Death under the Deodars

by Ruskin Bond

BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Mystery, Indian Literature, India, Mystery Thriller, Anthologies

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.

Reviews

[VerseVoyager · Rating 4 out of 5]

An alluring collection of eight stories to stagger the readers. I would write my views for each story in this review. Not just Miss Ripely Bean was on an adventure, but she took me even on numerous adventures with her. Ripely Bean's personality is loveable. She is gregarious, warm and has an habit to get to the depth of every topic.

The first story about Mrs. Basu's murder was gripping and more shocking to know who the murderer was. The second story of Alexander terrified me about his fascination and urge to see everything being set on fire and people screaming and burning to death. No wonder it was named 'Born Evil'. Alexander here is compared with Hitler; but some extra love is reflected towards Hitler for being a vegetarian. Then in the third story we have Mr. and Mrs. Roy, trying to put an end to each other's lives just out of passionate hatred for each other. The fourth story let's us know that crime can be committed just out of passion like young, sweet sixteen Sammy did. Ungrateful little kid showed no mercy towards Father Vincent.
Would you freak out if you find some arsenic in your post? Well, Doreen Smith didn't. Because she knew the person who was sending it and the purpose behind it. Slow poisoning and Doreen's husband is dead. That's what the fifth story is about. Two love birds trying to stay together in a wrong way and are misfortunate to do so. The sixth story of the mysterious black dog wasn't my cup of tea. Things happen even out of co-incidence; so, that didn't make me believe the entire story. The beginning of the next story three in a bed was perplexing; but the end was an anticlimax thing. The story is a masterpiece if the ending was something different. The last story of the Daryaganj strangler was foreseeable. Publishers! Be aware of Roshan Puri!

By this time, I really am so into Ruskin bond books. Ruskin has a new idea each new day. Every story was peculiar in its own way and had some good twists and treats!

[Kavita · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have read my first Ruskin Bond! And now I am upset - so many years wasted! Death Under the Deodars takes place in Mussoorie in the 1960s. There are eight stories, all set in the Royal Hotel and revolving around its residents, especially Ms Ripley-Bean, an old relic of the British Empire.

Death Under the Deodars : The title story is one of the best ones. Ms Ripley-Bean sees a murder being committed but does not know who did it. Unfortunately, the murderer knows she was there! I loved this Christie level of mystery and the chill factor was high! - 5 stars

Born Evil : Ms Ripley-Bean narrates a story about a young boy who was evil and liked to burn things down. But who was he? An interesting story with a twist. - 4 stars

Strychnine in the Cognac : An actor couple come to Mussoorie for a while and their marital problems lead to murder. But the really fun part was Ms Ripley-Bean's reaction! - 5 stars

Crime of Passion : Ms Ripley-Bean narrates a story about an old priest and a young boy who become friends. It somehow leads to murder. This was the one story I felt was rather weak and didn't do justice to the collection. There was still a lot of charm to the story and a nice twist at the end, but it didn't appeal to me like the others did. - 3 stars

Arsenic in the Post : Another narration by Ms Ripley-Bean about the wicked 1920s, when there was a lot of debauchery about. A married man and a married woman get together and plot murder. Where does it end? - 4 stars

The Black Dog : This was really chilling. Ms Ripley-Bean does not feature in this one much but Ruskin Bond does! He narrates about a black dog following him to and from a party at the Royal Hotel. The dog then disappears. What really happened? - 5 stars

Three in a Bed : The body of a young boy is found inside a box bed and suspicion points to his friends. Did they do it or didn't they? Ruskin Bond gets at the truth. Ms Ripley-Bean doesn't feature much in this either. - 4 stars

The Daryaganj Strangler : Yayy! Another Ms Ripley-Bean story! There is a strangler roaming the streets of Delhi. They figure he would come to Mussoorie for the summer vacations. Does he? I love the wicked Ms Ripley-Bean and her mild blackmailing behaviour. Not sure why she was not targeted, though. - 4 stars

There were some minor irritants, such as Ms Ripley-Bean's whole history being repeated in every story. Not sure why it was necessary. But the quaint atmosphere, the interesting tales, and the fun Ms Ripley-Bean make this a must-read.

