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Kalpana Swaminathan's new novel is gripping and adventurous
Updated On: 03 November, 2023 05:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Nandini Varma
Lalli mysteries are back with a new adventure in Kalpana Swaminathan’s ninth in the series, The Kala Ghoda Affair
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The thriller novel features landmarks in the Kala Ghoda neighbourhood, and sheds light on how the present SoBo location is different from the 1890 set-up. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
Kalpana Swaminathan’s new novel, The Kala Ghoda Affair, is a joyous adventure through Mumbai (then Bombay) of the 1890s and of the present times. She returns with her 60-year-old, sharp-eyed detective, Lalli, who has been quarantined because her previous case had driven her wrestling with COVID-19. When a new case of a black sapphire that went missing 125 years ago arrives at her doorstep, it sends her on a new quest which she finds no reason to dismiss.
Swaminathan’s book comes alive through her wild characters. We are led by Sita, Lalli’s niece and the narrator of the story, as we navigate through colourful conversations and Sita’s little insights into this world. There is no denying that Lalli is one of the most arresting detectives that Indian fiction has gifted us. When we caught up with Swaminathan, she told us, “Lalli came about 20 years ago. At the time, it seemed right to have a detective who was in her 60s. I wanted her to be the person who is completely free of everything. Also, if you look at India’s power base, historically, it has always been women over 60 [shaking things up]. They have ruled. Now that I’m about ’s age, I often think, ‘What was I thinking?’” She laughs, commenting how life is still a mess at 60, but there are certainly different strengths that one draws from.
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