Author: Shabnam Minwalla
Publisher: Speaking Tiger
Has the lockdown made you more observant of things
around you?
Murder at Daisy Apartments by Shabnam Minwalla takes place in
May 2020 in Colaba where on the 46th day of the lockdown, Baman
Marker, the chairperson of Daisy and Lily Apartments is found dead in his home,
poisoned. As the two apartments are sealed
due to the pandemic, the murderer has to be one of the residents. The
news shakes the fifteen-year-old Nandini Venkat, a resident of Lily Apartment
and has a passion for murder mysteries. She realizes she saw some movement in Daisy
Apartments on the night of the murder, and along with Shanaya, her best friend
and her twin brother Ved, she decides to investigate. The question is, who was
the person who veered off the ledge and committed the crime?
The setting of a murder mystery in the middle
of a pandemic-induced national lockdown is an interesting one as it limits the
scope of the story, and the characters are confined to a space. This have the
plot a very authentic look as I could relate to the feelings of the residents
as the buildings were sealed and the general emotion running through the
residents of Daisy and Lily Apartments. Being a Young-Adult novel, the protagonist
is a fifteen-year-old girl and looking at the world through her eyes was a
wonderful perspective. I loved how Shabnam took her time establishing Baman’s
identity and his relationship with the other residents. The plot moves with a comfortable
pace with it being fast enough to keep the reader engaged and slow enough to
connect the dots. The storytelling is very intricate, with subtle details being
mentioned in the plot that come to bind the story in the climax. The language
is good, and Shabnam has put some local words here and there to keep the flavor
alive. The climax of the story is worthy of a mention, and I can say it was one
of the best revelations in a murder mystery and Shabnam does a wonderful job of
keeping the identity of the murderer a secret.
Coming to the characters, I would commend
Shabnam on creating a very Christie-like motley of characters. It was as if a
move was playing out when the characters were introduced. Making people across
professions, religions, and age groups a part of the story, it is a wonderful
whodunnit that succeeds because of the strong character base. The descriptions
are vivid and at a certain point of time, almost all people look guilty of the
murder. Personally, the character of Nandini was a wonderful one, along with
her mother.
Overall, the book is a recommendation if you like reading a well-cooked murder mystery for this one has all the ingredients and also has a dash of tadka in the climax. The book gets a 4.88/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book here.
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