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The Kitty Party Murder
Malicious gossip is the least dangerous thing about this kitty group -- and the party's just getting started.
Kanan Mehra, a.k.a. Kay, is bored to the gills with mommyhood, when her detective friend, Runa, asks her to help in a suicide investigation. Kay must infiltrate a ladies' kitty group and try to unearth their deepest, darkest secrets. Since this includes all-you-can-eat buffet lunches at a new restaurant every month, and the chance to show off newly acquired diamonds, Kay agrees -- much to the annoyance of her spouse, who disapproves of both kitty parties and snooping around.
As Kay and Runa try to get to the truth behind the suicide, the building complex is shaken by another mysterious death. The answers they seek lie buried under fancy meals, designer dresses and serious bling -- but will Kay risk everything to get to them?
Kanan Mehra, a.k.a. Kay, is bored to the gills with mommyhood, when her detective friend, Runa, asks her to help in a suicide investigation. Kay must infiltrate a ladies' kitty group and try to unearth their deepest, darkest secrets. Since this includes all-you-can-eat buffet lunches at a new restaurant every month, and the chance to show off newly acquired diamonds, Kay agrees -- much to the annoyance of her spouse, who disapproves of both kitty parties and snooping around.
As Kay and Runa try to get to the truth behind the suicide, the building complex is shaken by another mysterious death. The answers they seek lie buried under fancy meals, designer dresses and serious bling -- but will Kay risk everything to get to them?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2020
12 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Kiran Manral
28 books88 followersAfter quitting her full-time journalist’s job when her son was born, Kiran became a mommy blogger, on the internet, with a remarkably original voice. She was a journalist at The Asian Age, The Times of India, features editor Cosmopolitan, India Cultural Lead and Trendspotter at Gartner Iconoculture, Senior Consultant at Vector Insights and Ideas Editor, SheThePeople.TV. Kiran is currently a celebrated Author and an independent research and media consultant.
She was shortlisted for the Femina Women Awards for Literary Contribution in 2017. The Indian Council of UN Relations (ICUNR) with the Ministry of Women and Children, Govt of India, awarded her the International Women’s Day Award 2018 for excellence in the field of writing. In 2021 she was awarded the Womennovator 1000 Women of Asia award. In 2022, she was named amongst the 75 Iconic Indian women in STEAM by Red Dot Foundation and Beyond Black, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, and British High Commission, New Delhi.
Her novella, Saving Maya, was long-listed for the 2018 Saboteur Award, supported by the Arts Council of England in the UK. The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the Popular Choice award at the 2021 JK Papers TOI AutHER awards and has been optioned for a series.
Her other books include The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon A Crush, All Aboard, Karmic Kids-The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, True Love Stories, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting, Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change, More Things in Heaven and Earth, Rising 30 Women Who Changed India, Rising 2.0: 20 More Women Who Changed India, All Those Who Wander and The Moon in the Lining of her Skin.
She also has published short stories in various magazines, in acclaimed anthologies like Have A Safe Journey, Boo, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018, Grandpa’s Tales, Magical Women, City of Screams, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction and Hell Hath No Fury.
Her nonfiction book, Karmic Kids: The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, was listed amongst the top five books on parenting by Indian authors in 2015 by the Sunday Guardian.
The Face at the Window, released in 2016, was listed amongst the top 30 books written by women authors in 2016 by The Ladies Finger, as among the must read books by contemporary women authors by BuzzingBubs and received much critical acclaim. The Times of India stated that “Manral may have very well pioneered the "Himalayan Gothic" genre” with this book. Her novella, Saving Maya, was long listed for the 2018 Saboteur Awards, UK, supported by the Arts Council England, The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the AutHER Awards 2020 Popular Choice Awards. The Face at the Window was long listed at Jio MAMI Word to Screen and showcased at the Singapore International Film Festival. Monster Complex listed her in their global list titled "Urban Fantasy Showcase: 100 Authors To Know and Their Works." Desi Blitz listed her amongst the top seven horror writers from India. Her book, The Face at the Window, was listed in HoneyKids Asia's list of top picks of Asian Horror books alongside books like Han Kang's The Vegetarian, and The Ring. Bookstr.com listed her amongst "6 Fascinating Asian and Pacific Islander Horror Authors."
