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Unfinished Business
‘a rare thriller that speaks with such urgency and passion to broader concerns in truth might be the first casualty of armed conflict but, sadly, the corpses of journalists are never far behind.’ –Sydney Morning Herald
A BREATHTAKING THRILLER FROM THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD–WINNING AUTHOR OF CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS
Sri Lanka, 2009. Decades of civil war and bloodshed are being brought to an end at last—by any means necessary. In the capital, Colombo, tenacious journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, execution-style, on a busy street near her home, with no witnesses. With pressure growing to find Ameena’s killer, CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent to seek justice for the journalist’s death, with strict find something, but not too much. It’s her first time returning to the island after her last mission went tragically awry four years prior, and Ellie has more than one ghost to lay to rest. Amid the international scheming and jostling for stakes in post-war Sri Lanka, Ellie follows the trail of secrets on a mission to uncover a truth worth killing for.
PRAISE FOR UNFINISHED BUSINESS ‘An explosive thriller that pulses with the weight of history. Forget James Bond, Ellie Harper is the real deal.’—Dinuka McKenzie, author of The Torrent and Tipping Point ‘Tense, gritty and deeply urgent, Unfinished Business is an action-packed thriller with international intrigue and real-world heft.’—Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author of Dark Mode ‘Passionate and courageous—a thrilling tale of espionage and intrigue and a high-stakes rollercoaster by one of Australia's most exciting writers.’—Caroline Overington, author of The Lucky One and The One Who Got Away
‘compelling and sharply written’—The Saturday Paper
‘satisfying and sophisticated’—The Guardian
‘Unfinished Business expertly evokes the hyper-surveilled metropolis of Colombo as Harper moves through morally impenetrable circles of diplomats, warlords, bureaucrats and spies.’ –Books + Publishing
‘The atmosphere, expertly evoked, throbs in your head.’ –Country Style
A BREATHTAKING THRILLER FROM THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD–WINNING AUTHOR OF CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS
Sri Lanka, 2009. Decades of civil war and bloodshed are being brought to an end at last—by any means necessary. In the capital, Colombo, tenacious journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, execution-style, on a busy street near her home, with no witnesses. With pressure growing to find Ameena’s killer, CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent to seek justice for the journalist’s death, with strict find something, but not too much. It’s her first time returning to the island after her last mission went tragically awry four years prior, and Ellie has more than one ghost to lay to rest. Amid the international scheming and jostling for stakes in post-war Sri Lanka, Ellie follows the trail of secrets on a mission to uncover a truth worth killing for.
PRAISE FOR UNFINISHED BUSINESS ‘An explosive thriller that pulses with the weight of history. Forget James Bond, Ellie Harper is the real deal.’—Dinuka McKenzie, author of The Torrent and Tipping Point ‘Tense, gritty and deeply urgent, Unfinished Business is an action-packed thriller with international intrigue and real-world heft.’—Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author of Dark Mode ‘Passionate and courageous—a thrilling tale of espionage and intrigue and a high-stakes rollercoaster by one of Australia's most exciting writers.’—Caroline Overington, author of The Lucky One and The One Who Got Away
‘compelling and sharply written’—The Saturday Paper
‘satisfying and sophisticated’—The Guardian
‘Unfinished Business expertly evokes the hyper-surveilled metropolis of Colombo as Harper moves through morally impenetrable circles of diplomats, warlords, bureaucrats and spies.’ –Books + Publishing
‘The atmosphere, expertly evoked, throbs in your head.’ –Country Style
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2024
96 people are currently reading
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About the author
Shankari Chandran
8 books518 followersShankari Chandran uses literary fiction to explore injustice, dispossession and the creation of community.
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is her third novel, published by Ultimo Press in 2022 and short-listed for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2023. Her first novel, Song of the Sun God, was also re-published by Ultimo Press in 2022.
Before turning to fiction, Shankari worked in the social justice field for a decade in London where she was responsible for projects in over 30 countries ranging from ensuring representation for detainees in Guantanamo Bay to advising UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Her work helped her understand the role and limitations of international humanitarian law in conflicts. It also showed her what happens to society when governments subvert civil liberties. These issues form major themes in her writing.
Shankari wanted to write from childhood but kept her stories and her courage inside her head for a long time. She finally committed to creative writing when faced with the life changing events of returning from London to her home in Australia, and the birth of her fourth child in 2010.
In January 2017, she published her first book, Song of the Sun God with Perera-Hussein, about three generations of Australian Tamil women and the choices they make to survive Sri Lanka's civil war. Her second book, The Barrier, was published by Pan Macmillan Australia in June 2017. It asks, what would happen to the world if an Ebola pandemic and religious wars converged?
Song of the Sun God was long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award (2019) and short-listed for Sri Lanka's Fairway National Literary Award (2018). The Barrier was short-listed for the Norma K Hemming Award for Speculative Fiction (2018). Song of the Sun God is being adapted for television, starring Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran (no relation).
Her short stories have been published in the critically acclaimed anthologies, Another Australia and Sweatshop Women (Vol 2) by Affirm Press/Sweatshop and she is the deputy chair of Writing NSW.
She continues her work in social impact for an Australian national retailer. She is based in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and her four children.
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is her third novel, published by Ultimo Press in 2022 and short-listed for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2023. Her first novel, Song of the Sun God, was also re-published by Ultimo Press in 2022.
Before turning to fiction, Shankari worked in the social justice field for a decade in London where she was responsible for projects in over 30 countries ranging from ensuring representation for detainees in Guantanamo Bay to advising UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Her work helped her understand the role and limitations of international humanitarian law in conflicts. It also showed her what happens to society when governments subvert civil liberties. These issues form major themes in her writing.
Shankari wanted to write from childhood but kept her stories and her courage inside her head for a long time. She finally committed to creative writing when faced with the life changing events of returning from London to her home in Australia, and the birth of her fourth child in 2010.
In January 2017, she published her first book, Song of the Sun God with Perera-Hussein, about three generations of Australian Tamil women and the choices they make to survive Sri Lanka's civil war. Her second book, The Barrier, was published by Pan Macmillan Australia in June 2017. It asks, what would happen to the world if an Ebola pandemic and religious wars converged?
Song of the Sun God was long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award (2019) and short-listed for Sri Lanka's Fairway National Literary Award (2018). The Barrier was short-listed for the Norma K Hemming Award for Speculative Fiction (2018). Song of the Sun God is being adapted for television, starring Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran (no relation).
Her short stories have been published in the critically acclaimed anthologies, Another Australia and Sweatshop Women (Vol 2) by Affirm Press/Sweatshop and she is the deputy chair of Writing NSW.
She continues her work in social impact for an Australian national retailer. She is based in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and her four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
March 19, 2024
This new espionage thriller from Shankari Chandran is poles apart from Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, and it had me riveted from start to finish. Both narrators are great, but Pallavi Sharda does most of the heavy-lifting and her efforts deserve special mention. I wasn't quite so enamoured with the sound production though, finding it more irritating than atmospheric a lot of the time.
