The Star From Calcutta

The newest Perveen Mistry cozy historical mystery was recently published on March 3, 2026. The Star From Calcutta is the fifth installment of the series and takes place in 1922 India. In this story there was a movie censor  murdered at a movie premiere. The  leading lady disappeared at the same time. 

The publisher's summary:

India, 1922: Perveen Mistry, the only female lawyer in Bombay, has secured her biggest client yet: Champa Films, a movie studio run by director Subhas Ghoshal and his wife, Rochana, the biggest name in Indian cinema. In the public eye, Rochana is notorious for her beauty and her daring stunts—behind the scenes, she has recently left the studio in Calcutta that made her famous, and the studio owner is enraged by what he claims is a breach of contract. Rochana needs Perveen’s legal help to extricate Champa Films from the impending controversy.

To study Rochana’s glamorous world, Perveen attends a special screening and brings her film fanatic best friend, Alice Hobson-Jones. But in the aftermath of the event, one of the guests is found dead, and to make matters worse, Rochana has disappeared.

To protect her clients, Perveen begins to investigate the developing murder case, peeling back the glitz to reveal a salacious web of blackmail, deceit, and romantic affairs. For the first time in their friendship, Alice seems to be keeping a secret from Perveen. Is she hiding key information about the night of the murder? Will Perveen be able to detangle the truth from lies while protecting herself—and her closest friend?

This installment of the series was somewhat different than the earlier novels. In the past Perveen was investigating murders as a defense of her clients. In Star, Perveen was a witness because she attended the film preview and because she found the body. It was a nice twist that keeps the series fresh. However, she was still able to gather information for her investigation, although she had to ensure that the police did not know what she was up to. As a potential witness in a trial, or even the defendant, Perveen had to lay low. She hired a retired detective to help her with research into the movie companies, the censors and even her clients. 

While I have always enjoyed the Indian setting, this particular novel sheds light on the beginnings of Bollywood. Up until the time of the story, 1922, the movies that were shown in India were primarily made in Britain and had British storylines. None of the movie companies were creating stories about the lives of the Indian people nor were the actors Indian. If a character was ethnic, a mixed race actor was hired and, in all cases, the names of the actors were changed to Indian names. Around 1922 several Indian owned movie companies sprang up. They told Indian stories and used Indian actors. 

The pace was pretty quick, although the murder didn't occur until page 100 (out of 415). Perveen is a brilliant amateur sleuth. She relies on her law school education and work experience to help her create lists, in her mind that is, on how to approach each investigation in a rational manner. She pretty much knows what information she needs to obtain, in what order to obtain it and the names of those people who might have the information. Perveen thinks analytically as a lawyer would think. When she gets into trouble her father is a great resource. With twenty five years experience as a lawyer himself, he has the gravitas to know how best to handle unexpected challenges.

Perveen has a romantic interest in another character. The romance cannot go anywhere because she is still married to Cyrus Sodawilla and is not eligible for a divorce. Perveen is skating on thin ice in her liaisons with him but as a twenty-six year old woman she cannot turn her passion off. To make matters worse, her best friend's parents, the Hobson-Jones, are trying to marry him off to their daughter Alice. Of course, Alice isn't interested in him because she prefers women.

To say anything more about the book would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that The Star of Calcutta is a perfect cozy mystery. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Fourth Princess

Author Janie Chang writes historical fiction. Many of her novels incorporate stories drawn from her family history and often include elements of fantasy. The Fourth Princess is her sixth book and it is set in 1911 China. The story is Chang's first gothic historical fiction novel and it's about two young women living in a crumbling, once-grand Shanghai mansion. Both face danger as secrets from their pasts come to light, even as the mansion’s own secret threatens the present. It was published on February 10, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

Shanghai, 1911. Lisan Liu is elated when she is hired as secretary to wealthy American Caroline Stanton, the new mistress of Lennox Manor on the outskirts of Shanghai’s International Settlement. However, the Manor has a dark past due to a previous owner’s suicide, and soon Lisan’s childhood nightmares resurface with more intensity and meld with haunted visions of a woman in red. Adding to her unease is the young gardener, Yao, who both entices and disturbs her.

Newly married Caroline looks forward to life in China with her husband, Thomas, away from the shadows of another earlier tragedy. But an unwelcome guest, Andrew Grey, attends her party and claims to know secrets she can’t afford to have exposed. At the same party, the notorious princess Masako Kyo approaches Lisan with questions about the young woman’s family that the orphaned Lisan can’t answer.