She was shortlisted for the Femina Women Awards for Literary Contribution in 2017. The Indian Council of UN Relations (ICUNR) with the Ministry of Women and Children, Govt of India, awarded her the International Women’s Day Award 2018 for excellence in the field of writing. In 2021 she was awarded the Womennovator 1000 Women of Asia award. In 2022, she was named amongst the 75 Iconic Indian women in STEAM by Red Dot Foundation and Beyond Black, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, and British High Commission, New Delhi.
Her novella, Saving Maya, was long-listed for the 2018 Saboteur Award, supported by the Arts Council of England in the UK. The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the Popular Choice award at the 2021 JK Papers TOI AutHER awards and has been optioned for a series.
Her other books include The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon A Crush, All Aboard, Karmic Kids-The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, True Love Stories, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting, Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change, More Things in Heaven and Earth, Rising 30 Women Who Changed India, Rising 2.0: 20 More Women Who Changed India, All Those Who Wander and The Moon in the Lining of her Skin.
She also has published short stories in various magazines, in acclaimed anthologies like Have A Safe Journey, Boo, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018, Grandpa’s Tales, Magical Women, City of Screams, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction and Hell Hath No Fury.
Her nonfiction book, Karmic Kids: The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, was listed amongst the top five books on parenting by Indian authors in 2015 by the Sunday Guardian.
The Face at the Window, released in 2016, was listed amongst the top 30 books written by women authors in 2016 by The Ladies Finger, as among the must read books by contemporary women authors by BuzzingBubs and received much critical acclaim. The Times of India stated that “Manral may have very well pioneered the "Himalayan Gothic" genre” with this book. Her novella, Saving Maya, was long listed for the 2018 Saboteur Awards, UK, supported by the Arts Council England, The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the AutHER Awards 2020 Popular Choice Awards. The Face at the Window was long listed at Jio MAMI Word to Screen and showcased at the Singapore International Film Festival. Monster Complex listed her in their global list titled "Urban Fantasy Showcase: 100 Authors To Know and Their Works." Desi Blitz listed her amongst the top seven horror writers from India. Her book, The Face at the Window, was listed in HoneyKids Asia's list of top picks of Asian Horror books alongside books like Han Kang's The Vegetarian, and The Ring. Bookstr.com listed her amongst "6 Fascinating Asian and Pacific Islander Horror Authors."
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 50 reviews
December 20, 2020
This book is a mix of mystery and humour. As unusual is the book title so is the idea of the book. The story is being told from the side of Kanan Mehra, a.k.a. Kay, bored to the grills with mommyhood, when her detective friend asks her to help in a suicide investigation. Kay must infiltrate a ladies' kitty party group and try to unearth their deepest, darkest secrets.
I'm not a mystery reader. This was my first. The book title attracted me and I was really excited to read it.
The author has tried to be sarcastic and funny throughout the book. Her sarcastic, humourous and quick observational skills were a highlight of this book. But after some point of time I felt like it was a monologue and less humour would have been enough at some places.
I believe that if it's a murder mystery, it should be interesting, fast-paced and exciting, keeping me at edge at every point of time. It wasn't the case here. Felt the pace of the book was slow, narration wasn't much engaging and interesting. Being a murder mystery there was lack of excitement.
The book has simple language. If it didn't work for me it doesn't mean it wouldn't work for you. Maybe you can give it a try.
I'm not a mystery reader. This was my first. The book title attracted me and I was really excited to read it.
