Book Review: The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah (New Agatha Christie's Poirot Mystery)

 

Book: The Killings at Kingfisher Hill

Author: Sophie Hannah (New Agatha Christie's Poirot Mystery)

Pages: 352

Read: The Paperback edition pictured above 

Read in: 4-5 hours 

Plot Summary: Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate, where Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. But there is a strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there.

 
The coach is forced to stop when a distressed woman demands to get off, insisting that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. Although the rest of the journey passes without anyone being harmed, Poirot’s curiosity is aroused, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered with a macabre note attached…

Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And if Helen is innocent, can Poirot find the true culprit in time to save her from the gallows?

Things I Liked: 

1. This is a story about complex and dysfunctional family dynamics- a subject that I find endlessly fascinating! an overbearing father, a whiny, obedient mother, siblings that don't have any freedom or even a voice in their own home- all of it makes for wonderful drama, interesting family dynamics and a prefect backdrop for two murders. 

2. Without giving away any spoilers, I found the dissection of the motives for both murders very interesting in this book. It is not something simple or cut-and-dried, but it is human, complex and layered. It may also not be for everyone- more on this in the next section. 

3. This new Poirot's voice, has finally, started feeling like Christie's Poirot and I am so happy about that! 

4. The book is very atmospheric. You can almost feel the suffocating dysfunction of the Devonport household and the panic of the passenger in the bus, who thinks she is going to be murdered. There is an air of menace lurking through the book, which was very nicely done. 

Things I Didn't Like:

1. Like I have mentioned above,  the motive for committing both murders is not-the-best. It is unconventional and a little out-of-nowhere, but I didn't hate it, though I do think that many people might be let down by it. So, fair warning! 

2. A few aspects of the mystery were very obvious, especially, when it came to the real identity of the second victim and the motive behind her murder. 

Rating: 4/5 

Friday Favourites: Embroidered Headbands from Label Miraa.

 Hello! 

Long time no Friday Faves huh? 

Well, for today's edition of Friday Favourites, I have a new-isa love of mine. 

I came across Lable Miraa on Instagram a couple of months ago and it was love at first sight. 

Embroidery.

Pastels. 

Everything about this brand's aesthetic spoke to me. 

Plus, I do have a mild obsession with all things headbands and hairbands.  I guess its my latent love for Blair Waldorf that continues to linger on. 

Label Miraa makes all sorts of beautiful things. 

Hairbands. 

Kindle cases. 

Face masks. 

Laptop Sleeves.

 Bags. 

Cushion Covers. 

It's all gorgeous and simply delightful. And the added joy of buying something handmade and supporting an indie shop. 

Yay! 

I am all about that life. 

Here are most of the hairbands I got from them, I have one more but I can't seem to find it. Oh well, these are all gorgeous and so well-made and rather comfortable to wear. 

I love all things floral, if you didn't know that about me before, well you do now. And its obvious from them hairbands that this love is a thing that is going strong. 

So utterly beautiful. 

Daisies for life! 

This yellow one just might be my favourite. 

I LOVE daisies. 

A stack of all things beautiful.

The embroidery is absolutely perfect and neat. My grandma would approve. 

Everyone in my family, on my mother's side especially are gifted at embroidery. Our home is full of tablecloths, tea towels, dresses and sarees that were hand embroidered. 

The pink one is so freaking pretty and one of my newest purchases from them. 

I can't wait to be out in the world and wear these. But for now, I wear them at home and feel ever-so-slightly dressed up. 

You can find Label Miraa on Instagram and treat yourself to something beautiful and handmade. 

Book Review: The End of Her by Shari Lapena

 

Book: The End of Her

Author: Shari Lapena 

Pages: 342

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 4 hours 

Plot Summary: 

It starts with a shocking accusation . . .

Stephanie and Patrick are recently married, with new-born twins. While Stephanie struggles with the disorienting effects of sleep deprivation, there's one thing she knows for certain - she has everything she ever wanted.

