The Bombay Prince
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- Create Date：2021-05-31 08:51:32
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Sujata Massey
- ISBN：1641291052
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Summary
India’s only female lawyer， Perveen Mistry， is compelled to bring justice to the family of a murdered female Parsi student just as Bombay’s streets erupt in riots to protest British colonial rule。 Sujata Massey is back with this third installment to the Agatha and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning series set in 1920s Bombay。
November， 1921。 Edward VIII， Prince of Wales and future ruler of India， is arriving in Bombay to begin a four-month tour。 The Indian subcontinent is chafing under British rule， and Bombay solicitor Perveen Mistry isn’t surprised when local unrest over the royal arrival spirals into riots。 But she’s horrified by the death of Freny Cuttingmaster， an eighteen-year-old female Parsi student， who falls from a second-floor gallery just as the prince’s grand procession is passing by her college。
Freny had come for a legal consultation just days before her death， and what she confided makes Perveen suspicious that her death was not an accident。 Perveen， who strongly identified with Freny—another young Parsi woman fighting hard against the confines of society’s rules and expectations—feels terribly guilty for failing to help her。 Perveen steps forward to assist Freny’s family in the fraught dealings of the coroner’s inquest， and when Freny’s death is ruled a murder， Perveen knows she can’t rest until she sees justice done。 But Bombay is erupting: as armed British secret service march the streets， rioters attack anyone with perceived British connections and desperate shopkeepers destroy their own wares so they will not be targets of racial violence。 Can Perveen help a suffering family when her own is in danger？
November， 1921。 Edward VIII， Prince of Wales and future ruler of India， is arriving in Bombay to begin a four-month tour。 The Indian subcontinent is chafing under British rule， and Bombay solicitor Perveen Mistry isn’t surprised when local unrest over the royal arrival spirals into riots。 But she’s horrified by the death of Freny Cuttingmaster， an eighteen-year-old female Parsi student， who falls from a second-floor gallery just as the prince’s grand procession is passing by her college。
Freny had come for a legal consultation just days before her death， and what she confided makes Perveen suspicious that her death was not an accident。 Perveen， who strongly identified with Freny—another young Parsi woman fighting hard against the confines of society’s rules and expectations—feels terribly guilty for failing to help her。 Perveen steps forward to assist Freny’s family in the fraught dealings of the coroner’s inquest， and when Freny’s death is ruled a murder， Perveen knows she can’t rest until she sees justice done。 But Bombay is erupting: as armed British secret service march the streets， rioters attack anyone with perceived British connections and desperate shopkeepers destroy their own wares so they will not be targets of racial violence。 Can Perveen help a suffering family when her own is in danger？
Reviews
Kim Bakos
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I've not read many books set in India， and never during this time period， so it was interesting to learn some new bit of history that I was unfamiliar with。 I also enjoyed learning the meaning of Parsi and finding out that some of those in India are actually of Persian descent。The mystery part of the book was quite well written。 I was left guessing until the very end。 I liked seeing a strong woman character， especially in a time when that wasn't common at all。 I was thankful for the glossary at I've not read many books set in India， and never during this time period， so it was interesting to learn some new bit of history that I was unfamiliar with。 I also enjoyed learning the meaning of Parsi and finding out that some of those in India are actually of Persian descent。The mystery part of the book was quite well written。 I was left guessing until the very end。 I liked seeing a strong woman character， especially in a time when that wasn't common at all。 I was thankful for the glossary at the back of the book to help with some of the words in the story I was not familiar with， too。However， I kept wondering when the story would end， so either I was not as engaged as I should have been or the story lagged in some places。 。。。more
Cathy Cole
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Anyone who enjoys historical mysteries， strong female lead characters， and learning about a fascinating period in India's history must read Sujata Massey's excellent Perveen Mistry series。 The Bombay Prince is the third and latest in the series and after reading it， I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Perveen's life。Yes， we learn more about the customs of the Parsi。 Yes， we learn about Gandhi's influence during this period when India began to actively seek independence。 Yes， we learn about Anyone who enjoys historical mysteries， strong female lead characters， and learning about a fascinating period in India's history must read Sujata Massey's excellent Perveen Mistry series。 The Bombay Prince is the third and latest in the series and after reading it， I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Perveen's life。Yes， we learn more about the customs of the Parsi。 Yes， we learn about Gandhi's influence during this period when India began to actively seek independence。 Yes， we learn about the effect of the Prince of Wales' visit on the country， but we mostly get to immerse ourselves in Perveen Mistry's life。 （For those of you who may be wondering， both the Prince of Wales and Gandhi stay very firmly on the far periphery。） Perveen， the first female lawyer in Bombay， is based on a real person， Cornelia Sorabji， and Perveen is fascinating。As I tried to figure out who killed Freny Cuttingmaster， I couldn't help but see how carefully Perveen had to deal， not only with the British who were in control of the government but also with all the males she came in contact with。 She's confronted with a double whammy: sexual and religious bias， and both constantly throw up roadblocks in her path to justice。 Perveen daily walks through a minefield with her wits as her only protection。 