The Body in the Paddy Field

by Nadishka Aloysius

Do You enjoy reading novels set in exotic places?
Immerse yourself in the small town culture of rural Sri Lanka and follow the lives of two spirited female sleuths who prove that women can achieve the seemingly impossible.

Kiyama Fernando, an English teacher from Colombo, is running away from a failed marriage. She decides to spend some time with her good friend Vinodhini Dias in a small town far away from her troubles. But, little does she know that trouble is about to come knocking soon enough...
When the body of a local teacher is found abandoned in a paddy field and her friend becomes the prime suspect in his murder Kiyama concludes that the only way to help her friend, is to solve the murder before the police.
As their investigation leads them from a paddy field, to a rubber plantation, a gambling den and a school the two friends realise it is a race against the clock.
Will they uncover the killer before Vinodhini is taken away in handcuffs? Can they decipher friend from foe? Will the secrets they unearth lead them to an early grave?

The cast of quirky characters include a crafty money lender, a vociferous cook and a handsome landowner.
Fans of Alexander McCall Smith, Stuart Palmer and Christy Barritt will love this new series.

Shelve under
Women Sleuths
Asian Literature
World Literature
Detective Story
Cozy Mystery
Village Life
Murder Mystery
Women's Fiction

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

168 pages, ebook

Published August 25, 2020

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marriage separation leads our heroine to a friend’s place in rural Sri Lanka where the dead body of a local school teacher is found in a paddy field - the investigation begins. This is the first book in the series of a new duo in cosy female crime solvers. A well written story with likeable characters that makes for a pleasant read. A gentle lite-crime story that fans of the genre will truly enjoy - a three-star rating.

[Vinali | Bookworm_lyf · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this read as it was light and fun!

Kiyama, who is a person with a devil-may-care attitude, has found solace at her friend's place in Parkaduwa (Sri Lanka), resulting of her husband's supposed infidelity.

Since the time she had moved to this humble village, things started to spice up, starting with the body in the Paddy Field.

Kiyama's intention of relaxing in the village of Parkaduwa went for a six and ended up working hand in hand with her friend Vino to investigate on the murder. Mainly because Vino was considered as one of the prime suspects!

References of Sri Lankan culture, dialect and most importantly the food was an absolute treat for me. My heart just melted for the mentioning of Pol sambol and chicken curry... 🙈

And I loved how Nadishka portrayed the typical Sri Lankan gossip mongers within the story.

I definitely recommend it, if you'd like to savour yourself with a murder mystery, with a Sri Lankan vibe!

[_sassy_39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body in the Paddy Field is a mystery novel written by the author Nadishka Aloysius. This is the first book in A Sri Lankan Mystery book series. The story starts with our protagonist Kiyama Fernando in the centre of town when she lost the way to her friend's home. Kiyama has a plan to stay with her university friend Vinodhini Dias for free weeks so she can get a break from all the troubles in her life.

When they were on the town tour, a body of an English teacher Priyanka Sir was found in the paddy fields. Police suspected that someone has murdered Priyanka and whoever was close to him was under suspicion. Vino was one of them. Vino didn't have any trust on police. So she decided to investigate the case herself with her friend Kiyama. Read the entire story yourself to unveil the suspense yourself.

The vocabulary given at the bottom of every page in a way we see citations in Wikipedia is amazing and nice idea. The plot of the story is intriguing and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. It gave me a feeling like I was watching a TV show Crime Patrol. Characters are well developed and I enjoyed reading this story.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiyama is flummoxed on finding that her husband is being unfaithful and calls her old school chum, Vino, to ask if she could escape to her new home for a bit. Vino has inherited a rubber plantation and is still learning her way, but she welcomes Kiy and a renewal of their friendship. Then comes the body of a local teacher (and scum) in a nearby paddy field, the local law, clouds of suspicion over Vino, lots of twists, and some laughs, too. I am more familiar with tiny towns with snow and evergreens than tropical island countries in the Pacific, but rest assured, small towns are all too alike anywhere. I also got to learn about wearing the saree (both women hate wearing them) and things about rubber harvesting as well as the educational system (similar to the British). Good story, fine (if dangerous) sleuthing, great characters. Loved it!
I won the ebook in a LibraryThing Giveaway!

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two young women trying to solve a mystery. Easy to like characters, light reading for summer.