It's 2009 and in war-torn Sri Lanka a female journalist has been executed on a busy street in Colombo with no witnesses. Her estranged husband and children, now living in the US, want answers. So the CIA sends Ellie Harper in to investigate. It's been four years since Ellie was last there, and she's still receiving counselling for the mission-gone-wrong that saw her leave the island nation. But Ellie still has many friends and contacts there, so when her ex- (the journalist's lover) reaches out for help, she is persuaded to return in the hope of putting some of her own ghosts to rest.
Ellie's a really interesting character. With a Sri Lankan father (who now resides at Cinnamon Gardens in Sydney!) and white mother, she grew up in Australia, but later went to the US to study and has been living there for some time. She's a bit of a chameleon, fitting in both everywhere and nowhere. But she really knows how to handle herself, and she quickly begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the journalist's death.
This story was incredibly fast-paced and presented an authentic view of both the time and the place. I thought I already knew a reasonable amount about this period of Sri Lanka's history, but I now realise I was ignorant of so many foreign influences at play. It was a great listen that I'm happy to recommend.
(Currently only available on Audible, but hopefully that won't be forever.)
It's 2009 and in war-torn Sri Lanka a female journalist has been executed on a busy street in Colombo with no witnesses. Her estranged husband and children, now living in the US, want answers. So the CIA sends Ellie Harper in to investigate. It's been four years since Ellie was last there, and she's still receiving counselling for the mission-gone-wrong that saw her leave the island nation. But Ellie still has many friends and contacts there, so when her ex- (the journalist's lover) reaches out for help, she is persuaded to return in the hope of putting some of her own ghosts to rest.
Ellie's a really interesting character. With a Sri Lankan father (who now resides at Cinnamon Gardens in Sydney!) and white mother, she grew up in Australia, but later went to the US to study and has been living there for some time. She's a bit of a chameleon, fitting in both everywhere and nowhere. But she really knows how to handle herself, and she quickly begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the journalist's death.
This story was incredibly fast-paced and presented an authentic view of both the time and the place. I thought I already knew a reasonable amount about this period of Sri Lanka's history, but I now realise I was ignorant of so many foreign influences at play. It was a great listen that I'm happy to recommend.
(Currently only available on Audible, but hopefully that won't be forever.)
December 30, 2025
A gripping and intriguing political thriller story, involving espionage and a high stakes investigation.
This story is told in dual timeline (2005 and 2009). Set in Sri Lanka, after decades of civil war and bloodshed, and the mechanics involved in post-conflict nation building…by any means necessary.
“The Sri Lanka Army had orders to find and kill the Tamil Tigers wherever they were. How were they to know which person was a refugee and which person was a Tiger? They didn’t care. Things happen in the chaos. Things are hidden in the jungle. Things are forgotten in time.”
In 2009, when tenacious journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered execution-style, on a busy street of Colombo, there are no with no witnesses. With growing pressure to find Ameena’s killer, CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent to Colombo with strict instructions ‘find something, but not too much’. It has been four years since Ellie’s last mission in Sri Lanka went tragically awry, and she has more than one ghost to lay to rest.
“The hierarchy of life: why we deemed some lives to be more important than others. Why we chose to kill some, in order to save others.”
This is a well-researched, tense and thought-provoking story of desperation, human cruelty, secret agents, political corruption, violence and the varied foreign influences in the four R’s of post-conflict rebuilding – reconciliation, reconstruction, resettlement and rule of law.
Although this is a dark and challenging story, there are moments of lightness. I particularly enjoyed the references to Ellie’s ageing father who is residing at the Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home (another brilliant story by Shankari Chandran, that I would highly recommend!).
4.5 stars
This story is told in dual timeline (2005 and 2009). Set in Sri Lanka, after decades of civil war and bloodshed, and the mechanics involved in post-conflict nation building…by any means necessary.
“The Sri Lanka Army had orders to find and kill the Tamil Tigers wherever they were. How were they to know which person was a refugee and which person was a Tiger? They didn’t care. Things happen in the chaos. Things are hidden in the jungle. Things are forgotten in time.”
In 2009, when tenacious journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered execution-style, on a busy street of Colombo, there are no with no witnesses. With growing pressure to find Ameena’s killer, CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent to Colombo with strict instructions ‘find something, but not too much’. It has been four years since Ellie’s last mission in Sri Lanka went tragically awry, and she has more than one ghost to lay to rest.
“The hierarchy of life: why we deemed some lives to be more important than others. Why we chose to kill some, in order to save others.”
This is a well-researched, tense and thought-provoking story of desperation, human cruelty, secret agents, political corruption, violence and the varied foreign influences in the four R’s of post-conflict rebuilding – reconciliation, reconstruction, resettlement and rule of law.
Although this is a dark and challenging story, there are moments of lightness. I particularly enjoyed the references to Ellie’s ageing father who is residing at the Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home (another brilliant story by Shankari Chandran, that I would highly recommend!).
4.5 stars
January 18, 2025
⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran is a fast paced political thriller set in Sri Lanka at the end of the country’s civil war, 2009. I was really impressed with the writing, it’s so powerful, I’ve learnt so much reading this book.
Ameena Fernando a passionate and respected journalist is gunned down on a busy street in Colombo in broad daylight, was it the Sri Lanka government or the Chinese or something else at play? Her estranged husband and family back in the US want answers so the CIA send in agent Ellie Harper to investigate.
We take a look at Elle Harper’s harrowing back story where she had left Sri Lanka four years prior on a failed mission. Ellie who has Sri Lankan ancestry is a likeable protagonist, her determination is not swayed by danger and she doesn’t always follow protocol.
An excellent and truly thought-provoking spy thriller that explores the darkness of human cruelty and violence.
Publication Date 31 December 2024
Publisher Ultimo Press
A huge thanks to Ultimo Press for a copy of the book to read.
Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran is a fast paced political thriller set in Sri Lanka at the end of the country’s civil war, 2009. I was really impressed with the writing, it’s so powerful, I’ve learnt so much reading this book.
Ameena Fernando a passionate and respected journalist is gunned down on a busy street in Colombo in broad daylight, was it the Sri Lanka government or the Chinese or something else at play? Her estranged husband and family back in the US want answers so the CIA send in agent Ellie Harper to investigate.
We take a look at Elle Harper’s harrowing back story where she had left Sri Lanka four years prior on a failed mission. Ellie who has Sri Lankan ancestry is a likeable protagonist, her determination is not swayed by danger and she doesn’t always follow protocol.
An excellent and truly thought-provoking spy thriller that explores the darkness of human cruelty and violence.
Publication Date 31 December 2024
Publisher Ultimo Press
A huge thanks to Ultimo Press for a copy of the book to read.