Fortunately， the woman can think on her feet。As the mystery unfolds， readers are reminded that no place in Bombay is ever completely quiet， that the new steel wardrobes are preferable because they help prevent mildew， and that women had to be tough if they wanted a higher education。 But there's so much more to The Bombay Prince than learning the random facts that are so skillfully woven into the story or trying to unravel a very well-plotted mystery。 There is the rich tapestry of characters。 Perveen has a developing relationship with someone that should prove very interesting in future books， and Massey introduces two new characters that I certainly hope to see more of: the American journalist J。P。 Singer， and the elderly Mr。 Dass who certainly knows his way around a library。If you're already a fan of Sujata Massey's series， you're going to enjoy The Bombay Prince。 If you haven't feasted upon the series yet， don't delay。 But start at the beginning with the award-winning The Widows of Malabar Hill， and prepare to find yourselves experiencing Bombay in the 1920s。 I envy anyone reading these books for the first time！（Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley） 。。。more
Michelle Ardillo
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See my review at https://michelleardillo。com/2021/05/2。。。 See my review at https://michelleardillo。com/2021/05/2。。。 。。。more
Claire
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India is going through tough times。 The civil unrest grows when the Prince of Wales visits， leading to violent clashes in Bombay。 Parveen is the only lawyer in India and has to work alongside her father for people to take her seriously。 A college student， Freny， visits Perveen to advise her on attending her university's welcoming event for the Prince。 The next day the girl ends up dead， and Perveen decides in order to help Freny's family， she'll have to find the killer。Perveen's life is a horrib India is going through tough times。 The civil unrest grows when the Prince of Wales visits， leading to violent clashes in Bombay。 Parveen is the only lawyer in India and has to work alongside her father for people to take her seriously。 A college student， Freny， visits Perveen to advise her on attending her university's welcoming event for the Prince。 The next day the girl ends up dead， and Perveen decides in order to help Freny's family， she'll have to find the killer。Perveen's life is a horrible balancing act。 As the only female lawyer in India， she has the public's eyes on her and judging her。 Any wrong move and she ruins her future or shame her father。 She does everything she can to uphold her principles and bring justice to everyone she meets。 No matter how much people look down on her， she wants the right thing to be done。A vivid picture is painted of this time when India is fighting for its independence while dealing with the riots this desire leads to。 The one thing that doesn't work for me in this book and maybe future ones is that I'm not too fond of her romantic interest， Colin。 He's not empathetic towards Parveen's challenges。 Being seen with him could ruin her life。 Every scene involves him complaining about something。 。。。more
Jessica
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This is a new genre and author for me。 I enjoyed reading about Perveen， her investigation， and learning more about the culture of India a century ago。 For me， the first couple of chapters were difficult when all of the characters were being introduced because Indian names are so unfamiliar to me， but as I read more I didn't care if I was pronouncing them perfectly I was enjoying the characters。 I will be back for more Perveen。 I recommend this book。 This is a new genre and author for me。 I enjoyed reading about Perveen， her investigation， and learning more about the culture of India a century ago。 For me， the first couple of chapters were difficult when all of the characters were being introduced because Indian names are so unfamiliar to me， but as I read more I didn't care if I was pronouncing them perfectly I was enjoying the characters。 I will be back for more Perveen。 I recommend this book。 。。。more
C。P。 Lesley
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My first exposure to Sujata Massey was The Salaryman's Wife， which I read for a library book group several years ago and really liked， not least for its Japanese setting。 When I encountered The Widows of Malabar Hill， I was immediately hooked by the premise: specifically， the need for a woman lawyer in a society that confines its women， a topic that mirrors my own interests as a writer in ways I won’t detail here。 I enjoyed that book， too， and its sequel， The Satapur Moonstone， even more。 As a r My first exposure to Sujata Massey was The Salaryman's Wife， which I read for a library book group several years ago and really liked， not least for its Japanese setting。 When I encountered The Widows of Malabar Hill， I was immediately hooked by the premise: specifically， the need for a woman lawyer in a society that confines its women， a topic that mirrors my own interests as a writer in ways I won’t detail here。 I enjoyed that book， too， and its sequel， The Satapur Moonstone， even more。 As a result， I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this addition to the series through NetGalley in return for my honest review。The title refers to England’s Prince of Wales， the future Edward VIII， sent to visit his future colonial possession in preparation for becoming its King-Emperor one day。 Novels that look at the colonization of India from the viewpoint of its inhabitants are rare， which is one of the reasons this series appeals to me。 By 1922， when this story is set， Mohandas Gandhi is already a force in Anglo-Indian politics， and Perveen Mistry—heroine of the series and Bombay’s first female solicitor—sympathizes with his cause。 But the prince’s arrival sparks unrest that goes far beyond civil disobedience， including an assassination attempt against the prince and the murder of a young female student who has consulted Perveen about the potential costs of political protest。Like authorities in many places， the Bombay Police Department wants to solve the case as quickly as possible， but Perveen finds their conclusions unconvincing。 