[Kevin Cannon (Monty's Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via LibraryThing from the author.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery set in the countryside of Sri Lanka and whilst it gives a flavour of the country it isn't too specific to exclude a clueless westerner from enjoying the story.

Definitely I'd put this in the 'Cozy Mystery' genre and it moves along at a good pace interesting lead characters whilst providing enough background hooks to local people to set up another book in the series.

All in all a decent read

[Dinushka J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

Loved the local setting. It was much easier to visualize because we've all been to at least one village at some point.

And the fact that Kiyama had a temper & didn't like to wear saree resonated with me 🤪

Can't wait for the next book!!

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun cozy mystery story set in Sri Lanka. It's always great to read about other cultures and far off places. This is a great cozy mystery with interesting characters as well.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leaving a troubled marriage in Colombo, Kiyama heads to the home of a friend from her university days. Perhaps by staying with her friend in a quiet rural place she can find some clarity and peace. Vino had moved to the countryside to take over the rubber plantation which she inherited from her uncle. She has seemingly adjusted well to running the business and is happy to have her old friend come to stay. But the quiet life doesn’t appear to be as much of a retreat as Kiyama hoped. Soon after her arrival, the body of the local English teacher is found in a paddy field and it soon appears that Vino may be a suspect. Not trusting the police, Vino and Kiy decide that they are going to find out who the real killer is.

I was very excited to find a mystery series set in Sri Lanka and I have hopes for this one as the series continues. The two friends make an interesting detective team.

What stood out most to me is the universality of urban and rural divides. City people are always in for a bit of culture shock when they arrive in a small village to find that everyone knows everything about everyone else and newcomers are viewed with a degree of suspicion.

By placing the mystery in a rural area unfamiliar to Kiyama, the author was able to add extra dimensions and challenges to the investigation.

The mystery had its strengths. There were good motives for the murder. Even as amateurs, the women had some good ideas about how to proceed with the investigation. I didn’t figure out who the murderer was, which speaks well for the way the author crafted the mystery. At the same time, there weren’t many clues or red herrings dropped along the way and the pool of suspects was meager.

This was a light, fast, and easy read with likable characters.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Body in the Paddy Field is a refreshing new mystery by Nadishka Aloysius that gives an interesting and informative look at life in rural Sri Lanka. When Kiyama Fernando runs away from a bad marriage, she is taken in by her old friend Vinodhini Dias, who lives in a rural village. Vinodhini has inherited a rubber plantation and has just moved there herself. When out cycling, they come across the scene of a murder, and the victim is the local English teacher. When it is discovered that Vinodhini was seen arguing with him recently, she becomes the chief suspect. Kiyama decides that she needs to save her friend by investigating the murder herself. Thus begins a series of events that lay bare the underbelly of small-town life and put the two friends in danger. Nothing is as it seems, and the two end up in serious trouble. The book is enjoyable and the exotic locale makes it even more interesting.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sri Lankan English teacher Kiyama Fernando catches her husband of ten years cheating and goes to visit her friend Vinodhini (“Vino”) Dias in the small town of Parkaduwa to try to wrap her head around what happened and figure out her next move. Vino and Kiyama were school friends in Colombo, where Kiyama and her husband still live; Vino inherited a rubber plantation from uncle in Parkaduwa. Shortly after Kiyama arrives, the body of the local English teacher is found in a paddy field, and Vino becomes the prime suspect. To clear Vino’s name, the two women decide to solve the murder mystery themselves and become amateur sleuths, eventually putting their own lives in danger. I enjoyed the cast of quirky characters from the two friends to a sinister loan shark, a handsome hotel owner, a bank manager, and a gossipy cook. Quick, fun read.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kiyama Fernando, an English teacher from Colombo, is running away from a failed marriage. She decides to spend some time with her good friend Vinodhini Dias in a small town far away from her troubles. But, little does she know that trouble is about to come knocking soon enough...
When the body of a local teacher is found abandoned in a paddy field and her friend becomes the prime suspect in his murder Kiyama concludes that the only way to help her friend, is to solve the murder before the police.
As their investigation leads them from a paddy field, to a rubber plantation, a gambling den and a school the two friends realise it is a race against the clock."
I received this book from Storyorgins. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Linda Lundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked to read this book and provide an honest review. The story starts out really slow and doesn't really grab my attention until over half way through. After that it starts to get interesting with the two friends investigating the death of a teacher and trying to figure out who actually committed the crime so that one of the friends isn't charged with the murder. At the end of the book they discovered the real culprit and then find their lives in peril. Great ending and there were a few new developments that would probably be followed up in the next book. All in all it was a good read.

