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The Girl Who Went Missing
When June Warner arrives in India to visit her sister Thalia, a trip to take her mind off her jilted engagement, she is greeted by the bright hot chaos of Mumbai but not her sister. She goes to the YMCA where Thalia is staying, only to find that she is not there.
Convinced that Thalia’s no-show is a sign that she is in danger, June begins a desperate search for her younger sister.
Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, scarred by the tragedies of his past, swears he will never again ignore his gut instinct when it comes to a missing girl. And with more and more dead foreign women being found in his precinct, he becomes convinced a conspiracy is at play.
Through the two worlds of American naiveté and Indian chaos, they must find the girl who went missing.
Convinced that Thalia’s no-show is a sign that she is in danger, June begins a desperate search for her younger sister.
Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, scarred by the tragedies of his past, swears he will never again ignore his gut instinct when it comes to a missing girl. And with more and more dead foreign women being found in his precinct, he becomes convinced a conspiracy is at play.
Through the two worlds of American naiveté and Indian chaos, they must find the girl who went missing.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 22, 2015
10 people are currently reading
690 people want to read
About the author
Ace Varkey
1 book23 followersI adore travel and adventure and have lived, for years at a time, in both India and America, as well as other countries. I always wanted to be a writer, and was inspired by Helen MacInnes, who wrote spy thrillers set in various European countries. It sounded like such a marvelous life; travel during the summer to a new country, then spend the year writing about an adventure set in that country. I decided to use my knowledge of India to create stories filled with the colors and sounds of that magical country. But I also wanted my writing to have meaning, and so I decided to write a mystery series featuring Commissioner Oscar D’Costa, with each novel highlighting a pressing social issue. I want my readers to enjoy the read, but I also want them to learn something new.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 23, 2015
It's always great reading a story of the genre that's a favourite, and the setting being one that's of interest too. This book is set in India. India is vivid and gritty and hectic, in all aspects of its hustle and bustle. I've never been there, but have always been interested in this country as my brother and his family just moved from there, having lived a very interesting seven years in Varanasi. After reading this I really feel like I know more about its people, and Ace Varkey has bought the place alive for me. June has travelled to Mumbai after being jilted just before the big day, she doesn't want to stick around while her man to be weds his new lady at the same church.. so she takes off to meet her sister who is a student studying her favourite thing, the temples there. The only problem is Thalia appears to be missing, and we follow June and Commissioner D'Costa - what a nice man - and their search. The story flows easily along the streets of Mumbai, the seedy cafes, old ornate temples and lots of unscrupulous characters along the way. Yet again another debut novel that just doesn't feel like a debut, the author cruises along with a writing style that is engaging and easy to be ensconced into. So for that, and my copy to read and review, I thank the author very much!
April 7, 2015
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nominally the story of an American sister who lands in the Indian city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) to find out her sibling has gone missing, this is really a tale of the dark side of this vibrant but scary metropolis. The picture painted of the city bursts out of the pages and brings the place alive. I’ve never been there but I found that I could picture it clearly in my mind: the noise, the bustle, the poverty and the feeling of being somewhere very un-Western, with strange customs and threats at first unseen but very real for women travelling alone.
The reader is introduced to a variety of characters, all of which feel very real. The interactions and the dialogue all have the feel of ‘truth’ about them. I felt fully immersed in the fate of the sisters and, though the pace was frantic, I never sensed an out of place character or an unlikely or misplaced phrase. It was all very cleverly done and it dragged me along as a willing witness.
The other element that was particularly impressive was the way the pace and tension were sustained throughout. Every now and then a new twist was thrown in or a new player was introduced that changed the dynamic just enough to create new doubt or extend the fear that was kept bubbling throughout. This was never over-done, I never felt manipulated - it was a subtle yet powerful display on the part of the author.
Overall I found this to be a well written and gripping thriller that will, I’m sure, keep many readers awake late into the night as, like me, they devour another chapter and keep sleep at bay a little longer. A very impressive debut from an author new to me.
Nominally the story of an American sister who lands in the Indian city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) to find out her sibling has gone missing, this is really a tale of the dark side of this vibrant but scary metropolis. The picture painted of the city bursts out of the pages and brings the place alive. I’ve never been there but I found that I could picture it clearly in my mind: the noise, the bustle, the poverty and the feeling of being somewhere very un-Western, with strange customs and threats at first unseen but very real for women travelling alone.
The reader is introduced to a variety of characters, all of which feel very real. The interactions and the dialogue all have the feel of ‘truth’ about them. I felt fully immersed in the fate of the sisters and, though the pace was frantic, I never sensed an out of place character or an unlikely or misplaced phrase. It was all very cleverly done and it dragged me along as a willing witness.
The other element that was particularly impressive was the way the pace and tension were sustained throughout. Every now and then a new twist was thrown in or a new player was introduced that changed the dynamic just enough to create new doubt or extend the fear that was kept bubbling throughout. This was never over-done, I never felt manipulated - it was a subtle yet powerful display on the part of the author.
Overall I found this to be a well written and gripping thriller that will, I’m sure, keep many readers awake late into the night as, like me, they devour another chapter and keep sleep at bay a little longer. A very impressive debut from an author new to me.
April 6, 2015
BLURB
When June Warner arrives in India to visit her sister Thalia, a trip to take her mind off her jilted engagement, she is greeted by the bright hot chaos of Mumbai but not her sister. She goes to the YMCA where Thalia is staying, only to find that she is not there.
Convinced that Thalia’s no-show is a sign that she is in danger, June begins a desperate search for her younger sister.
Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, scarred by the tragedies of his past, swears he will never again ignore his gut instinct when it comes to a missing girl. And with more and more dead foreign women being found in his precinct, he becomes convinced a conspiracy is at play.
Through the two worlds of American naiveté and Indian chaos, they must find the girl who went missing.
COMMENTS
This is the kind of suspense thriller that has me jumping up and down with excitement. Not only does it contain all the elements of this genre: high drama, unbearable suspense, and fast pacing, it is also rich in cultural diversity which forms the colorful background. As a debut novel it is a winner. It is not only a suspense thriller. It is also an informative journey about a country and its wealth of cultures and people.
There is no sugar coating of neither the characters nor the circumstances. India is portrayed with its petticoats hanging out, which ensures a well-balanced and exciting experience.
Some spelling mistakes are found here and there - perhaps four, but it did not interfere with the enjoyment of one of the best debut novels I was fortunate to review.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as an entertaining and informative suspense thriller. I simply loved the experience!
When June Warner arrives in India to visit her sister Thalia, a trip to take her mind off her jilted engagement, she is greeted by the bright hot chaos of Mumbai but not her sister. She goes to the YMCA where Thalia is staying, only to find that she is not there.
Convinced that Thalia’s no-show is a sign that she is in danger, June begins a desperate search for her younger sister.
Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, scarred by the tragedies of his past, swears he will never again ignore his gut instinct when it comes to a missing girl. And with more and more dead foreign women being found in his precinct, he becomes convinced a conspiracy is at play.
