A Will to Kill (Harith Athreya, #1)

by Rv Raman

NAMED ONE OF THE "TEN BOOKS WE RECOMMEND THIS WEEK"—The New York Times

NAMED ONE OF THE "BEST RECENT THRILLERS"—The Guardian

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST CRIME FICTION OF 2020 BY OPEN, THE MAGAZINE

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST CRIME NOVELS OF NOVEMBER BY THE TIMES UK

For fans of Knives Out, a book that embodies all the things we love about Agatha Christie—a haunted manor house, estranged relatives a will, and a murder— set in modern-day India, and the first in a series from author RV Raman.

Aging and wheelchair-bound patriarch Bhaskar Fernandez has finally reclaimed his family property after a bitter legal battle, and now wants to reunite his aggrieved relatives. So, he invites them to remote Greybrooke Manor in the misty Nilgiris —a mansion that has played host to several sudden deaths; a colonial edifice that stands alone in a valley that is said to be haunted by the ghost of an Englishman. But Bhaskar has other, more practical problems to deal with.
He knows that his family is waiting for him to die to regain the family fortune, and to safeguard himself against violence during the house party, he writes two conflicting wills. Which one of them comes into force depends on how he dies.
Into this tinderbox, he brings Harith Athreya, a seasoned investigator. When a landslide occurs, temporarily isolating them all at the mansion, and resulting in a murder, Athreya finds that murder is not the only thing the mist conceals. A WILL TO KILL is the first Harith Athreya mystery.

• ISBN10: 1951709071
• ISBN13: 9781951709075
• Publish Date: 14 January 2021 (first published 25 June 2019)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 June 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Agora Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 340
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Will To Kill is the first book in a new murder mystery series by R.V. Raman. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Agora on their Polis imprint, it's 340 pages (print edition) and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is an isolated country house murder mystery very much in the classic golden age style of Carr, Christie, Allingham, and the rest of the pantheon. Although set in the modern era, it's full of creepy atmospheric (haunted?) settings from the RAJ era of Indian occupation, rich eccentric characters, despicable grasping family members, contested wills, in the midst of which an acquaintance of the family is thrust into the role of investigator. The investigation follows the rules of engagement; the reader is given all pertinent info as clues are uncovered. There are twists and red-herrings aplenty and I found myself thoroughly charmed and engaged as the mystery unfolded.

The writing is beautifully and precisely well crafted, with clearly described settings, finely rendered characterizations, and dialogue that flows well and freely. My only struggle came from the plethora of relatives, servants, and other secondary characters - keeping them straight in my head was difficult (but not impossible - I really love the search feature on my e-reader).

Classically appealing and engaging murder mystery with a cleverly twisty plot. Four and a half stars. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment. Highly highly recommended especially to fans of classic golden age mysteries.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.