She takes a personal interest in the student’s murder， in part because she experiences guilt for not having prevented the girl’s death and in part because the victim， like Perveen herself， was Parsi。 Rumors that the Parsi as a group approve of British rule add an ugly and disturbingly contemporary racist tinge to the unrest。 Despite the constraints imposed on Perveen as a woman and an Indian， she becomes determined to find out who wanted the student dead and why。I enjoyed the mystery， which I figured out just before the Big Reveal， and I especially love the central characters and the way they are developing， as well as the rich descriptions of Indian life in the 1920s。 I do have a few caveats， some nitpicking （e。g。， Edward assumed his royal name on his ascension to the throne， so his friends called him David， not Eddie） and others personal （I prefer heroines in mystery stories who have enough sense not to throw themselves alone into the path of the murderer）。 But none of these reservations prevented me from tearing through this novel as fast as possible。 I’m already looking forward to Perveen Mistry no。 4！ 。。。more
Maureen Caupp
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A great addition to the series！ I highly enjoyed this book。 I enjoy following Perveen's adventures while learning more about the culture and unrest in Bombay in the 1920's。 If you want to learn a little more about a section of Indian culture through an intriguing story， I highly recommend this book！One of my few issues with the book is when Perveen goes after someone she suspects alone。 So many times in books， movies， and TV shows the amateur sleuth goes into dangerous situations alone and it ma A great addition to the series！ I highly enjoyed this book。 I enjoy following Perveen's adventures while learning more about the culture and unrest in Bombay in the 1920's。 If you want to learn a little more about a section of Indian culture through an intriguing story， I highly recommend this book！One of my few issues with the book is when Perveen goes after someone she suspects alone。 So many times in books， movies， and TV shows the amateur sleuth goes into dangerous situations alone and it makes me cringe。 。。。more
Barbara Schultz
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This is #3 in the Perveen Mistry series。 I did not read the first two in this series but did read some of the reviews。 Although not as good as reading the novels， the reviewed did give me some insight into Perveen and the India culture。Story’s setting is Bombay in the 1920sPerveen Mistry who is Bombay first lady solicitor， studied law in Oxford after her studies in India。 Yes at a time when women were not in such professions。 She returned home to work with her Dad in his ‘Mistry Law’ firm。 Her f This is #3 in the Perveen Mistry series。 I did not read the first two in this series but did read some of the reviews。 Although not as good as reading the novels， the reviewed did give me some insight into Perveen and the India culture。Story’s setting is Bombay in the 1920sPerveen Mistry who is Bombay first lady solicitor， studied law in Oxford after her studies in India。 Yes at a time when women were not in such professions。 She returned home to work with her Dad in his ‘Mistry Law’ firm。 Her father is proud and encourages his daughter however， he is also aware of his culture and his childhood beliefs。 This relationship reminded me of videos that were circulating last summer while we were being ‘safer at home。 Sheenan Melwini is a beautiful singer。 She and her Father have out a series of videos where her Dad interrupts her singing as he doesn’t like the lyrics。 The result is hilarious。 https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=9IYwp。。。 Second in the serieshttps://www。youtube。com/watch？v=GbYbP。。。Okay~ Back to this story ~ Perveen is trying to bring justice to a young woman who was murdered on the day Prince Edward was touring the country。 I am embarrassed to say that I really don’t know much about what was going on during this time period。 I do know that Bombay was under British rule for many years actually hundreds of years and India did seek independence。 Since that didn’t happen in 1920s I am guessing we are in for several more Perveen Mistry stories。I am a mystery fan ~ although the mystery wasn’t a huge part of this story ~ I did enjoy this story as well as the insights ~ and I will do some research into the time period！ Want to thank NetGalley and Soho Press for this early uncorrected eGalley granted to me for an honest professional opinion。 I am sure in the corrected copy there will be more information about what is history-what actually happened， as well as what liberties were taken。 I always enjoy reading the author’s notes as they give us readers the inside story。 Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 1， 2021 。。。more
Lori
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I was delighted to win an advance copy of the latest Perveen Mistry book， as I am a huge fan of this series， as well as the author's other books。 The Bombay Prince is a wonderful addition to the series。 Massey brings to life India's history of the time when the future King Edward VIII visited India in 1921 as Gandhi was organizing campaigns to promote improvement of life for Indian people and for self-rule， inspiring student protests against the British。 She particularly focused on how these eve I was delighted to win an advance copy of the latest Perveen Mistry book， as I am a huge fan of this series， as well as the author's other books。 The Bombay Prince is a wonderful addition to the series。 Massey brings to life India's history of the time when the future King Edward VIII visited India in 1921 as Gandhi was organizing campaigns to promote improvement of life for Indian people and for self-rule， inspiring student protests against the British。 She particularly focused on how these events affected the Parsi people and women in general。 Learning more about this time period made the book much more substantial than the typical mystery。 I also enjoyed the continuing stories of Perveen's family， friends and relationships， and I look forward to future installments。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Martina