Through the two worlds of American naiveté and Indian chaos, they must find the girl who went missing.
COMMENTS
This is the kind of suspense thriller that has me jumping up and down with excitement. Not only does it contain all the elements of this genre: high drama, unbearable suspense, and fast pacing, it is also rich in cultural diversity which forms the colorful background. As a debut novel it is a winner. It is not only a suspense thriller. It is also an informative journey about a country and its wealth of cultures and people.
There is no sugar coating of neither the characters nor the circumstances. India is portrayed with its petticoats hanging out, which ensures a well-balanced and exciting experience.
Some spelling mistakes are found here and there - perhaps four, but it did not interfere with the enjoyment of one of the best debut novels I was fortunate to review.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as an entertaining and informative suspense thriller. I simply loved the experience!
March 25, 2015
Ace Varkey and I are friends. I promise I'll still write an honest review!!!!
"The Girl Who Went Missing" comes out in April! Its her first book. A Mystery-thriller!
I honestly think we are seeing a new 'voice' emerge! Ace is an excellent writer. She's a tantalizing storyteller!
"The Girl Who Went Missing" is page-turning gripping and disturbing because it is unmistakably human.
Page one had me shivering! Smack-in-my-face intense!
I was captivated with the way Ace captured the surroundings of India: Hot days, cheap hotels, packed trains and train stations, busloads of people, villages, restaurants, cafes, foods, long lines, living on the roads, apartment buildings, 14th century temples, Taj Mahal Palace, old buildings, new buildings, hotels, vendors, movie theaters, touts, prostitutes, The University of Mumbai, the US Consulate, the beach on Goa, Ashrams, festivals, silks, cobras, cows, and dirt.
A little about the story itself:
Thalia Warner is from Berkeley, California. She goes to Mumbai on a Fulbright scholarship. Professor Pillai is her advisor at the University of Mumbai. She is living at the YMCA.
Its been Thalia' life dream to study the Saraswati temples, their festivals, and everything related to the Goddess. Her dissertation is on Saraswati temples!
Thalia is also a free spirit. She doesn't always follow the rules where she lives at the Y for 'women'. She forgets to turn her room key in at the front desk each time she leaves, even though its required. She also doesn't always do what her Professor says, creating problems between them. Thalia also refuses to have a cell phone -so she is not easy to reach.
June is Thalia's older sister, also living in Berkeley. She just got dumped by a guy named Peter she was to marry. To recharge --she takes her vacation to Mumbai to stay with her sister. Thalia got her ticket and a room right next to hers. They are suppose to meet at the airport. Thalia does not show up.
Oscar D' Costa is the commissioner, He has been with the police force 25 years. "He's never gotten use to murders, rapes, torture, and sheer contempt for a human's life". His own daughter, Violet was murdered. He feels responsible because his wife, Dulcie, had called one night saying "she wasn't home from a party". Costa was at work -doing Police work.
Costa didn't respond as a father (fast enough).--He responded like a police officer, saying she probably just lost track of time.
Living with the loss of his daughter and guilt, Costa is determined -more than ever -to try to prevent another young girl from being murdered -and having their parent feel what he does.
Costa and Grant Kruger, (head of the US Consulate) --are both trying to solve the mystery of Thalia Warner.
June is trying to do her own limited research -- meeting friends of Thalia's from the YMCA..etc.
What's it like being a single woman --a foreigner - in India? I was one of those 'single' white females in India during the early 70's. I didn't dream to spend my time chanting in an Ashram --(yet I did) -- I didn't dream on sunbathing on the beach in Goa --(yet I did that too) -- I didn't go to India to study at the University either. I just kept moving -exploring - discovering, and waking up to the world around me. I stayed in many of those cheap hotels. I stayed at the YMCA. I traveled on those packed trains. I remember getting approached for drugs - I had a glimpse of the underworld -- I also saw the beauty....and much kindness from the people.
Here's a quote I liked in Ace's book:
"Most foreigners step onto Indian soil only to be immediately confused, amazed, dazzled by the great differences they may have read about, even anticipated, but which still unnerved them --and that was when the touts approached them."
A very intelligent well written Mystery-thriller --filled with richness & sorrows
Highly Recommend!
"The Girl Who Went Missing" comes out in April! Its her first book. A Mystery-thriller!
I honestly think we are seeing a new 'voice' emerge! Ace is an excellent writer. She's a tantalizing storyteller!
"The Girl Who Went Missing" is page-turning gripping and disturbing because it is unmistakably human.
Page one had me shivering! Smack-in-my-face intense!
I was captivated with the way Ace captured the surroundings of India: Hot days, cheap hotels, packed trains and train stations, busloads of people, villages, restaurants, cafes, foods, long lines, living on the roads, apartment buildings, 14th century temples, Taj Mahal Palace, old buildings, new buildings, hotels, vendors, movie theaters, touts, prostitutes, The University of Mumbai, the US Consulate, the beach on Goa, Ashrams, festivals, silks, cobras, cows, and dirt.
A little about the story itself:
Thalia Warner is from Berkeley, California. She goes to Mumbai on a Fulbright scholarship. Professor Pillai is her advisor at the University of Mumbai. She is living at the YMCA.
Its been Thalia' life dream to study the Saraswati temples, their festivals, and everything related to the Goddess. Her dissertation is on Saraswati temples!
Thalia is also a free spirit. She doesn't always follow the rules where she lives at the Y for 'women'. She forgets to turn her room key in at the front desk each time she leaves, even though its required. She also doesn't always do what her Professor says, creating problems between them. Thalia also refuses to have a cell phone -so she is not easy to reach.
June is Thalia's older sister, also living in Berkeley. She just got dumped by a guy named Peter she was to marry. To recharge --she takes her vacation to Mumbai to stay with her sister. Thalia got her ticket and a room right next to hers. They are suppose to meet at the airport. Thalia does not show up.
Oscar D' Costa is the commissioner, He has been with the police force 25 years. "He's never gotten use to murders, rapes, torture, and sheer contempt for a human's life". His own daughter, Violet was murdered. He feels responsible because his wife, Dulcie, had called one night saying "she wasn't home from a party". Costa was at work -doing Police work.
Costa didn't respond as a father (fast enough).--He responded like a police officer, saying she probably just lost track of time.
Living with the loss of his daughter and guilt, Costa is determined -more than ever -to try to prevent another young girl from being murdered -and having their parent feel what he does.
Costa and Grant Kruger, (head of the US Consulate) --are both trying to solve the mystery of Thalia Warner.
June is trying to do her own limited research -- meeting friends of Thalia's from the YMCA..etc.
What's it like being a single woman --a foreigner - in India? I was one of those 'single' white females in India during the early 70's. I didn't dream to spend my time chanting in an Ashram --(yet I did) -- I didn't dream on sunbathing on the beach in Goa --(yet I did that too) -- I didn't go to India to study at the University either. I just kept moving -exploring - discovering, and waking up to the world around me. I stayed in many of those cheap hotels. I stayed at the YMCA. I traveled on those packed trains. I remember getting approached for drugs - I had a glimpse of the underworld -- I also saw the beauty....and much kindness from the people.
