The Blue Bar
- Downloads：5621
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-08 08:51:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Damyanti Biswas
- ISBN：1662503911
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
On the dark streets of Mumbai， the paths of a missing dancer， a serial killer， and an inspector with a haunted past converge in an evocative thriller about lost love and murderous obsession。
After years of dancing in Mumbai’s bars， Tara Mondal was desperate for a new start。 So when a client offered her a life-changing payout to indulge a harmless， if odd， fantasy， she accepted。 The setup was simple: wear a blue-sequined saree， enter a crowded railway station， and escape from view in less than three minutes。 It was the last time anyone saw Tara。
Thirteen years later， Tara’s lover， Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput， is still grappling with her disappearance as he faces a horrifying new crisis: on the city’s outskirts， women’s dismembered bodies are being unearthed from shallow graves。 Very little links the murders， except a scattering of blue sequins and a decade’s worth of missing persons reports that correspond with major festivals。
Past and present blur as Arnav realizes he’s on the trail of a serial killer and that someone wants his investigation buried at any cost。 Could the key to finding Tara and solving these murders be hidden in one of his cold cases？ Or will the next body they recover be hers？
After years of dancing in Mumbai’s bars， Tara Mondal was desperate for a new start。 So when a client offered her a life-changing payout to indulge a harmless， if odd， fantasy， she accepted。 The setup was simple: wear a blue-sequined saree， enter a crowded railway station， and escape from view in less than three minutes。 It was the last time anyone saw Tara。
Thirteen years later， Tara’s lover， Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput， is still grappling with her disappearance as he faces a horrifying new crisis: on the city’s outskirts， women’s dismembered bodies are being unearthed from shallow graves。 Very little links the murders， except a scattering of blue sequins and a decade’s worth of missing persons reports that correspond with major festivals。
Past and present blur as Arnav realizes he’s on the trail of a serial killer and that someone wants his investigation buried at any cost。 Could the key to finding Tara and solving these murders be hidden in one of his cold cases？ Or will the next body they recover be hers？
Reviews
Likestotravel
，
The Blue Bar is an intense love story as much as it is an intense thriller。 The characters， including Mumbai where it is set， are beautifully developed and described throughout the novel。 It was a pleasure to be so immersed in this enchanting novel。 Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this great ARC。
RK_reads
，
An edgy， dark psychological thriller set in Mumbai that courses from glamorous ballrooms of socialite parties to the cramped green rooms of seedy dance bars and culminates in the swampy mangroves of Madh island。 In 2003， seventeen year old bar-dancer Tara Mondal goes missing while on an assignment for a private client。 Fourteen years later， Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput， Tara's ex-boyfriend， who still carries a torch for her， comes across a crime site with dismembered female bodies。 Despite the l An edgy， dark psychological thriller set in Mumbai that courses from glamorous ballrooms of socialite parties to the cramped green rooms of seedy dance bars and culminates in the swampy mangroves of Madh island。 In 2003， seventeen year old bar-dancer Tara Mondal goes missing while on an assignment for a private client。 Fourteen years later， Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput， Tara's ex-boyfriend， who still carries a torch for her， comes across a crime site with dismembered female bodies。 Despite the lack of evidence， recognising that a serial killer is at large， Arnav and his team get busy with their investigation。 Unsurprisingly， the team faces blocks and threats at every turn - from ministers to high-ranking police officers， influential businessmen and even the mafia。 In the face of betrayal and death threats， Arnav bravely soldiers on， even as he dreads that the next body he may find could be Tara's。 The plot had the trappings of crime thriller/serial killer/cop procedural series that have become all the rage on Indian OTT platforms - the kind that I have been binge-watching over the last two years。 Little wonder then that I devoured this book in a day and a half。 The author wields her words so brilliantly that she brings alive the city of Mumbai - its sights and sounds - through the pages of The Blue Bar。 The plot is fast-paced， the tension taut and the characters well-rounded。 The identity of the serial killer is evident despite the author throwing around multiple red herrings; this however， doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the book。 Overall， mind-blowing。 I have found myself one more author to add to my list of favourites。 Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan Ballard