[Chitra Iyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being on my wishlist since it's release, Death Under the Deodars finally arrived and I was over the moon! I get excited about things like the book being a hardback instead of a regular paperback and that each story began with a small sketch of deodar trees drawn in freehand. The cover is as mysterious as it can get, but if it is Ruskin Bond, you cannot expect any less, can you?

The book is the latest one from Mr. Bond and is a collection of 8 short stories. The characters remain the same in all the stories, with events evolving around them. Miss Ripley-Bean is the central character in the book. She is seventy plus and has many stories to share. She lives in a portion of the Royal Hotel in Mussorie, which belonged to her father, but later sold to the current owner, Nandu. Mr. Lobo, another permanent resident of the hotel, entertains the guests by playing tunes on the piano. All these characters, in addition to the author himself and a few others, appear in all the stories. When Miss Ripley-Bean witnesses a murder, she is sure the murderer has recognized her. In another tale, a dead body is found in a box bed in one of the rooms of the hotel and one time, a big black dog seems to follow Mr. Bond to a party only to vanish, never to be seen again. The Daryaganj serial killer checks into the Royal Hotel. Who among the occupants would be his next victim? The hills sure have a lot of mystery hidden in their shadows. While that is the kind of inspiration writers are looking for, it can sometimes also act as a convenient setting to inspire a murderer.

I absolutely relish Mr. Bond's works and this one isn't an exception. There were a few stories that I thought could have been more twisted or tweaked up. Half of the stories were of the classic Ruskin Bond style but the others kind of lacked the stunning end that we are so used to. Nevertheless, I found it to be a mixed bag but the reader would definitely enjoy the few good stories that had all the necessary ingredients for the perfect mystery.

More than the stories themselves, it is the writing style that I so admire. Ruskin Bond has the knack of smoothly taking the story forward and then suddenly arriving at a shocking end. Almost like Hitchcock! I can keep on raving about how good Ruskin bond is but I guess, everyone knows enough, so I'll try to stop my ramblings here.

Last word. A bit disappointed but I wouldn't write it off completely. It still makes for a good set of mystery stories further accentuated by the eeriness of the misty, dark and lonely roads of the Himalayan hills.

[Sikata · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories involving May Ripley Jean, a spinster in her 70s living at the Hotel Royal in Mussourie with her terrier dog "Fluff" (no ordinary dog). The book gives the feeling of sitting by someone and hear them narrate stories. A short escape for me but not enough.

[Swati Daftuar · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this didn't have the cleverest plots or the best resolutions and reveals, but it was Bond at his best, most comforting storytelling self. The entire thing feels a little like you're listening to stories, instead of reading them.

[Nirav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Bond at it's best. You should drop your current book and read this one. Not as pleasing as his stories are but it's Ruskin Bond, you shall fall in love with it anyway. Also, who hates mountains and a little bit of mystery?

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was my Jólabókaflóð read and I couldn't have picked a better book. An eclectic set of short stories set in Missouri masquerading as crime stories. Each of them was a lovely character study, and brought a wry smile on the face. As is always the case with Ruskin Bond, there were a few stories with supernatural incidents too, but in his inimitable style he was still able to make them seem believable.
Loved the book. There is something about Bond.

[Zain Hashmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond's writing is almost synonymous with the mountains and hills. There is always a timeless sense of the familiar to his writing, and the simple writing holds an appeal for people of all ages. The true beauty of Ruskin Bond's writing is that it has enough depth to be appreciated differently at different times in one's life. In this book, grim and sinister stories are recounted by an old resident of Mussoorie, about murders and crimes of passion. Simple stories to tell around a fire, told well by a lady frozen in time, enjoying her homemade creme-de-menthe and the company of a rapt audience. One of the people in that rapt audience happened to be Ruskin Bond, and he has narrated the stories from the perspective of Miss Ripley-Bean, giving her full credit, but adding his own flair to each incident, making this book a good bedtime read.