January 1, 2025
Unfinished Business is the new tense and fast paced thriller from Shankari Chandran. I picked this book up on New Year’s Eve and stayed up well into the new year to finish it. It was absolutely gripping.
Decades of Sri Lankan civil war appear to be finally coming to an end, when outspoken journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, execution style, on a busy street. CIA agent, Ellie Harper is sent back to Sri Lanka after four years away following a mission that went tragically wrong. Under instruction to find something to placate Ameena’s family, but to not dig too deep, she finds herself following a trail of secrets determined to get to the truth.
Set between 2005 and 2009, I felt that I gained some insight into the ongoing hostilities and violence, as well as a slight understanding of the constant fear that people must feel. With danger lurking around every corner, I found myself on the edge of my seat as we followed Ellie’s investigation. Dogged and courageous, she could not be deterred from getting answers, even when those answers may have gotten her killed.
As well as being action packed, this book was incredibly powerful and full of emotion. There were some moments that almost brought me to tears, as corruption and betrayals led to so many innocent people losing their lives.
Shankari has again taken my breath away with this unforgettable novel steeped in history and secrets. A fabulous read that will keep you hooked until the final page is turned.
Decades of Sri Lankan civil war appear to be finally coming to an end, when outspoken journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, execution style, on a busy street. CIA agent, Ellie Harper is sent back to Sri Lanka after four years away following a mission that went tragically wrong. Under instruction to find something to placate Ameena’s family, but to not dig too deep, she finds herself following a trail of secrets determined to get to the truth.
Set between 2005 and 2009, I felt that I gained some insight into the ongoing hostilities and violence, as well as a slight understanding of the constant fear that people must feel. With danger lurking around every corner, I found myself on the edge of my seat as we followed Ellie’s investigation. Dogged and courageous, she could not be deterred from getting answers, even when those answers may have gotten her killed.
As well as being action packed, this book was incredibly powerful and full of emotion. There were some moments that almost brought me to tears, as corruption and betrayals led to so many innocent people losing their lives.
Shankari has again taken my breath away with this unforgettable novel steeped in history and secrets. A fabulous read that will keep you hooked until the final page is turned.
June 15, 2025
Seeing an author pivot from literary fiction to writing a thriller is always interesting. Chandran's book is well-paced and engaging, demonstrating her experience writing about Sri Lanka.
Even though I finished it in one sitting, the premise was flat. Her attempts to expose the cynical nature of geopolitics was made up of bizarre representations of diplomatic negotiations, Chinese officials, and covert operations.
There was plenty of Black Hawk Down action that greatly overestimated American intelligence capabilities and the final payoff had almost nothing do with the journalist's murder that kicks off the plot.
Chandran is much stronger when she zooms in.
Even though I finished it in one sitting, the premise was flat. Her attempts to expose the cynical nature of geopolitics was made up of bizarre representations of diplomatic negotiations, Chinese officials, and covert operations.
There was plenty of Black Hawk Down action that greatly overestimated American intelligence capabilities and the final payoff had almost nothing do with the journalist's murder that kicks off the plot.
Chandran is much stronger when she zooms in.
January 5, 2025
I read 3 books by Australian author Shankari Chandran in 2024 making her one of my most read authors. And I saw her speak in Canberra about her last book Safe Haven which was s treat. I was therefore thrilled when I received an advance copy of her latest book Unfinished Business just before I headed off on holidays.
This is a political, spy thriller which is not normally a genre I would gravitate to but in Chandran"s skilled hands this was a book I read in a single day.
Set in Sri Lanka between two timelines (2005 and 2009) Unfinished Business exposes the political corruption and desperation in the country in the dying years of the Sri Lankan civil war.
CIA agent Ellie Harper is being sent back to Sri Lanka to surreptitiously investigate the murder of outspoken journalist Ammena Fernando. Ellie is no stranger to Sri Lanka after spending time there on a disastrous mission in 2005. These two timelines weave together a story which shows us how Ellie has become who she is but also how the groundwork was laid for the events in 2009.
The story was fast paced and clearly heavily researched in terms of both the political landscape of Sri Lanka and the world of spies and secret agents. I was kept guessing for the entire time and certainly didn't pick the outcome. A page turner for sure!
While I don't think I'll be rushing to read a spy thriller anytime soon I will always reach for a book by Shankari Chandran as she is such a versatile author. Can't wait to see what she'll write next!
Thank you @ultimopress and @shankarichandranauthor for my #gifted copy.
This is a political, spy thriller which is not normally a genre I would gravitate to but in Chandran"s skilled hands this was a book I read in a single day.
Set in Sri Lanka between two timelines (2005 and 2009) Unfinished Business exposes the political corruption and desperation in the country in the dying years of the Sri Lankan civil war.
CIA agent Ellie Harper is being sent back to Sri Lanka to surreptitiously investigate the murder of outspoken journalist Ammena Fernando. Ellie is no stranger to Sri Lanka after spending time there on a disastrous mission in 2005. These two timelines weave together a story which shows us how Ellie has become who she is but also how the groundwork was laid for the events in 2009.
The story was fast paced and clearly heavily researched in terms of both the political landscape of Sri Lanka and the world of spies and secret agents. I was kept guessing for the entire time and certainly didn't pick the outcome. A page turner for sure!
While I don't think I'll be rushing to read a spy thriller anytime soon I will always reach for a book by Shankari Chandran as she is such a versatile author. Can't wait to see what she'll write next!
Thank you @ultimopress and @shankarichandranauthor for my #gifted copy.
February 27, 2025
2 1/2 ⭐️
Too 👏many 👏facts 👏and 👏statistics 👏
Is it a novel or a political history lesson? 💤💤💤
How this woman could be a top spy for the cia beggars belief??? She made so many misguided, emotionally motivated judgement calls that got all the good people around her killed or maimed - and still ‘they’d do anything for her’. Sorry [saarry] don’t believe it. And the time swap - fuck off. We could have been told the background info in the first chapter. She killed his bro - done.
Absolute snoozefest saarry
Too 👏many 👏facts 👏and 👏statistics 👏
Is it a novel or a political history lesson? 💤💤💤
How this woman could be a top spy for the cia beggars belief??? She made so many misguided, emotionally motivated judgement calls that got all the good people around her killed or maimed - and still ‘they’d do anything for her’. Sorry [saarry] don’t believe it. And the time swap - fuck off. We could have been told the background info in the first chapter. She killed his bro - done.
Absolute snoozefest saarry
Read
March 20, 2025DNF. I really struggled with this one. 44% through and I’m calling it in as my unfinished business.
