Historical

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

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  • Create Date：2021-06-25 11:31:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Alka Joshi
  • ISBN：1665069236
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Summary

In 'New York Times' best-selling author Alka Joshi's new novel， henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé， Malik， to intern at the Jaipur palace in a tale rich in character， atmosphere， intrigue and lavish storytelling。

Here the year is 1969 and Malik， Lashmi's young helper from the first novel， is now an educated young man apprenticed at the Jaipur Palace and working on building the state-of-the-art public movie house when he becomes ensnared in a smuggling scheme that threatens all he aspires to， including the woman he loves。

Twelve years after Lakshmi leaves Jaipur to work at Dr。 Kumar's clinic in Shimla， she is now happily married and has taken under her wing a young tribal widow， Nimmi， who is raising her two young children on her own。 Gold smuggling is rampant in the nearby mountains and Nimmi's brother has fallen to its temptations。 Afraid that her enterprising helper Malik， now a young man who has recently finished his education， will also be lured into this treacherous business， Lakshmi arranges for him to apprentice in Jaipur at the Palace。 She is also concerned about the romantic attachment Malik has formed with Nimmi， as she doesn't approve。

Back in the Pink City where he was once a wily street urchin， Malik again encounters the wealthy Singhs， including Samir Singh's feckless son Ravi， who caused Lakshimi's younger sister Radha so much heartache。 Malik's is assigned to help Ravi Singh build the new pubic cinema。 But when the cinema balcony collapses on opening night， it signals trouble for Malik and for Lakshmi too。 Malik is implicated in a ruthless scandal of Ravi's making that will ultimately threaten his livelihood， his reputation and the people he loves most。

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Reviews

SHRAVYA PANDIRI ，

What an absolute wonderful read… last year when I finished reading henna artist I was absolutely so sure that I will read any book that the author writes。。 when I got to know that this book was launched a couple days ago， I couldn’t resist myself to know what the story is about。。 what happens next。。 Lakshmi is a strong independent woman， yet sometimes very vulnerable。。 this made me appreciate Lakshmi and the authors writing so much。。 very very interesting read。。

Joann ，

This is book #2 in this wonderful series。 I did forget a lot but the author did a good job with the older backgrounds to catch you up to date。 This book has you dealing with drug runners in the Himalaya mountain range。

Maria Trombetta ，

A must read！

Larry Nichols ，

The Henna Artist continuesStart with the marvelous Henna Artist and continue with this the sequel。 You will love the characters，the intrigue and the smell of the spices and love of India that comes through。

Emily ，

Such a gifted storyteller。 I may not have been so interested in the gold smuggling but I care so much about the characters that it just didn’t matter。 Gimme more！

Sherry Erdly ，

Better if you read， The Henna Artist first - written in the same style。 Love how Alka Joshi weaves the story together。 Great followup to， The Henna Artist。 Favorite book so far this year！

Nimalee Ravi ，

After reading The Henna Artist， I could not wait to read this book and definitely did not disappoint me。 The world building is brilliantly written。 The description of Shimla is breathtaking。 I can feel myself walking along side with Nimmi。 The story is captivating and the richness of characters are simply brilliant。 I don't want to say too much incase I spoil the story。 I think Alka Joshi is one of the best descriptive writers and it shows in her work with such confidence and clarity。 This book After reading The Henna Artist， I could not wait to read this book and definitely did not disappoint me。 The world building is brilliantly written。 The description of Shimla is breathtaking。 I can feel myself walking along side with Nimmi。 The story is captivating and the richness of characters are simply brilliant。 I don't want to say too much incase I spoil the story。 I think Alka Joshi is one of the best descriptive writers and it shows in her work with such confidence and clarity。 This book can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading The Hanna Artist if you get a chance。 。。。more

Marcia ，

I so loved this book！ It was a wonderful story！ A must read！ Definitely recommend and will read again。

