s most renowned matchmaker, Sarla thought she’d seen it all. Blissful unions, marriages of convenience, Mr and Mrs Good Enough. Not to mention the bitter unfortunates who never made it down the aisle.

She’s received as many threats as thank-yous along the way. Surely no one would actually harm her.

A series of threatening notes, sent in blood-red envelopes, suggest otherwise.

Then the body of a woman is found at Sarla’s office, sprawled on her stomach next to a heavy bronze statue of the Nataraja — the god of dance. Who was the intended victim?

Sarla turns to Radhi, Temple Hill’s resident amateur sleuth, for help.

But in the marriage game, everyone has their secrets. And as Radhi quickly learns, some are more deadly than others.

Jealous rivals. Jilted lovers. Jaded rejects. But who among them would be angry enough to commit murder?

Fans of Faith Martin, Richard Osman, Victoria Dowd, Vaseem Khan, Ian Moore, Louise Penny, Shamini Flint and Agatha Christie will devour this brilliant, atmospheric murder mystery.

THE SETTING
The series is situated in fictious Temple Hill, a quiet and privileged neighbourhood in Mumbai, located by the Arabian Sea. It comprises of four, leafy, sun-dappled slopes that lead up to the main Temple Hill road. Wide streets are lined with gulmohar trees in flaming reds and sunny yellows. The area still retains an old-world charm, which means the stout, pastel-coloured buildings haven’t been converted into ambitious high-rises of glass and steel. The neighbourhood is dotted with small parks, little galleries where local designers are always showcasing clothes and jewellery. There are also high-end gyms and yoga studios interspersed with tiny florists, cafes and confectionary shops. And situated amid all these gentle trappings of everyday life are the five ancient Jain temples that give Temple Hill its name.

READERS LOVE MEETI SHROFF-SHAH:

‘Unputdownable.’ Telegraph India

‘Unfolding like an Agatha Christie mystery, the book delivers on pace, plot and climax.’ The Hindu

‘Pick of the week.’ The Hinustan Times

‘A well-crafted mystery.’ Mint Lounge

‘A well-written whodunnit that compels you to turn page after page until the end.’ Frontlist
Magazine

‘I loved this book. It was well written, with such great atmosphere and sense of place, plus a very likeable heroine, I just couldn’t put it down.’ Hannelore

‘This book is almost as good as a trip back to India. It has it all . . . A wonderful read!’ Connie

‘Atmospheric, well plotted, with a superlative sense of place and with a wholly credible cast of characters, this is an enjoyable and immersive read and hopefully the start of a long-running series. Bravo!’ Ruth G.

‘This is a compelling mystery with a plethora of suspects and a complex, lovable amateur detective who is determined to seek out the truth even if it hurts . . . Overall, an absorbing read, and I will definitely read the next book in this series.’ Pooja P

MEETI SHROFF-SHAH – Author Bio
Meeti is an award-winning copywriter, content writer and mother (though no awards for this yet). When she isn’t busy writing ads that make toothpaste sound like an aphrodisiac, Meeti can be found with a cup of ginger tea, gazing contently at the yellow gulmohars outside her window and plotting the murder of perfectly innocent people.
In 2016, Pan Macmillan India published her memoir, Do You Know Any Good Boys? – a funny guide to the Indian arranged marriage – based on the awkward arranged dates she had with 40 different men, before she met her husband.
Meeti lives with her daughter and husband (yes, the same one she took such pains to find) in Mumbai.
BOOKS BY MEETI SHROFF-SHAH
A TEMPLE HILL MYSTERY SERIES
· A MUMBAI MURDER MYSTERY
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My Review Let me whisk you away to Mumbai, can you hear the hustle and bustle, smell the scents of the food,( this book will make you hungry!!) and see the burst of colours of India, as this is where we are set in this cosy murder mystery. We follow the fictional writer Radhi as they are asked to write about arranged marriages by their agent. Knowing her mother knows a friend Sarla, who owns a match making agency to give clients insight, for some information. No sooner have they arrived is someone murdered and this writing get put aside, to focus on this mystery instead. Seeing and hearing about the cultural differences towards marriage in this book was fascinating, and gave me a deep understanding on how and why they are so different. I loved being transported to a far away land, and reading the descriptions of the food the location and wealth of personalities. After I had finished I found out this was actually book two of theirs, but it didn’t seem like it, so I missed nothing, though the writing style and plots I would dive into more of theirs, as I thoroughly enjoyed it.