Then a woman from his past arrives and makes a horrifying allegation about his first wife. He always claimed her death was an accident - but she says it was murder. 

He insists he's innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. But is Patrick telling the truth? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake? 

How will it end?

Things I Liked: 

1. This book has a really interesting premise about trust and truth and who would you believe when faced with the worst kind of accusations?! Imagine you are a happily married, but struggling with new parenthood, sort of a couple. You love your husband and are happy and content in your marriage. Then one day, a woman from his past walks in and claims that your husband murdered his first wife, his first, heavily pregnant wife! What would you do? Who would you believe? Interesting, right? So, this book got me from the word go and kept me pretty hooked all through. 

2. This book is very, very atmospheric. You can feel Stephanie's stress and worry and you can feel her sleeplessness. The author brings alive doubt as a very potent third person in Stephanie and Patrick's marriage and we see that chipping away at their relationship. The way the book unfolds and how the unraveling of this marriage is shown is really potent! 

3. I also liked the character journeys in this book. Don't want to give too much away but as we get to know each character, whether it is Stephanie or Patrick or even Erica (the woman from Patrick's past), we wonder to what lengths each are willing to go to protect their own interests. Also, an interesting study in what anyone would do to protect those that they love most. 

4. The book is very well paced and taut and a total page-turner. A couple of good twists- some I saw coming and some I did not- which made it even more interesting. 

Things I Didn't Like: Nothing really. This is a pretty solid crime thriller. 

Rating: 4/5 

Vignettes: The Days of August.

 Hello! 

August is neatly halfway done, seriously, what is time even?! 

So far, this month has been decent. 

Reading wise: I've read some 5 books already, which is a bloody good thing be! My Indian Books in August is going pretty well, like it normally does. Gosh, I love reading books from my corner of the world so much. I could honestly do this for a whole year aaram se, I would only miss thrillers from the rest of the world. 

Otherwise: Hmmm...it's been a bit of a mixed bag. I think 5 months into this mess that some days are harder than others. I think, I am finally getting to this place of 'how long will this go on for?', but I try to just float through this time and focus on my books instead. 

This is what August has looked like in my corner of the world. 

Pages and Pretty Bookmarks. 

This bookmark is from The Spring Pallette, you can find them on Instagram. 

More pretty bookmarks and cups of chai and plateful of biscuits to keep me company.

So grateful for the rains we've been blessed with. Not the deluge that flooded most of the city and wrecked parts of South Bombay, that was no fun. Also, my internet has been gone since those heavy rains...not cool, not cool at all. 

The bookmark in the picture is from The Ink Bucket. 

Chai. 

Delightful, masala chai. 

I liked mine with ginger and cardamon and a sprinkling of this special chai masala that I have and love. But lately, I've been keeping it simple with just fragrant cardamom pods for flavouring. Ahh! Bliss! Rains and chai are a match made in heaven. While I am bummed that this year doesn't include any drives in the rain or even walks in the rain, I am making the most of this rainy season by enjoying the little things like tea and music. 

My mug is from Chumbak. 

The glorious monsoon sunsets are a thing of joy. 

God, there is something to said about the beautiful marmalade skies that put on these magnificent shows every evening, oh well most evenings. I like nothing better than zoning out and staring at the skies and watch the birds fly back home. 

It's honestly been the little things keeping me sane in these last few months. 

Here is my current read, White Tiger by Arvind Adiga. 

I am loving this book so much.  Can't believe it's taken me this long to finally make my way to it! 

What a scathing, gritty, honest and accurate portrayal of India, flaws and all. 

I have 60 odd pages left and I am both intrigued to see what becomes of our protagonist and sad to see this book end. 

:( 

Hope you've been well, safe and reading loads. 

Mini Reviews: The Perfect Stranger & The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

It has been a rainy few days here in Bombay and I've found myself reading a few crime/ thriller books. It was just happy coincidence that they both were from the same author (not a book series) and both, spoiler alert, were quite good! 

