by Alka Joshi
First published 2025
Sona meets renowned painter Mira Novak at Wadia hospital in Bombay, where both women recover from their troubles. Mira captivates Sona with tales of European lovers and artistic adventures. The two bond over their shared half-Indian heritage despite their vastly different lives. Mira invites Sona to a glamorous engagement party filled with Bombay's elite. Days later, Mira dies under suspicious circumstances, and hospital staff suspect Sona of involvement. Before fleeing in disgrace, Sona receives Mira's final note and four paintings. The message launches her on a journey across Europe to deliver three artworks to people from Mira's past: childhood lover Petra in Prague, art dealer Josephine in Paris, and painting instructor Paolo in Florence. As Sona traces these connections, she uncovers Mira's true nature beneath the charming surface. The quest forces Sona to confront her own history, including the English father who abandoned her family years ago. She must solve the mystery of Mira's death while discovering her own identity.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, contemplative, emotional, introspective, mysterious, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, mystery-to-solve, self-discovery, unreliable-circumstances
Setting: Bombay, Wadia Hospital, Prague, Paris, Florence, Europe
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
352 pages · Paperback · Park Row
Content warnings: death, murder