A Murder in Dehradun by Siddharth Maheshwari is a murder mystery where the patriarch of the wealthy Dinshaw family is murdered at their Dehradun estate after a sudden inheritance of ₹700 crores comes into the picture. A snowstorm traps the family, and with 13 suspects present, the plot thickens as journalist Shehnaz Contractor, a friend of the family, investigates the secrets and greed that lie beneath the surface of the opulent household to find the killer.
A Murder in Dehradun is one of my recent reads, and I absolutely loved the book. It’s a classic whodunit book, and it is very well written. The plot twists aren’t predictable, but if you are a mystery thriller lover like me, you might connect some dots, like I did. (Yeah, I got one right.) The book has a good pace, slightly slow in the beginning, but once the act is done, it gets you hooked.
What I liked about the book:
- The story. It’s a classic whodunit murder mystery and is set in the beautiful hills of Dehradun (India). It’s well structured and layered and includes an illustrated family tree at the start and a map of the estate. And I love these a lot.
- The complexity and the characters. Every character has layers and depth (and motive). The relationships are complex, characters are layered with their flaws and strengths, and it’s hard to predict their true nature.
- The environment and setup. The hills of Dehradun, the cozy, foggy morning. It’s very well written and captivating. It draws you in. You could feel at times that you are right there, living the story along with the characters.
- Small hints are hidden in the story as well as the illustrations. You keep checking back if you have missed something, and that’s exciting, thrilling, and keeps you hooked.
What I didn’t like about the book:
- The book is slightly slow in the beginning with all the introductions to the characters. It might get a little boring, but it does take the pace after the murder happens.
- Talking about the murder, well, it doesn’t even happen until you’re almost halfway through the book. The first chapters are about introducing and explaining the characters and family dynamics. It felt a little too explanatory to be honest.
- The classic case of – the murderer is someone among us – and the one investigating is a journalist and family friend. Personally, I would have preferred if they had a little more professional background, like that of a detective or a private investigators. They did well until the cops arrived, but still, I would have preferred the ones investigating to have more of that kind of background. (This one’s a complete personal opinion, though.)
Overall, a great read! Do I recommend it?
Absolutely! It’s an amazing book with great plot twists and a well-written story. It keeps you hooked, and well, I fell in love with its cover as well!
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