January 23, 2025
I had read two previous Shankari Chandran novels and enjoyed them very much. I knew Unfinished Business would be very different in content from her previous as this one is a Thriller— a genre I rarely read. But my respect for this author nudged me to try it and I am glad I did. I learned a great deal from this fast-paced political spy thriller set in Sri Lanka during the civil war (2005 and 2009). I must admit, I knew little of the topic beforehand. But the author plunged me head long into the drama and I was fully immersed in the plot and engaged quickly with the characters. The events left me reeling and often I was sitting on the edge of my seat in suspense. It certainly took me out of my comfort zone through the detailed descriptions.
We might wonder why Shankari decided to take a different path with her latest offering. But it is not so hard to understand considering her heritage and social justice background. She informs us in her Author’s Notes that the novel was first inspired by a journalist who devoted his life to ‘seeking and telling the truth’ and was assassinated as a result (along with others). Justice never came for Lasantha Wickrematunge and those who followed in his footsteps. So Shankari set out to honour them with this fictional memoriam. Although Unfinished Business is fiction, it is based on first-hand accounts from surviving activists, lawyers and journalists in Sri Lanka. Shankari draws brilliantly from the truth-inspired well at her disposal. All the nasty details once dormant in the darkness of memory are brought to light. As a result, we experience the horrors of those who fought against the corruption. It’s a full flesh and blood picture created from the dust and bones that have remained. Shankari’s technical and creative abilities successfully moved me to shock, distress, tears and compassion. And I am sure other readers undoubtedly will have the same experience.
This is not a feel good story, nor is it meant to be. It exposes the government corruption and highlights the trauma experienced by those who tried to tell the truth in Sri Lanka. It raises serious questions about the freedom of expression and what those people endured during the civil war.
Ellie Harper, the fearless and brave Australian-American woman, who does not hesitate to charge into the heart of conflict, works for the CIA. She has been sent on two missions to Sri Lanka (in 2005 and 2009) during the civil war. I was moved by this character’s strength and determination. I marvelled at her skill as she fought bravely. She seeks justice and accountability which are important themes in this novel and everyone is held accountable. The grittiness of truth hits hard at many levels.
Aside from the deeply tragic tone of Unfinished Business due to its subject matter, there are a few lighter moments. Being a Canadian-Australian, I appreciated Kewan’s comment that American’s are ‘always joking, never listening and never learning’. And Ellie’s eloquent line about Canada being ‘beautiful, peaceful and progressive’ made me smile! Other impressive lines stood out that were positive such as one by Sathyan: ‘I wanted you to see there is beauty and hope, even in the debris.’
The author’s empathy is evident throughout. This must have been a difficult novel to write due to the violence and pain written across these pages. Shankari brings home how dangerous it is for a journalist reporting during wartimes. Words have power and some recipients will feel threatened by the truth-- as they did in this story. As a result, many lost their lives trying to deliver the facts.
Unfinished Business is an apt title and perfectly paced with tons of tension. It is expertly written on a topic the author knows and understands well. This visit to a bloody past serves a great purpose in offering a valuable lesson that one must never forget: and that is to learn from history so as not to repeat it. Read this novel. It will shake up your world and make you appreciate what you have. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Ultimo Press for the review copy.
We might wonder why Shankari decided to take a different path with her latest offering. But it is not so hard to understand considering her heritage and social justice background. She informs us in her Author’s Notes that the novel was first inspired by a journalist who devoted his life to ‘seeking and telling the truth’ and was assassinated as a result (along with others). Justice never came for Lasantha Wickrematunge and those who followed in his footsteps. So Shankari set out to honour them with this fictional memoriam. Although Unfinished Business is fiction, it is based on first-hand accounts from surviving activists, lawyers and journalists in Sri Lanka. Shankari draws brilliantly from the truth-inspired well at her disposal. All the nasty details once dormant in the darkness of memory are brought to light. As a result, we experience the horrors of those who fought against the corruption. It’s a full flesh and blood picture created from the dust and bones that have remained. Shankari’s technical and creative abilities successfully moved me to shock, distress, tears and compassion. And I am sure other readers undoubtedly will have the same experience.
This is not a feel good story, nor is it meant to be. It exposes the government corruption and highlights the trauma experienced by those who tried to tell the truth in Sri Lanka. It raises serious questions about the freedom of expression and what those people endured during the civil war.
Ellie Harper, the fearless and brave Australian-American woman, who does not hesitate to charge into the heart of conflict, works for the CIA. She has been sent on two missions to Sri Lanka (in 2005 and 2009) during the civil war. I was moved by this character’s strength and determination. I marvelled at her skill as she fought bravely. She seeks justice and accountability which are important themes in this novel and everyone is held accountable. The grittiness of truth hits hard at many levels.
Aside from the deeply tragic tone of Unfinished Business due to its subject matter, there are a few lighter moments. Being a Canadian-Australian, I appreciated Kewan’s comment that American’s are ‘always joking, never listening and never learning’. And Ellie’s eloquent line about Canada being ‘beautiful, peaceful and progressive’ made me smile! Other impressive lines stood out that were positive such as one by Sathyan: ‘I wanted you to see there is beauty and hope, even in the debris.’
The author’s empathy is evident throughout. This must have been a difficult novel to write due to the violence and pain written across these pages. Shankari brings home how dangerous it is for a journalist reporting during wartimes. Words have power and some recipients will feel threatened by the truth-- as they did in this story. As a result, many lost their lives trying to deliver the facts.
Unfinished Business is an apt title and perfectly paced with tons of tension. It is expertly written on a topic the author knows and understands well. This visit to a bloody past serves a great purpose in offering a valuable lesson that one must never forget: and that is to learn from history so as not to repeat it. Read this novel. It will shake up your world and make you appreciate what you have. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Ultimo Press for the review copy.
January 3, 2025
Big thanks to Ultimo Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Sri Lanka has suffered internal conflict and civil war for decades.
Brutality, internal bloodshed and international intervention all prolonging the event.
Journalists delve into the truth and expose cracks and misgivings at their own peril in these type of environments.
Journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, her writing and articles provoking the wrong people.
Ellie Harper is a CIA agent with a Sri Lankan background from the USA with Australian links.
Her last mission to the country ended badly and her brief on this investigation is vague.
Straight talking and thinking she delves into the case and does not leave any stone unturned.
Uncovering links Sri Lanka has with other countries and conflicts that weakened the country.
This journey helped me piece together part of a civil war I knew little about.
I know Tamils that have escaped the region and are reluctant to talk about it.
Ellie is a character you would like to reconnect with.
When a book inspires a google search or two you know reading is not only entertaining but a learning tool.
Sri Lanka has suffered internal conflict and civil war for decades.
Brutality, internal bloodshed and international intervention all prolonging the event.
Journalists delve into the truth and expose cracks and misgivings at their own peril in these type of environments.
Journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, her writing and articles provoking the wrong people.
Ellie Harper is a CIA agent with a Sri Lankan background from the USA with Australian links.
Her last mission to the country ended badly and her brief on this investigation is vague.
Straight talking and thinking she delves into the case and does not leave any stone unturned.