Here's a quote I liked in Ace's book:
"Most foreigners step onto Indian soil only to be immediately confused, amazed, dazzled by the great differences they may have read about, even anticipated, but which still unnerved them --and that was when the touts approached them."
A very intelligent well written Mystery-thriller --filled with richness & sorrows
Highly Recommend!
October 14, 2015
The overall story of a missing sister in India and the attempts to find her via minimal clues in a country and city as large and packed as India and Mumbai was fairly intriguing. And looking at child prostitution and trafficking and how some of that occurs, young girls taken from small poor families from poor rural areas with promises of a much better life, etc., was also interesting and probably accurate.
But the story needs a lot of editing help. There was way too much rambling and yarning on and on through the eyes of the main 5 or 6 characters and not enough clever dialogue where the thoughts of each of these characters should have been subtly revealed instead of through these rambling mental diatribes. A lot of the thoughts and dialogue didn't seem cohesive or well put together. Pretty amateurish work.
But with some work and help from some professionals, this could have been an excellent story. I hope the author will attend some advanced writing classes and engage some excellent experienced help, because the overall story was interesting and I read right through it without ever being bored.
Elyse and Kelly? Did it really deserve five stars? I read it because of your 5 star reviews even though I noticed there were only about 48 goodreads reviews. Not my best read and I'll remind you the two stars means "it was OK."
But the story needs a lot of editing help. There was way too much rambling and yarning on and on through the eyes of the main 5 or 6 characters and not enough clever dialogue where the thoughts of each of these characters should have been subtly revealed instead of through these rambling mental diatribes. A lot of the thoughts and dialogue didn't seem cohesive or well put together. Pretty amateurish work.
But with some work and help from some professionals, this could have been an excellent story. I hope the author will attend some advanced writing classes and engage some excellent experienced help, because the overall story was interesting and I read right through it without ever being bored.
Elyse and Kelly? Did it really deserve five stars? I read it because of your 5 star reviews even though I noticed there were only about 48 goodreads reviews. Not my best read and I'll remind you the two stars means "it was OK."
August 28, 2017
I received an early ebook of The Girl Who Went Missing, and am already curious about Varkey's next writing endeavor. The story is set in India, a place I am always interested in reading about, and starts off well and quite gripping. I don't want to give much of the story away, but it held my attention, though it was, at times, a tad descriptive, with too little dialogue, but that's just me. The writing is very fluid and eloquent, and the setting is quite fleshed out and seems very real - sometimes dubiously real!
All in all, I certainly enjoyed this mystery and would recommend it highly to fans of crime fiction, particularly in a more exotic(for me) setting.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
All in all, I certainly enjoyed this mystery and would recommend it highly to fans of crime fiction, particularly in a more exotic(for me) setting.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
April 6, 2015
I received this book as an ARC from the author. I have never read a book for an author before because I always worried about having to give it a bad review...I'm nothing if not honest. For that reason I was very relieved I loved this book...for a few reasons (I love to enumerate things ;-):
1) On a pure entertainment level it was fantastic. I could not put it down and was invested in the characters. I love thrillers and expect to be thrilled...I was. I felt like I was in India...I could see the colors, hear the chaos and smell the spices.
2) Being Ms. Varkey's first first book, I was not prepared for such a well written, thoughtful, mesmerizing book that deals with current humanitarian atrocities in the world.
3) Coincidentally, I started reading this book just as a couple friends got home from a humanitarian trip to India (a mother and daughter). They are blonde and stood out. They were told to be very careful, but were still groped and touched continuously while they were there (just to clarify it only happened in the big cities not in the rural areas where people were lovely to them). At points the group would put the teenage girls in the middle of the adults to walk down streets because it was so bad. A quote in the book that made me worry about my friends: She came from a country where girls do not need to be in a women's compartment on a train, where they do not have to go out in groups for safety reasons.
4) On the topic of young girls and sex trafficking: It is abhorrent. The people involved in it are unequivocally evil. They should all be strung up in the city square (generally a peaceful person, I believe in going medieval on them). And even though intellectually I understand this kind of evil is out there and happening right now - I have read several books on this topic and read things weekly about it, even in first world countries--my heart has a hard time grasping it. Why do I get this easy life while they are subjected to slavery and torture? I have to detach myself a little bit to read books about this...just like I have to prepare myself to read books dealing with the Holocaust or other horrendous non-fiction events.
5) A couple quotes:
Raj had the sensibility of a Nazi. The Nazis did not perceive Jews as people, and Raj did not see the women as human.
It made no sense...this wholesale abuse of women. It never ceased to surprise him that his countrymen demanded modest women at home, but turned their faces away from the rampant prostitution all around them.
1) On a pure entertainment level it was fantastic. I could not put it down and was invested in the characters. I love thrillers and expect to be thrilled...I was. I felt like I was in India...I could see the colors, hear the chaos and smell the spices.
2) Being Ms. Varkey's first first book, I was not prepared for such a well written, thoughtful, mesmerizing book that deals with current humanitarian atrocities in the world.
3) Coincidentally, I started reading this book just as a couple friends got home from a humanitarian trip to India (a mother and daughter). They are blonde and stood out. They were told to be very careful, but were still groped and touched continuously while they were there (just to clarify it only happened in the big cities not in the rural areas where people were lovely to them). At points the group would put the teenage girls in the middle of the adults to walk down streets because it was so bad. A quote in the book that made me worry about my friends: She came from a country where girls do not need to be in a women's compartment on a train, where they do not have to go out in groups for safety reasons.
4) On the topic of young girls and sex trafficking: It is abhorrent. The people involved in it are unequivocally evil. They should all be strung up in the city square (generally a peaceful person, I believe in going medieval on them). And even though intellectually I understand this kind of evil is out there and happening right now - I have read several books on this topic and read things weekly about it, even in first world countries--my heart has a hard time grasping it. Why do I get this easy life while they are subjected to slavery and torture? I have to detach myself a little bit to read books about this...just like I have to prepare myself to read books dealing with the Holocaust or other horrendous non-fiction events.
5) A couple quotes:
Raj had the sensibility of a Nazi. The Nazis did not perceive Jews as people, and Raj did not see the women as human.
It made no sense...this wholesale abuse of women. It never ceased to surprise him that his countrymen demanded modest women at home, but turned their faces away from the rampant prostitution all around them.
