Harini Nagendra is an author of a series of mystery novels and a prolific writer on issues of nature and sustainability. In addition she is a prof. of ecology and speaker advocating for the environment. With her crime novels, Nagendra draws the reader into the epoch of India in the early 20th C under British rule. In "The Bangalore Detective Club," our heroine, Kaveri, is a modern woman living with her new husband. Ironically, Kaveri was accepting of her arranged marriage despite being a maverick for her time. She intends to work outside the home, pursue her education and abolish abhorrent caste restrictions. Her radical approach is far outside societal paradigms. "Her mother would have been furious at the thought of allowing a milk boy to eat off a banana leaf in the veranda of their house, and apoplectic at the idea of allowing him to touch the pail of water that went into the well, claims that this amounted to defiling the purity of the well itself. Such nonsense, thought Kaveri." Kaveri's husband, Ramu, is a doctor in a British hospital reporting to British physicians. Fortunately for the newlyweds, they have more in common than they surmised. Ramu proves supportive of his wife's interests in her studies and sleuthing like her favorite fictitious detective, Sherlock Holmes. The case Kaveri is determined to solve begins with the murder of the local gangster/pimp, Ponnuswamy. Kaveri is an astute observer of people, places and incidents with a clever analytical mind. Luckily Ramu doesn't mind her investigative work and proves helpful in her pursuit of leads. The lead investigator, Ismail, is open-minded to Kaveri assisting the investigation which expands into additional murder attempts. The beautiful Mala becomes the prime suspect and charged with the crimes. Mala was one of Ponnuswamy prized prostitutes. Mala is befriended by Kaveri who believes her innocent of killing her pimp and the attempted murder of the wife whose husband was her client. The crime is more of a cozy mystery. It is being solved with the aid of women companions who have gravitated to the unabashed, unapologetic Kaveri for disregarding societal constraints. The solution for why this "detective" novel works are in the underlying clues identifying India's women's way of life in this era under British rule and prevalent caste system in place. Kaveri's logical mind and obdurate mentality are characteristics that are admirable as well as her refusal to adhere to societal pressures to regard anyone as less than or more than someone else. "Bangalore was a strange city, Large, bustling, seemingly full of opportunity, but caste, job and family status kept people from advancement on merits alone." "The Bangalore Detective Club" is worth reading to garner the historic footprints of life in India during a time which laid evidence to a major upheaval to accepting British rule and suppression of its own citizens. "Bangalore was a strange city, Large, bustling, seemingly full of opportunity, but caste, job and family status kept people from progressing on merits alone."
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