This one got a little slow for me in the middle but was an ultimately satisfying mystery for Perveen to solve at a remote jungle palace.

Liked the introduction of some new characters including a potential love interest for Perveen. ( )

Great series! Interesting to learn about Indian palace culture of the time while trying to figure out the mysteries ( )

This is the second book in a mystery series set in 1920s India. The main character is a woman lawyer. She isn't allowed to appear in court, but works for her father's law office behind the scenes and on contracts. In both of the first two books in this series, her gender allows her contact with Indian women living in purdah, which is seclusion from men outside their immediate family.

I liked the first book in the series quite a bit, but this one was less exciting. I did still like the glimpse into Indian culture, British colonialism, and the many layers of society. But the mystery itself was not very interesting and the main character grated on me this time. She was kind of stiff and seemed to make a lot of mistakes which I think were an attempt to make a relatable character, but I found her annoying. Not sure I'll carry on with the series. ( )

3.5 stars

In the second installment of the Perveen Mistry series, Perveen is tasked by the British government in India to look into the education of a young prince in the princely state of Satapur. When she arrives at the Satapur palace, where the women of the family live in purdah, she quickly learns that her duties will extend beyond an inquiry into the children's education. There have been two recent deaths at the palace--the previous maharaja's, and his eldest son's--and it seems like everyone dislikes Perveen and has something to hide.

I did prefer the first book in the series to this one, I think because I loved the sense of place in that one. It was so fun, I thought, to learn about 1920s Bombay and to have the story so anchored to that city and to the houses on Malabar Hill. This one, presumably because it's set in a fictional rural state, didn't quite give me that same feeling--there's a pretty small character cast, and I didn't feel nearly as connected to the setting. With that being said, I do definitely plan to pick up the next book in this series at some point. ( )

The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey is a 2019 Soho Crime publication.

This second installment in the Perveen Mistry series has Perveen traveling to Satapur in the remote Sahyadri mountains to act as a mediator between a widowed mother and her mother-in-law on behalf of a young crown prince.

The two ladies are locked in a dispute over the prince’s educational options and Perveen must decide what is best for the child.

When she arrives, after an uncomfortable journey, she finds things are not nearly as straightforward as she’s been led to believe. As it turns out, there are more serious concerns than the education of the crown prince.

Palace intrigue places Perveen in an untenable situation and her focus shifts to finding a way to protect the royal children, who appear to be in grave danger…

This is a well thought out, carefully plotted mystery. I love Perveen! She’s smart, very brave, but also very human and likable. She’s very ahead of her time, but must work within the confines of Indian law in the 1920s.

She doesn’t always get it right, and makes some amateur sleuthing mistakes at times, but I thought that made her character more realistic.

The author also does a fantastic job with time, place, and with the recreation of the political atmosphere of the time, describing the landscape and scenery, food, and dress so vividly it was like I was there.

I love palace intrigue, so the mystery was right up my alley, too. The suspense builds slowly at times, but the plot kept my mind working constantly. I was still completely blindsided by a stunning revelation that ratcheted up the tension considerably!

Overall, I think this series is only going to get better. Perveen is an outstanding character to build on- with a fantastic premise and time-frame that has plenty of potential and possibilities. Very much looking forward to book three!! ( )