，
If you love a great crime thriller with corruption， bureaucracy， and a serial killer 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫 is one 𝘯𝘰𝘵 to be missed。 Set in the bustling city of Mumbai， the story follows three characters' points of view。Tara: a bar dancer who disappeared after her boss asked her to do a “special” job。 She was requested to wear a blue sequined saree that day。Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput: who was Tara’s lover and is now investigating a string of bodies found in shallow graves。 They all appear to be women。 W If you love a great crime thriller with corruption， bureaucracy， and a serial killer 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫 is one 𝘯𝘰𝘵 to be missed。 Set in the bustling city of Mumbai， the story follows three characters' points of view。Tara: a bar dancer who disappeared after her boss asked her to do a “special” job。 She was requested to wear a blue sequined saree that day。Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput: who was Tara’s lover and is now investigating a string of bodies found in shallow graves。 They all appear to be women。 What is most upsetting to Arnav is the blue sequins found at the crime scenes。The Killer: a very disturbed individual， but clearly they have connections or protection with some people in high places。 I enjoyed the atmosphere， the suspense， and how well the characters were developed， but I especially enjoyed the human element in this。 It spoke to why people do what they do to survive。Thank you @letstalkbookspromo @amazonpublishing and @damyantig for a spot on tour and a gifted copy。 。。。more
Sunita Saldhana
，
I started my reading for 2023 by reading “The Blue Bar” by Damyanti Biswas。 This is the second novel by the author。 I had read her first book “You Beneath Your Skin” and found it spectacular as a debut novel。 I wondered how this book would compare to that one， because often after a masterpiece， it is difficult to replicate that performance。 The Blue Bar however surpassed expectations。 The story kept me gripped。 One thing that I noticed in both the books of this author， is that she takes a lot of I started my reading for 2023 by reading “The Blue Bar” by Damyanti Biswas。 This is the second novel by the author。 I had read her first book “You Beneath Your Skin” and found it spectacular as a debut novel。 I wondered how this book would compare to that one， because often after a masterpiece， it is difficult to replicate that performance。 The Blue Bar however surpassed expectations。 The story kept me gripped。 One thing that I noticed in both the books of this author， is that she takes a lot of trouble over her research。 She is not someone who believes in writing a book in 30 days。 She takes time and trouble to create something that is really exceptional。Her characters are never the perfect hero or heroine。 They are real life people who make mistakes and have flaws and struggle to make sense of their world which is refreshing。The story moves with twists and turns and the ending as in her first book is not something you quite expect， but which makes perfect sense。It is definitely not an easy， pleasant read。 There were times I shuddered in horror， even praying that Arnav caught the killer before he killed anyone else。 Biswas does not hesitate to write about the evil that actually exists。 Hers are not stories， sugarcoated to be made palatable， but raw real life。 The title of the book reads “The Blue Bar （Blue Mumbai Thriller Book 1）” which makes me really happy because that means I can look forward to more books by her。 。。。more
eyes。2c
，
Bar girls， blue saris…a dangerous world！A dismembered body found on Madh Island in a disputed protected coastal mangrove forest are to the west of Mumbai opens up a trail of disappred bar girls going back years。 Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput is called out to a building site where the workers have just uncovered a torso。 Arnav dreads each call out he gets。 He fears the body will be Tara， the bar girl he was involved with， who disappeared a decade ago without a trace。 The Inspector is ordered to cl Bar girls， blue saris…a dangerous world！A dismembered body found on Madh Island in a disputed protected coastal mangrove forest are to the west of Mumbai opens up a trail of disappred bar girls going back years。 Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput is called out to a building site where the workers have just uncovered a torso。 Arnav dreads each call out he gets。 He fears the body will be Tara， the bar girl he was involved with， who disappeared a decade ago without a trace。 The Inspector is ordered to close the case， only he suspects that this is just one of many deaths。 He also suspects the undercurrent of corruption is involved。 In high places possibly。 Confirmed to his mind， when he’s offered a promotion that will take him away from this case。