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The third book in Massey's Perveen Mistry series。 I've enjoyed the previous books so look forward to this one！ 1920s Bombay comes to life with the city's first female lawyer。 The third book in Massey's Perveen Mistry series。 I've enjoyed the previous books so look forward to this one！ 1920s Bombay comes to life with the city's first female lawyer。 。。。more
Wafflepirates
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*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*Massey's books just keep getting better and better。 There's a lot to love about her brand of mystery writing: it's historical fiction set in 1920's India， features a female solicitor who is successful， and the mystery is the perfect balance of puzzling and suspenseful without going too far either way。 I've never felt lost reading her books， and the big reveals are always rewarding and well fore *Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*Massey's books just keep getting better and better。 There's a lot to love about her brand of mystery writing: it's historical fiction set in 1920's India， features a female solicitor who is successful， and the mystery is the perfect balance of puzzling and suspenseful without going too far either way。 I've never felt lost reading her books， and the big reveals are always rewarding and well foreshadowed。 I also love Perveen's character， she's clever， quick to act， and unafraid to do what she needs for her clients and her career。Despite the name， this book only tangentially relates to princes， having taken place during Prince Edward's visit to Bombay， and focuses more on the death of a female student and the rising tensions within the city。 If you're looking for a historical mystery that's well-written， set in an interesting location and time period， and is more than just a thriller， pick up this series， you won't regret it。 。。。more
Annie
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Perveen Mistry returns to right wrongs in Sujata Massey’s The Bombay Prince。 This entry sees the first Parsi woman lawyer hoping for a few more cases for the family firm while tension starts to simmer across the city in anticipation of a visit from the Prince of Wales， the future （briefly） King Edward VIII。 On a routine day， Perveen has a visit from a student of one of her friends。 The student asks for Perveen’s opinion about whether or not her college can kick her out for her political activiti Perveen Mistry returns to right wrongs in Sujata Massey’s The Bombay Prince。 This entry sees the first Parsi woman lawyer hoping for a few more cases for the family firm while tension starts to simmer across the city in anticipation of a visit from the Prince of Wales， the future （briefly） King Edward VIII。 On a routine day， Perveen has a visit from a student of one of her friends。 The student asks for Perveen’s opinion about whether or not her college can kick her out for her political activities。 This little meeting ultimately leads Perveen into a murder investigation， religious and political tangles， parental disappointment， and perhaps another chance at love。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more
Laura Hill
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Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 The book will be published on June 1st， 2021。The Bombay Prince is the third title in the Perveen Mistry series。 1920s India — Perveen is Bombay’s first female solicitor。 With prestigious legal training from Oxford， as a woman she is not eligible for a degree。 This particular story takes place during the 1921-22 Indian visit of Edward VIII， the Prince of Wales。 With Gandhi’s call for Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 The book will be published on June 1st， 2021。The Bombay Prince is the third title in the Perveen Mistry series。 1920s India — Perveen is Bombay’s first female solicitor。 With prestigious legal training from Oxford， as a woman she is not eligible for a degree。 This particular story takes place during the 1921-22 Indian visit of Edward VIII， the Prince of Wales。 With Gandhi’s call for a hartal （boycott） and others anxious to show loyalty to the crown， a great deal of violence and turmoil ensures。 And in the middle of this， the body of a young female student is found on the missionary college grounds。While the pacing is a little slow for me， the writing is good and the characters and historical situation are well described and embroidered with detail。 I learned a lot from the descriptions of different religious groups， practices， and attitudes towards independence， toward the British， and toward women。 Individual characters representing foreign journalists， businessmen， servants， and others were all well-done and enlightening。 I’ll plan to go back and read the first two。 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
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The Bombay Prince is the third of Ms。 Massey’s titles featuring Perveen Mistry。 This one is my favorite！The story is set in the early 20th century when Perveen was the first female solicitor in India。 Perveen was educated at Oxford when she could not attend law school in her own country。 She is in a practice with her father。At the time that this story begins， Prince Edward is traveling to India。 It is a time of unrest and protest as many in India would like to leave British rule behind。 Some of The Bombay Prince is the third of Ms。 Massey’s titles featuring Perveen Mistry。 This one is my favorite！The story is set in the early 20th century when Perveen was the first female solicitor in India。 Perveen was educated at Oxford when she could not attend law school in her own country。 She is in a practice with her father。At the time that this story begins， Prince Edward is traveling to India。 It is a time of unrest and protest as many in India would like to leave British rule behind。 Some of those who are protesting are students。 In this context Freny， a young college student， consults with Perveen。 Freny is later murdered （not really a spoiler as this happens early in the book）。 Who killed her？ Why？The story itself moves at a leisurely pace。 Readers get to know Perveen better in this book。 There is more time spent with her family。 Perveen’s friend Alice and Colin （from the second book） also are quite present。The settings are beautifully presented。 There are the college， the hotels， clubs， storefronts and more。 There is also a lot to learn about Indian culture， foods and funeral customs。 The author’s care in including so much detail enhances the reader’s experience。Ms。 Massey has written this series and also an earlier one set in Japan。 I recommend all of her books most highly。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sarah-Hope
