--- product_id: 112819104 title: "The Widows of Malabar Hill (A Perveen Mistry Novel)" price: "97.57 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/112819104-the-widows-of-malabar-hill-a-perveen-mistry-novel store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Widows of Malabar Hill (A Perveen Mistry Novel) **Price:** 97.57 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Widows of Malabar Hill (A Perveen Mistry Novel) - **How much does it cost?** 97.57 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/112819104-the-widows-of-malabar-hill-a-perveen-mistry-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description 1920s India: Perveen Mistry, Bombay's only female lawyer, is investigating a suspicious will on behalf of three Muslim widows living in full purdah when the case takes a turn toward the murderous. The author of the Agatha and Macavity Award–winning Rei Shimura novels brings us an atmospheric new historical mystery with a captivating heroine. This Deluxe Paperback Edition features: an interview with the author, discussion questions, essays on the real-life inspirations behind the novel, delicious recipes taken from the story, and previews of The Satapur Moonstone . Perveen Mistry, the daughter of a respected Zoroastrian family, has just joined her father's law firm, becoming one of the first female lawyers in India. Armed with a legal education from Oxford, Perveen also has a tragic personal history that makes women's legal rights especially important to her. Mistry Law has been appointed to execute the will of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner who has left three widows behind. But as Perveen examines the paperwork, she notices something strange: all three of the wives have signed over their full inheritance to a charity. What will they live on? Perveen is suspicious, especially since one of the widows has signed her form with an X—meaning she probably couldn't even read the document. The Farid widows live in full purdah—in strict seclusion, never leaving the women's quarters or speaking to any men. Are they being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous guardian? Perveen tries to investigate, and realizes her instincts were correct when tensions escalate to murder. Now it is her responsibility to figure out what really happened on Malabar Hill, and to ensure that no innocent women or children are in further danger. Inspired in part by the woman who made history as India's first female attorney, The Widows of Malabar Hill is a richly wrought story of multicultural 1920s Bombay as well as the debut of a sharp new sleuth. Review: This book is a treasure on so many levels - It has received rave reviews from many guests on the "What Should I Read Next?" podcast and from the podcast host Ann Bogel. The setting in 1920s Bombay is rich and well-researched. The author consulted many experts to understand the culture, the daily lives, the customs, and even the foods of that time and place, so the reader has the past brought alive. She uses many terms and references from the era and includes an alphabetical glossary to aid the reader. This was helpful but not at all necessary to enjoy the book. The heroine, Perveen Mistry, is Bombay's first female lawyer, practicing with her father in the well-respected firm of Mistry Law, founded by her grandfather. Her character is based, in part, on a real woman who made history as India's first female attorney. Mistry Law must execute the will of a wealthy Muslim mill owner, Omar Farid. Perveen finds the paperwork suspicious: all three of Farid's wives have signed over their inheritance to a charity, but what would they live on? Do they understand what they're doing...or are they being coerced by an unscrupulous male guardian? The widows live in full purdah—strict seclusion—never leaving the women's quarters or speaking to men face-to-face. As Perveen gains access to the women, her suspicions are confirmed, but when tensions lead to a murder, she and her father find a baffling collection of clues that keep them from knowing whom to trust. Threaded throughout is Perveen's backstory of a disastrous marriage and her own commitment to making sure the widows are protected from antiquated inheritance laws. Excitement builds as some members of the Farid household disappear and Perveen herself becomes a target. This delicious who-done-it is set against the backdrop of the fascinating multicultural city of Bombay, where not only were there rigidly observed separations between British authorities and native Indians, but there were also huge cultural differences between Muslims, Hindus, and Zoroastrians. These all added color and interest to the story, and even though Perveen's family was progressive for the time, they too were shackled by cultural norms, standards, and expectation. This book would make a great movie, and I certainly hope we'll see more of this engaging and impetuous heroine. Review: interesting look at women and cultures in 1920s India - This mystery features Perveen Mistry, the first woman to practice law in India (though fictional, Perveen is based the real woman who achieved this distinction at this time). Perveen is Parsi, an Indian cultural group that came originally from Iran (Persia) and follows the Zoroastrian religion. The three women whose situation she investigates in this story, on the other hand, are Muslim and follow the custom of purdah, which confines them to a particular part of their home and allows them to speak to men only through a screen. All are widows of the same man, and it appears that another man, in charge of the deceased man’s estate, is trying to cheat them out of their inheritance. Working in her father’s law firm, Perveen tries to make sure that the widows know and exercise their rights; as a woman, she cannot practice in court, but she has the advantage of being able to visit the widows in their seclusion. When the abusive estate manager is murdered in the house, she tries to find the culprit, since the police show little interest in doing so. The book provides interesting details of several cultures active in India during this transitional time, when the British still controlled the country but desires for independence were beginning to stir. The focus is on the different roles and restrictions assigned to women. Attitudes toward women could differ considerably even within a single culture and religion, as Perveen has learned earlier to her sorrow: her own upper-class Parsi family is very progressive, encouraging her to pursue her education and interest in law, but the family into which she married, though also upper-class Parsi, proved to be extremely traditional and restrictive. Her experience with them undoubtedly fuels her desire to help the three widows, who are trapped in an equally confining environment. Perveen, the widows, and the book’s other characters are interesting, though I didn’t feel a deep involvement with them, and the writing and the mystery are well handled. The best thing about the book, however, was learning the details of the cultures, including many terms for foods, articles of clothing, and the like. It was illuminating, though sad, to learn that such restrictions as forced seclusion during menstruation were still practiced among some groups even in the early 20th century—but of course these customs and even worse ones persist in some places today. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #49,361 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #377 in International Mystery & Crime (Books) #405 in Traditional Detective Mysteries (Books) #407 in Cozy Culinary Mysteries | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 6,694 Reviews | ## Images ![The Widows of Malabar Hill (A Perveen Mistry Novel) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81UPN8iUkhL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is a treasure on so many levels *by E***L on July 8, 2018* It has received rave reviews from many guests on the "What Should I Read Next?" podcast and from the podcast host Ann Bogel. The setting in 1920s Bombay is rich and well-researched. The author consulted many experts to understand the culture, the daily lives, the customs, and even the foods of that time and place, so the reader has the past brought alive. She uses many terms and references from the era and includes an alphabetical glossary to aid the reader. This was helpful but not at all necessary to enjoy the book. The heroine, Perveen Mistry, is Bombay's first female lawyer, practicing with her father in the well-respected firm of Mistry Law, founded by her grandfather. Her character is based, in part, on a real woman who made history as India's first female attorney. Mistry Law must execute the will of a wealthy Muslim mill owner, Omar Farid. Perveen finds the paperwork suspicious: all three of Farid's wives have signed over their inheritance to a charity, but what would they live on? Do they understand what they're doing...or are they being coerced by an unscrupulous male guardian? The widows live in full purdah—strict seclusion—never leaving the women's quarters or speaking to men face-to-face. As Perveen gains access to the women, her suspicions are confirmed, but when tensions lead to a murder, she and her father find a baffling collection of clues that keep them from knowing whom to trust. Threaded throughout is Perveen's backstory of a disastrous marriage and her own commitment to making sure the widows are protected from antiquated inheritance laws. Excitement builds as some members of the Farid household disappear and Perveen herself becomes a target. This delicious who-done-it is set against the backdrop of the fascinating multicultural city of Bombay, where not only were there rigidly observed separations between British authorities and native Indians, but there were also huge cultural differences between Muslims, Hindus, and Zoroastrians. These all added color and interest to the story, and even though Perveen's family was progressive for the time, they too were shackled by cultural norms, standards, and expectation. This book would make a great movie, and I certainly hope we'll see more of this engaging and impetuous heroine. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ interesting look at women and cultures in 1920s India *by L***) on October 16, 2018* This mystery features Perveen Mistry, the first woman to practice law in India (though fictional, Perveen is based the real woman who achieved this distinction at this time). Perveen is Parsi, an Indian cultural group that came originally from Iran (Persia) and follows the Zoroastrian religion. The three women whose situation she investigates in this story, on the other hand, are Muslim and follow the custom of purdah, which confines them to a particular part of their home and allows them to speak to men only through a screen. All are widows of the same man, and it appears that another man, in charge of the deceased man’s estate, is trying to cheat them out of their inheritance. Working in her father’s law firm, Perveen tries to make sure that the widows know and exercise their rights; as a woman, she cannot practice in court, but she has the advantage of being able to visit the widows in their seclusion. When the abusive estate manager is murdered in the house, she tries to find the culprit, since the police show little interest in doing so. The book provides interesting details of several cultures active in India during this transitional time, when the British still controlled the country but desires for independence were beginning to stir. The focus is on the different roles and restrictions assigned to women. Attitudes toward women could differ considerably even within a single culture and religion, as Perveen has learned earlier to her sorrow: her own upper-class Parsi family is very progressive, encouraging her to pursue her education and interest in law, but the family into which she married, though also upper-class Parsi, proved to be extremely traditional and restrictive. Her experience with them undoubtedly fuels her desire to help the three widows, who are trapped in an equally confining environment. Perveen, the widows, and the book’s other characters are interesting, though I didn’t feel a deep involvement with them, and the writing and the mystery are well handled. The best thing about the book, however, was learning the details of the cultures, including many terms for foods, articles of clothing, and the like. It was illuminating, though sad, to learn that such restrictions as forced seclusion during menstruation were still practiced among some groups even in the early 20th century—but of course these customs and even worse ones persist in some places today. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Widows of Malabar Hill are far more than who they are assumed to be. *by P***Y on January 15, 2018* The widows of Malabar Hill lets us look into the society of India during the days of the British Empire. We are taken back to those days, and allowed to experience the customs of the different peoples and religious outlooks of the time. It was very interesting how the religious customs influenced family life, to the point of it affecting the way the House on Malibar Hill was constructed. It also showed how the complexity of the web of those cultural and religious beliefs played out in everyday life, making every thing a person did have a capacity for hidden meanings. As much as I miss Sujata's Shimura Rei, I enjoyed this look into life in India in between the world wars. It was an excellent mystery based on the ways points of view, and human selfishness affects they way peoples treat one another. I really enjoyed this book. I do miss that the details of the dress- this takes place in the 'flapper era- of the English people of the time, and the way a British lady was expected to present herself were overshadowed. Alice's parents could have had more doubts about their daughter's friendship with Paraveen and her family. Old cultures are infamous for having mouldering old buildings which were once quite imposing, but which sag with age like high born once beautiful young adults, but who have now elderly dowagers. Alice would have had to contend with high heeled shoes when she was causing the diversion for Paraveen. Her parents would have smoked; her mother would have had an upscale brand of cigarette, while her husband enjoyed his pipe. Ladies and gents would have gone to different areas in the British house after dinner to talk- the men enjoying port wine or brandy and a cigar or pipe. And there would have been a terrier dog in the English house as insurance against rats. I highly recommend this book for the way it uses a mystery story to let us into the culture of India during the 1920s. thank you Sujata!! ## Frequently Bought Together - The Widows of Malabar Hill - The Satapur Moonstone - The Bombay Prince --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/112819104-the-widows-of-malabar-hill-a-perveen-mistry-novel](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/112819104-the-widows-of-malabar-hill-a-perveen-mistry-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-08-17*