What we have is a whirlwind trip into the killler’s psychological obsessions， his targets referred to as Items， the involvement of high powered mafia type bosses， corrupt officials and parliamentarians， rich landowners， Bollywood stars， and the disappointment of a friend’s malfeasance。 Meanwhile the Supreme Court of India has ruled that dance bars can be reopened in Mumbai。 In a twist， the former bar dancer Tara， the woman Arnav has never forgotten， the girl he expects to find turning up as a body， has returned to the Blue Bar for a week to choreograph the bar’s dancers。 Now Tara’s become a target for the killer—for the second time！ Can Arnav protect her？ This time he has much more to lose。A gritty account of the world of bar girls， the dark corners of the underbelly of the city， the other side of Bollywood and bright lights， the other Mumbai。A complex novel。 It’s easy to become a tad lost。 A very rewarding read！A Thomas & Mercer ARC via NetGalley。 Many thanks to the author and publisher。 。。。more
Shayna Williams
，
A peek into a far away landReading The Blue Bar was a treat。 It was a well written thriller with good pacing。 It drew me in and I loved getting a glimpse of the culture of India。
Aksana
，
It was a good read。 Chapters with 'unknown' voice were confusing to me and some parts at the end did not add up。 It read like a Bollywood movie-nothing wrong with that。 It was a good read。 Chapters with 'unknown' voice were confusing to me and some parts at the end did not add up。 It read like a Bollywood movie-nothing wrong with that。 。。。more
Chris
，
2。5 stars。I had all I could do to finish this。 I was semi interested in the storyline but the writing was amateurish。 Didn't like the characters。 2。5 stars。I had all I could do to finish this。 I was semi interested in the storyline but the writing was amateurish。 Didn't like the characters。 。。。more
J。 Johnson
，
This book is an in-depth and complex work of art。 That's not to say it's a difficult read; it certainly isn't。 But there are so many layers of it， all of which I love and have studied - or wished to study - in various 'lives' I've led。 It is first and foremost a captivating noir mystery。 It is also a provocative love story， between man and woman， between close friends， between mother and daughter。 There are parallels and there are paradoxes。 There are smoothly woven， subtle comparisons and then This book is an in-depth and complex work of art。 That's not to say it's a difficult read; it certainly isn't。 But there are so many layers of it， all of which I love and have studied - or wished to study - in various 'lives' I've led。 It is first and foremost a captivating noir mystery。 It is also a provocative love story， between man and woman， between close friends， between mother and daughter。 There are parallels and there are paradoxes。 There are smoothly woven， subtle comparisons and then eye-blinking contrasts。 It has hints of the exotic and then slaps of the downright shocking - the first in worlds some may wish to travel， and the latter in worlds most may never wish to see， but should have to。 And Damyanti Biswas makes us。 Because we shouldn't go through a life anywhere on this planet sticking our heads in the sand。 The ending in particular had such symbolic ironies that I found myself catching my breath。 This piece of literature could be studied in any high school or university classroom， anywhere around the globe， in any language。 The Blue Bar is entertaining， educational and engrossing。 I feel richer and a little more mature for having read it。 。。。more
Anne Forbes Reed
，
Edge of your seat read。I liked the large number of suspects。 It was hard to guess the outcome。 It was a really good mystery。
Charlie Helton
，
This exotic thriller taking place in Mumbai started out a little slow as it introduced all the players but once it picked up speed， it never let go with all the twists， bumps， and unexpected turns。 Women are being murdered and dismembered， there is political corruption in the police force， a greedy real estate company， and vain socialites and celebrities but underneath the shallowness is an inspector determined to solve the crimes， unearth the truth， and hopefully find the one that got away。 I l This exotic thriller taking place in Mumbai started out a little slow as it introduced all the players but once it picked up speed， it never let go with all the twists， bumps， and unexpected turns。 Women are being murdered and dismembered， there is political corruption in the police force， a greedy real estate company， and vain socialites and celebrities but underneath the shallowness is an inspector determined to solve the crimes， unearth the truth， and hopefully find the one that got away。 I loved the setting and the culture underneath this thriller and the plot itself was so psychologically mind-bending， it was so hard to put this down in the last half！ 。。。more
Denise
，
