Thin line between love & hate

The novel is gripping to the core and a perfect blend of love, hate, romance and mystery

Anyone who glances at the novel will definitely turn back and verify the name again. ‘Happily murdered’...yes, you are reading right - it isn’t ‘Happily married’!

Gulab Sarin, the bright and just married daughter-in-law of the influential Mehta family mysteriously dies on the very next night of her wedding.

The novel is fast paced and will instigate your memories to tiptoe to the nostalgic lanes of Agatha Christie, Perry Mason and like. Justified, as the author, Rasleen Syal is a mystery addict and a die-hard fan of Agatha Christie and Earl Stanley Gardener and takes her inspiration from them. ‘Happily murdered’ is her debut novel.

Each page gets your curiosity levels heightened as every character appears suspicious and capable of the crime. Police investigations have proved that the crime is an insider’s job. It could be Gulab’s adulterous husband, Sid, or the conniving in-laws, KD and Tina or perhaps Gulab’s best buddy, Yuvraj. Vikram, Gulab’s brother-in-law and business partner too is well within the line of suspicion for obvious reasons. Sara, Sid’s ex girlfriend is also a person everyone doubts and infact, the Mehtas’ initially want to prove Sara guilty so that the Mehta family can get a clean chit.

Ned, Sara’s brother and Gulab’s ex boy friend, dotes on his sister and leaves no stone unturned to free Sara off the suspicion radar. Does he succeed?

When the police state that everyone in the family is a suspect, each one turns into an amateur detective with an aim to save themselves and incriminate others. Each one goes hunting for clues and delves into hidden secrets to investigate and unravel the mystery.

Will one of these nine unlikely sleuths finally untangle the mystery behind Gulab’s death and avenge it? Or will the truth die as viciously as Gulab?

The musings from Gulab in between the chapters makes the story even more intriguing and the conclusion is most unexpected.

For those with a fondness for mystery, this could be a good pick to read in one go; as it’s too riveting to stop in between.