Uncovering links Sri Lanka has with other countries and conflicts that weakened the country.
This journey helped me piece together part of a civil war I knew little about.
I know Tamils that have escaped the region and are reluctant to talk about it.
Ellie is a character you would like to reconnect with.
When a book inspires a google search or two you know reading is not only entertaining but a learning tool.
July 14, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It’s a little predictable in some parts, hence 4/5, but it was gripping and what I love in a crime/thriller
March 9, 2025
Chai Time it’s not. I found this story really disappointing and quite a bore to read. Perhaps this comes from having high hopes given how much I enjoyed Chai Time a Cinnamon Gardens by the same author. Goes to show that we shouldn’t pre-empt!
Anyway, I found the story over wrought, shallow and I had no empathy with the characters. I found it really hard to follow too - as so much was said ( chatter) yet so little was given away ( plot trying to be mysterious?) - and too many people to work out who was who. Crazy that I struggled given the time lapse between the “ before” and “after” sections were only 4 years apart - perhaps that added to the confusion as so little had changed and the same characters appeared in both time lines. The audio version was also terrible - full of sound effects ( doors opening, closing, police sirens, low background conversations) that were really distracting for me when I was driving in particular or walking.
Such a shame as I feel like the author has so many solid credentials to write a great story set in Sri Lanka about the civil war, the impact in the country of the Chinese and the US interventions, and the rampart corruption and the importance of journalism that all got so watered down in this attempt.
Anyway, I found the story over wrought, shallow and I had no empathy with the characters. I found it really hard to follow too - as so much was said ( chatter) yet so little was given away ( plot trying to be mysterious?) - and too many people to work out who was who. Crazy that I struggled given the time lapse between the “ before” and “after” sections were only 4 years apart - perhaps that added to the confusion as so little had changed and the same characters appeared in both time lines. The audio version was also terrible - full of sound effects ( doors opening, closing, police sirens, low background conversations) that were really distracting for me when I was driving in particular or walking.
Such a shame as I feel like the author has so many solid credentials to write a great story set in Sri Lanka about the civil war, the impact in the country of the Chinese and the US interventions, and the rampart corruption and the importance of journalism that all got so watered down in this attempt.
June 3, 2024
Vivid, fast paced, at times funny at times harrowing spy story with all the trimmings set in the shocking reality of the end of the Sri Lankan civil war. Couldn’t stop listening. Pallavi was an excellent narrator seamlessly employing many different accents and with the perfect energy. A great listen. Hope it comes out as a book.
February 16, 2025
This was an excellent thriller and one I will be thinking about for a long time. I read most of this book on the train travelling to & from work; there were occasions that I laughed at the banter but last week while reading Chapter 10, it took so much self-control to not bawl in my seat.
Shankari Chandran has done it again with a novel that teaches us again about the awful history & tragedies of the Sri Lankan civil war without lecturing. Her writing is an easy read but not because of the content. I remember my late mother saying many years ago after watching a TV documentary about the war that she was so ashamed to be Sinhalese given the unspeakable atrocities committed. These novels make me feel the same way because I know they are based on truth - and again makes me ask, how can humans do this to each other?
Shankari Chandran has done it again with a novel that teaches us again about the awful history & tragedies of the Sri Lankan civil war without lecturing. Her writing is an easy read but not because of the content. I remember my late mother saying many years ago after watching a TV documentary about the war that she was so ashamed to be Sinhalese given the unspeakable atrocities committed. These novels make me feel the same way because I know they are based on truth - and again makes me ask, how can humans do this to each other?
January 29, 2025
Wow, a thriller read telling political truths about the civil war in Sri Lanka. Fast pased, edgy, a female lead character to love for all her flaws, and a Homeland vibe with all the gadgets and intel.
Ellie, being her Anglo-ed name, is a US trained agent who has landed back in Colombo to investigate the recent assignation of a journalist. Haunted by her previous visit to the country, and the disastrous outcomes of a past mission, she soon finds herself tangled in several webs, chases, and complex emotional pulls.
Both of Shankari Chandran’s other books have a little stamp in here, with scenes crossing over. Kinda loved the return to the nursing home - a little buzz of recognition.
It's clever, fast paced, and packed with commentary on the big world powers using the humanitarian aide industry in a country destroying itself and killing its own people. The human face of this war, the devastation it has left.
Ellie, being her Anglo-ed name, is a US trained agent who has landed back in Colombo to investigate the recent assignation of a journalist. Haunted by her previous visit to the country, and the disastrous outcomes of a past mission, she soon finds herself tangled in several webs, chases, and complex emotional pulls.
Both of Shankari Chandran’s other books have a little stamp in here, with scenes crossing over. Kinda loved the return to the nursing home - a little buzz of recognition.
It's clever, fast paced, and packed with commentary on the big world powers using the humanitarian aide industry in a country destroying itself and killing its own people. The human face of this war, the devastation it has left.
February 19, 2025
while I am really proud of this author for branching out in genre I felt this novel did not provide the same depth of prowse and character development as her previous three / i missed her sentence structurs, her narrative, the complex emotions she captured in chai time, sun gods and safe haven. those books changed and informed me. this was just a who done it read. but i understand/ this is fiction , those were literature paperback
September 20, 2025
Set in the later years of the Sri Lankan civil war, CIA agent Ellie returns to Sri Lankan and rushes into danger (repeatedly) while investigating the murder of a journalist. The impressive history lesson bumps this up from the standard political thriller.
March 1, 2025
4.5* An excellent political thriller with a compelling storyline and well developed characters. If you’re after a thriller that is a bit different to your standard, formulaic reads, this is the book for you.
April 1, 2025
Perfection as always - no unnecessary fight scenes, humour where appropriate and a solid ending
April 6, 2025
3.75 stars
January 10, 2026
This book was loaned to me by my son to whom it had been given initially as a Christmas read. I enjoyed both the structure of the novel contrasting two interconnecting time periods ( 2005 alternating with 2009) in conjunction with the fast paced construction of the narrative that moved the action and events so entertainingly.
At least a 3.5 bordering a rating of 4
At least a 3.5 bordering a rating of 4
August 30, 2025
Unfinished Business is a fast paced thriller set in 2004 and 2009 Sri Lanka during civil war.
Ellie, a U.S CIA agent is investigating the death of journalist Ameena. The novel presents an interesting commentary of war, conflict, nationalism, patriotism, power, injustice, global politics, and history.
I found the novel really interesting and brutal. I also was able to learn more about the political history of Sri Lanka, the U.S and China during this time period. I wasn't aware before reading this novel that Sri Lanka's civil war lasted over 25 years! Chandran explores the trauma and complexity of conflict and war, as well as the radicalisation of children (which was intense - very complex). The writing of the novel was at times a little confusing and convoluted. I don't think I fully understood the ending of the novel.
2.5 stars.