"In Mumbai， everyone performs for someone else。 Everyone comes with a price tag"The Blue Bar is a fast-paced action thriller set in Mumbai， India。 In it we meet Arnav， a police inspector who， while struggling with some serious hurt from his own past， try to do the best he can in solving a potential serial killer case， where everyone （from his superiors to friends） are telling him to let it go。 We also meet Tara， a former dance bar girl， returning to Mumbai to work for her seedy boss for one more "In Mumbai， everyone performs for someone else。 Everyone comes with a price tag"The Blue Bar is a fast-paced action thriller set in Mumbai， India。 In it we meet Arnav， a police inspector who， while struggling with some serious hurt from his own past， try to do the best he can in solving a potential serial killer case， where everyone （from his superiors to friends） are telling him to let it go。 We also meet Tara， a former dance bar girl， returning to Mumbai to work for her seedy boss for one more week， hoping to secure enough funds to put her daughter Pia through private school。 Arnav and Tara share a past that rapidly catches up with them in this book。。。。 First things first， I loved to read a thriller set in a city that I am unfamiliar with。 The author did an amazing job of having Mumbai come to life on the pages， both the glitz and glam， the （religious） traditions and the yummy foods， as well as the gap between rich and poor， the corruption and the nepotism and the danger those bring to people sticking out their necks。 That being said， being unfamiliar with most of the setting， the procedures and the culture， meant it took considerably more effort to follow along with all the names， terms and ultimately， the story。 This is on me 100% and not a reason not to pick up this book at all。 Finally， I really enjoyed reading both Tara and Arnav's storylines， as well as the storylines of our unknown serial killer （it is always a pleasure to be in the perp's mind， and this one was no different， with us slowly finding out what triggered them） and their caretaker Bilal。 Adding their perspectives made the story even more well-rounded and interesting。A huge thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for gifting me an eARC of this book in return for an impartial review。 All thoughts and comments are my own。 。。。more
Debbie
，
DNF。 I have a difficult time keeping track of many characters in a book。 This book not only had quite a few characters， but all foreign names。 I just couldn't keep up with the unfamiliar names of characters， places and customs。 DNF。 I have a difficult time keeping track of many characters in a book。 This book not only had quite a few characters， but all foreign names。 I just couldn't keep up with the unfamiliar names of characters， places and customs。 。。。more
Suzannah Fussell
，
Hard to keep up with cast of peopleNot a book I would recommend。 It was difficult for me to follow all the people in this story。 Not knowing what some of the words were nor what they meant。 I don't recommend this book。 Hard to keep up with cast of peopleNot a book I would recommend。 It was difficult for me to follow all the people in this story。 Not knowing what some of the words were nor what they meant。 I don't recommend this book。 。。。more
Vijayalakshmi
，
I waited for over a year to finally be able to read this book， and it was well worth the wait！ Perfectly paced， with characters that are memorable， and a plot that keeps one on the edge of one's seat， The Blue Bar is an unputdownable thriller。 I waited for over a year to finally be able to read this book， and it was well worth the wait！ Perfectly paced， with characters that are memorable， and a plot that keeps one on the edge of one's seat， The Blue Bar is an unputdownable thriller。 。。。more
Krista Hajjar-Nejad
，
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。The Blue Bar is an intense page-turner！ I was immediately intrigued when I saw the setting in the description - Mumbai， India。 This thriller has an amazing plot， mixed in with police procedural， corrupt politics， and a bit of romance。 I really enjoyed the past to present chapters， Arnav and Tara’s POV。 I was impressed with the flow of this book and a gratifying ending。 Can’t wait to read more from Damyanti B Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。The Blue Bar is an intense page-turner！ I was immediately intrigued when I saw the setting in the description - Mumbai， India。 This thriller has an amazing plot， mixed in with police procedural， corrupt politics， and a bit of romance。 I really enjoyed the past to present chapters， Arnav and Tara’s POV。 I was impressed with the flow of this book and a gratifying ending。 Can’t wait to read more from Damyanti Biswas！ 。。。more
Ameeta
，
