The secret keeper of Jaipur : Book review


Book review

Title: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Author: Alka Joshi 
Genre: Fiction

After reading The Henna Artist last year, I was eager to read its sequel which released just ten days ago. And it was wonderful to revisit the characters once again. 

The story is set in the 1960s where our protagonist Lakshmi is married to Dr Jay and is in charge of the healing garden of herbs in Shimla. Mallik is now twenty and has just finished his education. He has fallen in love with a widowed tribal girl Nimmi but has been sent to Jaipur to assist the big project of the palace which is a state of the art cinema. When the cinema collapses on the opening day, it causes a lot of upheaval and  the blame games. Stumbling upon something unexpected, Mallik becomes suspicious of foul play and is determined to discover the truth. 

Written from the point of view of Nimmi, Lakshmi and Mallik, the story moves seamlessly from the mountainous regions of Shimla to the plush society of Jaipur. There are a few more characters with the passage of time. But the author does not deviate too much from her earlier main protagonist Lakshmi. There is a lot more action packed and adventure as the author touches upon issues of gold smuggling and the scam behind the poor quality construction of the theatre. The descriptions are vivid, the prose is lyrical and the characters are very relatable. The plot is complex with a lot of buried secrets packed with an element of tension and suspense. 

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is a story of loyalty, family, relationships and new beginnings. Engaging with its beautiful narration, this is a book that takes you through multiple dynamics and a web of emotions.

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