The author has tried to be sarcastic and funny throughout the book. Her sarcastic, humourous and quick observational skills were a highlight of this book. But after some point of time I felt like it was a monologue and less humour would have been enough at some places.
I believe that if it's a murder mystery, it should be interesting, fast-paced and exciting, keeping me at edge at every point of time. It wasn't the case here. Felt the pace of the book was slow, narration wasn't much engaging and interesting. Being a murder mystery there was lack of excitement.
The book has simple language. If it didn't work for me it doesn't mean it wouldn't work for you. Maybe you can give it a try.
December 25, 2020
This book is listed as a crime thriller murder mystery. Here is my breakdown of it: the mystery falls flat, the murder (actually multiple deaths) are handled in a comical manner, the thriller part is annoying and stretched and the crime is heavily mishandled.
What kept me going in the book, initially, was the witty writing style. The plot also seemed promising and the pace at which everything worked was flawless. I loved that flow of words and how easy it went with the flow of the story. The first 50 or so pages are a bliss to read. However, it went downhill for me after that. The witty remarks soon turned into a way of body shaming, colourism, and a bunch of unnecessary judging. I tried ignoring it for a while, since the book involves a lot of gossip, but glorifying something like that is just plain wrong in my eyes. There is also a lot of stereotyping throughout this book and that alone made me want to dnf this book.
The plot of the book, although good considering how everything else about this book turned out to be, is very scattered and so is the pace of the book. Some plot points are unnecessarily stretched while some are sped up for no particular purpose.
After reading the entire length of the book to the point the mystery was to be solved, I was indeed hoping that it’ll be worth all of it. But alas, it was just another stereotyped, gossip-y ending.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
What kept me going in the book, initially, was the witty writing style. The plot also seemed promising and the pace at which everything worked was flawless. I loved that flow of words and how easy it went with the flow of the story. The first 50 or so pages are a bliss to read. However, it went downhill for me after that. The witty remarks soon turned into a way of body shaming, colourism, and a bunch of unnecessary judging. I tried ignoring it for a while, since the book involves a lot of gossip, but glorifying something like that is just plain wrong in my eyes. There is also a lot of stereotyping throughout this book and that alone made me want to dnf this book.
The plot of the book, although good considering how everything else about this book turned out to be, is very scattered and so is the pace of the book. Some plot points are unnecessarily stretched while some are sped up for no particular purpose.
After reading the entire length of the book to the point the mystery was to be solved, I was indeed hoping that it’ll be worth all of it. But alas, it was just another stereotyped, gossip-y ending.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
January 11, 2022
Kiran Manral’s The Kitty Party Murder is a humorous murder mystery revolving around the famous kitty parties of Mumbai.
With her satirical approach and simple vocabulary, Manral has spun an interesting laugh-out-loud story.
Kanan Mehra, aka Kay, our protagonist is a 30-something ex-career woman, and now a full-time mother who is bored with her mundane routines. Struggling with an ever-expanding waistline, a fitness enthusiastic husband and a naughty (to be read as witty!) 6-year-old son, Kay’s brutally honest parents and her high-headed helper and cook add to her woes.
Her struggles to stay away from junk food are made more difficult by her hyperactive son, who gorges on junk food, and more often than not, she gives in to his demands.
A call from her friend Runa brings in a ray of hope for her. Runa, a private detective, persuades Kay to assist her in solving a mysterious suicide case. It requires Kay to infiltrate a kitty group and get information from the members on probable clues, which would help Runa crack the case. The glamorous world of kitty parties is not just a grotesque show of wealth, gossip and scrumptious food, it is rocked by an unexpected crime.
Kay jumps on the bandwagon, hoping to win her husband’s appreciation, who has been growing critical of the way Kay has been spending her time. While steadfastly working on this case, Kay gets involved in investigating an unexpected murder in her apartment. With corpses lining up and gory details emerging, Kay is neck deep into solving both the cases.
