The cover had a nice and colourful palace entrance. Only the font quality of the title could have been clearer as, to me, it looked like the font was stretched from a low resolution image.
Name: Murder in Melucha
Author: Aditi Krishnakumar
Format: Hardcopy
Number of pages: 230
Availability: Amazon (Buy the paperback here or the kindle version here)
Rating: 4/5
The title is what pulled me towards the book. Remember, I love murder mysteries?
The English language was very nicely used with many new words in the story. The fun new word was primogeniture.
The story is about finding who killed the Royal Tutor. To make it easy to understand who were the 10 people present at the last supper with him, I’ll list them here along with their position. Prince Regnant (Shel), Princess Persis and their sons Kalban and Abhinav. An aristocrat called Lady Rati and her artist husband Dev. Kras and Varo the appointed tutors. Amar the court bard and Mada the head of the kitchen.
The Maharaja of Pur (from Madh) named Paras and his brother Asamanjas planned to send Meenakshi (Paras’ daughter) to learn Political Science at the palace in Melucha. Kalban thinks Kras and Varo are good tutors for the said training. They are both summoned to the palace for a few months stay.
*It had a lot of new words to learn.
*It was a nice story with some immortals involved.
*The setting has been described very well in depth.
*I loved the sarcasm. It surely brought a smile on my face every now and then.
*Many sentences were very long. I don’t think this book is meant for people who want a simple and easy read.
*I still didn’t understand the part about Angana’s parent’s coup against the prince. What was the proof against them to have sent them into exile? Perhaps some light could have been shed on that part considering a lot of the story revolves around it.
*Until a few chapters later, I wasn’t sure who Shel was.
*I’m still not sure what Chitralekha lied about that Meenakshi guessed in Chapter 16.
*Urvashi and Rambha were mentioned as though I was supposed to know these names from Adam. I’m still wondering how they are connected beside the fact that they seem like the head of some group. Maybe Urvashi the head of Sprites and Rambha the head of the Inter-Realm? Correct me if I’m wrong.
Though it was a light but great read, I personally think I would have enjoyed this book better if it had illustrations. Or perhaps reading the prequel – The Magicians of Madh – would have helped?
Let me know your thoughts on this book review.
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19 Comments
I like suspense thriller and this book looks really exciting. Sarcasm makes it even more appealing. I would like to pick my copy soon.
I like reading murder mysteries, I feel like I turn into the detective mode and become part of the story. But I really don’t like if certain details are missing which bring in the confusion because that takes away the fun from reading a murder mystery. Loved the way you have reviewed this book.
There are many aspects of the book that makes the book interesting and easy to read. Thank you for sharing your honest review.
Learning new words is always a great experience but while reading a book it might be little distracting, when you did not understand the sentence meaning properly. also, long sentences is not a good idea as it interrupts the reading flow. I loved your précised observations and overall review. I think, I would give a pass to this book.
I love murder mysteries. A thrilling whodunit will keep you guessing until the very end, with a cast of characters all hiding their own deadly secrets… aah… just love the intrigue and that sitting on the edge experience. Will check this one out!!
What’s with us! I too love a good murder mystery, a whodunnit. Full disclosure- I did not even read your full review, I just want to pick it up after seeing your rating.
Hahahaha! Happens!
I haven’t read “Murder in Melucha”. But i thoroughly enjoyed your review. Have I told you before that i like your reviewing style – be it s movie or a book. With these many characters snd settings, illustrations would definitely help. It gives some rest to the reader’s eyes and help them understand the story better.
Thanks, Alpana. Really appreciate it.
I gave up murders and thrillers long ago. Your review makes it very intriguing, Cindy but I really don’t read or watch this genre.I am happy with my romcoms as they are light-hearted.
Haha! Read whatever makes you happy, Harjeet!
I like books that helps me learn new words, and also which has sarcasm, seems like Murder in Meluch is my kind of book that I can try and give a read!
That looks like a murder mystery thriller and these kinda novels are so engaging. I agree with your point of having illustrations since it involves many characters
“Murder in Melucha” sounds like an interesting read. I can’t wait to check it out! The description definitely caught my attention. It looks like it will be an exciting and suspenseful story with a lot of twists and turns. I am sure that I won’t be able to put it down once I start reading it. It seems like the perfect weekend read for me!
I completely agree. No matter how much it is said that dont judge a book by its cover we do it. Even if the cover has a beautiful illustration the font matters a lot. Its like a pick and drop scenario
The book, “Murder in Melucha,” seems interesting and seems to have an unusual plot. The characters seem interesting too, though it needs to be seen how deeply etched they are in the plot. Thanks for giving a compact review.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on “Murder in Melucha” by Aditi Krishnakumar.
I understand your comment about the font quality of the title on the book cover. It’s important for the cover to be visually appealing and easy to read, especially for potential readers who may be browsing in a bookstore or online. However, it’s good to hear that the story itself kept you engaged, and you appreciated the introduction of immortals into the plot.
Overall, your review gives helpful insight into the book’s strengths and potential areas for improvement, which can be useful for other readers looking for a murder mystery to enjoy.
Thanks, Anjali!
Sometimes a good plot losses its charm when the details are not stated. I loved how you have pointed out the positives and negatives.