Connecting with authors on Instagram is one of my favorite parts of this community。 The moment I saw this book takes place in Mumbai; I was sold on reading it。 Plus， it’s a thriller？！ So， you know I’m down！Here’s a quick teaser of book！After years of dancing in Mumbai’s bars， Tara Mondal was desperate for a new start。 So when a client offered her a life-changing payout to indulge in a harmless， if odd， fantasy， she accepted。 The setup was simple: wear a blue-sequined saree， enter a crowded rail Connecting with authors on Instagram is one of my favorite parts of this community。 The moment I saw this book takes place in Mumbai; I was sold on reading it。 Plus， it’s a thriller？！ So， you know I’m down！Here’s a quick teaser of book！After years of dancing in Mumbai’s bars， Tara Mondal was desperate for a new start。 So when a client offered her a life-changing payout to indulge in a harmless， if odd， fantasy， she accepted。 The setup was simple: wear a blue-sequined saree， enter a crowded railway station， and escape from view in less than three minutes。 It was the last time anyone saw Tara。Thirteen years later， Tara’s lover， Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput， is still grappling with her disappearance as he faces a horrifying new crisis: on the city’s outskirts， women’s dismembered bodies are being unearthed from shallow graves， with a scattering of blue sequins。Past and present blur as Arnav realizes he’s on the trail of a serial killer。 Could the key to finding Tara and solving these murders be hidden in one of his cold cases？ Or will the next body they recover be hers？◇◇ The Blue Bar is available for pre-order， but you should also add it to your TBR list on Goodreads！ Follow @damyantig and go to her bio for the link！ ◇◇I read this one as I traveled！ I love reading books that take place outside of the US even more as I travel！ I enjoyed reading this novel by Damyanti Biswas， it's gritty and juxtaposed by the glamorous lifestyle some are afforded in India。 It's the start to a series which has me excited to keep reading books by Biswas！ I loved the romance threads woven into the story and the surprising reveals along the way。 I feel like I've become a bit jaded reading thrillers and can be overly harsh。 This book reminded me why I love thrillers！ 。。。more
Andrew F
，
3。5/5 The Blue Bar is an average thriller but with a surprising ending。 I think the draw of this book for most western readers is the setting。 We don't typically see thrillers set in India。 The author did a good job transporting the reader to Mumbai。 Locations， food and language are all used to immerse the reader in the setting。 The major downside is those unfamiliar with these names and terms may get lost initially。 I've seen some negative reviews of this book saying they got lost because of th 3。5/5 The Blue Bar is an average thriller but with a surprising ending。 I think the draw of this book for most western readers is the setting。 We don't typically see thrillers set in India。 The author did a good job transporting the reader to Mumbai。 Locations， food and language are all used to immerse the reader in the setting。 The major downside is those unfamiliar with these names and terms may get lost initially。 I've seen some negative reviews of this book saying they got lost because of the foreign names and terms， but if you're reading a book set in India you're not going to get typical western names and is an extremely unfair reason to give a book a low rating。 I sought this book out because I wanted something unique and different from what I typically read and the author delivered。We meet a dancer named Tara in 2002。 She receives a phone call and has three minutes to perform a mysterious task。 Two decades later， the book takes place in the weeks leading up Diwali， a religious and national holiday in India。 A dismembered body is discovered during an excavation for a luxury development along one of the beaches in Mumbai。 Arnav Rajput investigates the case and realizes that the conditions of the corpse reminds him of an unsolved case from years ago。 From possibly corrupt policeman， Bollywood stars， and second chance romance this book covers a lot of ground。The book mostly alternates perspectives between Tara and Arnav。 They were involved before Tara disappeared in 2002。 Now she's back in Mumbai for one more lucrative gig that she needs to support herself and her daughter。 The two cross paths again and work together to find the killer。 The book also shows the perspective of the killer， though for obvious reasons the identity is withheld。 It's clear that the killer is unhinged， which adds to the creepiness of the book。 The author did a good job of hiding the identity of the killer。 There were at least four plausible suspect and I settled on one that I was 95% sure was correct。 But the author deftly pulls the rug out from under you in a surprising ending I didn't see coming。 That doesn't happen to me often in mysteries so I give the author credit for that。The main reason I'm giving this book a somewhat low rating is due to the writing and the characters。 I think the characters are fine for the genre， but I think the author could have pushed the two main characters a bit further。 They didn't have much personality beyond their trauma。 And what I mean by that is that how the reader is shown the character is almost exclusively through the lens of bad events that happened to them in the past。 