It is impossible to miss the satire on urban living and new-age parenting. Manral’s attention to detail and witty style lends a special touch to the otherwise simple narration. Kay and her son Kabir make an adorable team, and their interactions are really humorous. Even the names of the chapters are quite unusual and interesting.
I have a few complaints, though.
The biggest one relates to the manner in which the murders were investigated. It is more comical than sensible.
Another is regarding the usage of metaphors. I just wish the author hadn’t incorporated so many metaphors.
Also, the stereotypical portrayal of women as gossip mongers and excessive fat-shaming is a little over the top. I understand the plot required it, but after a point it just stretched meaninglessly.
Despite the various murders and associated mysteries, it lacks the thrill of a typical thriller or a murder mystery. If you pick up this book hoping to read a fast-paced thrilling murder mystery, you are in for disappointment.
The Kitty Party Murder is a fairly reasonable choice if you are looking for a light read.
Don’t forget, this is a merger of murder, thrill, and humour!
I received this book as a prize for winning a short story contest.
(2.5 stars rounded to 3)
BLOG
With her satirical approach and simple vocabulary, Manral has spun an interesting laugh-out-loud story.
Kanan Mehra, aka Kay, our protagonist is a 30-something ex-career woman, and now a full-time mother who is bored with her mundane routines. Struggling with an ever-expanding waistline, a fitness enthusiastic husband and a naughty (to be read as witty!) 6-year-old son, Kay’s brutally honest parents and her high-headed helper and cook add to her woes.
Her struggles to stay away from junk food are made more difficult by her hyperactive son, who gorges on junk food, and more often than not, she gives in to his demands.
A call from her friend Runa brings in a ray of hope for her. Runa, a private detective, persuades Kay to assist her in solving a mysterious suicide case. It requires Kay to infiltrate a kitty group and get information from the members on probable clues, which would help Runa crack the case. The glamorous world of kitty parties is not just a grotesque show of wealth, gossip and scrumptious food, it is rocked by an unexpected crime.
Kay jumps on the bandwagon, hoping to win her husband’s appreciation, who has been growing critical of the way Kay has been spending her time. While steadfastly working on this case, Kay gets involved in investigating an unexpected murder in her apartment. With corpses lining up and gory details emerging, Kay is neck deep into solving both the cases.
It is impossible to miss the satire on urban living and new-age parenting. Manral’s attention to detail and witty style lends a special touch to the otherwise simple narration. Kay and her son Kabir make an adorable team, and their interactions are really humorous. Even the names of the chapters are quite unusual and interesting.
I have a few complaints, though.
The biggest one relates to the manner in which the murders were investigated. It is more comical than sensible.
Another is regarding the usage of metaphors. I just wish the author hadn’t incorporated so many metaphors.
Also, the stereotypical portrayal of women as gossip mongers and excessive fat-shaming is a little over the top. I understand the plot required it, but after a point it just stretched meaninglessly.
Despite the various murders and associated mysteries, it lacks the thrill of a typical thriller or a murder mystery. If you pick up this book hoping to read a fast-paced thrilling murder mystery, you are in for disappointment.
The Kitty Party Murder is a fairly reasonable choice if you are looking for a light read.
Don’t forget, this is a merger of murder, thrill, and humour!
I received this book as a prize for winning a short story contest.
(2.5 stars rounded to 3)
BLOG
December 5, 2020
The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral is a murder mystery with humor involved to it. We follow our main protagonist Kanan Mehra a.k.a. Kay, who is a mother to a naughty 6year old, and is tired of motherhood. She is handling her house with her husband and a helping maid very well.
She has her detective friend, Runa, who has a new case of solving a suicide investigation. She wants help from Kay in this investigation by involving herself in a kitty group. But as they snoop around and come to know their deepest darkest secrets, another mysterious death takes place in their building complex. How long will Kay survive to solve this?