So, without any further ado, let's get into quick mini reviews on both these books by Megan Miranda! 

Book: The Perfect Stranger 

Author: Megan Miranda 

Pages: 339 

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 3 hours 

Plot Summary: Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?

Review: This book has a very interesting premise around secrets and secret identities, which had me gripped from the very first chapter! Leah leaves Boston under a cloud, her career as an investigative journalist over due to some indiscretion that she committed. So, throughout the book, we gradually learn Leah's secret just as Leah starts deep-diving into Emmy's life and past. The juxtaposition of these two parallel mysteries keeps the book really interesting and intriguing. 

The book also raises some important issues/ questions about friendship- how much do you really know your friends? How much can we take someone's stated past for granted? Leah struggles with who Emmy really is once Emmy goes missing and everything that Emmy had told Leah turns out to be a pack of lies! 

This book is a quick, pacy read and the vein of fear and uncertainty in the book makes it a perfect rainy day read! 

Rating: 4/5 

Book: The Girl From Widow Hills 

Author: Megan Miranda 

Pages: 336

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 4 hours 

Plot Summary: Everyone knows the story of “the girl from Widow Hills.”

Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.

Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor.

And now, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda.

Review: This was, again, a really interesting book that played with the juxtaposition of secrets from the past coming to haunt the protagonist! Arden has tried very hard to leave her past behind. Hailed as the girl, who miraculously survived three days and nights in a storm drain during a flood, she has lived her childhood and teenage years in the shadow of her fame and her mother's incessant desire to mint money from her tragedy! Arden, now Olivia, lives and works in a small town away from Widow Hills and just wants to live in peace with no reference to her past, when a man from her past is found dead outside of her home. 

I liked how Olivia tries to come to terms with her past, especially, with skeptics, who wondered how a young girl of six could've survived three days and nights in an underground drain! Once again, the juxtaposition of the present danger Olivia is in and her past, which she questions and tries to remember on a daily basis makes this a very interesting book. 

Rating: 4/5 

Hello August 2020 + Indian Books in August is Back! + Weekend Reads.

Hello August & Hello Reading only Indian Writers all month long. 

August is one of my favourite months ever and my reading theme for the month has a lot to do with it. 

:) 

I hope August is good for you and me. 

I know things are tough and with  no end in sight, but all we can do is power through. 

I plan on getting my reading on and really keep my mind and eyes off the News and only focus on the good things for a change. 

INDIAN BOOKS IN AUGUST: For the last 7 odd years August has meant reading only Indian books to celebrate all things India in the month of her Independence. I also pick up a few books from Pakistan and Bangladesh to honour how important this month it to our entire subcontinent. 

This month I plan on perusing my bookshelves and keeping a pile of books I want to read this month. 

I will share my TBR once I have made a comprehensive list. 

To kickstart my month, I started with a favourite and from my own corner of the country, Bengal. 

The Circle of Reason by Amitav Ghosh. 

I bought this book around Christmas and I kinda saved it to read it now. 

I am a 100 pages in and I am really enjoying myself. 

This is Ghosh's debut novel and surprisingly one of his only works of fiction that I haven't read before. 

Curious. 

Very curious. 

I am glad I have finally found my way to this book. 

My beautiful bookmark. 

And a sentiment I fully agree with. 

:) 

My sister on the other hand is going down the Harry Potter rabbit hole and it is the best place to lose oneself in. 

She is on a re-reading trip. She finished the first book last night and this morning she's started the section book and is right now, lying on the couch and occasionally gleefully giggling. 

Here is Ronald Weasley looking spiffy as hell. 

These books are such a comfort. 

So here is what we are reading this weekend. 

I should be reading my book well into the next week, it is a bit of a dense read spanning over 450 pages. Sister might finish this today quickly jump to the third book. which is BTW my favourite in the series. 

Hope you guys are having a good weekend. 

Mine is mostly all booked. 

With a break here and then for blogging, writing and waiting for the rains which have been playing hide and seek pretty much all week. 

:)