I'd recommend it as a light read to most people.

[Naveen · Rating 4 out of 5]

कहानियाँ अच्छी हैं, बेडटाइम स्टोरीज , जिसे बच्चे या बड़े कोई भी पढ़ सकता है। सीधी सादी सरल थ्रिलर और हॉरर कहानियों का समूह है यह किताब। कुल मिलाकर आप पढ़ कर बहुत रोमांचित तो नहीं होते, लेकिन बोर भी नहीं होते। एक बार पढ़ने लायक अच्छी किताब।

[Barkha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet - 8 crime stories set in and around Mussorrie written by Ruskin Bond's indulgent hands. Nice timepass read - will take less than an hour.

I personally love crime stories and the atmosphere around a hotel and hills makes a solid setting. Thanks Ruskin Bond for bringing these to life.

[Amrendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories that deals with the exploits of Miss Ripley Bean who is a resident at the Royal Hotel and has a prodigious memory and powers of keen observation. The pianist of the hotel - Mr. Lobo is her sidekick. The stories deal with mysterious deaths, attempts at poisoning, crimes of passion, tale of a strangler and a couple of stories bordering on the supernatural (The Black Dog and Three in a Bed). Overall the stories are short and crisp and can be done with within a day.

The stories are not remarkable but nonetheless beautiful for their languid pace and direct narration without any attempts at a whodunit. And this is what makes this book a classic Ruskin Bond. A salutary departure from his usual style, this work adds to the range of his works and also to the readers' palate who always want more from their favourite author. It gets all the more interesting when it is something really different and this is!

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains eight nuanced dark tales. They are:
1. Death under the Deodars
2. Born Evil
3. Strychnine in the Cognac
4. Crime of Passion
5. Arsenic in the Post
6. The Black Dog
7. Three in a Bed
8. The Daryaganj Strangler
How can such dark tales be told in a gentle, almost mild manner, wrought with humour and pathos?
To understand that, you need to read these stories. Bond is almost taken for granted as a 'Childrens' Writer'. Once you read this book, you would appreciate how wrong that epithet is. Bond is one of the finest writers of our time who can inflict agony and ecstasy spending a minimum number of words. In thse stories dealing with murder, adultery, illicit passion and even serial-killing, he projects the persona of Miss Ripley-Bean as a kindly Pitamaha Bhishma who takes all things in her stride.
And the stories! They are pure delights.
Recommended.

[Krutika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death Under The Deodars - #bookrecommendation
•
A book with a stunning cover, a gripping blurb and unique characters; Death under the deodars is a book that'll make you want to visit Mussoorie soon after you are done reading it. Bond's books are usually very short reads which will probably take a maximum of two sittings and this book was no different. At the very beginning of the book, the author introduces the protagonist who goes by the name Miss Ripley Bean. She's in her seventies and has lived almost her entire life in Mussoorie. The narration takes place in the premises of the famous hotel Royal in Mussoorie where few characters play a significant role.
•
The book comprises of eight short stories which includes ghosts, paranormal phenomena, crimes of passion and of pure evil. All of the stories are narrated by Miss Ripley Bean who has a knack of keeping the listeners on their toes, anticipating what would happen next. Bond is poetic while penning down the stories and has a very vintage feel to it considering how few of the tales happened back in the 20's. You have to remember that Miss Ripley Bean is a spinster in her seventies but her love for being a perfect hostess is still strong. Every story is splendidly written be it where two lovers murder their respective spouses, or the evil teenager who loves setting fire, or a ghost dog who saves Bond from being robbed. With every story being narrated, it gives a glimpse of how Miss Ripley Bean's life in the hills was all these years. She's observant, quick witted and also patient with people. She gives everyone a benefit of the doubt and thinks logically.
•
The stories combined by Miss Bean's wonderful narration is what makes this book beautiful. As they say, sometimes being simple is enough to make a great impact on the minds of the readers. Ruskin Bond proves it again with this book. A perfect read during the monsoons where the stories take you to the hauntingly beautiful hills of Mussoorie. I could almost taste Miss Bean's Crème de menthe, feel the breeze in my hair and enjoy Mr Lobo playing his piano. I'd recommend it to people of all ages because Bond's books have no age limit :)
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Rating - 4.3/5.