This is a longer than average thriller and I think more could have been done to round out these characters to be more 3 dimensional。 I didn't get emotionally invested in them， but they are likeable and you want them to succeed。But the biggest problem for me is the writing。 I can't pinpoint egregious errors， but there was something clumsy about it。 I had a hard time getting into the rhythm of the writing initially。 I had to reread sentences because they didn't quite make sense。 Something about the flow didn't work for me。 While it got better throughout the book， I still noticed this issue toward the end。 I also had issues with clarity。 I would read passages and not quite understand what happened and I don't think it was due to my reading comprehension but lack of clarity and precision in the prose。 I got an overall understanding of the plot， but the flow of events sometimes blurred together because transition scenes and action weren't as clear as they could have been。Overall， I had a good time with the book。 I was invested in the mystery and I was surprised by the ending。 I wish the writing had been a little bit stronger， but I think the book does something a little bit different that I appreciated。 If you're looking for a thriller with an unfamiliar setting and surprise ending， then I recommend giving this book a try。 。。。more
Jill Gibbs
，
The Blue BarArnav Singh Rajput must catch a serial killer。 Someone is killing woman and disposing of their headless footless and handless corpses。 Who does he trust when people around him are implicated 。 Can he save the love of his life who has just returned to him after disappearing for fifteen years。 I was sure I knew who the killer was going to be turns out I was wrong。
Mahi Ramakrishnan
，
Just finished reading The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas & it was mind blowing。 I couldn’t put the book down， my heart was racing and I just needed to know who the serial killer is。 Damyanti writes so well that I could visualise every chapter， every sentence， every line， every emotion。 I was watching a film in my mind while reading her book。 She has also cleverly re-capped the narratives by getting policeman Arnav to scribble notes。 Every time I read a thriller or whodunit， I can get lost in the pl Just finished reading The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas & it was mind blowing。 I couldn’t put the book down， my heart was racing and I just needed to know who the serial killer is。 Damyanti writes so well that I could visualise every chapter， every sentence， every line， every emotion。 I was watching a film in my mind while reading her book。 She has also cleverly re-capped the narratives by getting policeman Arnav to scribble notes。 Every time I read a thriller or whodunit， I can get lost in the plot and Damyanti sees to it that her readers don’t。 And most importantly， she keeps her readers guessing till the end with wonderful plot twists。 The book is so well-researched that it captures the allure and grittiness of Mumbai， the dance bars， the life of police officers， the mafia， the ”fight” scenes， a mother’s emotions， the inner struggle of a bar girl and much， much more。 Congratulations Damyanti。 Read it and get your family/friends to do the same and drop a review on Goodreads/ Amazon/ Netgalley。 Enjoy ♥️💗❤️Note: Can’t wait for the sequel 。。。more
Lis Angus
，
I really enjoyed reading this thriller by Damyanti Biswas。 First of all， the setting in Mumbai is highly interesting compared to the more common English-language crime novel settings （in the UK， North America and Australia）。 But this book has a lot more going for it than its exotic setting。 It is a solidly plotted mystery， a police procedural featuring the search for a serial killer。 It’s also a haunting romance and a gritty tale of longing， regret， and hope。 The key characters are well-develope I really enjoyed reading this thriller by Damyanti Biswas。 First of all， the setting in Mumbai is highly interesting compared to the more common English-language crime novel settings （in the UK， North America and Australia）。 But this book has a lot more going for it than its exotic setting。 It is a solidly plotted mystery， a police procedural featuring the search for a serial killer。 It’s also a haunting romance and a gritty tale of longing， regret， and hope。 The key characters are well-developed， with the story presented through two timelines and several POVs。 The killer’s identity is kept hidden until late in the book; the killer’s motivation is unusual but believable。 The story is suspenseful and fast-paced， leading to a high-wire climax and a satisfying ending。 Well done indeed！ I can’t wait for the next book by this talented writer。 。。。more
Nicole
，
This book caught my attention from the very first chapter！ From there you just know it’s going to be a page turning thriller。 Writing was well done， story line was interesting and fresh。 At times I felt almost lost because of the cultural difference between Mumbai （the setting） and me。 But that is my ignorance。 The author does a great job explaining important words， holidays， and phrases as she goes along in her writing seamlessly。 Definitely worth a read。