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I find historical mysteries fascinating: it's that magic of recreating a particular， often pivotal， moment in time， then building a narrative on top of it that illuminates that moment。 In the last year or so， I've found myself reading several mysteries set in India during the struggle for independence and the sectarian violence during and after that period。 The Perveen Mistry novels are a solid addition to that genre， particularly because the "detective" figure is India's （fictional， as far as I I find historical mysteries fascinating: it's that magic of recreating a particular， often pivotal， moment in time， then building a narrative on top of it that illuminates that moment。 In the last year or so， I've found myself reading several mysteries set in India during the struggle for independence and the sectarian violence during and after that period。 The Perveen Mistry novels are a solid addition to that genre， particularly because the "detective" figure is India's （fictional， as far as I know） first female solicitor。 Mistry studied law at Oxford after completing her education in India， though she couldn't receive a degree， as Oxford had not yet begun granting degrees to women at the time she attended。 She then returned home to share a law practice with her father。As with many historical mysteries， the heart of the novel isn't the mystery itself。 Mistry is trying to track down the killer of a young Indian woman who was murdered on the day Prince Edward began his royal tour of the country。 The author gives readers a reasonable number of suspects， but the plotting isn't all that complex。 What's fascinating is the way Mistry navigates the currents of a society in the middle of intense transition: women entering professions， British rule being challenged， many types of new of relationships being built among Indians and Brits， Hindu/Parsi tensions （Mistry is Parsi）， the narrow codes for acceptable female behavior， and class difference both across and within nationalities。Read this book knowing that， while the mystery is competent， it's meeting Mistry and sharing the complexity of her thinking and life that are the real reward。I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGally。 The opinions are my own。 。。。more
Mona
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Thank you Goodreads First Reads for my complimentary review copy。 Although this is the third installment in Massey's Perveen Mistry series， it functions well enough as a stand-alone。 Perveen， Bombay's first female solicitor， is in practice with her father。 She is a curious mix of progressive and conservative。 Although she is highly educated and a divorcé， she is still bound by the proper decorum expected of women。 The Prince of Wales， Edward VIII， is arriving in Bombay。 The future ruler of India Thank you Goodreads First Reads for my complimentary review copy。 Although this is the third installment in Massey's Perveen Mistry series， it functions well enough as a stand-alone。 Perveen， Bombay's first female solicitor， is in practice with her father。 She is a curious mix of progressive and conservative。 Although she is highly educated and a divorcé， she is still bound by the proper decorum expected of women。 The Prince of Wales， Edward VIII， is arriving in Bombay。 The future ruler of India is on a four-month tour 。 Normally， a royal visit would entail pageantry， protocol， and a flurry of preparation。 But， these were not normal times。 1920's India is rankling under the oppression of British Rule。 Instead of curiosity and celebration， there was mayhem， malice， and， possibly。。。murder。 The victim， Freny Cuttingmaster， was a promising student at the local Woodburn College。 She was also a member of the student union， considered an extracurricular activity， not a fanatic activist group。 She was standing in the balcony of the nearby campus building as the prince's procession passed by。 Then， she fell。 Perveen was especially perturbed。 Freny had， just the day before， come in for a consultation。 And， now she was gone。 She felt guilty， somehow culpable for her death。 Despite the inevitable limitations， obstacles， and risks， she felt she HAD to solve the mystery。 I enjoyed this historical fiction cozy mystery。 That it was set in India， my country of origin， was a bonus。 It was descriptive and unpredictable。 However， it would have been helpful to have footnotes。 There were several uncommon and/or unfamiliar words and having to look them up was inconvenient。 。。。more
Brenda
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Such a lovely book！ It was my first by this author and I'm so glad to have discovered her。 The simple writing style reminds me vaguely of the Number One Detective Agency series。 Though a murder mystery， there is so much to learn here about the Parasi culture， customs， funeral rites and rituals。 One of those which stands out in my mind most is the furnished cottages with meals provided for grieving families。 Brilliant。 Set in Bombay in 1921 and 1922， Perveen， a female lawyer， is an advocate for a Such a lovely book！ It was my first by this author and I'm so glad to have discovered her。 The simple writing style reminds me vaguely of the Number One Detective Agency series。 Though a murder mystery， there is so much to learn here about the Parasi culture， customs， funeral rites and rituals。 One of those which stands out in my mind most is the furnished cottages with meals provided for grieving families。 Brilliant。 Set in Bombay in 1921 and 1922， Perveen， a female lawyer， is an advocate for a young woman called Freny who comes to Perveen seeking advice。 Should she or should she not attend a public event honouring Prince Edward VIII？ When Freny is found dead at the event and her heartbroken family demands answers and Perveen and her father are willing to lend counsel。 Freny had secrets。 Riots， politics， danger， history， family and friendship dynamics contribute to the atmosphere as the perpetrator is sought。We see the politics of the day and the increasing female presence。 The entire book has a rich vibrancy from the cherry-red silk sari to the mango and other fruit trees to the fabulous pastry descriptions to the culture。 I love the writing style， so appealing。This book would intrigue General Fiction， Women's Fiction， Historical Fiction and Mystery readers and would be a shame to miss。My sincere thank you to Independent Publishers Group and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this enticing book。 This author really clicked with me so I will happily read her other books。 。。。more
