The Widows of Malabar Hill

It’s 1920s Bombay, and Perveen Mistry is the first female lawyer in India. She is currently working for her father’s law firm, which has been appointed to execute the will of Mr Farid, a wealthy mill owner with three wives. These widows have all decided to leave their inheritance to charity, but the form they signed has some discrepancies. Since the widows live in full purdah, meaning strict seclusion with no interaction with men, Perveen is the only one who can get to the bottom of this mystery. Is someone forcing them to give up everything against their will? If they give away everything, how will they survive without a husband to provide for them? In the middle of her investigation, their guardian is murdered. Is Perveen’s past coming back to haunt her or are The Widows of Malabar Hill not as innocent as they seem?

This book started off a little slow for me. It took a couple chapters for me to get interested, but once I was, I was hooked. I think the flashbacks into Perveen’s history with Cyrus were actually what intrigued me the most, as opposed to the legal drama with the widows. Overall, the historical fiction part of this mystery was very interesting and educational. All of the characters in this story were well-rounded and remarkable, but Perveen’s was the most fascinating. All of the challenges she had to overcome and the adversity she faced as she became the first female lawyer in India was inspiring.

If you enjoy reading about other cultures or historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. It being a mystery book makes it even more enjoyable. I would also encourage you to read this if you enjoy reading about strong women overcoming the odds to provide a better future for themselves.