For example, on the street where the Mistrys practice, one would find British, Hindu and Muslim law offices as well. On the way to unraveling the mystery, Massey provides a lot of fascinating details about law and religion in India. It is up to Perveen, with some help from her friends, to discover who committed the murder and why. The sudden, bloody murder of Mukri and the arrest of the house guard leave the Farid women alone and without protection while a murderer could still be on the loose. Her presence is not welcomed by the Farids’ guard or by Mukri, but the widows have much to tell and to learn.
When the Farid family’s paperwork indicates that the widows have signed away much of their inheritance, it is up to Perveen to meet with them and find out if they understand what they have done and truly consent to it. The lawyer handling the Farid household’s estate matters is Perveen’s father Jamshedji Mistry. After their husband’s death, his handpicked estate agent Faisal Mukri is the only man allowed to speak with them and that is through a grate in the wall. They are not seen outside their home and do not meet directly with any men. The three widows - Ravia, Sakina, and Mumtaz - are purdahnashins,meaning they, as devout conservative Muslims, practice strict seclusion. The patriarch of the esteemed Farid family has died, leaving three wives and several small children behind. She can, however, assist her father in his practice and it is in this capacity that Perveen helps solve a murder. Perveen is a woman who has gone abroad to study law but is not allowed to take the bar in India because she is a woman. Opportunities for women to study and work are slowly beginning to present themselves, while purdah - or the seclusion of women - is still practiced within some communities. It’s 1921 and the British still rule India, but independence movements are on the rise. Through her, Sujata Massey immerses the reader in a world that straddles the traditional and the modern.
“The Widows of Malabar Hill” is a murder mystery, and a fine one at that, but it is also a picture of Bombay (not sure why it’s Bombay and not Mumbai) shortly after WWI from the point of view of a young Parsi woman named Perveen Mistry. According to the book jacket, this is “a mystery of 1920s India” and that was enough to make me very curious.
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