[Wendy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via LibraryThing from the author.

I very much enjoyed this quick read. A murder mystery with amateur female sleuths set in Sri Lanka, it is fun and kept me guessing. It reminded me of Alexander McCall Smith's series No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency set in Botswana and Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series set in India - some light intrigue coupled with a what felt to me like a bit of a travelogue. The book comes from the perspective of the big city sleuth out of her element in the country, and this made for an interesting peek into the differences between urban and rural life in Sri Lanka.

[Randi Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice cozy mystery set in Sri Lanka. This was a quick easy to read book with wonderful characters. Kiyama lived in Colombo, the commercial capital and largest city in Sri Lanka. She discovers her husband is having an affair and wants to get out of the city, so she calls her old friend Vino, who recently inherited a rubber plantation "in the middle of nowhere". A body is found in a paddy field, the police question Vino, and the girls decide to play detective. The characters in the book are believable and entertaining. The author is from Sri Lanka so the descriptions of Sri Lankan life are realistic. The mystery is engaging with a couple of twists. I found the book to be very entertaining

[Shelly Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body in the Paddy Field is A Sri Lankan Mystery Book 1 in the series. A nice cozy mystery set in Sri Lanka. This is a story of two friends with their share of personal issues, none that they can control, who find themselves growing their friendship and learning more about themselves as they solve a murder. I liked the intimate feel of a small, conservative, Sri Lankan village with its quirky denizens. This was from the town gossips to the local crime boss. I really did not see the ending coming at all. A pleasant and quaint read!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiyama stays with Vinodhini to lie low, but now she needs to prove Vino's innocence when Priyanka's body is found. But as Kiy investigates Priyanka's death, secrets are revealed that Vino failed to mention. The story is structured so readers can follow the investigation and try to solve the case themselves. This is a quick murder mystery.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to StoryOrigin and author.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some trouble is universal. Recovering from divorce is one of those things globally relatable.

This story transports the reader to a small village a world away where friendships and burdens are shared, and murderous blame must be overcome to protect life, liberty and reputations

A powerful technicolor adventure

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two friends meet after sometime. Kiyama is running away from a bad marriage to visit her friend Vinodhini who lives in a small town in Sri Lanka.There she is forced to come to her friends help when a local teacher is found murdered. Vinodhini is the prime suspect in the case. A great and entertaining read. I leave a honest review and I also recommend this book to other readers.

[Devika Brendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

With lively dialogue, humor and an interesting setting in rural Sri Lanka, this is a terrific read. The contrasts between the urban and village life are well drawn, and the mystery is set up with an array of detailed descriptions which are very satisfying to explore.

[Mary Hurley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not quite half way through the story, I deleted it from my Kindle. The plot was uninspired and hardly gripping. The worst was the amateurish writing style. It was reminiscent of a rough draft of a creative writing project from an undergraduate English major. Yeah, that bad.

[Manal Ibham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read that was fun. Lacked the thrill and suspense but is an overall good read on lite-crime. The best part of the novel was the authors description of the village life, traditions, and how Kiy and Vino navigated these. Keen to read the second book too!

[Nightwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally fine, fun cozy mystery set in the Sri Lankan countryside; it had a lot of the pitfalls of a cozy mystery - murder shouldn't be this lighthearted, honestly - but nothing egregious, and the setting was well-drawn. Very enjoyable for what it was.

[Patricia Gulley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, a very straight forward mystery with two charming main characters-both do not like to wear saris. They spell it saree.

[Carolyn Valdez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new to me author and I will enjoy reading more of her works. I liked learning about the location and small village life. The characters were good and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Lisa Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book. The author does a good job of making us fall in love with the characters. The twists and turns in the book were great!!! I recommend this book!!

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Priyanka and why??? Blackmail??? I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't really convinced by the storyline.

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

More description about the food dishes would have been helpful

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of a series and a new-to-me author. I rather enjoyed this story; I found it well written and easy reading. The characters were well developed, the humour was there and the background scenery well fleshed out. The plot was straight forward and in some ways almost simplistic, but not in a bad way - perhaps I should say it was clean and clear cut, which in my mind, is a good thing. I liked the interaction between the two friends and I enjoyed getting a taste of rural Sri Lanka, with its small town ideas and idiosyncrasies. All in all , a fun read which I will not hesitate to recommend.