Zibby Owens ，

This book is about Malik， who is the eight-year-old boy we see in the first book， The Henna Artist。 Now， Malik is at an apprenticeship at the Jaipur Palace。 He is learning about the construction projects that the maharanis are involved in and meets up with the Singhs， the owners of the largest construction company in Rajasthan。 Meanwhile， in the Shimla area， Lakshmi has to placate Nimmi because Nimmi is upset that Lakshmi （the henna artist） has been sent away from her beloved。 So she hires Nimmi This book is about Malik， who is the eight-year-old boy we see in the first book， The Henna Artist。 Now， Malik is at an apprenticeship at the Jaipur Palace。 He is learning about the construction projects that the maharanis are involved in and meets up with the Singhs， the owners of the largest construction company in Rajasthan。 Meanwhile， in the Shimla area， Lakshmi has to placate Nimmi because Nimmi is upset that Lakshmi （the henna artist） has been sent away from her beloved。 So she hires Nimmi for her healing garden。 However， there are tensions on both sides because Nimmi and Malik are apart。 When the cinema’s balcony collapses on opening night， blame is placed where it is convenient。 But Malik suspects something far darker。 As he discovers these secrets in Jaipur， he has to figure out how to protect those he loves， including Nimmi， who is compromised in Shimla。 As Lakshmi and Malik uncover the cause of the disaster， their loyalties are put to the test。 This book gives us a wonderful glimpse into the Indian culture of the 1950s。 At its heart， it is a story of love， family， money， and power。To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/alk。。。 。。。more

Sarah ，

6/10

stormiedog ，

I have to begin by thanking Harlequin Publishing for sending me this advance copy of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。 I was so anxious to read it， and I wasn’t disappointed。 This book stands alone well， I didn’t read her first Henna Artist book， and I didn’t need to read it to understand this book。 Reading this was like floating down a river。 The writing is smooth and the action is swift， it really pulled me in from the first page。 I love it when a book starts with the climax and then goes back and I have to begin by thanking Harlequin Publishing for sending me this advance copy of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。 I was so anxious to read it， and I wasn’t disappointed。 This book stands alone well， I didn’t read her first Henna Artist book， and I didn’t need to read it to understand this book。 Reading this was like floating down a river。 The writing is smooth and the action is swift， it really pulled me in from the first page。 I love it when a book starts with the climax and then goes back and builds up to it again。 It’s a great way to pull in the reader。 Her characters are vivid and pleasingly complex…important to a character driven book like this。 I enjoyed the cultural references and situations without becoming confused by them。 The story is engaging and holds your anticipation until the end。 It’s a satisfying and interesting read。 I learned about a culture without feeling like an outsider or like I was being taught。 I definitely recommend it， it’s a wonderful story。 。。。more

Dawn Peterson ，

Loved the first book， this was even better！！！ Love this author… 👍🏻❤️

Piepie ，

I enjoyed the previous book， The Henna Artist， more， but that's totally personal preference。 Both of these books have gorgeous covers， and it was fun to revisit Lakshmi， Malik， and the rest and get immersed in this culture once again。 I especially loved seeing Lakshmi and her husband - I would have liked to see more Dr Kumar。 The Secret Keeper ends very happily， and it'll be interesting to see what Joshi comes up with next。 Thanks， Netgalley， for my arc。 I enjoyed the previous book， The Henna Artist， more， but that's totally personal preference。 Both of these books have gorgeous covers， and it was fun to revisit Lakshmi， Malik， and the rest and get immersed in this culture once again。 I especially loved seeing Lakshmi and her husband - I would have liked to see more Dr Kumar。 The Secret Keeper ends very happily， and it'll be interesting to see what Joshi comes up with next。 Thanks， Netgalley， for my arc。 。。。more