Marles Henry
，
The Blue Bar is an immersion into the streets of Mumbai， and into the crookedness of crime， law and order。 We watch a young woman， who is being watched – we become the meta-voyeur。 She sashays across a crowded train platform in a blue sequinned sari， her shawl drops and for a moment she is a beacon of light， drawing all eyes on her。 That whole sequence was enough to hold your breath， and see the glimmer from the order of your eye， playing with your mind， as the young woman was doing for those wh The Blue Bar is an immersion into the streets of Mumbai， and into the crookedness of crime， law and order。 We watch a young woman， who is being watched – we become the meta-voyeur。 She sashays across a crowded train platform in a blue sequinned sari， her shawl drops and for a moment she is a beacon of light， drawing all eyes on her。 That whole sequence was enough to hold your breath， and see the glimmer from the order of your eye， playing with your mind， as the young woman was doing for those who were watching her。 But why and who is watching？ This is purely only one moment of this crime thriller and mystery rolled into one by Damyants Biswas。 This book also introduces the reader to bar dancing in Mumbai， and women who were making choices about whether to take things one step further to earn more money， and the consequences of saying no。 And of course， disparity between the classes， not only the rich and poor is striking throughout。This book strongly steers towards being one that is character and setting driven， and this adds layers to the ploy as it evolves。 We are even given access to the point of view of the killer who did not end up being whom I thought it would be – loved this twist！ The killer’s means and methods are gruesome and vicious。 The police force was portrayed quite bluntly: the ways in which investigations were carried out were， as well as the way members of the police force worked together and were silenced was captured with great detail。 Arnav and Tara seem like star crossed lovers， never meeting at the right time until the very end and even then their love is bittersweet and selfless。 。。。more
Renee
，
I didn’t realize this was an Amazon pick for December， so I’m not sure if I can add much more to the many，many reviews that are already posted。 I’ll say the setting， the mystery， and the characters kept me flipping the pages and I do hope to see Arnav again。 The Blue Bar was the first book I read set in Mumbai。 I’ve never visited India， but almost every page was written so descriptively that I could close my eyes and think I had actually been there。 Not an easy thing for an author to accomplish， I didn’t realize this was an Amazon pick for December， so I’m not sure if I can add much more to the many，many reviews that are already posted。 I’ll say the setting， the mystery， and the characters kept me flipping the pages and I do hope to see Arnav again。 The Blue Bar was the first book I read set in Mumbai。 I’ve never visited India， but almost every page was written so descriptively that I could close my eyes and think I had actually been there。 Not an easy thing for an author to accomplish， but the sights， smells， noise， and corruption came vividly to life for me。 It took me several chapters to fully understand where the plot would take me，but characters were interesting and fully flushed out and once I was hooked the chapters just flew by。 Inspector Arnav fears a serial killer may have taken the lives of numerous bargirls。 One in particular， a girl named Tara who disappeared many years ago and one Arnav has not forgotten。 Will he discover that she was one of the killers victims or could the girl he loved and lost still be alive？ An engaging mystery and some great characters make me want to read the next book soon。 。。。more
Marcia Whoolery
，
EnlighteningI don't know much about Indian life。 This story makes it appear as though corruption and money rule。 It was hard to remember the characters because their names were unfamiliar。 I felt the ending was contrived to show how much the protagonist had grown。 EnlighteningI don't know much about Indian life。 This story makes it appear as though corruption and money rule。 It was hard to remember the characters because their names were unfamiliar。 I felt the ending was contrived to show how much the protagonist had grown。 。。。more
Susan Z
，