I liked how the author has weaved humor and murder mystery, with drama and gossips of ladies all in one. I wasn't a fan of the narration and the writing style of the author. The book however, felt quite predictable at the end. But the essence of humor and mystery was hold very beautifully by the author till the last. I also liked the cute conversations between Kay and his kid.
She has her detective friend, Runa, who has a new case of solving a suicide investigation. She wants help from Kay in this investigation by involving herself in a kitty group. But as they snoop around and come to know their deepest darkest secrets, another mysterious death takes place in their building complex. How long will Kay survive to solve this?
I liked how the author has weaved humor and murder mystery, with drama and gossips of ladies all in one. I wasn't a fan of the narration and the writing style of the author. The book however, felt quite predictable at the end. But the essence of humor and mystery was hold very beautifully by the author till the last. I also liked the cute conversations between Kay and his kid.
January 21, 2021
3.75/5
The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral is the kind of murder mystery that will tickle you with its writing. Inspite of the main genre being serious, you will literally fly through the book.
Kay aka Kanan Mehra, the protagonist is a mother to a smart and naughty six year old and a wife. In her appartment building, she hears sharp cries of a woman but nobody else seems to have heard them. Then there’s the suspicious couple in flat No. 504. The woman in Flat No. 504 is found dead a few days later and Kay is the only one who witnessed her minutes before her death. On top of that, her detective friend Runa, needs Kay’s help to infilter a Kitty Party Group to help aid a suicide investigation. Kay, wanting to utilise her time, decides to work upon both the investigations. Are these investigations connected? Whose screams were the ones she heard while on the stairs? Read the book to find out.
The best part about the book is it’s writing style. I’ve never chuckled while reading a book as much as I did while reading this one. The writing style is witty and absorbing; every chapter is going to leave you wanting for more and more. The author (Kiran Manral) has a gift for making even the smallest of things or incidents entertaining. She does it by merging two things : details and humour. The way the protagonist addresses her husband and son reminds me a bit of Twinkle Khanna’s writing. With language a tad bit modern, the chapters are of a moderate length and have interesting titles. The narration is in first person throughout and is very enjoyable. The characters have been very well developed and are the ones we all may have known at some point. The mystery part of the book was a little predictable but I’m willing to overlook it solely because of the way the entire mystery was built up.
With an interesting title and an equally beautiful cover, The Kitty Party Murder is recommended to those who want a light murder mystery served upon their reading platter.
The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral is the kind of murder mystery that will tickle you with its writing. Inspite of the main genre being serious, you will literally fly through the book.
Kay aka Kanan Mehra, the protagonist is a mother to a smart and naughty six year old and a wife. In her appartment building, she hears sharp cries of a woman but nobody else seems to have heard them. Then there’s the suspicious couple in flat No. 504. The woman in Flat No. 504 is found dead a few days later and Kay is the only one who witnessed her minutes before her death. On top of that, her detective friend Runa, needs Kay’s help to infilter a Kitty Party Group to help aid a suicide investigation. Kay, wanting to utilise her time, decides to work upon both the investigations. Are these investigations connected? Whose screams were the ones she heard while on the stairs? Read the book to find out.
The best part about the book is it’s writing style. I’ve never chuckled while reading a book as much as I did while reading this one. The writing style is witty and absorbing; every chapter is going to leave you wanting for more and more. The author (Kiran Manral) has a gift for making even the smallest of things or incidents entertaining. She does it by merging two things : details and humour. The way the protagonist addresses her husband and son reminds me a bit of Twinkle Khanna’s writing. With language a tad bit modern, the chapters are of a moderate length and have interesting titles. The narration is in first person throughout and is very enjoyable. The characters have been very well developed and are the ones we all may have known at some point. The mystery part of the book was a little predictable but I’m willing to overlook it solely because of the way the entire mystery was built up.
With an interesting title and an equally beautiful cover, The Kitty Party Murder is recommended to those who want a light murder mystery served upon their reading platter.
