The Blue Monsoon

Blue Mumbai Thriller, Book 2

By: Damyanti Biswas

Narrated by: Sneha Mathan

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.

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.

©2023 Damyanti Biswas. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Sneha Mathan is the perfect narrator for this exciting police procedural set in Mumbai. She uses her strong characterization skills to bring a wide cast to life.… The story is told from multiple viewpoints, which Mathan handles with ease, especially the protagonist's. She carefully voices the anonymous character's point of view with skill, not revealing an important plot point until the end. Mathan's skilled timing helps convey the investigator's growing frustration and builds the plot's tension. The mystery, which takes place during a monsoon, results in an exciting and surprising listen.”—AudioFile Magazine

“With a complex plot and unusual structure…Biswas’ second Blue Mumbai thriller captures both the diversity and tumult of its unique setting. A compelling procedural awash in crosscurrents.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Mumbai during monsoon season provides a fine backdrop to this well-written thriller.”—Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Solid second-in-series

Inspector Rajput is called to handle another string of gruesome murders, and it all takes place during a monsoon. I enjoyed this thriller, though I found it a little more difficult to follow than the last book. The narrator does an excellent job of differentiating the voices, so that each is distinct. I really like the characters, and here we add the viewpoint of Sita Naik and learn more about her. If you enjoyed the first book, you will enjoy this one too.

Woow

This was way better than book #1. There's so much to appreciate about this book! The story is beautifully written and engaging, pulling you in from the start. The characters are fleshed out and add depth to the narrative. I picked up quite a bit along the way, and it felt like anyone could be the culprit! 😅

Fascinating!

crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, spinal-cord-injury, pregnancy, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage, caste-system, relationship-issues, relatives, religious-differences, religious-practices, religious-symbolism, family, family-dynamics, friendship, India, ritual-killing, social-justice, multiple-murder, noir, unputdownable*****

Due to my cultural ignorance, I kept stopping the read to investigate things I wanted to know more about. One theme is the pregnancy of the wheelchair bound wife of Senior Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput of Mumbai. The murder investigation involves a murder with ritualistic brutality and involves many inroads into the cultural realities of Mumbai. I couldn't really put the book down, but I find that I can't condense the story. I loved it and hope it will be in audio format soon!
I requested and received an EARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you.
Then I bought the audio as soon as it came out and enjoyed it even more!

What an immersive story that comes together. Wow

I will not recap plot elements but simply note that this story brings some of the grittier elements of Mumbai culture and society to life the way Lonesome Dove brought the 1800's cowboy west in the US to life for so many. This is an intricate story, and most will replay parts unless they are paying full attention. The characters take form and develop. I found it useful to have the kindle version handy - Whispersync is great - and regularly referred to the list of characters.

This was a sophisticated and deeply engaging mystery. The pieces all came together, and in poignant and moving ways. And, well, Sneha Mathan is simply one of Audible's best narrators ever, especially for any books set in India.