Meg's Reviews > The Bombay Prince

1920s Bombay is a heated political climate - with one side lobbying for freedom from Great Britain’s rule and another reaping the benefits of colonialism. Perveen Mistry is a Parsi woman, educated at Oxford, and now serving as a solicitor with her father’s law firm Mistry Law. Unable to try cases at the highest court, she is still uniquely positioned as a confidant and legal representative of women who may be uncomfortable having their case heard by a man. Mere days before Edward VIII, Prince of Wales, is scheduled to arrive in Bombay, Freny Cuttingmaster, a Parsi student at a local college, comes to Perveen asking for legal advice: can her college do anything if she stays away from the parade in honor of the prince as a protest. Days later at the parade, Freny is found dead on the school grounds; the police at the scene claim it must be suicide, but Perveen doesn’t think the facts add up. As she sets to helping Freny’s family by working to solve the mystery of her death, is Perveen risking her own family and reputation in the process?

I absolutely loved stepping back into Perveen’s world. The political backdrop of Prince Edward’s visit to Bombay sets a vivid scene for the mystery of Freny’s death. If there’s one thing I love more than a good cozy mystery, it’s a very well researched cozy mystery, which also places this novel squarely into historical fiction. The book has era-relevant social and class commentary, cultural and religious friction, a colorful cast of characters, a dashing love interest (with a prosthetic leg!), not to mention a singing parrot. As with all series, I do strongly recommend the first two books prior to this one for the character arcs and backstories, but I think this book could still be enjoyable as a standalone.