Power， sex， money and greed come together in Mumbai in The Blue Bar。 Thirteen years ago， Arnav's one true love， Tara disappears。 Now a police officer investigating brutal murders of women， he can't get Tara out of his mind。The story alternates between POVs， mostly Arnav and the killer， or the killer's guardian of sorts。 The story is complex and builds to an intense shocking heartbreaking conclusion。 I loved the location in India， having never read a book centered there。 Arnav was also a fantasti Power， sex， money and greed come together in Mumbai in The Blue Bar。 Thirteen years ago， Arnav's one true love， Tara disappears。 Now a police officer investigating brutal murders of women， he can't get Tara out of his mind。The story alternates between POVs， mostly Arnav and the killer， or the killer's guardian of sorts。 The story is complex and builds to an intense shocking heartbreaking conclusion。 I loved the location in India， having never read a book centered there。 Arnav was also a fantastic character as was his assistant。 I knew going in that there were going to be alot of characters so I armed myself with my notes app and took care to list them all out。 Despite that， I still found this book confusing。 It was helpful that the author did start including a list of potential suspects and some key facts。 Also it's important to note that if you aren't familiar with Indian cuisine， you will not understand the food references。 If you like a dark police procedural thriller this one is for you。 。。。more
Lisa Wetzel
，
The Blue Bar is an electrifying thriller by Damyanti Biswas。 This is an extremely well written story with many layers。 Told in multiple point of views， it will keep you guessing from beginning to end。 The characters are very well developed that you will love and some you might not like at all。 Ms。 Biswas transports you to Mumbai， India with her vivid descriptions of the places and people you will feel like you are right in the middle of it all。 She combines a mystery thriller with some romance。 The Blue Bar is an electrifying thriller by Damyanti Biswas。 This is an extremely well written story with many layers。 Told in multiple point of views， it will keep you guessing from beginning to end。 The characters are very well developed that you will love and some you might not like at all。 Ms。 Biswas transports you to Mumbai， India with her vivid descriptions of the places and people you will feel like you are right in the middle of it all。 She combines a mystery thriller with some romance。 You will be on the edge of your seat and be careful…。。the twist and turns may knock you right off of it。 I could not put this one down。 The plot is unexpected but so excellent。 I cannot wait for the next one。 Start the New Year off right with this exceptional book。 Damyanti Biswas will not disappoint。 Many thanks to Damyanti Biswas and Thomas and Mercer for this incredible book to read and review。 The opinions expressed are my own。#thebluebar #damyantibiswas #thomasandmercer。 #arc#tatteredpagesbookclub 。。。more
Jennifer Malenius
，
So many playersSo many bad guys。 Thorough corruption。 Who do you trust？ Seems as if all the powerful are corrupt and those who do the actual work are blamed。 Interesting theme。 Good book。 Sometimes too many characters to keep straight。
lori pennington
，
Atmospheric slow burn thriller set in Mumbai， where a police inspector pursues a serial killer！After the discovery of several murdered girls， each bearing the same types of disposal， Inspector Arnav Rajput is convinced that there was a serial killer on the loose。 Rajput is drawn into a cold case involving bar girls who disappeared and believed to have returned to their homes。 Many worked as "bar girls" （think exotic dancers） for a particular bar where Arnav fell for one of the bar girls， Tara Mo Atmospheric slow burn thriller set in Mumbai， where a police inspector pursues a serial killer！After the discovery of several murdered girls， each bearing the same types of disposal， Inspector Arnav Rajput is convinced that there was a serial killer on the loose。 Rajput is drawn into a cold case involving bar girls who disappeared and believed to have returned to their homes。 Many worked as "bar girls" （think exotic dancers） for a particular bar where Arnav fell for one of the bar girls， Tara Mondal。 When she disappeared， he thought she simply left， rejecting him。 Fast-forward 14 years and Tara re-appears at the Blue Bar， where more of the missing girls have disappeared from。Set in the tropical region of Mumbai， The Blue Bar is a suspenseful tale of a police inspector following a trail starting from a cold case that could lead to the arrest of a suspected serial killer and the uncovering of corruption in the department hierarchy。 This is a very culturally rich novels that authenticates the Indian lifestyle by the authors constant use of Indian terms and the descriptions of the scenery， the slums， and the smells。Excellent story！ 。。。more
Abby
，
A thoroughly delightful police procedural set in Mumbai。 This is one of the few books I’ve read that has been set in Mumbai and the unique location along with the immersive writing swept me away to a different world in which I was fully engrossed。 The story was equally character and action focused which is exactly what I want from a serialized procedural。 I’m looking forward to continuing on in the series！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Blue Bar
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Blue Bar&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Blue Bar&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0