What readers think of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, plus links to write your own review.

I'm so glad to have read this book. This book is amazing. I really love it. A book lover will surely love it. I really suggest you to read it.

Twelve storyline years have passed since the ending of Alka Joshi‘s wonderful debut novel, The Henna Artist. This book picks up at that time, with Lakshmi still working in Shimla, now as the Director of the Lady Reading Healing Garden. She is now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, physician at the Lady Reading Hospital and Director of the Community Clinic. Her sister Radha has married her husband Pierre and moved to Paris. Her assistant Malik has graduated the prestigious Bishop Cotton School for Boys and is now an apprentice with Singh-Sharma Construction, headed by Samir Singh.

The book opens with the catastrophic collapse of the balcony on opening night at the Royal Jewel Cinema in Jaipur, constructed by Malik’s employers. An investigation is launched and Malik plays a key role in determining who is responsible. Lakshmi, supportive as always, travels 11 hours by train to Jaipur to assist Malik and ply her royal connections to help save the job and reputation of Manu Agarwal, her dear friend Kanta’s husband, who also works there.

A significant storyline is the smuggling of gold after the restrictive Gold Act is enacted in India. Malik‘s love interest, Nimmi, a recent widow with two young children, figures prominently in this storyline. Returning with significant roles are Ravi Singh and his mother Parvati, and Maharani Latika and the dowager Maharani Indira. Several new characters are also introduced.

As with The Henna Artist, this book gives the reader an informed look at the culture of India, this time including much more about Shimla which is in the Himalayas. A delightful read, full of color, fragrance, atmosphere, and suspense. The conclusion is a satisfying one.

It is not necessary to have read The Henna Artist prior to this, the second in a series of three books, because the author does an excellent job of filling in the backstory. However, reading the first book will give a more fitting introduction. Looking forward to the third book, due in 2022, which will center on Radha and her life in Paris. Highly recommended! ?

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance reader’s copy. (Publication date: June 22, 2021).

I loved “The Henna Artist” when it came out last year, and I loved its sequel just as much, or maybe even a bit more. As I began reading it, it soon felt like a family reunion. I had come home to visit again with Lakshmi and Malik and various friends, like Maharani Indira, Manu and Kanta Agarwal, and even Madho Singh.

Just as at all family reunions, I wanted to know what everyone had been up to. Lakshmi is now living in Shimla and is married to Dr. Kumar (I saw that one coming.) Malik, just as charming as ever, has finished school and met the widow Nimmi and her two children. But Lakshmi arranges for Malik to take an apprenticeship position back in Jaipur, thus leaving Nimmi in Shimla. Malik finds that not much has changed in Jaipur - it is still all about power and money and keeping secrets. Then a tragedy strikes, and Malik is caught in the middle of it. He must make some difficult decisions in his quest to uncover the truth as to what (and who) is responsible for the tragedy.

I really love how Joshi gives the reader a glance into the lives of the various levels of society, from sheepherders and servants to royalty and the upper echelons of society. I found Nimmi to be interesting because of her cultural background. She is from a hill tribe that moves about with their flocks of sheep. Through Joshi’s descriptions, I could easily imagine the beautiful clothing and the jewels. I could almost taste the banquet of luscious Indian foods.


If you enjoy historical fiction and learning about other cultures, I highly recommend this book! But I do suggest that you read “The Henna Artist” first to get the backstory for Lakshmi and Malik. “The Henna Artist” was Lakshmi’s story and tells how Malik becomes part of her family. It also reveals Lakshmi’s relationship with her sister Radha. (I believe Book 3 will be Radha’s story.) I think there would be too many gaps in the story if you skip the first book.

In this captivating new novel by New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi, the henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her apprentice, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace. The story is set in the spring of 1969, with Lakshmi now married and directing the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik, having completed his private school education, meets a young woman named Nimmi before leaving to apprentice at the Jaipur Royal Palace. The latest project in the Facilities Office is the construction of a state-of-the-art cinema. As Malik navigates the Pink City, he discovers that power and money still reign supreme among the wealthy class, and secrets remain buried. When the cinema's balcony collapses on opening night, Malik suspects foul play and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he knows when to keep his own counsel and applies that lesson as he unravels a web of deceit.

"The Secret Keeper of Jaipur" by Alka Joshi starts when a much-hyped theater watches its balcony collapse, and we then move backward to experience the back story. Luckily, the author provides a cast of characters like a glossary since those with limited attention spans will need constant reminders about whom they are reading.
The author takes a calculated risk by introducing its catastrophe and then revealing the set-up through the eyes of 3 key characters. TV drama has used this technique to death, but it works here for character development. Joshi pulls enough plot strings to make the reader question how they will come together with all three narrators. Nimmi, Malik, and Lakshmi have a connection, but each focuses on the story.
Historical fiction is the favorite genre among hardcore readers, but many zero in on a specific time and place. India attracts many people due to the glamour associated with it. Here, we get that along with a criminal underbelly. Unlike most crime fiction, however, we know very little about the criminals or the depth of the deceit until beyond the halfway point. If you appreciate a "slow burn," you will understand the deliberate pace.
Once we realize that we have a whodunit on our hands, we need to return to the glossary of personalities to keep all connections straight. You could easily predict the blame but not the resolution. The investigation requires a lot of knowledge about construction and materials, so I applaud the author for her attention to detail. However, I would struggle to provide accuracy while not losing the average reader.
Pacing sets this work apart from its peers. The protagonists solve the crime carefully and methodically so that the reader does not see the ending. We like and hate so many characters that we can see them on a small screen. Since "Pulp Fiction" entered the public consciousness, I have loved seeing multiple plots fall into place, and the ending of "The Secret Keeper of Jaipur" more than satisfies me.