April 23, 2015
Thank you to the author of The Girl Who Went Missing for giving me an opportunity to read an advance copy of her book in exchange of an honest review. Ace Varkey has written an excellent story, and it certainly does not read like a first novel. Set in India, it is the story of June, a young American woman, who travels to visit her sister, Thalia, who is studying in Mumbai. When June arrives in Mumbai, she finds that Thalia has disappeared. The rest of the story involves the search for Thalia and takes the readers into a world where girls and young women are routinely abducted and sold into prostitution. The story is told from the point of view of a number of characters, including June, an American diplomat, a lovely chief of police who is particularly concerned about the plight of young girls, and some of the “bad guys”. The story flows well and while Varkey mentions in her GR bio that part of her goal is to bring attention to the social issue her book deals with, the book does not feel didactic or read as a polemic. It certainly highlights how vulnerable girls and women can be in India, but for the benefit of sometimes squeamish readers like me this is not done too graphically. It’s also always tricky for an author to write about life in a different country from the perspective of characters living in that country. But Varkey’s India – although necessarily depicted as simpler than it really is – is nevertheless depicted with sensitivity and balance. Her approach and style remind me of an emerging Canadian mystery writer – Peggy Blair: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... – who writes about a detective based in Cuba – similar approach to writing mysteries and depicting with sympathy life and issues in another country. Congratulations to the author. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 16, 2015
I love a good mystery, and I love a mystery that takes me somewhere I haven't been before! I loved the setting and the characters of this Indian novel. No Name is a petrifying but mesmerizing character. I could not guess the ending so that was nice -- so often (I read SO many mysteries) I can guess the ending. I LOVED Commissioner D'Costa and am so glad I'll see him in the NEXT Ace Varkey book!!
April 12, 2015
I knew from the beauty of the writing " But he preferred his hands, which could twist off a chicken's neck quicker than a butchers knife. He was proud that his large knuckled fists had made him a legend among the underbelly of Mumbai.." that I would enjoy this novel. The reader is immersed in India, and it's a culture shock. There is beauty alongside poverty and peace where wickedness slithers.
Where is June's sister Thalia? It's fiction but could just as well be a true story based on things happening to young women and girls all over the world. Travelers journey to such places with Western eyes, never thinking about the 'underbelly' of exotic places, young girls trusting and easily fooled. How soon the dream trip can turn into a nightmare for another, as happens with June mixed between the beauty of the place and her deep fears for her missing sister. Treated like a fool for rushing to assume something is wrong, when really wasn't her sister unreliable? hmmmmm
The story remains mysterious until the end and the characters are full of flesh- people you want to protect or destroy. The best of this novel isn't just the mystery, it's the believable interactions- the things that are happening frustrate you as they would in real life. I've never been to India but I felt as if I had visited from reading this novel. Wonderful debut, looking forward to the next!
Where is June's sister Thalia? It's fiction but could just as well be a true story based on things happening to young women and girls all over the world. Travelers journey to such places with Western eyes, never thinking about the 'underbelly' of exotic places, young girls trusting and easily fooled. How soon the dream trip can turn into a nightmare for another, as happens with June mixed between the beauty of the place and her deep fears for her missing sister. Treated like a fool for rushing to assume something is wrong, when really wasn't her sister unreliable? hmmmmm
The story remains mysterious until the end and the characters are full of flesh- people you want to protect or destroy. The best of this novel isn't just the mystery, it's the believable interactions- the things that are happening frustrate you as they would in real life. I've never been to India but I felt as if I had visited from reading this novel. Wonderful debut, looking forward to the next!
April 6, 2015
This debut mystery/suspense is set in India, most mentioned is Mumbai.
Having never been there it was a nice journey to experience in this book. The author feeds in part of Mumbai through the book.
Of course, like any country there are different laws and statutes to abide by and me not knowing this, I sometimes lost my way. But I was soon taken down the correct route again by the author.
The book starts off VERY well, its dramatic and completely holds your attention.
There is a lot of narration in this book and not so much dialogue, the reason I mention this is because my preference is for less narration and more dialogue. If too much description is laid out I tend to wander in my mind, but this is ME and no reflection on the author.
I am steering away from the story as I don't want to give anything away.
I liked that the DI had a role to play that was intense due to his previous entanglement with a missing person, this explained why he acted as he did. Excellent and without let up.
What I found was good, is that most Detective novels are written from the Police POV and this is written from the characters POV which I did pick up on, loved that way of writing this.
Its an excellent first book, I give it 3.05 for her first book.
1. It started off keeping my attention
2. It wandered off in so much description and not enough dialogue that I found myself wandering.
3. It lacked the continuation of holding my attention throughout until towards the end picking up for the next book that follows this.
4. Its written/format/editing is superb. [Needs a cover though to attract]
I know I am seeming harsh, but, I am honest.
I think more intense, red herrings, edge of your seat, biting your nails needs to be added.
I read such a lot, that I would say, based in India is a great move, but some things about India Mumbai got lost on me with the scenic on the way.
Having never been there it was a nice journey to experience in this book. The author feeds in part of Mumbai through the book.
Of course, like any country there are different laws and statutes to abide by and me not knowing this, I sometimes lost my way. But I was soon taken down the correct route again by the author.
The book starts off VERY well, its dramatic and completely holds your attention.
There is a lot of narration in this book and not so much dialogue, the reason I mention this is because my preference is for less narration and more dialogue. If too much description is laid out I tend to wander in my mind, but this is ME and no reflection on the author.
I am steering away from the story as I don't want to give anything away.
I liked that the DI had a role to play that was intense due to his previous entanglement with a missing person, this explained why he acted as he did. Excellent and without let up.
What I found was good, is that most Detective novels are written from the Police POV and this is written from the characters POV which I did pick up on, loved that way of writing this.
Its an excellent first book, I give it 3.05 for her first book.
1. It started off keeping my attention
2. It wandered off in so much description and not enough dialogue that I found myself wandering.
3. It lacked the continuation of holding my attention throughout until towards the end picking up for the next book that follows this.
4. Its written/format/editing is superb. [Needs a cover though to attract]
I know I am seeming harsh, but, I am honest.
I think more intense, red herrings, edge of your seat, biting your nails needs to be added.
I read such a lot, that I would say, based in India is a great move, but some things about India Mumbai got lost on me with the scenic on the way.
April 4, 2015
I was given a free advance copy for an honest review. I don't know the author though.
I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it. It is a mystery/detective story but with a bit of a difference as it's not told from the point of view of just the police, rather it is from the main characters, June, the sister of the missing girl, Grant a diplomat who helps June and Indian Police Commissioner D'Costa. The three characters have really strong and different voices and are really well drawn. The plot is very clever and kept me guessing right to the end which is just what you want in a good mystery.
What I think raises this above the normal crime story is the descriptions of India where the novel is set, Mumbai in particularly. Mumbai jumps of the page through the descriptions, you can almost smell it - not always good smells but certainly authentic and it really feels like you are transported there when you are sitting at home in your armchair on a cold wintery day. Interesting stuff about the religions and temples and customs, and the food!
I was very pleased when I got to the end. Disappointed that I had finished but pleased to see a sequel is planned, can't wait! This author is definitely one to look for. I think it is published April 23 so do look out for it!
I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it. It is a mystery/detective story but with a bit of a difference as it's not told from the point of view of just the police, rather it is from the main characters, June, the sister of the missing girl, Grant a diplomat who helps June and Indian Police Commissioner D'Costa. The three characters have really strong and different voices and are really well drawn. The plot is very clever and kept me guessing right to the end which is just what you want in a good mystery.
