The Scratch and Sniff Chronicles-Hemangini Dutt Majumder

Book: The Scratch and Sniff Chronicles
Author: Hemangini Dutt Majumder
Publisher: Olive Turtle (An Imprint of Niyogi Books)

If you had a heightened sense of smell, how would you use it?

OLLIE HAS A SUPER POWER! Well, kind of. As she remarks tipsily on a hilarious date, ‘I can really smell…You see, in a way, I’m almost like Batman.’ This peculiarity in Ollie’s life—her uncanny sense of smell—she discovers is derived from her oscillating hormones, an unusual symptom of a health condition she has. As it happens, this unique trait serves her well as a rare female wine sommelier and beverage consultant, as she can sniff out and create complex flavour profiles. Ollie’s life changes quite dramatically when she and her entire family decide to relocate to their ancestral estate, Neelbari, in Chandannagar. Strange and mysterious incidents start occurring as soon as Ollie, her aunt, cousin Laura, and their cat, Habey, move in. Is the malevolent spirit of her great-grandmother really haunting Neelbari? And why has their arrival caused so much alarm? What secrets are the walls and gardens of the hundred-year-old estate hiding? Why does no one seem to be telling the truth? Ollie and Laura try to solve these puzzles, only to find themselves in situations fraught with danger. As the finger of suspicion keeps moving, can Ollie sniff her way to solving this whodunnit? More importantly, can she save Fishy before it is too late? Read on to find out!

The book is an interesting mix of humour, romance and crime that explores family history, secrets and an old estate. Hemangini’s writing is fresh and keeps you interested in the story as it plays out. The book is heavily reliant on Ollie’s sense of smell and the way each of the characters smells become an important aspect of the storytelling. Every time we see a change in the scene or the entry of the characters, the olfactory notes are mentioned, keeping the reader engaged as you start looking at events (or rather smelling them) from Ollie’s perspective and that forms a very interesting method of telling the story. I liked the fact that the self-deprecating humour has been used unsparingly and it is an essential part of her writing. The humour comes out surprisingly and it is so well written that the chuckles are quite guaranteed. Moving from the olfactory and the humour part of the storytelling, the mystery element in the book is equally well written and you are presented with the ghost of the Chaterges which adds another flavour to the tale of what happened at Neelbari. The needle of suspicion keeps moving from one character to the next as you start learning of the past events in the lives of the residents of Neelbari. I loved how the author does not definitively take you in a single direction, and through the trail of smells, you are entangled in the web that is slowly spinning. The climax has been written quite nicely and explains most of the things that had happened in Neelbari. While I did feel that it was a bit sudden, the overall satisfaction of the completion is there.

The characters are the soul of this book. Each of these characters have been meticulously crafted and there is a wonderful individuality to each of them. From the names of the characters-Olympia, Ellora, Fishy, Habeas Corpus, to the story behind each of the names is what made the story life like. Ollie’s sense of smell and steadfastness is something that I really loved in the book. I also loved how she has this innate ability to come up with quips on the spot that just hit right on the head. Laura’s no-nonsense character was another aspect I really loved in the book. Habey as a cat did steal the show more than once, specially in the climax, where I was truly surprised by its appearance. Pramanik and Halder as the investigating officers were genuinely interesting, even though their presence was in pieces.

Overall, this is a book that is highly recommended for its exceptional writing, bone-tickling humour and an interesting set of mysteries. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India, Niyogi Books or from a bookstore near you!