Ellie, a U.S CIA agent is investigating the death of journalist Ameena. The novel presents an interesting commentary of war, conflict, nationalism, patriotism, power, injustice, global politics, and history.
I found the novel really interesting and brutal. I also was able to learn more about the political history of Sri Lanka, the U.S and China during this time period. I wasn't aware before reading this novel that Sri Lanka's civil war lasted over 25 years! Chandran explores the trauma and complexity of conflict and war, as well as the radicalisation of children (which was intense - very complex). The writing of the novel was at times a little confusing and convoluted. I don't think I fully understood the ending of the novel.
2.5 stars.
August 9, 2024
I listened to this interesting novel that takes place in Sri Lanka, a location I know nothing about. Agent Ellie Harper’s back story is slowly revealed as Harper participates in current events involving some of the same people. The situation is intense. The characters are believable. The United States does not seem admirable at all.
February 15, 2025
Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran Ultimo Press 2025
Review by David Feith
Unfinished Business is the most recent book by Miles Franklin Literary award-winning author, Shankari Chandran (who is Australian, of Sri Lankan Tamil origin). It is set in Sri Lanka, partly in 2005, and partly in 2009. 2009 was the year that the Sri Lankan military carried out their final assault on the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in the north of the island, killing an estimated 40,000 Tamil civilians. The narrative moves mainly between 2005 and 2009.
The main characters in the novel are: Ameena Fernando, a courageous Sinhalese journalist who is assassinated in 2009, at the beginning of the book. Just prior to her death she noticed that a white van was following her. This is significant, and based on the reality that during the civil war many people mysteriously disappeared, many of them journalists, and many taken into white vans.
Ellora (Ellie) Rachel Harper, who works for both the CIA and USAID (the US development assistance organisation); her father was Sri Lankan Tamil, her mother American. She was brought up in Australia, moved to the USA to study, and was recruited by the CIA because she was clever, and of South Asian origin. Ellie worked for the CIA in Sri Lanka in 2005, and is sent there again in 2009, by the CIA, to investigate the assassination of Ameena Fernando. Her cover story is that she is working with USAID, trying to negotiate a post-conflict American aid package.
Sathyan Navaratnam, Sri Lankan Tamil working in Sri Lanka for a Canadian non-government organisation (NGO) that works with victims of landmines. Sathyan’s father and sister were killed by the Sri Lankan army in their hometown Jaffna. In 2005 Sathyan and Ellie have an affair, and Ellie learns about his family. Sathyan and his mother were extremely worried that his younger brother, Gajan, would either be taken by the Sri Lankan army, or would join the Tigers. This is very realistic - many Tamil families faced these fears during the war. Gajan joins the LTTE, and Ellie persuades Sathyan to give his brother a pendant with a tracker, so the CIA can monitor him with the Tigers, and are able to identify the location of the LTTE training camp.
There are also other important characters in the novel: Arjuna, a Sinhalese man who works for the CIA, who speaks both Sinhala and Tamil, and assists and protects Ellie; Dilshan Perera, the Sri Lankan government Under Secretary for Defense; Mr Eric Kwan, the Chinese cultural attache, and his daughter Su Lin Kwan; and various others. As the novel jumps between 2005 and 2009 it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the personalities, and what is going on with the plot, but worth persevering with.
Shankari Chandran very realistically and convincingly portrays the contrast between the life in Colombo, and the life in the north of Sri Lanka, the conflict zome. In Colombo there is a world of conferences, parties, and engagements, populated by diplomats, spies, NGO workers, politicians, journalists, and Human Rights advocates. The dark underside is suggested by the constant threat of being followed by mysterious white vans and motorcycles. In the north of the island people live in poverty and constant fear of war. Chandran shows through Gajan why young Tamil men decided to join the LTTE, and like so many young men and women who joined the Tigers, Gajan dies young.
The novel weaves in various elements - the Chinese are trying to gain influence in Sri Lanka by funding the new port at Hambantota; while the US want to maintain some influence in Sri Lanka also. The Sri Lankan government does not like journalists who criticise their human rights abuses. There are white vans and a mysterious motorcycle rider continually following Ellie as she pursues her investigation into Ameena’s death.
Shankari Chandran explained in her author’s note at the end of the book that the story was inspired by the real assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge, a journalist and editor of the Sunday Leader, who was shot in the head in Colombo, by two gunmen on a motorcycle as he drove to work on January 8, 2009. He was one of many journalists, human rights workers and NGO workers who ‘disappeared’ in Colombo during the Sri Lanka war, along with the thousands of civilians who died in the north of the island.
This novel is grim, dark and bloody, because it so realistically portrays the events and atmosphere of Sri Lanka during the civil war. This war lasted from 1983 until 2009, when the Sri Lankan army carried out a relentless and merciless military onslaught against the LTTE, killing many thousands of civilians in the process. This novel shows how many foreign agencies, including the CIA, and international observers casually and cynically accepted those thousands of civilian deaths. The legacies of the war - the trauma, and psychological and physical damage to people, particularly in the north and east of the island - have not adequately been recognised, acknowledged or dealt with - these also are still Unfinished Business.
Review by David Feith
Unfinished Business is the most recent book by Miles Franklin Literary award-winning author, Shankari Chandran (who is Australian, of Sri Lankan Tamil origin). It is set in Sri Lanka, partly in 2005, and partly in 2009. 2009 was the year that the Sri Lankan military carried out their final assault on the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in the north of the island, killing an estimated 40,000 Tamil civilians. The narrative moves mainly between 2005 and 2009.
The main characters in the novel are: Ameena Fernando, a courageous Sinhalese journalist who is assassinated in 2009, at the beginning of the book. Just prior to her death she noticed that a white van was following her. This is significant, and based on the reality that during the civil war many people mysteriously disappeared, many of them journalists, and many taken into white vans.
Ellora (Ellie) Rachel Harper, who works for both the CIA and USAID (the US development assistance organisation); her father was Sri Lankan Tamil, her mother American. She was brought up in Australia, moved to the USA to study, and was recruited by the CIA because she was clever, and of South Asian origin. Ellie worked for the CIA in Sri Lanka in 2005, and is sent there again in 2009, by the CIA, to investigate the assassination of Ameena Fernando. Her cover story is that she is working with USAID, trying to negotiate a post-conflict American aid package.
Sathyan Navaratnam, Sri Lankan Tamil working in Sri Lanka for a Canadian non-government organisation (NGO) that works with victims of landmines. Sathyan’s father and sister were killed by the Sri Lankan army in their hometown Jaffna. In 2005 Sathyan and Ellie have an affair, and Ellie learns about his family. Sathyan and his mother were extremely worried that his younger brother, Gajan, would either be taken by the Sri Lankan army, or would join the Tigers. This is very realistic - many Tamil families faced these fears during the war. Gajan joins the LTTE, and Ellie persuades Sathyan to give his brother a pendant with a tracker, so the CIA can monitor him with the Tigers, and are able to identify the location of the LTTE training camp.