Cya_all_day_dream_about_books ，

All may seem well from the distance， now that Lakshmi is married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， Radha is happily married and far away from scandal that might have rocked the city of Jaipur， and her child is in the best care with the adopted parents， Kanta and Manu。 Malik is well educated and has been sent by Lakshmi to work in Jaipur for his better future with Manu。 Lakshmi is working with her husband at his hospital。 As for the elites of Jaipur， Singh and Sharma are renowned joint business with the marriage All may seem well from the distance， now that Lakshmi is married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， Radha is happily married and far away from scandal that might have rocked the city of Jaipur， and her child is in the best care with the adopted parents， Kanta and Manu。 Malik is well educated and has been sent by Lakshmi to work in Jaipur for his better future with Manu。 Lakshmi is working with her husband at his hospital。 As for the elites of Jaipur， Singh and Sharma are renowned joint business with the marriage of Ravi and Sheela。 Country is moving ahead post independence。 But trouble is brewing from inside， which no one is able to forsee， not even the closely related。 In Jaipur amid the summer heat，Manu in collaboration with Singh Sharma have taken up the ambitious project of building a theatre that anyone has ever seen and Malik has been a part of the same， a dream that Maharani has been looking forward to。 On the day of inauguration， a massive tragedy occurs which could jeopardize careers， family and even the innocents。 While in the beautiful hills of Shimla， trouble hasn’t left Lakshmi yet。 Something unknown that anyone has yet known， is being igniting slowly and it might have an influence on Lakshmi。 While The Henna Artist focused on Laksmi’s life and how it changed with the influence of other people， The Secret Keeper of Jaipur goes ahead with a drama yet to be uncovered from within， and all the characters from Henna Artist are equally involved in this saga。 Henna Artist did justice to every character with their backstory and personalities。 Now it’s sequel goes into how their lives will be influenced due to external factors。Alka Joshi has done an amazing job yet again with her proficient writing skills。 。。。more

Betty ，

I loved “The Henna Artist” when it came out last year， and I loved its sequel just as much， or maybe even a bit more。 As I began reading it， it soon felt like a family reunion。 I had come home to visit again with Lakshmi and Malik and various friends， like Maharani Indira， Manu and Kanta Agarwal， and even Madho Singh。Just as at all family reunions， I wanted to know what everyone had been up to。 Lakshmi is now living in Shimla and is married to Dr。 Kumar （I saw that one coming。） Malik， just as ch I loved “The Henna Artist” when it came out last year， and I loved its sequel just as much， or maybe even a bit more。 As I began reading it， it soon felt like a family reunion。 I had come home to visit again with Lakshmi and Malik and various friends， like Maharani Indira， Manu and Kanta Agarwal， and even Madho Singh。Just as at all family reunions， I wanted to know what everyone had been up to。 Lakshmi is now living in Shimla and is married to Dr。 Kumar （I saw that one coming。） Malik， just as charming as ever， has finished school and met the widow Nimmi and her two children。 But Lakshmi arranges for Malik to take an apprenticeship position back in Jaipur， thus leaving Nimmi in Shimla。 Malik finds that not much has changed in Jaipur - it is still all about power and money and keeping secrets。 Then a tragedy strikes， and Malik is caught in the middle of it。 He must make some difficult decisions in his quest to uncover the truth as to what （and who） is responsible for the tragedy。 I really love how Joshi gives the reader a glance into the lives of the various levels of society， from sheepherders and servants to royalty and the upper echelons of society。 I found Nimmi to be interesting because of her cultural background。 She is from a hill tribe that moves about with their flocks of sheep。 Through Joshi’s descriptions， I could easily imagine the beautiful clothing and the jewels。 I could almost taste the banquet of luscious Indian foods。If you enjoy historical fiction and learning about other cultures， I highly recommend this book！ But I do suggest that you read “The Henna Artist” first to get the backstory for Lakshmi and Malik。 “The Henna Artist” was Lakshmi’s story and tells how Malik becomes part of her family。 It also reveals Lakshmi’s relationship with her sister Radha。 （I believe Book 3 will be Radha’s story。） I think there would be too many gaps in the story if you skip the first book。I received an Advance Review Copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Sara K ，

Wow， Alka Joshi does it again。 For fan’s of the Henna Artist， do not miss this one！ The story picks up years later， following some of our old favorites and introducing a few new ones。 Alka develops strong， incredible characters that grow during the course of the book。 Her writing makes you feel as if you are a part of the story - becoming emotionally involved with the characters！ Definitely pick this one up。

