Book: The Seventh Swar (A Satyadarshi Mystery)
Author: Natasha Sharma
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
What if crimes across the city were related to a secret steeped in history?
When an old woman is stabbed to death in her Mumbai apartment,
ex-cop-turned-private-investigator Satyadarshi expects it to be a routine
murder investigation. Well, as routine as murders ever get. But the deeper she
digs, the more confounding the case appears. Clues hidden in classical music,
an innocuous-looking wall hanging she keeps seeing everywhere and a tattered
old book that seems abuzz with secrets rooted in ancient Indian history ... As
she is vaulted back to King Ashoka’s times (yes, that Ashoka) by her unusual
discoveries, she finds the threads of his legacy entangled with those of her
own life in ways she is completely unprepared for. As she chases leads through
Mumbai’s humid chaos, Satyadarshi also has to fend off her mother’s relentless
matchmaking, investigate an overweight So-Bo dog and deal with an almost-date
whose nerdy facts and unexpectedly muscular chest make her heart race. Not to
mention the growing pile of bodies further ensnaring her in a conspiracy that
spans across centuries and threatens to upend everything she knows to be true
about her family and herself. Witty, pacy and dripping with Mumbai’s entropic
charm, The Seventh Swar is a classic murder mystery with a rom-com twist.
The Seventh Swar is a wonderfully written thriller that introduces us to Satyadarshi and her crime investigation skills. The book starts off with a very Dan Brown and a Ashwin Sanghi vibe that kicks off from the past and you are suddenly catapulted to the present. The storytelling is quite gripping and you are invested in the story right from the very first page. Another thing that works in the books favour is that Natasha keeps a humour element going in the book and there are giggles and smiles hidden across the book that, otherwise, deals with a lot of gore. The author leaves crumbs for the reader to find as he is telling you the story, and there was an interesting element that she saves for the climax in a very lovely manner. The classic misdirects, which are the hallmark of a good thriller, works perfectly, and just like Satyadarshi, I was convinced at first about the identity of the killer based on the two deliberate clues she leaves. The Baby Bimbette arc was such a fresh aspect into the storytelling and an insight into the mind of Satyadarshi. The climax is nicely penned and I loved how Natasha brings the story right where it started. The only thing I missed was the secret and if a bit would have been revealed and what it held. That would truly have made it a complete thriller right up there with the masters.
Coming to the characters, Satyadarshi as a honest ex-cop-turned-sleuth is
wonderfully created. I loved how she goes through the evidence and joins the
dots. The character quirks of using pen to paper, and the quintessential love
for food was something I really loved. Jai as a character was wholesome, and
his chemistry with Satyadarshi was quite palpable. I loved how Natasha keeps
the romance teasing and almost there which makes their romance something to
look forward to in the upcoming books. Twarita was another interesting
character that makes her presence felt across the story.
Overall, The Seventh Swar hits all the right chords and scores a 4.94/5 for me.
Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you!
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