This debut murder mystery novel by T.S. Marni, a pseudonym for three sisters, set in the colonial-era hill station of Ooty, is a riveting read with a cleverly woven plot and some unexpected twists.
The novel begins with A.J. Panicker (AJ) returning to his hometown after 18 years in England with ambitious plans of developing his property in Ooty. Barely two days after his arrival, he decides to make his grand entrance into high society by attending the annual summer garden party at the country club. “He plunged into the vast sea of the blue-blooded”, hobnobbed with all sorts of people, enjoyed his scotch and after a merry time, retired to his room.
That evening, AJ is found dead in his room. The narrative then shifts to various residents who live in beautiful bungalows and cute cottages, all connected in some way or the other to AJ. Invariably, there’s much gossip about AJ, be it at Sherry Darling and Zareen’s ‘Buxey Lodge’ or Dimple and Miki’s ‘The Dawn’ or Lady Fussington’s ‘Glenealy House’.
A few days later, on the evening of the equestrian ball at the same club, a young trainee waiter, Siva, is found murdered even as the enormous party is in full swing. The mystery deepens when another attempted murder of Chinnaswamy, a club worker, takes place. The newly-appointed Superintendent of Police, Sundar Raman, swings into action with his team to investigate and catch the ‘mad murderer in town’.
Sherry Darling, somehow, cannot resist the urge to sniff around and uncover the murders. Armed with clues she picks up from the club and her social circle, she lays a trap for the murderer, in league with the cops.
A racy novel with 36 short chapters and suggestive titles, there’s enough suspense to keep the reader engrossed and guessing who the killer might be. The mix of colourful characters who populate the novel, their social life, idiosyncrasies and moments of levity lend a certain charm to this enchanting whodunit.
Not bad for the first-time authors who hatched the plot during a holiday when they “endured” the hilarious antics of a particularly pompous guest.
The reviewer is a Bengaluru-based independent journalist and writer.