December 23, 2020
It took 10 minutes for me to fall in love with the narrator Kay and 10 more pages to get into the book. This is a completely bingeable read for a lazy afternoon, where you have no other job than to cuddle with this book, sip a cuppa and giggle, snort, laugh out loud and enjoy a honest, women's fiction. That is, if you have such idle time. Me, I had to race through the chapters because of a tough deadline. But I've saved the book to reread it later on my leisure. Possibly, will carry it on a vacation. Anyway, here's the plot for you all.
Kay is a mom to her naughty toddler and her husband is with his job. Leaving her with her housemaid in their apartment complex where she spends her days gossiping, befriending almost everyone. And going to kitty parties is her obsession.
So, when her PI friend asks her to befriend and collect info on a newcomer to her apartment and join their kitty group, Kay is only happy to do an undercover job and cannot be more prouder of herself! (Rofl this woman really cracked me up!!)
Meanwhile, there's something weird and ghostly going on in her apartment stairway as she hears screaming noises that might have been coming from a woman who's rumored to be hit by her abusive husband. Or, is there a ghost roaming around in their stairwell that only Kay uses for workout walks? Who knows!
As I said, this book is SO SAUCY and honest but the pace is something that depends on every reader's availability. I had a lovely time with a chai and this book with its gorgeous cover, making a great click for my bookstagram feed.
Kay is a mom to her naughty toddler and her husband is with his job. Leaving her with her housemaid in their apartment complex where she spends her days gossiping, befriending almost everyone. And going to kitty parties is her obsession.
So, when her PI friend asks her to befriend and collect info on a newcomer to her apartment and join their kitty group, Kay is only happy to do an undercover job and cannot be more prouder of herself! (Rofl this woman really cracked me up!!)
Meanwhile, there's something weird and ghostly going on in her apartment stairway as she hears screaming noises that might have been coming from a woman who's rumored to be hit by her abusive husband. Or, is there a ghost roaming around in their stairwell that only Kay uses for workout walks? Who knows!
As I said, this book is SO SAUCY and honest but the pace is something that depends on every reader's availability. I had a lovely time with a chai and this book with its gorgeous cover, making a great click for my bookstagram feed.
July 4, 2021
3.5 stars.
Not much of a mystery, it's more of a funny social commentary on Indian societies. May seem stereotypical at times, but stereotypes exist for a reason ig?
Not much of a mystery, it's more of a funny social commentary on Indian societies. May seem stereotypical at times, but stereotypes exist for a reason ig?
December 11, 2020
The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral is a blend of murder mystery and humour. Title, concept and idea of this book are unusual and fresh.
The story follows the protagonist Kanan Mehra, a.k.a. Kay, bored of motherhood, when her detective friend, Runa, asks her to help in a suicide investigation for that Kay have to enter ladies' kitty group and try to uncover their deepest, darkest mysteries.
Writing is sarcastic, funny and sharp. Quick observations based on daily life activities. A modern-day tale with a plate full of subtle humour. As I said the earlier concept of this book is distinctive, but the narration is not that engaging. The pace is extremely slow and scattered throughout the book. Also, there is a lack of excitement as it is a murder mystery.
Language is simple. You can give it a try, this is a light and soft murder mystery.
The story follows the protagonist Kanan Mehra, a.k.a. Kay, bored of motherhood, when her detective friend, Runa, asks her to help in a suicide investigation for that Kay have to enter ladies' kitty group and try to uncover their deepest, darkest mysteries.
Writing is sarcastic, funny and sharp. Quick observations based on daily life activities. A modern-day tale with a plate full of subtle humour. As I said the earlier concept of this book is distinctive, but the narration is not that engaging. The pace is extremely slow and scattered throughout the book. Also, there is a lack of excitement as it is a murder mystery.
Language is simple. You can give it a try, this is a light and soft murder mystery.
December 4, 2020
The Kitty party murder isn't just a MURDER STORY.