Angela ，

3。5 stars - I found the second book in this series to be just engaging as the first。 I loved jumping forward 12 years into the lives of Lakshmi， Malik and Samir。 I am hoping book #3 focuses on Radha's life after leaving India。 3。5 stars - I found the second book in this series to be just engaging as the first。 I loved jumping forward 12 years into the lives of Lakshmi， Malik and Samir。 I am hoping book #3 focuses on Radha's life after leaving India。 。。。more

Miriam ，

An historical fiction/mystery set in the mysterious lands of India。Alka Joshi weaves a complex tale told from the perspectives of the three main characters， Malik， Nimmi， and Lakshmi。 Each brings a bit of the story forward。 Each knows only part of the mystery and some of the secrets that inhabit “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。” Underneath it all， the characters must decide which secrets to keep and which to revel and to whom。 And when royalty gets involved， there’s no telling whose strings will be An historical fiction/mystery set in the mysterious lands of India。Alka Joshi weaves a complex tale told from the perspectives of the three main characters， Malik， Nimmi， and Lakshmi。 Each brings a bit of the story forward。 Each knows only part of the mystery and some of the secrets that inhabit “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。” Underneath it all， the characters must decide which secrets to keep and which to revel and to whom。 And when royalty gets involved， there’s no telling whose strings will be pulled and whose secrets are deadly。I liked the multiple perspectives， some of the narrators knowing more than others。 Each brought their own culture and values to the tale。 The descriptions of architecture and building were also fascinating。 I wish there were more pictures than the one on the cover。Now I have to read "The Henna Artist" to see how Lakshmi and Malik meet one another。Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village （Columbus， OH） http://www。bookloft。com for an ARC to read and review。 。。。more

smalltownbookmom ，

4。5 - Another incredibly moving， atmospheric novel set in 1969 India with a cast of characters that will stay with you forever。 Alka Joshi's newest book was one I was most looking forward to this year and it did not disappoint！ I loved getting to return to some of my favorite characters from The Henna artist， Lakshmi and Malik in particular， and seeing how their lives had changed in the last few years。 Joshi has such a supreme talent at writing about characters from all walks of life， from a tri 4。5 - Another incredibly moving， atmospheric novel set in 1969 India with a cast of characters that will stay with you forever。 Alka Joshi's newest book was one I was most looking forward to this year and it did not disappoint！ I loved getting to return to some of my favorite characters from The Henna artist， Lakshmi and Malik in particular， and seeing how their lives had changed in the last few years。 Joshi has such a supreme talent at writing about characters from all walks of life， from a tribal， illiterate widow to Jaipur royalty and making you care so deeply about their very individual concerns and problems。 The mystery at the heart of this story was compelling - Malik and Lakshmi work together to uncover what happened to cause a balcony to collapse at a cinema opening in which many people were killed。 This leads them to a gold smuggling operation and the corrupt practices of a familiar man from the past。 Highly entertaining and transporting， this new historical fiction book is sure to keep you entertained this summer and I cannot recommend it enough。 Particularly excellent on audio if you enjoy that format。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy。 。。。more

Reeca Elliott ，

Malik is an intern at the facilities office of Jaipur Palace。 The latest project is a wonderful cinema。 But， things are not as they seem。 A balcony of the cinema collapses the night of the opening。 Malik comes across some unique adjustments in the project。 This leads to some dark secrets which can end up threatening Malik’s life。I absolutely adored The Henna Artist。 However， this one fell a little short for me。 I still love the characters and the setting。 This is probably what kept me reading。 B Malik is an intern at the facilities office of Jaipur Palace。 The latest project is a wonderful cinema。 But， things are not as they seem。 A balcony of the cinema collapses the night of the opening。 Malik comes across some unique adjustments in the project。 This leads to some dark secrets which can end up threatening Malik’s life。I absolutely adored The Henna Artist。 However， this one fell a little short for me。 I still love the characters and the setting。 This is probably what kept me reading。 But the story itself just drags in places。I do love that this author teaches me something。 I know very little about this culture。 There is always something new to learn in her books。I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more

