"India, 1922: Perveen Mistry is the only female lawyer in Bombay, a city where child mortality is high, birth control is unavailable and very few women have ever seen a doctor. Perveen is attending a lavish fundraiser for a new women's hospital specializing in maternal health issues when she witnesses an accident. The grandson of an influential Gujarati businessman catches fire-but a servant, his young ayah, Sunanda, rushes to save him, selflessly putting herself in harm's way. Later, Perveen learns that Sunanda, who's still ailing from her burns, has been arrested on trumped-up charges made by a man who doesn't seem to exist. Perveen cannot stand by while Sunanda languishes in jail with no hope of justice. She takes Sunanda as a client, even inviting her to live at the Mistry home in Bombay's Dadar Parsi colony. But the joint family household is already full of tension. Perveen's father worries about their law firm taking so much personal responsibility for a client, and her brother and sister-in-law are struggling to cope with their new baby. Perveen herself is going through personal turmoil as she navigates a taboo relationship with a handsome former civil service officer. When the hospital's chief donor dies suddenly, Miriam Penkar, a Jewish-Indian obstetrician, and Sunanda become suspects. Perveen's original case spirals into a complex investigation taking her into the Gujarati strongholds of Kalbadevi and Ghatkopar, and up the coast to Juhu Beach, where a decadent nawab lives with his Australian trophy wife. Then a second fire erupts, and Perveen realizes how much is at stake. Has someone powerful framed Sunanda to cover up another crime? Will Perveen be able to prove Sunanda's innocence without endangering her own family?"-- Provided by publisher
Sujata Massey Book order
Sujata Massey crafts historical mysteries deeply rooted in Asian settings, offering readers a rich tapestry of cultural detail and intricate plotting. Her narratives delve into the lives of women navigating complex societal landscapes in bygone eras, highlighting their resilience and agency. Massey skillfully balances compelling suspense with profound character insights and atmospheric historical context. Her work invites readers into captivating stories filled with intrigue, historical depth, and memorable protagonists.







- 2023
- 2021
"November, 1921. Edward VIII, Prince of Wales and future ruler of India, is arriving in Bombay to begin a four-month tour. The Indian subcontinent is chafing under British rule, and Bombay solicitor Perveen Mistry isn't surprised when local unrest over the royal arrival spirals into riots. But she's horrified by the death of Freny Cuttingmaster, an eighteen-year-old female Parsi student, who falls from a second-floor gallery just as the prince's grand procession is passing by her college. Freny had come for a legal consultation just days before her death, and what she confided makes Perveen suspicious that her death was not an accident. Perveen, who strongly identified with Freny--another young Parsi woman fighting hard against the confines of society's rules and expectations--feels terribly guilty for failing to help her. Perveen steps forward to assist Freny's family in the fraught dealings of the coroner's inquest, and when Freny's death is ruled a murder, Perveen knows she can't rest until she sees justice done. But Bombay is erupting: as armed British secret service march the streets, rioters attack anyone with perceived British connections and desperate shopkeepers destroy their own wares so they will not be targets of racial violence. Can Perveen help a suffering family when her own is in danger?"-- Provided by publisher
- 2019
The Satapur Moonstone
- 360 pages
- 13 hours of reading
The highly anticipated follow-up to the critically acclaimed novel The Widows of Malabar Hill. India, 1922: It is rainy season in the lush, remote Sahyadri mountains, where the princely state of Satapur is tucked away. A curse seems to have fallen upon Satapur’s royal family, whose maharaja died of a sudden illness shortly before his teenage son was struck down in a tragic hunting accident. The state is now ruled by an agent of the British Raj on behalf of Satapur’s two maharanis, the dowager queen and her daughter-in-law. The royal ladies are in a dispute over the education of the young crown prince, and a lawyer’s counsel is required. However, the maharanis live in purdah and do not speak to men. Just one person can help them: Perveen Mistry, Bombay’s only female lawyer. Perveen is determined to bring peace to the royal house and make a sound recommendation for the young prince’s future, but she arrives to find that the Satapur palace is full of cold-blooded power plays and ancient vendettas. Too late, she realizes she has walked into a trap. But whose? And how can she protect the royal children from the palace’s deadly curse?