There are also other important characters in the novel: Arjuna, a Sinhalese man who works for the CIA, who speaks both Sinhala and Tamil, and assists and protects Ellie; Dilshan Perera, the Sri Lankan government Under Secretary for Defense; Mr Eric Kwan, the Chinese cultural attache, and his daughter Su Lin Kwan; and various others. As the novel jumps between 2005 and 2009 it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the personalities, and what is going on with the plot, but worth persevering with.
Shankari Chandran very realistically and convincingly portrays the contrast between the life in Colombo, and the life in the north of Sri Lanka, the conflict zome. In Colombo there is a world of conferences, parties, and engagements, populated by diplomats, spies, NGO workers, politicians, journalists, and Human Rights advocates. The dark underside is suggested by the constant threat of being followed by mysterious white vans and motorcycles. In the north of the island people live in poverty and constant fear of war. Chandran shows through Gajan why young Tamil men decided to join the LTTE, and like so many young men and women who joined the Tigers, Gajan dies young.
The novel weaves in various elements - the Chinese are trying to gain influence in Sri Lanka by funding the new port at Hambantota; while the US want to maintain some influence in Sri Lanka also. The Sri Lankan government does not like journalists who criticise their human rights abuses. There are white vans and a mysterious motorcycle rider continually following Ellie as she pursues her investigation into Ameena’s death.
Shankari Chandran explained in her author’s note at the end of the book that the story was inspired by the real assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge, a journalist and editor of the Sunday Leader, who was shot in the head in Colombo, by two gunmen on a motorcycle as he drove to work on January 8, 2009. He was one of many journalists, human rights workers and NGO workers who ‘disappeared’ in Colombo during the Sri Lanka war, along with the thousands of civilians who died in the north of the island.
This novel is grim, dark and bloody, because it so realistically portrays the events and atmosphere of Sri Lanka during the civil war. This war lasted from 1983 until 2009, when the Sri Lankan army carried out a relentless and merciless military onslaught against the LTTE, killing many thousands of civilians in the process. This novel shows how many foreign agencies, including the CIA, and international observers casually and cynically accepted those thousands of civilian deaths. The legacies of the war - the trauma, and psychological and physical damage to people, particularly in the north and east of the island - have not adequately been recognised, acknowledged or dealt with - these also are still Unfinished Business.
January 7, 2025
There is unfinished business for CIA agent Ellie Harper, returning to Sri Lanka. Still recovering from a mission gone wrong when she was previously in the country, Eli is required to return to the country that left her with many stones yet to be unturned. Whilst she has hair commissioned orders and tasks to follow, she is also there to investigate the death of Ameena, a prominent female journalist, by her husband and children escaped to live in the US many years earlier. They want answers. Ellie wants answers, and her mission is to ‘hold power accountable for its abuses’. Those with power and knowledge don't care about the carnage they create to keep the silence.
@shankarichanndran kept the pace of this book running without a break in momentum, and that is what you want from a triller. The emotions, action and violence are quite visceral, and comes from the need to survive, protect and drown out the questions. She has created a character in Ellie that is quite broken and is able to use this experience to channel her determination to find the truth. I love the way that Ellie’s mind was always switched on and was always working to see through the bread crumbs that would appear before her. Her line of sight literally and metaphorically was so astute, and this reflected her years of training and her ability to negotiate and seek justice, even when it riled up people of the highest national significance in Sri Lanka. This coupled with the pain of the past that seeped through every action and step she took demonstrated Ellie’s true grit to bring everything out in the open, even if the cost was her life. Even her colleague Arjuna reminded Ellie of this when he saved her: “You may not value your life anymore, Ellie. But there are other people who do. Other people who would risk their lives for you. People who would mourn you if you're gone”. Her determination and unwavering fearlessness in order to sacrifice herself was evident in the way in which she faced danger selflessly protect the welfare of others.
This book is powerful by way of genre, themes and the writing itself. The dialogue is so pivotal to the story, and a lot of the clues you need to pay attention to unfold in the conversations Ellie has with so many people, from the Secretary for Defence, to Ambassadors, her supervisor and Sathyan, a connection to her past in Sri Lanka..
Shankari Chandran has done it again - this is a story that will hook you in and not let you go until the very end. Thank you #ultimopress for the #gifted copy.
@shankarichanndran kept the pace of this book running without a break in momentum, and that is what you want from a triller. The emotions, action and violence are quite visceral, and comes from the need to survive, protect and drown out the questions. She has created a character in Ellie that is quite broken and is able to use this experience to channel her determination to find the truth. I love the way that Ellie’s mind was always switched on and was always working to see through the bread crumbs that would appear before her. Her line of sight literally and metaphorically was so astute, and this reflected her years of training and her ability to negotiate and seek justice, even when it riled up people of the highest national significance in Sri Lanka. This coupled with the pain of the past that seeped through every action and step she took demonstrated Ellie’s true grit to bring everything out in the open, even if the cost was her life. Even her colleague Arjuna reminded Ellie of this when he saved her: “You may not value your life anymore, Ellie. But there are other people who do. Other people who would risk their lives for you. People who would mourn you if you're gone”. Her determination and unwavering fearlessness in order to sacrifice herself was evident in the way in which she faced danger selflessly protect the welfare of others.
This book is powerful by way of genre, themes and the writing itself. The dialogue is so pivotal to the story, and a lot of the clues you need to pay attention to unfold in the conversations Ellie has with so many people, from the Secretary for Defence, to Ambassadors, her supervisor and Sathyan, a connection to her past in Sri Lanka..
Shankari Chandran has done it again - this is a story that will hook you in and not let you go until the very end. Thank you #ultimopress for the #gifted copy.
January 13, 2025
Shankari is an auto-buy author for me since I read the Miles Franklin award winning Chai Times at Cinnamon Gardens. I then followed up with Song of the Sun God and Safe Haven. Both equally enthralled me. When I found out late last year that she was releasing an espionage thriller, I was a little dubious. I needn’t have been. Let me tell you why!
Unfinished Business follows CIA Agent, Ellie, who faces her demons in Sri Lanka to investigate the assassination of Ameena, a hard-hitting journalist. The plot is expeditious, and there is little time for thinking, so I found myself intentionally putting the book down at certain points to reflect. Knowing that this book was based on first-hand accounts from people who survived the civil war in Sri Lanka, I wanted to ensure that the gravity of these events was not lost on me.
Within such a heart-breaking story, Shankari manages to pepper in just the right amount of humour, and her use of colloquial Aussie slang makes her stories more relatable and digestible while still articulating the horrific circumstances. I also loved her connecting to the Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home, setting for Chai Times.