Emily ，

While I didn't enjoy the plot of this book quite as much as its predecessor， I still loved the rich descriptions of Indian culture and the characters that Alka Joshi paints for us within the story and that is enough for me to read and enjoy a book。 If you liked the Henna Artist， I think this book will also be worth your time。 While I didn't enjoy the plot of this book quite as much as its predecessor， I still loved the rich descriptions of Indian culture and the characters that Alka Joshi paints for us within the story and that is enough for me to read and enjoy a book。 If you liked the Henna Artist， I think this book will also be worth your time。 。。。more

Reading_ Tam_ Ishly ，

Got the book today 💖

Zainab ，

Sequels are not easy to write。 They should be fresh yet have some continuation from the previous story; old characters show growth， fresh faces are added to the mix。 These new additions must fit into the plot line and become memorable for the readers。 The attraction readers had to the first book must be maintained， and continued in the second book， and so yes sequels are not easy to write！From the hills of Shimla to the streets of Jaipur， Alka Joshi brings us the captivating sequel to The Henna Sequels are not easy to write。 They should be fresh yet have some continuation from the previous story; old characters show growth， fresh faces are added to the mix。 These new additions must fit into the plot line and become memorable for the readers。 The attraction readers had to the first book must be maintained， and continued in the second book， and so yes sequels are not easy to write！From the hills of Shimla to the streets of Jaipur， Alka Joshi brings us the captivating sequel to The Henna Artist。Twelve years have passed， and Lakshmi now married to Dr Jay Kumar runs a healing garden in Shimla， her protégé Malik is all grown up and making the move to Jaipur to intern with Manu Agarwal and learn the building trade。Twenty-year-old Malik has a high-class education from a private school and together with his street smarts and beautiful heart， he is one of my favorite characters。 Malik’s love interest， the widow Nimmi with her pride and resilience will leave a mark on the readers hearts。On opening night of the Royal Jewel Cinema， the palace’s grand construction， the cinema balcony collapses， Malik’s sharp instincts kick in and he realizes that there is something sinister at play。Back in Shimla， Nimmi， Dr Kumar and Lakshmi are dealing with suspicious activities within the simple nomadic community of Shimla。Narrated through three different perspectives （Malik， Lakshmi and Nimmi） the two-story lines come together in an intriguing tale of corruption， deceit， intrigue， and high-class society secrets。The rich details， filled with colors， along with the character growth and the introduction of new （and old） characters at the right point in the plot all help with the story line development。 However， for me it was the relationships that really stood out。Malik and Lakshmi’s compassionate and adoring love。Nimmi and Malik’s romantic love。 Dr Kumar and Lakshmi’s comfortable and established loveLakshmi and Nimmi’s ‘at odds’ relationship。Ms。 Joshi has presented these bonds with so much softness and simplicity。 There is growth within them throughout the book。While it is not necessary， I would highly recommend reading The Henna Artist first， as there are references made to the first book。 “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur” another charming winner by Alka Joshi。（The Secret Keeper of Jaipur releases tomorrow。 Thank you @harpercollinsca for an ARC。）The Secret Keeper of JaipurAlka Joshi 。。。more

Mary ，

Alka Joshi writes the kind of character-driven books I love， where sitting down to read feels like having heartfelt chats with friends。 In this case， my friends are returning from her debut novel “The Henna Artist。” I’m thrilled for the turn that Lakshmi’s life has taken （no spoilers！）， and delighted to read from both her and Malik’s perspectives。 Malik’s story beautifully captures what it’s like to live between worlds， never quite fitting into any of them。 Malik doesn’t want to go back to the s Alka Joshi writes the kind of character-driven books I love， where sitting down to read feels like having heartfelt chats with friends。 In this case， my friends are returning from her debut novel “The Henna Artist。” I’m thrilled for the turn that Lakshmi’s life has taken （no spoilers！）， and delighted to read from both her and Malik’s perspectives。 Malik’s story beautifully captures what it’s like to live between worlds， never quite fitting into any of them。 Malik doesn’t want to go back to the streets where Lakshmi found him， but that background means he will never feel fully at home in the more privileged circles his education gives him access to。 And his relationship with the rural woman， Nimmi， underscores the tensions between Malik’s worlds。 These relationships also give readers glimpses of India’s cultural richness。 This is not a plot-driven book， which is fine by me， but Joshi uses Malik’s pursuit of thue reasons for a building collapse to keep readers turning pages。 。。。more

