This review will contain spoilers for ‘The Henna Artist’

Alka Joshi has officially become an instant-buy author for me. I adore her writing and I love her characters. I’d like to thank Harper Collins for sending me an ARC of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur!

Set twelve years after the events of The Henna Artist, this installment follows three protagonists. We encounter Lakshmi once again, we meet a new character, a young tribal woman named Nimmi and of course my most beloved character from the first book, Malik. Set in the towns of Shimla and Jaipur, Alka weaves a mystery that connects our three characters from across the states, from snow to sand, from person to person. Each idea ties in perfectly with the next, making it a pleasurable experience to solve. All the threads come together perfectly.

While it isn’t necessary to read the first book before picking up this one, I would highly recommend it. Having read The Henna Artist provides depth to the characters that the reader will be unable to experience.

‘The Secret Keeper of Jaipur’ sucked me in almost immediately. Contemporary fiction usually takes me a few chapters to get involved and interested in, but within the first few chapters of this book, I was engrossed in knowing how the characters had grown, what they were doing, how their lives had progressed. The writing remains soft and simple which is wonderful because you get to focus on the intrigue of the plot and the journey of the characters. The narration is able to create vivid imagery and the descriptions are almost visceral yet softened by the simplicity of the writing.

“Pearl and ruby bangles, now too large for her thin arms, threaten to slide off her wrists. “

It’s one of my greatest fears that Indian authors brought up in America or who live in America will try and appropriate Indian culture in their writing. One of the prime examples for me was a show that came out on Netflix called ‘Never Have I Ever’ or a book that came out earlier this year titled ‘Cast in Firelight’. But all of Alka’s writing is well researched. You can tell that she takes the time to do the research regarding Indian culture that she might be unaware of, and she mentions as much in her book. The customs of Nimmi’s tribe are brought to the front with tact, she researches the construction techniques that would have been used in 1960’s North India, she researches smuggling in India. All of it is well thought out. Where The Henna Artist spoke about poignant topics regarding domestic abuse and the slow climb out of poverty, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur explores relinquishing emotional custody of someone you have raised as a child, friendships between women who might once consider each other rivals, and affairs and sex. This book depicts Alka’s range.

What I really loved though aside from the way the plot tied together and the narrative style, were the characters. I really enjoyed seeing Lakshmi again! While the romance between Malik and Nimmi was negligible, I enjoyed the romance between them. It was barely there, and yet there was something soft and safe about it. At the same time, Lakshmi is now married to the handsome Doctor Jay from the previous book and yet we experience angst within her well-established romance, what with the reappearances of old flames and doubts. It was interesting to see how all the relationships evolved towards the end and how all the old relationships from the first book tie into this one. Range, range, range!

“But you can’t be friends when you’re in love with the same woman.”

~ The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, Alka Joshi

All in all, I loved this book, and while I have mulled over it I can’t honestly decide which of the two I like better. Perhaps a reread is in order.

Spoilers will be added to this review on June 29th!

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur will be available to purchase on June 22nd.