S。 Smith
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While finding her way as the only female barrister in 1920s Bombay， Parveen Mistry remains confident in her ability to uphold the standards of her father's office and to deal with clients independently。 Her latest interview， with a female Parsi college student fearful of expulsion because of her anti-colonial sentiments， takes on new meaning when the young woman dies from a fall during a procession welcoming （and protesting） a visit by the British Prince of Wales。 Certain that the killing is hom While finding her way as the only female barrister in 1920s Bombay， Parveen Mistry remains confident in her ability to uphold the standards of her father's office and to deal with clients independently。 Her latest interview， with a female Parsi college student fearful of expulsion because of her anti-colonial sentiments， takes on new meaning when the young woman dies from a fall during a procession welcoming （and protesting） a visit by the British Prince of Wales。 Certain that the killing is homicide， Parveen persists with an investigation even as riots spread through the city and her own life comes under threat。。 Parveen's intriguing third case equals the promise of the first two novels in a character-driven series that brings historical India to vibrant life。 Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Bebe （Sarah） Brechner
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Book three of Massey's excellent Perveen Mistry series is another highly anticipated and deeply satisfying novel。 Massey debuted the story of Perveen， India's first female lawyer with The Widows of Malabar。 Readers were immediately gripped by the fascinating tale of Zoroastrian Perveen and family， her careful navigation of social and family traditions， her disastrous marriage， and the intriguing landscape of Hindu， Muslim， Christian， and Zoroastrianism in 1920's India。 This third story has Perve Book three of Massey's excellent Perveen Mistry series is another highly anticipated and deeply satisfying novel。 Massey debuted the story of Perveen， India's first female lawyer with The Widows of Malabar。 Readers were immediately gripped by the fascinating tale of Zoroastrian Perveen and family， her careful navigation of social and family traditions， her disastrous marriage， and the intriguing landscape of Hindu， Muslim， Christian， and Zoroastrianism in 1920's India。 This third story has Perveen back in town， working alongside her father， but not too far removed from her dangerous time in the remote， princely state of Satapur， described in the second book - The Satapur Moonstone。 Now it is 1921 and the young Prince Edward， heir to the British throne， has come to India for a state visit。 At this time， a groundswell for India's independence， fostered by Gandhi and others， portends a volatile situation for the state visit。 Allegiances are tested， lines are drawn， and Indians start to distrust one another， as well as the British。 At center stage is a local college which allows women students， but with strict restrictions。 The college requires its students to be patriotic to the King， setting the stage for a deadly clash， as many of the young students wish for independence。 Perveen gets involved as a female student comes to her for advice。 Massey has a created an entirely vivid world in this series - with deeply beautiful writing， a strong， compelling sense of place， perfect characterizations， and authentic dialogue。 If the contemporary reader gets frustrated with the constant setbacks of Perveen's attempts to break the gender barrier， this just adds to the realism of the series。 Massey gives needed insight into just how difficult it was for women at that time and in that culture， as well as the social mores， generally， and the Zoroastrian culture， specifically。 It is most refreshing and exciting to have such a literary， authentic voice given to this era in India's history。 。。。more
Cassandra
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I was delighted to read the next installment of the Perveen Mistry Series。 Perveen is a character worth rooting for。 As the first female solicitor in India， she must work twice as hard and be twice as effective to be taken seriously。 She is clever， gutsy， and compassionate， all while carefully considering how her actions may affect future female solicitors。 I loved learning about the cultural and historical influences of this time-period， especially the impact of British colonialism on the citiz I was delighted to read the next installment of the Perveen Mistry Series。 Perveen is a character worth rooting for。 As the first female solicitor in India， she must work twice as hard and be twice as effective to be taken seriously。 She is clever， gutsy， and compassionate， all while carefully considering how her actions may affect future female solicitors。 I loved learning about the cultural and historical influences of this time-period， especially the impact of British colonialism on the citizens of India。 The writing of the dialogue can be a bit stilted。 Even allowing for cultural/historical period differences and a more formal tone， the dialogue doesn’t flow as well as I would hope for a third book in a series。 Despite that quibble， the ending was satisfying and made me hope for good things in Perveen’s future… 。。。more
Ashley Blanchette