[Byju.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight stories with crime as a common thread. Miss Ripley Bean, an old lady, a permanent resident of Hotel Royal, is the classic village gossip. And she has come across a lot of crime in her time. An easy read.

[Harshad Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing fancy here, just the charming prose of Ruskin Bond, nice albeit scary and disturbing short stories of the master. Very enjoyable.

[Debalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a new Ruskin Bond this new year!

"The night has a thousand eyes
And the day but one
Yet the light of the bright world dies
With the dying sun."

The book was published in October 2016 and I read it today. And yes, Rusty is back! Back with a bang!

There has never been any doubt about the goodness of Ruskin Bond's fiction, but I have never read anything so deep in this genre by him. Crime, thriller, paranormal, murders of passion or out of pure evil - a long tired list of topics people try to popularize their novels, stories with, most of the times the trials being honest may be, but disappointing. I was slightly skeptical of what this genre might feel like, but the outcome was lovely.

Ruskin Bond has always maintained an image of Mussoorie - a scandalous and promiscuous town sitting in the beautiful lap of the Garhwal Himalayas. This book, nevertheless, is a living epitome of fiction that will sew in your mind deeper threads of such an impression through the experiences of Miss Ripley Bean. Starting from the 1920s and continuing till around 1970s(perhaps), the stories are enchanting. They are the light-reads as Ruskin Bond is famous for but thrilling and captivating. And those readers who have sunk deep in this genre, do not be scared. The endings are not predictable. Rusty manages to surprise us.

Aunt May is no Miss Marple but can be her younger sister who gathers material for her and sometimes makes a good call regarding impending judgments. She intelligently guesses what might be happening and how the thread of reason is seeped into the human psychology and their daily natures and preferences. Her observations are light, easy, confident and at peace with herself sometimes even to the extent of being lazy mainly because that is a second nature to her. Her attitude, perspective give you a glimpse of the life in hills during her time and maintains Rusty's perspective that we have known all through these years in a most amusing and new way.

The nature lovers will not miss the beautiful descriptions of flowers and the hills, but one who is reading only for that you will be disappointed. But nonetheless, give it a try. This book is worth your time. And the Rusty fans, rejoice! :)

Happy reading!

For more such reviews: http://dbthetablesareturned.blogspot.in/

[Narayanan Kanagarajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent, living in the sylvan surroundings of Mussoorie, Utharakhand State of India. He is an Octogenarian. His latest book 'Death Under the Deodars' is a compendium of 8 short stories set in the locales in and around Mussoorie. This is the first novel for me from the hand of a senior and mature writer from that part of India. The theme of murder is set in all these eight short stories, narrated vividly. He has invented a character 'Miss Ripley-Bean', a 70 year old spinster, living in the palatial Royal Hotel in Mussoorie and through her, the author has beautifully set the task of narrating the sequences in all these eight stories, without being overlapped by ennui. All the stories are fast paced and and at this ripe age, the fact that Mr. Bond has embarked upon this venture to delight the reading public is wonderful. Hats off to him!

[Khushbu Kaushal · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beautiful background of Mussurie some terrible things happen. Ruskin Bond gives thriller writing a well deserved lightness. It's a lovely travel book. Every short story is independent of the other with only the hotel characters being the same. Please take it up when looking for a break from heavy reads.

[Arun R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this collections cannot be be taken as mystery or suspense at best.
But, one thing is sure. It is storytelling at its best. Vintage Bond. !!

[Parth Kapadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

No great mysteries, plot twists or heavy literature here. Just a simple collection of tales recounted as if a few town folks have gotten together for an evening chitchat session.

[Saoirse]

Indian Miss Marple. The stories were good. Wish to see Miss Bean featured in another anthology or more.