- 2018
The Widows Of Malabar Hill
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
1920s Bombay. Perveen Mistry has just joined her father's law firm. Mistry Law has been appointed to execute the will of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner who has left three widows behind. But as Perveen is going through the paperwork, she notices something strange: all three of the wives have signed over their full inheritance to a charity. Perveen is suspicious, especially since one of the widows has signed her form with an X, meaning she probably couldn't even read the document. The Farid widows live in full purdah, in strict seclusion, never leaving the women's quarters or speaking to any men. Are they being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous guardian? Perveen tries to investigate, and realizes her instincts about the will were correct when tensions escalate to murder. Now it is her responsibility to figure out what really happened on Malabar Hill, and to ensure that no innocent women or children are in further danger
- 2015
India Gray
- 314 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Four unforgettable heroines star in a collection of romantic, suspenseful novellas and stories spanning India's late colonial period up to the present day
- 2015
When a devastating earthquake rocks Japan's northeast coast, a tsunami follows and Rei Shimura is swept into her most rugged adventure yet. The mystery begins with an SOS from Rei's friend, the antiques dealer Mr. Ishida, trapped among thousands of displaced and dead on the Tohoku Coast. Rei rushes to Tokyo, where she discovers Ishida Antiques may have been burglarized. Rei takes Mr. Ishida's abandoned dog, Hachiko, on a volunteer bus to the ravaged town of Sugihama. But Mr. Ishida's got more work for her, since he lost sight of his antiques apprentice Mayumi and is frantic with worry. He won't leave Sugihama without knowing the fate of the troubled 19-year-old girl from a famous lacquer-making family. Calling on disaster survivors and volunteers--as well as her knowledge of Japanese manners and history--Rei investigates the suspicious disappearance. From Tohoku's muddy shops and shelters to the buzzing bars and bathhouses of Tokyo, it's a suspenseful journey. But as Rei draws closer to the truth, she realizes that she's being stalked. What is following her--and can she survive the wave of danger she never saw coming? THE KIZUNA COAST is the latest novel in a sexy, smart and humorous mystery series that has won the Agatha and Macavity mystery awards and been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark prizes. It's bound to intrigue new readers and satisfy longtime Rei Shimura fans.
- 2013
The Sleeping Dictionary
- 496 pages
- 18 hours of reading
From an award-winning novelist, a stunning portrait of late Raj India—a sweeping saga and a love story set against a background of huge political and cultural upheaval.YOU ASK FOR MY NAME, THE REAL ONE, AND I CANNOT TELL. IT IS NOT FOR LACK OF EFFORT.In 1930, a great ocean wave blots out a Bengali village, leaving only one survivor, a young girl. As a maidservant in a British boarding school, Pom is renamed Sarah and discovers her gift for languages. Her private dreams almost die when she arrives in Kharagpur and is recruited into a secretive, decadent world. Eventually, she lands in Calcutta, renames herself Kamala, and creates a new life rich in books and friends. But although success and even love seem within reach, she remains trapped by what she is . . . and is not. As India struggles to throw off imperial rule, Kamala uses her hard-won skills—for secrecy, languages, and reading the unspoken gestures of those around her—to fight for her country’s freedom and her own happiness.
- 2007
Girl in a Box
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Rei Shimura, a Japanese-American sleuth, takes a risky undercover job in a Tokyo department store linked to a D.C. agency. While enjoying a store discount, she navigates eavesdropping, a conference crash, and unwanted advances. When her cover is compromised, Rei must rely on her wits to escape a deadly situation.
- 2006
The Typhoon Lover
- 336 pages
- 12 hours of reading
Set against the backdrop of Washington, D.C., and Tokyo, this eighth installment in Sujata Massey's acclaimed mystery series features the clever sleuth Rei Shimura. The narrative combines wit and suspense as Rei navigates a complex web of intrigue, showcasing her skills in solving mysteries while exploring cultural contrasts. The journey promises an engaging mix of humor and tension, appealing to fans of detective fiction.
- 2005
The Pearl Diver
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Set against the backdrop of Washington DC's vibrant restaurant scene, this installment of the award-winning mystery series follows a young sleuth as she navigates a web of intrigue and culinary chaos. With a blend of wit and suspense, the narrative promises to engage readers while exploring the complexities of the culinary world and the mysteries that lie within it.