What I think raises this above the normal crime story is the descriptions of India where the novel is set, Mumbai in particularly. Mumbai jumps of the page through the descriptions, you can almost smell it - not always good smells but certainly authentic and it really feels like you are transported there when you are sitting at home in your armchair on a cold wintery day. Interesting stuff about the religions and temples and customs, and the food!
I was very pleased when I got to the end. Disappointed that I had finished but pleased to see a sequel is planned, can't wait! This author is definitely one to look for. I think it is published April 23 so do look out for it!
April 24, 2015
My star rating for THE GIRL WHO WENT MISSING is: 4 out of 5 stars. :)
My ‘Blogging Reader’s Review’
after reading an ARC Copy of ‘THE GIRL WHO WENT MISSING’
(via:BooksMoviesFandoms.wordpress.com):
‘The Girl Who Went Missing’ is an intense and dark mystery with many thrilling aspects to the storyline. This is the first novel I’ve read from author Ace Varkey. Readers will be reading the story through multiple character P.O.V.’s(point of views) which was about eight: June Warner, Commissioner Oscar D’Costa, a hitman named “No-Name”, Pat, William, Constable Mehta, Mr. Mirabbal, and Grant Krueger.
When June Warner tells her sister Thalia about the end of her engagement and recent break-up with Peter, Thalia invites her sister to visit her in Mumbai. This would be a much needed escape from her life in Berkeley, California and from Peter. Thalia has been doing research in Mumbai but she has always been a spirited person who has never been afraid of adventure. June decides to have an adventure of her own. She jumps on a plane to visit with her sister in hopes of having a good time to help her forget her recent failed engagement.
Upon June’s arrival to Mumbai, she’s left wondering where her sister Thalia is. She was supposed to meet her when she came to town but nothing. Worry and concern heightens with each passing moment as June can’t seem to find her sister anywhere. It seems that Thalia has simply vanished. With the fear that something terrible has happened to her sister, June becomes determined to find her sister in a country she knows very little about. As June digs deeper into the life in Mumbai while trying to find her sister Thalia, she uncovers certain secrets that her sister kept from her in her many emails and letters.
Commissioner Oscar D’Costa is the head of the police in Mumbai and has been aware of the seedy world and dangers that exist in his streets. These same violet dangers had hit him closely when it took the life of someone he loved so much. This made him determined to try and protect as many people as he could from the bad sides of the busy city. The locals as well as foreigners were at risk. When June shows up at D’Costa’s station, he tries to minimize her worries about her sister Thalia. June also went to the American Consulate’s office where Grant Krueger told her to give it a few days to see if her sister showed up. Because of rules and regulation, they really couldn’t do much. As time progresses, worry grows and everyone begins to try and piece together who was the last person to see Thalia. When a body is found, the plot thickens. There is more going on than they could imagine.
As the story unfolds, there are so many suspicious and questionable characters which just made the story such a captivating suspenseful-thriller. The mystery behind Thalia’s whereabouts flows through the novel, keeping readers guessing till almost the end. This mystery is dark, gritty at times and may not be suitable for all readers due to certain sexual crimes that are insinuated. Will June find her sister Thalia? Where is Thalia? Who can June really trust? And, who is behind so much that D’Costa is investigating? If you’re looking for a novel to read with tons of thrilling-suspense and mystery, then this may be the right book for you. Aside from all of the dark dangers on the story, you’ll also feel like you’re there in India getting a view of the beauty it holds also. Check this one out if it sounds like your kind of mystery.
My star rating for THE GIRL WHO WENT MISSING is: 4 out of 5 stars.
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April 26, 2015
Review: THE GIRL WHO WENT MISSING by Ace Varkey
I really enjoyed this engrossing mystery, with its strong root of sibling bonding, and its riveting setting in Mumbai, India, a setting new to me but nevertheless exciting. When June's sister Thalia disappears in Mumbai, June moves heaven and earth to locate her. Of course, the answers are neither simple nor easily discovered, but June is nothing if not perseverant to save her beloved sibling.
I really enjoyed this engrossing mystery, with its strong root of sibling bonding, and its riveting setting in Mumbai, India, a setting new to me but nevertheless exciting. When June's sister Thalia disappears in Mumbai, June moves heaven and earth to locate her. Of course, the answers are neither simple nor easily discovered, but June is nothing if not perseverant to save her beloved sibling.
April 20, 2015
I recently received a ARC for a honest review and I am proud to say that this book rekindled my love for a good mystery/thriller book. I loved the exotic locales, there were some terms that I was unfamiliar with but I googled those and I have a much better understanding now of exactly how living or visiting this part of the world works with its different social mores and customs.
The action is this book is smooth and fast paced which makes for a thrilling read. You feel invested in the story by the time June arrives at the airport and with the large cast of characters there is constantly someone moving behind the scenes to unravel the mystery. Subjects are explored that are a little touchy at least for me, but the author does a fantastic job of dealing with them so nothing is treated as happening just for pure shock value. I throughly enjoyed this book and I hope to read many many more by this author.
The action is this book is smooth and fast paced which makes for a thrilling read. You feel invested in the story by the time June arrives at the airport and with the large cast of characters there is constantly someone moving behind the scenes to unravel the mystery. Subjects are explored that are a little touchy at least for me, but the author does a fantastic job of dealing with them so nothing is treated as happening just for pure shock value. I throughly enjoyed this book and I hope to read many many more by this author.
April 9, 2015
Gritty, gorgeous descriptions of Mumbai- colors, sounds, tastes and smells- the setting in this book is a complex character all on its own, with plenty of secrets to hide. The actual clues were handled very well (they add up in the end, but don't reveal too much along the way), the supporting cast was incredibly well-formed and intriguing/suspicious, and the mystery itself sustained me til the end (I had it figured all wrong, it turned out)...but it's D'Costa's dark past that has me already looking forward to the next book- so hopefully there will be one.
April 6, 2015
I absolutely loved this mystery. It kept me guessing to almost the last page and the colors and experience of India through the eyes of June Warner (who I really want to be friends with lol) was exciting, enticing, and mysterious! This is an amazing debut mystery! I can't wait for the next book.
January 4, 2016
Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.
From the opening pages Varkey pulls you into the story with intrigue and mystery. From here he takes you on a journey that demonstrates the love and devotion of a women looking for her missing sister, even when that leads her into the underbelly of Mumbai and into the world of trafficking and murder.
The narrative is fast paced but balanced, and there is an ideal amount of pressure across the entire story giving you the sense that anything could happen at any time. There are varying levels of suspense, and from the first pages to the last there is always something to surprise you. The twists often lead you away from what you expect to happen and keep you continually guessing. I loved that the story always kept you guessing, when you thought something would happen suddenly the story shifted, but it doesn't shift too far from the initial point, it just tweaks your expectations.
A lot of the emotion and real intensity comes from the characters, both innocent and otherwise. June's love and concern or her sister comes through the page, and the terrible actions of others and the warped rationalisations add another level. The dark and sinister characters were more disturbing because Varkey gets us inside their head, and the inclusion of events and circumstances so close to reality and close to possibility makes it even more unsettling. Characters like D'Costa offer a surprising perspective. His scepticism conflicting with his sense of duty show how personal histories affect everyday actions, and through him an idea of everyday life in Mumbai is explored.