[Hardipsinh Vansadiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of my grandfather who used to telling me stories of crimes & royal Raj of our Rajput era in the locality or ever experienced in his younger years. The cover is as mysterious as it can get, but if it is Ruskin Bond, you cannot expect any less, can you?
The characters remain the same in all the stories, with events evolving around them. Miss Ripley-Bean is the central character in the book. She is seventy plus and has many stories to share. She lives in a portion of
the Royal Hotel in Mussorie, which belonged to her father, but later sold to the current owner, Nandu. Mr. Lobo, another permanent resident of the hotel, entertains the guests by playing tunes on the piano. All these characters, in addition to the author himself and a few others, appear in all the stories. it is the writing style that I so admire. Ruskin Bond has the knack of smoothly taking the story forward and then suddenly arriving at a shocking end. The setting of this book is perfect, to me at least! Mussoorie, an old hotel from the times of the Raj and murder and mystery and eeriness in the air. What’s not to love?! The stories in this book are fairly varied. Some are outright murder mysteries while others are some slight observations about people and situations. This was such a comforting and soothing read, this is something I expect from all of Ruskin Bond’s books and this one was not lacking in this department at all.
This is a wonderful book to spend a cozy weekend with. It makes me want to run to the hills, find a comfortable armchair and read more stories like this. don’t expect this book to be a brainwork requiring crime murder mystery. Just as you listening to your own grandparent telling tales I loved how the Mussourie of 60’s is painted beautifully and mystically.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Death Under the Deodars during the Omicron wave of COVID-19—a time when the world outside felt suspended in hush and grief.

Each ambulance siren was a jolt; each phone call, a possible goodbye. And in that strange cocoon of waiting, Ruskin Bond’s stories arrived—not with comfort exactly, but with a quiet companionship.

These weren’t his usual sunny tales of boyhood and butterflies. Here, the deodars whispered darker things. Crimes happened in cozy cottages, and deaths slid in as silently as fog. Yet, true to Bond’s voice, even the darkness was not bleak—it was human, hushed, sometimes even humorous.

Miss Ripley-Bean and her cat, the mysterious Colonel, the vignettes of betrayal and revenge—all of it unfolded like candlelight in a drafty room.

Reading this book during the pandemic felt oddly appropriate. Death wasn’t a metaphor anymore—it was the backdrop of daily life.

And yet, Bond didn’t allow despair to take the front seat. His world still supposed in the meaninglessness of people, the jerk of reminiscence, and the minor splendours that live even among decay.

For me, Death Under the Deodars became an echo of the instant: unnerving, thoughtful, but never desperate. It reminded me that stories, even the macabre ones, can hold our hands when no one else can.

[Sweta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy: Paperback Hardbound
Publisher: Penguin Viking

Book cover: Attractive

Font:
Author name written in Garamond font. Being an author, I tend to notice the font and the margins used in the print. I like this font. Too fat margins probably to fill more pages and 1 and a half line spacing used. Clearly a book that can be read while travelling. It wouldn’t stress the eyes much.

8 stories of murders happening in the Royal hotel in Mussoorie, where Miss Ripley-Bean is a resident and Nandu is the hotel owner/caretaker and Mr. Lobo is the piano player.

The stories are narrated in a very simple cold manner - Ruskin style to tone down crime. No major investigations and no thrill in finding out who did it. Throughout the stories, I was expecting something exciting will happen next. But nothing happened and the book ended. The story that caught my attention was the “The Black Dog” which was unusual.

Narratives are fine. Stories are predictable.
This book is a light read - you can carry it and read on vacation or while commuting. A small, light and fun read.

Tips to new authors:
Treasure your fun stories for the sunny days!

[Sonam Nagpal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond is making me fall in love with short stories. I had very rarely liked them earlier, reasons being I mostly ended up feeling pieces missing in the stories, and thus quite unfulfilled. And then, Ruskin Bond happened to me.. (Quite late in life though 🙈)

This is an amazing collection of 8 thrilling, intriguing stories set in the hills of Mussoorie, and yet taking you to Agra, Meerut, Daryaganj.. All stories are distinct, yet connected in a way that the central character of Miss Ripley Bean along with Lobo and Nandu remain the same throughout all of them. This particular thing made me love it even more, as I felt that I was reading chapters of a book, rather than separate short stories.