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Do you love historical mysteries with strong， spunky， smart female protagonists who have to solve mysteries against the odds？ If you loved Perveen Mistry the 1st or the 2nd time you read about her， you will want to pick this 3rd installment up in June！ If you haven’t fallen for Perveen yet， then you get the added bonus of snatching up all THREE books and binging on them over the summer。 Perveen Mistry is India’s 1st female solicitor who is fighting the social norms and expectations of her time。 Do you love historical mysteries with strong， spunky， smart female protagonists who have to solve mysteries against the odds？ If you loved Perveen Mistry the 1st or the 2nd time you read about her， you will want to pick this 3rd installment up in June！ If you haven’t fallen for Perveen yet， then you get the added bonus of snatching up all THREE books and binging on them over the summer。 Perveen Mistry is India’s 1st female solicitor who is fighting the social norms and expectations of her time。 This installment transports you back into Bombay of the 1920s， where there is a growing movement towards Indian independence at the same time the Prince of Wales， aka the Bombay Prince， is coming to visit。 Protests begin to erupt making the environment dangerous for all those trying to move through their daily lives。 Ahead of the royal visit， a student at a local college comes to Perveen for advice on how her student organization should handle the protests of Edward VIII’s visit。 During the parade that same student suspiciously falls to her death， or does she？Perveen feels compelled to help this student’s parents through the legal investigation that ensues， sometimes against their will。 Old friends are brought together in unexpected ways and new friends are made。 The mystery can slowly be pieced together over the course of the book， if you are observant， but still the ending surprised me a bit - which all good mysteries should！ I believe the book sets up great for a 4th installment。 Know I will be waiting with baited breath for that announcement！ 。。。more
Amy
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This has become one of my most anticipated mystery series。 Perveen is an appealing character， and her efforts to succeed as a female lawyer in 1920s Bombay are presented in a realistic way - for example， the small triumph of speaking for her client at a coroner's inquest。 It was also heartening that hope remains for her potential love interest， in light of her previous unhappy marriage。 The mystery involves a murder that takes place during the riots set off by the visit of the Prince of Wales。 T This has become one of my most anticipated mystery series。 Perveen is an appealing character， and her efforts to succeed as a female lawyer in 1920s Bombay are presented in a realistic way - for example， the small triumph of speaking for her client at a coroner's inquest。 It was also heartening that hope remains for her potential love interest， in light of her previous unhappy marriage。 The mystery involves a murder that takes place during the riots set off by the visit of the Prince of Wales。 The future King Edward VIII only appears in the background， while the focus is on local attitudes toward British rule。 Supporting characters from all walks of life enrich the story， and visits to several of Bombay's landmark buildings and public spaces help set the scene。 Recommended for fans of historical mysteries along the lines of Jacqueline Winspear。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy。 。。。more
Noor Juman
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I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。Perveen Mistry is back solving murder mysteries in Bombay！ SATAPUR MOONSTONE， the second book in Massey’s 1920s-set mysteries following Bombay’s first female solicitor， was a perfectly functional murder mystery adventure， but lacked the charm THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL which benefited from a very character-driven narrative， a cast of colorful supporting characters and the city of Bombay itself。 The concept of ‘social mappin I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。Perveen Mistry is back solving murder mysteries in Bombay！ SATAPUR MOONSTONE， the second book in Massey’s 1920s-set mysteries following Bombay’s first female solicitor， was a perfectly functional murder mystery adventure， but lacked the charm THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL which benefited from a very character-driven narrative， a cast of colorful supporting characters and the city of Bombay itself。 The concept of ‘social mapping’ is briefly touched upon in the book: it concerns the mapping of how cities evolve， and how every landmark and every family is steeped in rich history。 Much like Bombay， Perveen has a life that we’ve gotten to know over the course of two books。 Familiar faces such as her delightful best friend， Alice， the Mistry family， Mistry House’s manservant， Mustafa， and even Colin Sandringham from Satapur （whom I didn’t particularly care for earlier， but is beginning to grow on me） return in this instalment。And like pre-independence Bombay， Perveen is thinking ahead while treading untested waters。 We are back to a more personal narrative as Perveen solves the murder of a bright female college student whom she deeply identified with。 But it’s not just the case that feels personal。 Massey takes time to explore Perveen’s dynamic with the rest of the Mistry family。 One particular conversation between her and her sister-in-law， Gulnaz stuck with me long after I read it: It’s a conversation every single woman has had to deal with and it left me feeling angry and helpless。Speaking of pre-independence India， the civil unrest in the 1920s is not something I come across very often in fiction。 Events of THE BOMBAY PRINCE take place during the Prince of Wales’ （Charles’ uncle） visit to Bombay， and the uprising and communal violence it incited makes up a significant chunk of the novel。 So much so that I feel the novel is only part murder mystery。 The remaining part is an anthropological portrait of what Bombay society might have been like at the time。 I do have one gripe though， and that is the incorrect year of the prince’s visit， which was in 1921 and not in 1922 when SATAPUR MOONSTONE and PRINCE is set。 At first， I’d assumed PRINCE was set before SATAPUR， but that turned out not to be the case once Colin appeared。Perveen’s being educated in many lines of law， as well as her personal history with family law， has allowed Massey to include of legal procedures in her books。 In PRINCE we get to see a coroner’s inquest， and we get to see how Indians and British officials might have butted heads on formalities and jurisdiction。 We’re also introduced to some new characters in the enigmatic American journalist， J。 P。 Singer， and a kindly library patron， Mr。 Dass。 We’re also told of Perveen’s connection to THE Mohammad Ali Jinnah。 Given how Massey is telling stories which are more episodic than they are isolated， I hope we get to see more of these characters in future books！ 。。。more
