The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey (The Bombay Prince) is another fascinating entry in the vibrant historical mystery series starring Perveen Mistry, the only female solicitor in Bombay under the British Raj. Perveen, permitted to practice law by her fairly lenient Parsi father, faces massive discrimination from Hindus, Muslims, and British society matrons alike. But Perveen turns her unusual position into an asset, frequently assessing the people around her from the sidelines of social gatherings. At a garden party at the luxurious Bhatia House, Perveen is shocked to witness Sunanda, an ayah (nanny) for the wealthy Bhatias, get badly burned while protecting a child. A few days later, at the jail to meet with another client, Perveen sees Sunanda again and is appalled that she's in chains, with her burn wound festering. Perveen discovers that the young ayah has been charged with a suspected abortion, and she dedicates herself to helping Sunanda. When the patriarch of the Bhatia family is poisoned soon thereafter, the stakes for Perveen's involvement are even higher.
Massey's writing vividly captures the complicated world of 1920s India and the many religious groups who uneasily coexisted. Perveen's strong character--unafraid to enter realms that Indian women generally do not--will resonate with modern readers, and she is sure to appeal to fans of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs. Thoughtful and perceptive, The Mistress of Bhatia House is a quiet mystery and just as much an exploration of Indian society and British misogyny as it is a clever whodunit. --Jessica Howard, freelance book reviewer