"A beautiful woman is cursed."

This isn't just a cozy feel-good mystery series. No. This is so much more. A historical fiction that not only paints a vivid picture of the society of 1920s Bangalore but also showcases the plight of women in India. Now this is something that I can write an entire essay about, the plight of women in India. But all I will say is that I sometimes imagine what it would have been like to live in that golden era of our nation when women were revered not only as mothers who bought up new generations but also as individuals for their distinct abilities. I'm talking about the Vedic Period where gender equality wasn't even a question despite the patriarchal society. But then our beautiful nation was invaded, time and time again and we were robbed of our culture, sanity and even religion. Not all of us though.

With beautiful prose and compelling world building, the author takes reader to a colonial period of time when the city of Bangalore was a raging cauldron buzzing with anti-British sentiments and cry for women's justice. In the first book we meet Kaveri, our virtuous protagonist, who is so full of energy that you can't help but love her. She moves to Bangalore to marry a handsome doctor Rama and resigned herself to live a quiet life. Until it's not quite anymore when a party at Century Club turns into a murder scene and Kaveri decides to investigate it. Second book delves deeper into the conservative aspect of the society and we follow our protagonist as she tries defy societal restrictions, make a name for herself and do good by others. When she takes on a case to please her mother-in-law she didn't expect to stumble upon a murder again. From saving an innocent woman to appeasing her mother-in-law while simultaneously staying out of danger she has a lot on her plate this time.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed living in her world and following her through this amazing journey. I think for a short series (271 & 274 pages respectively) the author did an amazing job with the characters. They are all very well developed. Kaveri's mother-in-law was equal parts cute and annoying and I think many Indian women, especially those of previous generations, can relate to her. I adored Kaveri's relationship with her supporting husband. It is portrayed beautifully in this series. I loved how in just a few pages we are introduced to an array of characters and can see their perspectives, growth and can also analyze the society of 1920 India.

Women's equality and justice is the concurrent theme that can be seen through out these books which forces it to focus a little less on the mystery and detection aspect then I would have liked. But I think that's what make these books feel warm and cozy. There's a lot going on and a more complex case might have messed the vibe. Overall, I very much enjoyed these books and I'm excited to see how the series will conclude in the third book which is set to be released next year.