J。
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This is the third volume in the Perveen Mistry series。 I enjoyed the previous books and this one does not disappoint。 It is 1921 and the Prince of Wales is visiting India。 The independence movement is growing and there is unrest。 A young female student who has just consulted with Perveen is found dead after the Prince's parade。 And so the story begins。 Perveen once again delicately works her way to the solution ever mindful of society's restrictions for women at the time。 I really like the way t This is the third volume in the Perveen Mistry series。 I enjoyed the previous books and this one does not disappoint。 It is 1921 and the Prince of Wales is visiting India。 The independence movement is growing and there is unrest。 A young female student who has just consulted with Perveen is found dead after the Prince's parade。 And so the story begins。 Perveen once again delicately works her way to the solution ever mindful of society's restrictions for women at the time。 I really like the way this author shows us the cultural and social norms of India in the 1920s and how she manages to have Perveen remain true to these while she solves crimes。 。。。more
Audrey
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Perveen Mistry is back and this book doesn’t disappoint。 The tension， overall， is higher as students demonstrate and protest the English Prince’s visit to Bombay and England’s colonization of India itself。 Perveen is so cognizant of her role as the first woman solicitor and her responsibilities。 She counsels a student who is later found dead via murder。 And as she navigates the legal system， the Royal visit and her family， she investigates the case。 There is so much to like about these mysteries Perveen Mistry is back and this book doesn’t disappoint。 The tension， overall， is higher as students demonstrate and protest the English Prince’s visit to Bombay and England’s colonization of India itself。 Perveen is so cognizant of her role as the first woman solicitor and her responsibilities。 She counsels a student who is later found dead via murder。 And as she navigates the legal system， the Royal visit and her family， she investigates the case。 There is so much to like about these mysteries including the subtle class issues within Indian society and her soon to be forbidden romance with an Englishman from book 2。 But most of all， society limits Perveen and as she pushes the boundaries， she is always aware as to how vulnerable she is。 I can’t wait for the next installment。 I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Nancee
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Such an interesting time period and fascinating to learn about the Indian independence movement as the setting for this series。 Mention is made of the incident that was the centerpiece for Nev March’s Murder in Old Bombay in this book。
Sarah
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Author bad habits are getting in the way of me reading any more of this series。 There's so much to love！: a main character whose life and history are revealed and become more complex book by book; an array of characters who， though sometimes slim side appearances only， display the variety of Indian citizens; plots influenced by local， national， and international politics。The writing is too clunky， though， and has not gotten better as the series has progressed。 Some information is repeated multip Author bad habits are getting in the way of me reading any more of this series。 There's so much to love！: a main character whose life and history are revealed and become more complex book by book; an array of characters who， though sometimes slim side appearances only， display the variety of Indian citizens; plots influenced by local， national， and international politics。The writing is too clunky， though， and has not gotten better as the series has progressed。 Some information is repeated multiple times， unnecessarily。 Other information is contradicted only a short while later。 Conversations feel full of non sequiturs and sudden changes in topic。A series with a lot to recommend it， if readers are less sensitive （picky？） about the writing。 。。。more
Rebecca
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3。5 rounded down。
Barbara
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This is a fun murder mystery that takes place in Bombay （now Mumbai） in the 1920's， when the Indian Independence movement was growing。 The lead character， Preveen Mistry， is a divorced Parsi woman who works with her lawyer father and is the only female solicitor in Bombay。 Always on her best behavior publically due to her position， Preveen happens to be nearby when Freny， a college student， is found dead outside a co-ed college。 Preveen and her friend Alice， a teacher at the college， think that This is a fun murder mystery that takes place in Bombay （now Mumbai） in the 1920's， when the Indian Independence movement was growing。 The lead character， Preveen Mistry， is a divorced Parsi woman who works with her lawyer father and is the only female solicitor in Bombay。 Always on her best behavior publically due to her position， Preveen happens to be nearby when Freny， a college student， is found dead outside a co-ed college。 Preveen and her friend Alice， a teacher at the college， think that the wrong person has been accused of the murder and decide to solve it themselves。 With her father's help， Preveen pulls back layers upon layers of intrigue and places herself in danger。 Readers fascinated by history， other cultures， and solving murders will enjoy this suspenseful book。 。。。more
Madeleine
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So cute yet also serious， really loving how this series is developing。Thanks NetGalley for letting academic librarians join in the ARC fun :） I wish I could buy this for my library。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Bombay Prince
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Bombay Prince&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Bombay Prince&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0