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Tony C.
Solid Non-Fiction
"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.