There is a mixture of suspense, mystery, and gritty reality that sustains the intrigue and interest throughout. The characters are real and engaging, their own personal lives are explored that bring a depth and wholeness to the story rather well. The multiple perspectives help this and seeing each character's involvement and thoughts are an added bonus. For a first novel, Varkey has excelled in creating a story that captures you from the start and takes you on a journey of mystery and uncertainty, never sure where it will end up until the final pages.
A longer version of this review was published on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2...
From the opening pages Varkey pulls you into the story with intrigue and mystery. From here he takes you on a journey that demonstrates the love and devotion of a women looking for her missing sister, even when that leads her into the underbelly of Mumbai and into the world of trafficking and murder.
The narrative is fast paced but balanced, and there is an ideal amount of pressure across the entire story giving you the sense that anything could happen at any time. There are varying levels of suspense, and from the first pages to the last there is always something to surprise you. The twists often lead you away from what you expect to happen and keep you continually guessing. I loved that the story always kept you guessing, when you thought something would happen suddenly the story shifted, but it doesn't shift too far from the initial point, it just tweaks your expectations.
A lot of the emotion and real intensity comes from the characters, both innocent and otherwise. June's love and concern or her sister comes through the page, and the terrible actions of others and the warped rationalisations add another level. The dark and sinister characters were more disturbing because Varkey gets us inside their head, and the inclusion of events and circumstances so close to reality and close to possibility makes it even more unsettling. Characters like D'Costa offer a surprising perspective. His scepticism conflicting with his sense of duty show how personal histories affect everyday actions, and through him an idea of everyday life in Mumbai is explored.
There is a mixture of suspense, mystery, and gritty reality that sustains the intrigue and interest throughout. The characters are real and engaging, their own personal lives are explored that bring a depth and wholeness to the story rather well. The multiple perspectives help this and seeing each character's involvement and thoughts are an added bonus. For a first novel, Varkey has excelled in creating a story that captures you from the start and takes you on a journey of mystery and uncertainty, never sure where it will end up until the final pages.
A longer version of this review was published on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2...
April 23, 2015
June Warner, having had her heart broken and needing to get away while her ex-fiance marries someone else, decides to travel to India to visit her sister Thalia, who is in Mumbai doing research on temples. When she arrives her sister doesn't meet her as she was supposed to and the adventure begins.
June, knows that her sister wouldn't leave without telling her something. She attempts to find help at the US Embassy but is thwarted for a bit, then bodies start showing up and Ace will have you screaming by the end of the book.
Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, lost his daughter and has sworn to never not listen to the voice in his head again. The bodies of foreign woman keep happening and he feels a conspiracy in the works. He won't let these murders or missing girls go unheeded!
Ace doesn't pull any punches not only showing us the lovely side of India but the seedy/evil side. He has done his research and I could almost smell what I assume India must be, hot, muggy, glorious food. He mixes the pandemonium of India with the unsuspecting travelers with finesse. Will they find Thalia alive?
If you are in the market for a fantastic suspense this one is most certainly worth the time.
June, knows that her sister wouldn't leave without telling her something. She attempts to find help at the US Embassy but is thwarted for a bit, then bodies start showing up and Ace will have you screaming by the end of the book.
Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, lost his daughter and has sworn to never not listen to the voice in his head again. The bodies of foreign woman keep happening and he feels a conspiracy in the works. He won't let these murders or missing girls go unheeded!
Ace doesn't pull any punches not only showing us the lovely side of India but the seedy/evil side. He has done his research and I could almost smell what I assume India must be, hot, muggy, glorious food. He mixes the pandemonium of India with the unsuspecting travelers with finesse. Will they find Thalia alive?
If you are in the market for a fantastic suspense this one is most certainly worth the time.
April 19, 2015
*I was given a copy of this book as a gift in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars for The Girl Who Went Missing by Ace Varkey. This book falls into the mystery/suspense genre and takes place in Mumbai, India.
June has just broken up with her fiance and has traveled to India in order to spend some time with her sister, Thalia. Upon arrival, she discovers that Thalia is missing. With the help of a diplomat named Grant and the Indian Police Commissioner, she embarks on a desperate journey to find her sister.
The idea behind this book was intriguing. The characters were well developed, and I liked the ending. However, the story jumps around a lot, and I found this very confusing..Over all, this book was an okay read, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
3 stars for The Girl Who Went Missing by Ace Varkey. This book falls into the mystery/suspense genre and takes place in Mumbai, India.
June has just broken up with her fiance and has traveled to India in order to spend some time with her sister, Thalia. Upon arrival, she discovers that Thalia is missing. With the help of a diplomat named Grant and the Indian Police Commissioner, she embarks on a desperate journey to find her sister.
The idea behind this book was intriguing. The characters were well developed, and I liked the ending. However, the story jumps around a lot, and I found this very confusing..Over all, this book was an okay read, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
April 16, 2015
This was very hard for me to get into. I have absolutely no knowledge of India or the many religions based there and I felt very unfamiliar to most of the terminology. The whole concept was very foreign to me and I struggled getting my head around certain aspects of the story. This resulted in confusion with regards to the different people / places that the book frequently spoke about. The main characters were very likeable, the constant guessing of how the story would play out was great and the ending made everything come together.
April 18, 2015
I received an ARC copy in exchange for a honest review
Poor Jane arrives in Mumbai to visit her sister and heal her broken heart, only to discover a county she doesn't understand and her sister missing.
I loved the fast pace, indepth , colourful world Ace Varkey painted for us.
This story really blew me away, I love it from the beginning to the end.
Poor Jane arrives in Mumbai to visit her sister and heal her broken heart, only to discover a county she doesn't understand and her sister missing.
I loved the fast pace, indepth , colourful world Ace Varkey painted for us.
This story really blew me away, I love it from the beginning to the end.
November 11, 2015
The Girl Who Went Missing is a thoroughly engrossing debut mystery-thriller published earlier this year by an exciting new voice on the scene of this genre, Ace Varkey, and the first in an Oscar D’Costa mystery series intended to spotlight important social issues facing India today. Center stage is Commissioner Oscar D’Costa, a likeable sleuth with a moral sensibility and a heart nurturing a deep grief of its own. D’Costa heads a 55,000 strong police force in Mumbai, a perfect setting for crime as India’s “maximum city”—its richest, most populous and possibly most beloved metropolis despite extremes of slums and skyscrapers, poverty and wealth, a democracy and yet rampant corruption.
Varkey is a masterful storyteller who knows Indian culture first-hand, and while keeping our focus squarely on a central question—is Thalia still alive and, if so, where is she?—the author also develops his principal characters with dimensionality and individuality that engages the reader from the getgo, as any good novel does. The girl of the title is named Thalia, a graduate student at UC Berkeley who has come to Mumbai on a Fulbright fellowship to do research on Saraswati temples and to study with a famous scholar, Professor Pillai, at the University of Mumbai.