As Caroline struggles with Grey’s extortion and Thomas’s mysterious illness, Lisan’s future is upended when she learns the truth about her past, and why her identity has been hidden all these years. All the while, strange incidents accelerate, driving Lisan to doubt her sanity as Lennox Manor seems unwilling to release her until she fulfills demands from beyond the grave. 

This was a riveting novel. The story opens with Lisan traveling to her job interview with Caroline Stanton. She is immediately hired and leaves the home of her benefactor Master Liu to live with the Stantons. She will be working as Caroline Stanton's secretary. Lisan and Caroline hit it off right away and Lisan soon becomes indispensable to the running of the household. 

I'm not gonna lie. I had to Google gothic historical fiction for a definition. Gothic historical fiction blends suspense, atmosphere, and often supernatural elements with rich settings, commonly featuring crumbling old houses, isolated estates, secrets, strong female characters and intense emotional journeys. Lennox Manor fits the bill. It's falling apart after decades of neglect and it is located several miles from the nearest buildings in Shanghai. There is some mental illness in the Stanton family with two prior suicides. The Chinese house staff supplies the story with tales of superstition and fantasy. They frequently post words and pictures near doorways in order to keep ghosts away and there are definitely strong women characters. 

Lisan Liu is the main character and the story is told from her viewpoint. She is liked by everyone who has ever met her. I won't go into detail regarding her family background because it would be a spoiler. Caroline Stanton is also a strong female character, which surprises her husband Thomas and his uncle Mason who is always trying to get his hands on Caroline's fortune to facilitate their entry into a railroad scheme. Mason has told Thomas and Caroline that he is leaving them the house in his will. However, he doesn't actually own the house, a fact Caroline learns from reviewing land records. Master Liu owns it and leases it to Mason. Mason is the cause of all the treachery in the novel. He moves from one scheme to another to force Thomas to take away Caroline's money. Caroline also is guilty of some treachery but to describe it would be a spoiler.

The Fourth Princess is a dynamite novel. Historical fiction fans simply must read it. It's too good to pass up. 5 out of 5 stars.

Bamboo Island: The Planter's Wife

Ann Bennett's Bamboo Island was published on October 4, 2019. It is a WWII story that takes place in Thailand. The book was previously published with the title The Homecoming and Bamboo Road. All of the titles have different book covers so I had some confusion over which book I was actually reading.

The publisher's summary:

1938: Juliet and her sister Rose arrive in Penang to stay with an aunt, after the death of their father. Juliet quickly falls under the spell of Gavin Crosby, a plantation owner, who despite his wealth, charm and good looks is shunned by the local community. Rushed into marriage, Juliet is unprepared for the devastating secrets she uncovers on Gavin’s plantation, and the bad blood between Gavin and his brother… But in 1941 the Japanese occupy Malaya and Singapore sweeping away that world and changing Juliet’s life forever.

For decades after the war which robbed her of everyone she loved, Juliet lives as a recluse back on the plantation. But in 1962 the sudden appearance of Mary, a young woman from an orphanage in Indonesia, forces Juliet to embark on a journey into the past, and to face up to the heart-breaking truths she’s buried for so long.

The story is told in a dual timeline, from the late 1930s to the 1960s. It was difficult for me to follow along in the beginning. Juliet endured many flashbacks, some to times in England with her family and others to life in Malaya with her abusive husband. Eventually I figured it all out. However, the story was not promising until the halfway point. WWII was raging then.

The story began, though, with a young woman arriving on her doorstep in 1962 who claimed to be Juliet's niece. Juliet's sister Rose and Rose's daughter Claire were lost at sea twenty years beforehand. Juliet quickly rebuffs the girl, Mary, but because she is lonely Juliet continues to maintain contact with her. Mary asks alot of questions that cause Juliet pain. She eventually gets answers but Juliet is forced to replay in her mind the Japanese occupation of Malaysia and her time in a Japanese prison.

Far Asian settings usually entice me but this setting was during a war. There were food shortages, impromptu home searches by Japanese soldiers and the constant threat of arrest and execution. Three years of Juliet's story occurs in Changi Prison in Singapore. Afterwards she and other women were marched to a prisoner of war labor camp. This is not the usual exotic Asian setting I am used to reading about.

The author wrote a compelling story which I believe maintains historical accuracy. It was an enjoyable read and I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

Darjeeling Inheritance

From award-winning author of The Linford Series, Liz Harris, comes this intriguing tale of love and malice, set in the shadow of the Himalayas. I love reading fiction set in India so I was immediately drawn to the book. The book was published on April 23, 2021. With 404 pages, it's almost a chunkster.

