The Mussoorie Murders by Divyaroop Bhatnagar

Mystery is one of favourite genres. May it would right to say Mystery is the one brought me back to reading.

Last week I finished reading The Mussoorie Murders as part of a buddy read with my sister, and it turned out to be an engaging and atmospheric mystery. Discussion only added more fun to it. That’s the advantage of buddy reading.

Set across two timelines—colonial India and post-independence India—the novel brings Mussoorie vividly to life. The earlier murder is inspired by a real, unsolved case, which some believe may have influenced Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles. However, it’s resolved in the book by Arthut Conan Doyle while discussing with the writer Rudyard Kipling. The second, fictional murder is cleverly linked to the first builds the strong curiosity. 

The story gains momentum once detective Avijit Sikdar and his Watson-like companion, Jamshed, enter the scene. The pacing keeps you hooked, leaving little room to pause and solve the mystery yourself—though attentive readers might still take a guess. 

That said, the book leans heavily on atmospheric and descriptive writing. While beautifully done, it occasionally slows the pace, especially for a mystery. The dual timelines can also feel slightly confusing at times, as chapter headings don’t clearly indicate the time period.

Overall, it’s a compelling read with a strong sense of place and an intriguing premise. I’d definitely look forward to reading more cases featuring Avijit Sikdar.

Don’t miss the author’s note—it offers fascinating historical insights and I found the new detectives(new to me) like Father Brown and Lord Peter Wimsey.

ℹ️ Cawnpore is the former name of Kanpur.

This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

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