〰️
This book is about a woman, mother and a wife named Kanan, aka "KAY" who's obsessed with food and is deeply tempted by Indian Mithais. She's ambitious but swipes credit card a lot, I love how brutally honest her character is including the obesity factors and feminine issues like people looking at your dark circles and bulges. She has a knack and sixth sense working for her in every mysterious thing she comes across. And then a murder happens with a woman whom she knew as a compound partner.
〰️
The Kitty Party Murder is when you need someone to gossip, but you don't want to talk to humans, lol, I'm just kidding, there's no magic happening here, it's just Kiran Manral's impeccable observation of minute details.
〰️
Well while reading the blurb and the comments over it, I felt like starting it instantly, no doubt the cover is amazingly designed to talk the whole story out.
I usually start every book with acknowledgements, it speaks a lot to me, but I couldn't control myself while reading the very first page.
〰️
It's a complete page turner, I mean if you want a gripping book, yet a satirical story, with a pinch of suspense and what not, order it now.
(I'm not endorsing this book, but it's worth for all reasons) Yes ofcourse after reading a lot of books and watching suspense movies, story gets a bit predictable but turns out that the story is worth the wait.
〰️
This book is about a woman, mother and a wife named Kanan, aka "KAY" who's obsessed with food and is deeply tempted by Indian Mithais. She's ambitious but swipes credit card a lot, I love how brutally honest her character is including the obesity factors and feminine issues like people looking at your dark circles and bulges. She has a knack and sixth sense working for her in every mysterious thing she comes across. And then a murder happens with a woman whom she knew as a compound partner.
〰️
The Kitty Party Murder is when you need someone to gossip, but you don't want to talk to humans, lol, I'm just kidding, there's no magic happening here, it's just Kiran Manral's impeccable observation of minute details.
〰️
Well while reading the blurb and the comments over it, I felt like starting it instantly, no doubt the cover is amazingly designed to talk the whole story out.
I usually start every book with acknowledgements, it speaks a lot to me, but I couldn't control myself while reading the very first page.
〰️
It's a complete page turner, I mean if you want a gripping book, yet a satirical story, with a pinch of suspense and what not, order it now.
(I'm not endorsing this book, but it's worth for all reasons) Yes ofcourse after reading a lot of books and watching suspense movies, story gets a bit predictable but turns out that the story is worth the wait.
December 16, 2020
Category - Humour & Murder Mystery
#plot Kanan Mehra aka kay is married to her college sweetheart and has a 6 year old kid Kabir. She is bored with her 'mommyhood' life....Just then her detective friend Runa asks her to help in investigating a suicide of a lady named Jaya. For that Kay has to join a kitty group and get all the details from the ladies in that kitty group. All along while doing this a lady in Kay's building is found dead lying in a pool of blood.
#myexperience
I am very fond of murder mysteries and when I read the title I picked it up immediately. Also I found the cover irresistible. It's an extremely light hearted murder mystery. Its overloaded with lots of humour.
Honestly I found it a bit difficult to get into the story as I didn't liked the narration and writing style. I found everything was overly done and felt the writing to be a bit pretentious. The amount of humour was too much for me. It's very slow paced and wasn't gripping enough. What I liked is I got to learn new words. The author dropped a new word at every page and I ran up to google to search it. If you love overloaded humour then you can go for this. But dont pick up this book thinking it's a major murder mystery. Not recommended for beginners.
Rating - 3/5.
#plot Kanan Mehra aka kay is married to her college sweetheart and has a 6 year old kid Kabir. She is bored with her 'mommyhood' life....Just then her detective friend Runa asks her to help in investigating a suicide of a lady named Jaya. For that Kay has to join a kitty group and get all the details from the ladies in that kitty group. All along while doing this a lady in Kay's building is found dead lying in a pool of blood.