The mystery is set in motion when Thalia’s older sister, June Warner, decides to pay Thalia a visit on short notice as she has just been jilted by Peter, the man she was engaged to marry, and thinks a visit in India with her beloved sister will help her get over her own disappointment. But when June arrives at the YMCA where her sister is staying, Thalia is nowhere to be found. June undertakes her own sleuthing –she sniffs around asking questions on her own and also reports that her sister is missing to both Grant Krueger in the American Consulate in Mumbai and to the Mumbai police, where she personally encounters Commissioner D’Costa, who happens to be working on solving the crimes of several other missing young foreign women, one of whom—Greta, from Germany—had recently been found murdered.
And so we, along with D’Costa and the Mumbai police, are caught up in the crimes that have killed several young women there and threaten others, and we also try to determine if, in fact, a crime has actually been committed related to Thalia’s disappearance. Because the very difficult crimes of human trafficking, drug dealing, and prostitution could all be involved in the disappearance of Thalia, as they were in the case of Greta’s murder, D’Costa turns his personal attention to the matter of the missing Thalia.
His own young daughter, Violet, had been abducted and murdered three years earlier, and when we encounter him in the novel--because the murder of his daughter might have been prevented--D’Costa has resolved to focus special attention on preventing crimes against vulnerable children and young women who easily become victims of organized crime for profit. The loss of Violet has also left D’Costa over-protective of his teen-age son, Kenneth, and his wife, Dulcie. He mixes his search for Thalia with his social and ethical desire to prevent international human trafficking, abduction, bribery, drug abuse, prostitution prevalent in the city and rural villages near Mumbai.
This quick-paced story takes place in a period of less than two weeks. It begins in a warehouse in Mumbai on a Sunday with a hit-man named No-Name (who has a twin brother named Chanda) and quickly moves to the Sea Lounge Restaurant, the Taj Mahal Palace and Town Hotel in Mumbai as the cast of characters and suspects grows, to include an unusual green-eyed man named Pat, a nefarious businessman; Randhir “Randy” Rana, Pat’s former classmate; a friend of Thalia’s named William; the famous Professor Pillai; and some seedy and suspicious sorts. They—and we as readers-- have only a hieroglyphic as a lead in trying to determine if Thalia is alive and where she is and to solve the mystery.
The tempo of the search for the red-haired, green-eyed Thalia quickens as both suspicions and evidence mount that her disappearance is tied to that of the other young foreign women who went missing and were found murdered, and urgency mounts for June as she fears that the worst fate has befallen her sister.
I like very much the way Varkey imparts the sights, sounds, smells and “feel” of the places her characters take us, so that we feel we are there. And I like that she lets her characters speak for themselves, reflecting their own very diverse social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds rather than didactically digressing or providing backstory primarily through the narrator. We experience the credibility of the characters and the complexity of life in modern day India through the eyes and language of the characters themselves, both Indian and foreign-born. No matter what the crimes, mysteries, and new characters forthcoming in future thrillers in the series, we can definitely look forward to knowing Commissioner Oscar D’Costa better, a simpatico and complex human being worth knowing who gives The Girl Who Went Missing its moral center.
Review by Barbara Bundy
Varkey is a masterful storyteller who knows Indian culture first-hand, and while keeping our focus squarely on a central question—is Thalia still alive and, if so, where is she?—the author also develops his principal characters with dimensionality and individuality that engages the reader from the getgo, as any good novel does. The girl of the title is named Thalia, a graduate student at UC Berkeley who has come to Mumbai on a Fulbright fellowship to do research on Saraswati temples and to study with a famous scholar, Professor Pillai, at the University of Mumbai.
The mystery is set in motion when Thalia’s older sister, June Warner, decides to pay Thalia a visit on short notice as she has just been jilted by Peter, the man she was engaged to marry, and thinks a visit in India with her beloved sister will help her get over her own disappointment. But when June arrives at the YMCA where her sister is staying, Thalia is nowhere to be found. June undertakes her own sleuthing –she sniffs around asking questions on her own and also reports that her sister is missing to both Grant Krueger in the American Consulate in Mumbai and to the Mumbai police, where she personally encounters Commissioner D’Costa, who happens to be working on solving the crimes of several other missing young foreign women, one of whom—Greta, from Germany—had recently been found murdered.
And so we, along with D’Costa and the Mumbai police, are caught up in the crimes that have killed several young women there and threaten others, and we also try to determine if, in fact, a crime has actually been committed related to Thalia’s disappearance. Because the very difficult crimes of human trafficking, drug dealing, and prostitution could all be involved in the disappearance of Thalia, as they were in the case of Greta’s murder, D’Costa turns his personal attention to the matter of the missing Thalia.
His own young daughter, Violet, had been abducted and murdered three years earlier, and when we encounter him in the novel--because the murder of his daughter might have been prevented--D’Costa has resolved to focus special attention on preventing crimes against vulnerable children and young women who easily become victims of organized crime for profit. The loss of Violet has also left D’Costa over-protective of his teen-age son, Kenneth, and his wife, Dulcie. He mixes his search for Thalia with his social and ethical desire to prevent international human trafficking, abduction, bribery, drug abuse, prostitution prevalent in the city and rural villages near Mumbai.
This quick-paced story takes place in a period of less than two weeks. It begins in a warehouse in Mumbai on a Sunday with a hit-man named No-Name (who has a twin brother named Chanda) and quickly moves to the Sea Lounge Restaurant, the Taj Mahal Palace and Town Hotel in Mumbai as the cast of characters and suspects grows, to include an unusual green-eyed man named Pat, a nefarious businessman; Randhir “Randy” Rana, Pat’s former classmate; a friend of Thalia’s named William; the famous Professor Pillai; and some seedy and suspicious sorts. They—and we as readers-- have only a hieroglyphic as a lead in trying to determine if Thalia is alive and where she is and to solve the mystery.
The tempo of the search for the red-haired, green-eyed Thalia quickens as both suspicions and evidence mount that her disappearance is tied to that of the other young foreign women who went missing and were found murdered, and urgency mounts for June as she fears that the worst fate has befallen her sister.
I like very much the way Varkey imparts the sights, sounds, smells and “feel” of the places her characters take us, so that we feel we are there. And I like that she lets her characters speak for themselves, reflecting their own very diverse social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds rather than didactically digressing or providing backstory primarily through the narrator. We experience the credibility of the characters and the complexity of life in modern day India through the eyes and language of the characters themselves, both Indian and foreign-born. No matter what the crimes, mysteries, and new characters forthcoming in future thrillers in the series, we can definitely look forward to knowing Commissioner Oscar D’Costa better, a simpatico and complex human being worth knowing who gives The Girl Who Went Missing its moral center.
Review by Barbara Bundy
July 12, 2015
The first thing I’d like to say when starting my review of Ace Varkey’s taut “The Girl Who Went Missing” is that it thankfully bears no similarities to the currently popular (for reasons I cannot comprehend) “The Girl From the Train” - and that’s a very good thing. “The Girl On The Train” is one of the most ridiculously insipid books I’ve read in a long time, and fortunately Varkey’s work is heads and shoulders above that tripe.