Laura Turner ，

Review to follow as part of my stop on the blog tour

Ashley ，

Alka Joshi’s Secret Keeper of Jaipur takes off twelve years after The Henna Artist。 In this new tale， we follow Lakshmi， Malik and Nimmi as they battle new woes and celebrate the beauty of India， the story centers on the three characters’s points of view as Lakshmi and Nimmi create beautiful herbs to heal others。 Malik is on the other side in Jaipur where he is helping create the Royal Jewel Cinema。 Both Nimmi and Malik uncover mysteries that will set the stage for the glorious tale that is The Alka Joshi’s Secret Keeper of Jaipur takes off twelve years after The Henna Artist。 In this new tale， we follow Lakshmi， Malik and Nimmi as they battle new woes and celebrate the beauty of India， the story centers on the three characters’s points of view as Lakshmi and Nimmi create beautiful herbs to heal others。 Malik is on the other side in Jaipur where he is helping create the Royal Jewel Cinema。 Both Nimmi and Malik uncover mysteries that will set the stage for the glorious tale that is The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。 This tale is as beautifully written as Joshi’s first novel， The Henna Artist。 Joshiis able to create scenery that is realistic and touching。 Her history and first hand knowledge of India shines in this soon to be bestseller。 Alka Joshi writes characters that you grow to love， hate and cheer on。 Although this novel ties into Henna Artist， it is not necessary to read it first， 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Nimmi， Malik， and Lakshmi tell this twisty and engaging tale that's both a mystery and a romance。 Nimmi， a young widow with two children， separated from her tribe and sells flowers in the Shimla market， where she meets Malik。 Malik， an orphan， was fostered by Lakshmi， a henna artist now married to a physician。 She's taken aback a bit when Malik declares his love for Nimmi。 She sends him to Jaipur to work as an apprentice at the Royal Palace。 Malik is the only one who realizes there's something a Nimmi， Malik， and Lakshmi tell this twisty and engaging tale that's both a mystery and a romance。 Nimmi， a young widow with two children， separated from her tribe and sells flowers in the Shimla market， where she meets Malik。 Malik， an orphan， was fostered by Lakshmi， a henna artist now married to a physician。 She's taken aback a bit when Malik declares his love for Nimmi。 She sends him to Jaipur to work as an apprentice at the Royal Palace。 Malik is the only one who realizes there's something amiss with the accountings for bricks and concrete to be used in the construction of a new theater and then， on opening night， a balcony crashes。 At the same time， in Shimla， two children appear with a sheep which has gold bars sewn into its fleece。 How do these two things connect？ No spoilers from me。 There's palace intrigue， profiteering， and mysterious goings-on。 Read this as much for the characters though- Nimmi and her children leap off the page， Malik is a smart kid， and Lakshmi， much loved from the previous book， is both wily and thoughtful。 Don't worry if you missed the first book- this will be fine as a standalone Do not， however， miss the afterword which includes a glossary， interesting info about gold and food， and a recipe。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 Great read。 。。。more

Kim ，

3。5 stars - Alka Joshi is back with The Secret Keeper of Jaipur， a follow up to The Henna Artist。 We see how Lakshmi and her family are doing in Shimla， and this time， Malik plays a bigger role in the story as well， as an apprentice in Jaipur。 In The Secret Keeper of Jaipur， it’s 1969 in India， and we get a glimpse into the how the people of the foothills of the Himalayas lived。 And of course， we see some familiar characters in the Pink City as well， like the ever-scheming Ravi Singh and Lakshmi 3。5 stars - Alka Joshi is back with The Secret Keeper of Jaipur， a follow up to The Henna Artist。 We see how Lakshmi and her family are doing in Shimla， and this time， Malik plays a bigger role in the story as well， as an apprentice in Jaipur。 In The Secret Keeper of Jaipur， it’s 1969 in India， and we get a glimpse into the how the people of the foothills of the Himalayas lived。 And of course， we see some familiar characters in the Pink City as well， like the ever-scheming Ravi Singh and Lakshmi’s friends the Agarwal family。 The Secret Keeper of Jaipur deals with themes around what makes a family and what we need to be happy。 It starts off a little slow， but don’t let dissuade you from reading it。 There’s plenty of action in the second half of the book， and lots of emotion to keep the story going。 If you liked The Henna Artist， you’ll enjoy The Secret Keeper of Jaipur！Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with this ARC！ 。。。more

