THE MISTRESS OF BHATIA HOUSE Perveen Mistry, Book 4

Sneha Mathan's warm midrange voice and sensitive character portraits enhance the pleasures of Sujata Massey's fourth mystery featuring Perveen Mistry, a female solicitor in 1920s Bombay. In this case, Mistry seeks justice for a wrongly accused servant while also investigating the crime for which the woman has been charged. Massey interweaves the complex story with details of life in British India and its many cultural tensions. Mathan's characterizations dramatize the stark societal differences of the time and place--between servants and employers; men and women; British and Indian; Hindu, Muslim, and Parsi. And her beautifully enunciated narration enlivens and enriches the formality of Massey's writing style. It all adds up to an engrossing listen. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]