For a first time novelist, Ace Varkey sure has a tenacious hold on maintaining a vision and following through successfully. “The Girl Who Went Missing” is a classic mystery thriller in many conventional ways. It’s set in an exotic locale (Mumbai), has a heroine who is searching for her missing sister, and features a police authority who is flawed but experienced. The combination of these components allows the author to present a story that is at once both suspenseful but personal, which is a difficult mix to attempt.
The plot is fervently paced, which will be much to the joy of fans of this genre. Varkey deftly focuses on essential plot points that drive the story forward. June Warner, who is looking for her missing sister Thalia in the bedlam of Mumbai, is a modern woman. She is street savvy and book smart, so there are no awkward eye rolls in terms of June entering situations that are silly and unrealistic. However, no characters are free if naiveté, which is a key requirement in the presentation of a successful heroic journey. Upon her manic search, she befriends Police Commissioner Oscar D’Costa, who is not without his own personal demons foraging in his mind. Oscar soon pieces together that Thalia’s absence is part of a large construct of missing women, introducing elements of conspiracy thriller into the story.
Varkey’s intimate knowledge of Indian culture and politics is clearly well researched and well presented. There is a certain amount of education the reader obtains after reading the book, which is always a positive bonus in works of literature. Varkey is honest and straightforward with his descritions of both characters and situations, infusing the book with a kind of unbiased voice that allows the reader to not feel manipulated into believing certain stereotypes that books sometimes present.
At times, however, the multiple POV’s in “The Girl Who Went Missing” work against the relationships being forged between character and the reader, which is only real critique I have of this author’s debut novel. I was confident in my hopes that Varkey would manage to succinctly provide a climax and inevitable resolution that assuaged my many questions. In this respect, Varkey did not fail. If you’re looking for a book that works as both a beach read and a book club selection, then “The Girl Who Went Missing” is for you.
Liked what you read? Read more of my reviews at www.readingotherpeople.com
June 23, 2015
Reading crime fiction in recent years has increasingly become a form of armchair travel, and I'm all for it! It might even prompt some actual travel, although I must say that after finishing Ace Varkey's excellent debut novel The Girl Who Went Missing, I'm not at all inclined to visit its setting of Mumbai, which sounds too dangerous by half. But I'd be delighted to keep reading about the city in all its colorful and sometimes sordid complexity, especially when I'm in such capable hands as Varkey's.
Ace Varkey has lived in India, and her experience there shows. She is especially sensitive to the texture of women's experiences, both native and foreign, in a country that unfortunately does not have the best record where women's rights and dignities are concerned. In fact, this is the subject and prime mover of the narrative.
As always when reviewing a crime novel, and many other forms of fiction as well, I don't want to give too much away in terms of plot. But I can make a few indications. The title of The Girl Who Went Missing gives you some idea of where the book is headed, and is actually an understatement - quite a number of girls go missing in the course of the story. It is all about exploitation in its ugliest forms, and there are some scenes that go pretty edgy, especially an attention-getting opening sequence, although nothing quite as difficult-to-take as, say, you'll find in Derek Raymond's Factory novels (which I feel pretty confident that Varkey has read).
The novel is choral, written from multiple points-of-view - about half Indians, about half Americans in India. It "plays fair" with respect to scattering clues, and the red herrings are especially skillfully employed because they are all also thematic doublings in a Hitchcockian manner. I took notes as I was reading! Pay special attention to all references to red hair and green eyes.
I did have a few plot quibbles, but I almost always do when reading a mystery, and it is certainly nothing that got in the way of my enjoyment. I'm definitely on board for Varkey's next entry in a planned series of novels about Mumbai Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa.
Ace Varkey has lived in India, and her experience there shows. She is especially sensitive to the texture of women's experiences, both native and foreign, in a country that unfortunately does not have the best record where women's rights and dignities are concerned. In fact, this is the subject and prime mover of the narrative.
As always when reviewing a crime novel, and many other forms of fiction as well, I don't want to give too much away in terms of plot. But I can make a few indications. The title of The Girl Who Went Missing gives you some idea of where the book is headed, and is actually an understatement - quite a number of girls go missing in the course of the story. It is all about exploitation in its ugliest forms, and there are some scenes that go pretty edgy, especially an attention-getting opening sequence, although nothing quite as difficult-to-take as, say, you'll find in Derek Raymond's Factory novels (which I feel pretty confident that Varkey has read).
The novel is choral, written from multiple points-of-view - about half Indians, about half Americans in India. It "plays fair" with respect to scattering clues, and the red herrings are especially skillfully employed because they are all also thematic doublings in a Hitchcockian manner. I took notes as I was reading! Pay special attention to all references to red hair and green eyes.
I did have a few plot quibbles, but I almost always do when reading a mystery, and it is certainly nothing that got in the way of my enjoyment. I'm definitely on board for Varkey's next entry in a planned series of novels about Mumbai Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa.
June 14, 2015
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I found trying to find out what happened to Thalia fun, and I had a lot of theories while reading. That is about the only thing I really enjoyed about the book, though. I found that I didn't really relate to the culture, the wording was strange to me, and all of the characters fell flat. I didn't find June a particularly strong main character, and honestly I thought she was a little forgettable. I was really bothered by the constant changing of character point of views, especially towards the end. I didn't really feel like there was anything that really distinguished one character from another. It was very slow to get into, and my interest in it didn't really peak until about 50% in. It held my interest for a little while after that, but then was sort of down hill for the rest of the book.
I found trying to find out what happened to Thalia fun, and I had a lot of theories while reading. That is about the only thing I really enjoyed about the book, though. I found that I didn't really relate to the culture, the wording was strange to me, and all of the characters fell flat. I didn't find June a particularly strong main character, and honestly I thought she was a little forgettable. I was really bothered by the constant changing of character point of views, especially towards the end. I didn't really feel like there was anything that really distinguished one character from another. It was very slow to get into, and my interest in it didn't really peak until about 50% in. It held my interest for a little while after that, but then was sort of down hill for the rest of the book.
June 22, 2015
I loved reading The Girl Who Went Missing! Ace Varkey is an amazing author with a unique writing style. I really enjoyed the varying viewpoints unraveling the mystery as the story line progressed. Each character had a distinct, unique voice and by the end of the book, I felt like I knew the all really well. Prepare for unexpected twists, turns and a deep, dark tone. I can't wait to read more from this author!
July 28, 2015
The Girl Who Went Missing was an interesting and suspenseful novel which kept my interest throughout. In what appears to be Ace Varkey’s debut novel, the story flowed well with a few twists and turns that you would hope to have in a novel.
The locations of the story were described in a very interesting manner and added to the enjoyment.
Overall, an excellent novel!!
The locations of the story were described in a very interesting manner and added to the enjoyment.
Overall, an excellent novel!!
Want to read
June 2, 2015I received this book in return for an honest review.
Will write proper review when I have finished the book.
Will write proper review when I have finished the book.
April 24, 2015
3.5 out of 5 rating.
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