Coming to stories themselves, calling them amazing would be an understatement. Well, at least for the most of them. They're mysterious, intriguing, with an ending that leaves you in awe. I loved most of the stories sans a couple of them, which I still liked..
So, please do yourself a favour and read this remarkable book, if haven't already! 😍

[Advika · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humble read in my opinion , however the book is divided into 4 different stories that may or may not co-relate with each other in any manner, the first chapter about ms basu's death deserves an applause as it was a very intriguing chapter that gave ne the goosebumps. However the chapter about Alexander Ripley bean could have been much better and Bond could've focused more on building up of the storyline as it was pretty much eventless .In my opinion, the chapter about the 2 lovers and their "activities" was not related to the story in any matter an derailed my interest from the book however it was very well described. Lastly the chapter about the dead body found in the hotel bed and the priest was one of the best reads as it was extremely suspenseful and it was more of a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings!
Overall loved the book however the different style of each chapter altered my interest a various points.
Great job with the book and keep up the work Bond!

[Saks · Rating 4 out of 5]

•|• 4.5/5 •|•

I am so disappointed in myself for not reading a Ruskin Bond book before today. The writing, the intrigue, and the plot piece together to form the perfect story, or rather strew of stories. This collection of crime cases narrated by a charming and old Miss Ripley-Bean was everything I could've wanted from a mystery book. The plot twists were shocking and the cases were ever so devious. I also really love the writing presented in this book. The Anglo-Indian (I believe this is the right term) writing was really precious to me and allowed me a glimpse of yet another angle of Indian culture.

Though, as we read more and more short stories, the plot twists became more predictable and the characters' constant intros became a bit redundant. Other than that, this book flew by and was the perfect book to cozy up with by the fireplace on a rainy afternoon.

[Dhir Kothari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond's novel "Death under the Deodars" have most amazing 8 stories. Also, the narration of these stories takes you to the places of Dehra and Mussorie, into the mountain and the hills. The Stories are mainly related to the serial killers or the murders in the hotel Royal where Miss Ripley Bean lived after her father's death. Also, her father sold this place to the person named "Nandu" on a condition that his daughter should live there for the rest of her life.The most astonishing story which I loved was "The Black Dog" also "Born Evil" and "Crime of passion" which really had an unanticipated climax. Over all, it's a Good read and you can read them as a bed time stories or may be you can read them all in just a day.

[Anuprita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death under the Deodars is a collection of 8 short stories. The entire collection revolves around Miss Ripley Bean, a seventy year old lady who is a resident in Hotel Royal, Missouri and her life experiences which make up for rather interesting stories.

This is the first book I have ready by Ruskin Bond and I know now why they call him “Indian William Wordsworth”! His narration style is very simple yet has the ability to portray several complex layers in the story and his characters. His story telling has the same old world charm he so beautifully narrates in his books. Each story leaves you with a different emotion to ponder upon, my favourite being ‘Born Evil’,‘Crime of Passion’ and ‘The Black Dog’.

Makes a great read, strongly recommended. Already looking forward to read his next!

[Sneha Pathak (reader_girl_reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Bond book. This is a collection of 8 short stories, each of which has to do with murder, death or evil of some sorts. And Ms. Ripley-Bean is present in them all. But as Bond says in the introduction, she is no Ms. Marple. She does not try to find out who did what. She just records and notes and tells stories. Some of the tales are in fact reminiscences of crimes/deaths that happened in the past and are narrated by her. Do not go expecting any kind of thrill or chill down your spine. But in some, you can find a twist at the end. If you are a fan of Ruskin Bond you might like the collection. It has the same charms of simplicity and description of the hillside of the old times that makes you want to live in that era, even if only for a while. A nostalgic yet captivating read.