The publisher's summary:

Darjeeling, 1930

After eleven years in school in England, Charlotte Lawrence returns to Sundar, the tea plantation owned by her family, and finds an empty house. She learns that her beloved father died a couple of days earlier and that he left her his estate. She learns also that it was his wish that she marry Andrew McAllister, the good-looking younger son from a neighbouring plantation.

Unwilling to commit to a wedding for which she doesn't feel ready, Charlotte pleads with Dan Fitzgerald, the assistant manager of Sundar, to teach her how to run the plantation while she gets to know Andrew. Although reluctant as he knew that a woman would never be accepted as manager by the local merchants and workers, Dan agrees.

Charlotte's chaperone on the journey from England, Ada Eastman, who during the long voyage, has become a friend, has journeyed to Darjeeling to marry Harry Banning, the owner of a neighbouring tea garden.

When Ada marries Harry, she's determined to be a loyal and faithful wife. And to be a good friend to Charlotte. And nothing, but nothing, was going to stand in the way of that.

The story begins with a bang. When Charlotte returns home she is immediately told that her beloved father died two days earlier. In addition, she is the heir to the tea plantation. About an hour later her mother tells Charlotte that she is to marry Andrew McAllister. Charlotte has not seen Andrew since she was a young child and does not wish to marry any time soon. This is alot for her to absorb in the first few minutes at home. Charlotte, though, plans to learn everything about the tea business before she marries.

As a tea aficionado I appreciated all the information on what makes a great tea leaf. From the age and height of the tea bushes to the lack of moisture coming from the Himalayas, I learned alot about my favorite tea. Darjeeling has been my go to tea for years. There are, of course, unpleasant jobs that tea planters have to do. Manuring sections of the terraces (yes, I made up that word), lopping and shaping the leaves must be done on a regular basis. The leaves are then plucked every five to seven days, thirty or forty times a year. No wonder it is expensive.

Charlotte continued to learn a new aspect of tea planting every week. Each week's lessons were fully described. While I enjoyed this, readers who are not into tea might find all this information boring. Charlotte had other lessons from her mother on how to run a household as well as knowing how to mix drinks for her future husband. 

The setting is a dream. . . for the wealthy. The oppressive heat was difficult for manual laborers in the tea fields. The wealthy, however, had beautiful homes with servants who catered to their every need and desire. Also, India has plenty of private clubs for the English to join that bar Indians. The English certainly set up a fine social network for themselves. Unfortunately, their Indian employees worked long hours with little pay. When I say the setting is a dream, I am imagining that I am a wealthy Englishwoman living in a plantation home. 

The romance among the characters was messed up. New bride Ada is attracted to Andrew. Andrew feels the same for Ada even though he plans to marry Charlotte. Dan develops feelings for Charlotte during their educational sessions which eventually are reciprocated. While Charlotte is the main character, the story heavily features Ada and her new husband Harry. I did not understand Ada's prominence until the midway point when these attractions became physical. 

All in all Darjeeling Inheritance was an enjoyable read. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Fourth Daughter

The Fourth Daughter is a family saga that takes place in Taiwan. It's an enjoyable book. As you can tell from the summary, life was not easy for women, even in the 1960s when the main story takes place.

The publisher's summary:

In Taiwan, the bond between grandmother and granddaughter opens up a healing world for them both in an inspiring family saga about the comfort of food, untold histories, and indomitable mother love.

Chef Liv Kuo’s star is on the rise…until a traumatic incident leaves her emotionally unable to venture outside her Manhattan apartment. But an unexpected reason to break free comes from Ah-Ma, Liv’s6 beloved grandmother in Taiwan. Ah-Ma needs Liv’s help in finding her fourth daughter, taken from her when the girl was an infant. After all these years, it seems impossible. It’s also a mystery: Ah-Ma’s fourth daughter is an aunt Liv never even knew existed.

After landing in Taiwan, Liv hears the heartbreaking story of her grandmother’s plight in a country once under martial law, of choices made for her, and of the hopeful search for a lost girl that has endured for more than sixty years. Like the enriching food and traditions that bind Liv and Ah-Ma, their journey for answers brings them together.

And it’s a quest that turns up both a precious old cookbook and a tale of fatal betrayal that shakes everything Liv believed about her family—revelations that could also give her the courage to face the trauma she left behind.

This heartwarming story is told in a dual timeline. The chapters alternate from 1960s Taiwan to New York in the current time period. The earlier timeline details how grandmother Yi-ping's fourth daughter, Yili, was stolen, while the present day timeline covers the search for the girl who is now in her 60s. I love dual timelines because they make the pace faster and I like how these storres unfold.