Karlie Schaefer ，

"The ideal outcome is always the preservation of integrity。"The Secret Keeper Of Jaipur by Alka Joshi is a fantastic follow-up to The Henna Artist。 Taking place about 12 years later， this sequel still follows Lakshmi as well as her assistant， Malik。 Alternating narrators between the two and a new character， Nimmi， I enjoyed this book just as much as the first， possibly more so。 Lakshmi is living in the mountains of Shimla now but Malik has travelled back to Jaipur to intern with Kanta's husband "The ideal outcome is always the preservation of integrity。"The Secret Keeper Of Jaipur by Alka Joshi is a fantastic follow-up to The Henna Artist。 Taking place about 12 years later， this sequel still follows Lakshmi as well as her assistant， Malik。 Alternating narrators between the two and a new character， Nimmi， I enjoyed this book just as much as the first， possibly more so。 Lakshmi is living in the mountains of Shimla now but Malik has travelled back to Jaipur to intern with Kanta's husband Manu as he is building a new （and the biggest） cinema theater in the city。Things start getting troublesome in both Jaipur with Malik and in Shimla with Nimmi， leaving Lakshmi to try to intervene to help solve both problems as best as she can。 I love these books not only for the plotline but the culture and atmospheric writing。 I can smell and taste India when reading Joshi's works。 I may have to order Indian food takeout tonight to satisfy these cravings。 Or maybe I'll finally get around to trying out the recipes that Joshi includes in the back of both books。Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an advanced reader copy I received from Mira Books in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Sumedha the wordy habitat ，

So I literally just finished this book and I have a couple opinions to share。For anyone who doesn't know， this is a sequel to The Henna Artist and stars mostly the same characters。Let me quickly talk about what I liked before moving onto dislikes:1。 The writing。 It was just as good and immersive as The Henna Artist。2。 The characters。 Overall they were good but not all were used well。 Will explain in the next section。3。 The overall plot。 I liked how the author tried something else here compa So I literally just finished this book and I have a couple opinions to share。For anyone who doesn't know， this is a sequel to The Henna Artist and stars mostly the same characters。Let me quickly talk about what I liked before moving onto dislikes:1。 The writing。 It was just as good and immersive as The Henna Artist。2。 The characters。 Overall they were good but not all were used well。 Will explain in the next section。3。 The overall plot。 I liked how the author tried something else here compared to The Henna Artist。 This book was focused on plot， not characters。Now， onto the dislikes:1。 This was clearly a plot-driven book。 I generally don't like this。 A stark difference from THA which was character-driven。2。 I hated how quickly things got resolved in the end。 The peak was not high after all the setup。3。 This book had three POVs but one was so clearly neglected。 I didn't like that。 Why add her POV at all then？ It felt like the author just wanted to add some diversity。4。 Despite Lakshmi （from THA） not being the main character of this book， it felt like she was。 She was smarter and better than everyone else。 Hated that。 The book's title is literally about Malik but he didn't do much compared to Lakshmi。 Towards the end， her POV chapters were more than Malik！ 5。 The meaning of the title didn't click for me when the scene happened。 Only later when I was like "why is it titled this way" did I realize。 That wasn't done well。6。 You know what， it felt like the author just wanted to write about Lakshmi again。 I was so happy when I realized that this book is about Malik， but Lakshmi took center stage again。 Why even blurb this as Malik's book？？ It was half-hearted towards him。So yeah， I was disappointed with The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。 It was good but failed in some very key areas for me。Note: I received an ALC on @librofm in return for a review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Secret Keeper of Jaipur&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Secret Keeper of Jaipur&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0