Bombay Monsoon, by James W. Ziskin

 

A novel that is both historical fiction and a mystery is very appealing, indeed.

I enjoyed experiencing a bit of India as it was in 1975,  through Danny Jacob’s eyes. He’s a young journalist, attempting to cover the news from India at a critical time for its democracy, which lends this story some relevance to our own times. The story is written in a simple, straight forward way that seems most appropriate for a journalist. 

Since this is a mystery,  I will avoid any big reveals. Suffice it to say, Danny inadvertently puts himself in a couple or three dicey situations, depending on how one goes about counting. He’s got his job, social contacts, and a romantic entanglement. It turns out, all of them involve risks. Danny is definitely living dangerously. 

Danny Jacobs is an extremely likable character, who has previously reported from Vietnam. That is, he is no stranger to danger or getting by in foreign lands. For that reason, I did find his naivete about a couple things to be incredible, even if his mind is fogged with the love of a certain woman. Another character, Willy, a wealthy Belgian man who befriends him, also seems to act in surprising ways.  Meanwhile, I feel that the most intriguing character in this story was Sushmilla, Willy’s girlfriend. Her backstory and motives seem realistic, her actions explainable. I enjoyed the plot, even if I also feel that it was wrapped up a pinch too tidily.

I enjoyed the plot, even if I also feel that it was wrapped up a pinch too tidily. The author poured his love of India into this novel, while also showing parts of its society that made Danny deeply uncomfortable. Bombay Monsoon is a smart and thoughtful story that I admire, and would recommend. Thank you so much to Oceanview Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this. I’m glad I did. 

Our Country Friends, by Gary Shteyngart

 Our Country Friends is impressively rich with details and backstory, the kind of fascinating intricacy that I relish. Also, it’s a pandemic story, one in which a few old friends hunker down together at one friend’s country estate to catch up with each other while in lockdown. 

Since this is a Gary Shteyngart novel, I’d expected a comedy, but I feel that this story is mostly a tragedy. When I did chuckle, I did so heartily, though, because groundhogs are always funny. That’s not to make anyone think of groundhog’s day–it’s never the same old same old with this cast. 

It’s extremely important that these friends are not all alone; the landowner, Sasha, has invited a man we know only as The (famous) Actor. Therefore, this out of the way place gets some unwanted attention on social media, along with the ominous presence of an outsider. 

Sasha and his wife Masha, their young daughter Nat, and friends Vinod, Karen, Dee, and Ed are together, intensely, for about six months. During this time, there is much romance, soul searching, and the discovery of a shocking betrayal. 

Shteyngart might be channeling Chekhov with the brief bits of humor wrapped in tragedy. Is a gun introduced, and if so, what is it? The author does tease us a bit, here.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this novel–Vinod’s symbolic dreams, the depiction of social media, and the descriptions of the various cultures and childhoods of these friends all make this a fascinating read. I recommend it.

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Note: I did not score this read on Netgalley, Edelweiss, or Book Tasters. It's a book group selection.