What Shankari does so well is write strong, independent (bad ass) female characters without pushing feminism to the extreme. Her characters are well-fortified, with endearing vulnerability, and there are always supportive and likeable men in the cast. These are women you want to be like, or at least be friends with. This is one of my favourite things about Shankari’s books.
Of course, a good ending always brings a story home and can be the difference between a well-liked book and a loved book. Unfinished Business had a good ending, many loose ends tied, and a few ponderings to tickle the imagination.
5 stars and looking forward to tackling the only other novel from Shankari I haven’t read yet, The Barrier.
Unfinished Business follows CIA Agent, Ellie, who faces her demons in Sri Lanka to investigate the assassination of Ameena, a hard-hitting journalist. The plot is expeditious, and there is little time for thinking, so I found myself intentionally putting the book down at certain points to reflect. Knowing that this book was based on first-hand accounts from people who survived the civil war in Sri Lanka, I wanted to ensure that the gravity of these events was not lost on me.
Within such a heart-breaking story, Shankari manages to pepper in just the right amount of humour, and her use of colloquial Aussie slang makes her stories more relatable and digestible while still articulating the horrific circumstances. I also loved her connecting to the Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home, setting for Chai Times.
What Shankari does so well is write strong, independent (bad ass) female characters without pushing feminism to the extreme. Her characters are well-fortified, with endearing vulnerability, and there are always supportive and likeable men in the cast. These are women you want to be like, or at least be friends with. This is one of my favourite things about Shankari’s books.
Of course, a good ending always brings a story home and can be the difference between a well-liked book and a loved book. Unfinished Business had a good ending, many loose ends tied, and a few ponderings to tickle the imagination.
5 stars and looking forward to tackling the only other novel from Shankari I haven’t read yet, The Barrier.
May 1, 2025
This is a change of pace - a speed up - for Chandran. Safe Haven juggled a broader social view with a taut mystery, and Unfinished Business has moved into clear thriller territory, with the setting and the dilemmas of the characters providing the social commentary. I was heartily on board with this approach from Safe Haven, which felt like a perfect blend on elements that felt substantial and critical in a read that provided enjoyment. Unfinished Business was a little more uneven, I thought, and interestingly, less fun. This isn't because of the topics - Chandran's work often deals with the brutal, little discussed civil war. But I found the worldview bleaker, ironically really given the light tone. Chandran's previous work always felt like a celebration of the capacity of humanity to create solutions and loving spaces in the midst of horrors. She created characters who you wanted a better world for. And Ellie Harper, our spy-cum-aid-consultant, comes into a novel split across two timelines, ripe for a redemption arc. An it isn't that she doesn't get it, but the world she moves in is unrelenting in its cynicism. The aid advisors, spies and military alike lack either optimism or a strong commitment to making a difference or even humility. Chandran is realistic in presenting the forces arrayed to support atrocities, and the impossibility of meaningful solutions. And even Ellie has ambiguity in whether her dogged approach to uncovering truth helps or hinders. This is, of course, realism, but I was a little disappointed that in writing in a genre not locked into realism, we couldn't have a tad more hope.
I'll still read whatever comes next though.
I'll still read whatever comes next though.
February 16, 2025
CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent back to Sri Lanka to investigate the murder, execution-style of an outspoken journalist in broad daylight. It’s four years since Ellie left Sri Lanka after her last mission went tragically wrong.
Chandran has written a fast paced, complex thriller which explores the damage wrought by decades of civil war in Sri Lanka. She skilfully weaves the personal and politic through the narrative. Sri Lanka’s history is complicated, but I felt I had a better understanding of it after reading this book - but the history doesn’t slow the pace or interfere with the narrative.
Ellie is a complex character, who doesn’t always make wise decisions, but is determined to uncover the truth behind the murder of a good woman, even if it puts her life in danger. She’s easy to like, and I found myself invested in her journey, not only to uncover the conspiracy that led to the journalist’s murder, but her journey towards healing and recovery from the trauma of her last mission.
There’s a cheeky reference to Chandran’s award winning novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, where Ellie’s Sri Lankan father now resides, which made me smile.
This is a page-turner, taut, complex and engrossing. I highly recommend it.
Chandran has written a fast paced, complex thriller which explores the damage wrought by decades of civil war in Sri Lanka. She skilfully weaves the personal and politic through the narrative. Sri Lanka’s history is complicated, but I felt I had a better understanding of it after reading this book - but the history doesn’t slow the pace or interfere with the narrative.
Ellie is a complex character, who doesn’t always make wise decisions, but is determined to uncover the truth behind the murder of a good woman, even if it puts her life in danger. She’s easy to like, and I found myself invested in her journey, not only to uncover the conspiracy that led to the journalist’s murder, but her journey towards healing and recovery from the trauma of her last mission.
There’s a cheeky reference to Chandran’s award winning novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, where Ellie’s Sri Lankan father now resides, which made me smile.
This is a page-turner, taut, complex and engrossing. I highly recommend it.
July 24, 2025
I have now read all three of Chandran's novels and her first (Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens) remains the best for me.
This is set in Sri Lanka in both 2005 and 2009. In 2009, Ellie who is of Sri Lankan descent but lives in the US, returns to Sri Lanka. She actually works for the CIA but is undercover as a USAID representative. She has also been charged with privately investigating the murder of a journalist.
Ellie has been reluctant to go back to Sri Lanka because something happened in 2005 that has left her with deep feelings of guilt. Through flashbacks to 2005 we gradually learn how events unfolded and where her guilt lies. Her current investigation threatens the Sri Lankan government which is trying to end the civil war and finally destroy the Tamil Tigers.
There are many heart rending scenes in the novel as we see the horrors of war and the machinations that go on behind the scenes. There is also a touch of romance and some broader considerations of international politics.
I'm afraid I found the novel confusing. It had many strong points but it didn't hang together for me. I thought the time shifts were often poorly handled. I admire Chandran for trying something different each time she writes as she explores Sri Lanka's recent history but I've read much better books than this about the country and its troubled past.
This is set in Sri Lanka in both 2005 and 2009. In 2009, Ellie who is of Sri Lankan descent but lives in the US, returns to Sri Lanka. She actually works for the CIA but is undercover as a USAID representative. She has also been charged with privately investigating the murder of a journalist.
Ellie has been reluctant to go back to Sri Lanka because something happened in 2005 that has left her with deep feelings of guilt. Through flashbacks to 2005 we gradually learn how events unfolded and where her guilt lies. Her current investigation threatens the Sri Lankan government which is trying to end the civil war and finally destroy the Tamil Tigers.
There are many heart rending scenes in the novel as we see the horrors of war and the machinations that go on behind the scenes. There is also a touch of romance and some broader considerations of international politics.
I'm afraid I found the novel confusing. It had many strong points but it didn't hang together for me. I thought the time shifts were often poorly handled. I admire Chandran for trying something different each time she writes as she explores Sri Lanka's recent history but I've read much better books than this about the country and its troubled past.
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