I loved the Taiwan setting. I learned alot about Taiwanese history, which was exciting for me as I am traveling there next year. The descriptions of all of the food Liv ate while in Taiwan were mouthwatering. The spices in each dish were described as the food entered her mouth as well as the aftertaste. If there was anything negative about the setting it was the number of people wandering in the streets. Liv has panic attacks when in crowds. I felt her vertigo as well. The author did a great job describing the setting, which is appropriate since she was born in Taiwan.

The politics of the country was well-described. Liv's family were associated with the KMT who had control of the government during the time period of the story. Liv's grandfather, Wang Po-Wei, was connected with them. The KMT were known to be brutal, killing people or making people disappear on a whim from officials. This association made it difficult to get information about Yili as people refused to help because of anger over relatives who had disappeared. 

SPOILER ALERT!  The story has a happy ending. Everyone lives happily ever after. It's nice to read something that ends well. It's even nicer when all of the characters get along. I don't see this often but I love it when it happens.

5 out of 5 stars.

Circle of Days

This 670 page novel was published on September 23, 2025. Ken Follett's Circle of Days is similar to his Knightsbridge series but instead it is a saga regarding the building of Stonehenge.

The publisher's summary:

Seft, a talented flint miner, walks the Great Plain in the high summer heat, to witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year. He is there to trade his stone at the Midsummer Fair, and to find Neen, the girl he loves. Her family lives in prosperity and offer Seft an escape from his brutish father and brothers within their herder community.

Joia, Neen’s sister, is a priestess with a vision and an unmatched ability to lead. As a child, she watches the Midsummer ceremony, enthralled, and dreams of a miraculous new monument, raised from the biggest stones in the world. But trouble is brewing among the hills and woodlands of the Great Plain.

Joia’s vision of a great stone circle, assembled by the divided tribes of the Plain, will inspire Seft and become their life’s work. But as drought ravages the earth, mistrust grows between the herders, farmers and woodlanders—and an act of savage violence leads to open warfare . . .

My first impression of this novel is WOW! It’s an incredibly captivating story with intriguing characters. Joia is a born diplomate. This trait helps her to gain consensus from her fellow priestesses and villagers when coming up with new practices for both groups of people. She is a strong female character and she is my favorite. Seft is also a strong character. Because his father and brothers were abusive, Seft left the family and everything he knew about flintmaking to join a herder group. Seft also decided to go against his father in order to marry his love, Neen. He was successful as a herder. Seft's ability to think and find solutions to common problems that the herders faced helped him gain the approval of his new tribe when he wanted to build a new Monument. 

The writing is superb. I have been thinking about how Follett made the chapters exciting enough to force readers to keep reading until the early hours of the day. There was not the suspense that I am used to seeing in my mysteries. I really don't know how Follett did it but I couldn’t stop reading the book. I read it in 2 days with 500 pages read on the first day. This morning I finished the remaining 200 pages of the book. I can't say enough good things about the book. It is fantastic.

The original Stonehenge, or Monument as it's described in the story, was made out of wood. The priestesses were able to tell time by their method of dance around the structures. When the wood monument fell down the need for a permanent structure was discussed between Joia, Seft and a few other villagers. Eventually they decided on a stone monument. Seft then had to find a way to move those big stones to the place the monument had always been located at. His brilliant analysis of the problems the villagers would face to move the stones aided Seft in devising a strategy. 

I relished this story. Rating the book is easy. It's a 5 out of 5 star story and I recommend that readers pick up the book. You won't be disappointed.

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

I love the historical fiction challenge.  Sign-ups are now open for the 2026 challenge and I signed up immediately.  It is once again being hosted by the Intrepid Reader blog.  The host does a great job of posting monthly links for reviews as well as posting an end of month summary of the challenge. While I failed miserably with the challenge in 2025, I am going to sign up again at the Ancient History level which requires me to read 25 books. 

Challenge Rules

 

1. The challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2026.

2. Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, History/Non-Fiction, etc.). 

3. You need to choose a participation level:

Participation Levels

20th Century Reader - 2 books

Victorian Reader - 5 books

Renaissance Reader - 10 books

Medieval - 15 books

Ancient History - 25 books.  (my level of participation)

Prehistoric - 50+ books

4. If you don't have a blog you can post a link to your review if it's posted on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram or Amazon, or you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish.

5. To join the challenge you only need to make a post about it, add your link in Mr. Linky in the challenge post.