#myexperience
I am very fond of murder mysteries and when I read the title I picked it up immediately. Also I found the cover irresistible. It's an extremely light hearted murder mystery. Its overloaded with lots of humour.
Honestly I found it a bit difficult to get into the story as I didn't liked the narration and writing style. I found everything was overly done and felt the writing to be a bit pretentious. The amount of humour was too much for me. It's very slow paced and wasn't gripping enough. What I liked is I got to learn new words. The author dropped a new word at every page and I ran up to google to search it. If you love overloaded humour then you can go for this. But dont pick up this book thinking it's a major murder mystery. Not recommended for beginners.
Rating - 3/5.
December 14, 2020
*Hilarious, witty and gripping tale of a mommy turned detective.*
I've found myself a new favourite narrator i.e Kay. I love her sense of humour and her witty remarks. The way she presents minute details of mundane life is praise worthy and really fascinating. Her parenting tips are cherry on the top. There were many moments in the novel where I laughed out loud and kept reading the same sentence again and again. The constant bickering of housekeeping staff, 6 year old Kabir who is literally the smartest fictional kid I came across is entertaining. Added to this, the bone chilling screams with no evident source made the novel more intriguing. There was so much action/drama in the novel -catching thieves, mysterious death & suicide case but the ending seems rushed. It was a different kind of detective novel as our narrator is a private detective's friend who enjoys poking her nose into everyone's business. I feel that the ending was rather plain as compared to all the hype created throughout the novel but still it’s a real good story that I can re-read for those funny train of thoughts that Kay is always lost in. An interesting read with a treasure of new words that can come handy in our daily life convos. The writing and presentation is so good that even after witnessing few deaths in the course of novel you'll end up having a jolly time.
I've found myself a new favourite narrator i.e Kay. I love her sense of humour and her witty remarks. The way she presents minute details of mundane life is praise worthy and really fascinating. Her parenting tips are cherry on the top. There were many moments in the novel where I laughed out loud and kept reading the same sentence again and again. The constant bickering of housekeeping staff, 6 year old Kabir who is literally the smartest fictional kid I came across is entertaining. Added to this, the bone chilling screams with no evident source made the novel more intriguing. There was so much action/drama in the novel -catching thieves, mysterious death & suicide case but the ending seems rushed. It was a different kind of detective novel as our narrator is a private detective's friend who enjoys poking her nose into everyone's business. I feel that the ending was rather plain as compared to all the hype created throughout the novel but still it’s a real good story that I can re-read for those funny train of thoughts that Kay is always lost in. An interesting read with a treasure of new words that can come handy in our daily life convos. The writing and presentation is so good that even after witnessing few deaths in the course of novel you'll end up having a jolly time.
December 10, 2020
A delicious feel-good concoction of humour and mystery!
November 30, 2020
Full of mystery
The Kitty party murder by Kiran Manral
~⭐⭐⭐~
An interesting murder mystery around the infamous kitty parties which have simply become a way to flaunt wealth and beauty today. Plotline is intriguing and something new. Dectective friend Runa and Kay together infilterate a ladies kitty group and what unravels is a series of unfortunate events, secrets and death.
Fast paced murder investigation, good storytelling which will keep you guessing and hooked till the end. I didn't have many expectations from this one because of the not-so-gripping title but I was refreshingly wrong.
It is funny, full of satire and is an observant take of what goes on in society. Very reflective and a fun read. But I did find it a bit stretched and boring in many parts.
Would recommend to all mystery and bling lovers!
The Kitty party murder by Kiran Manral
~⭐⭐⭐~
An interesting murder mystery around the infamous kitty parties which have simply become a way to flaunt wealth and beauty today. Plotline is intriguing and something new. Dectective friend Runa and Kay together infilterate a ladies kitty group and what unravels is a series of unfortunate events, secrets and death.
Fast paced murder investigation, good storytelling which will keep you guessing and hooked till the end. I didn't have many expectations from this one because of the not-so-gripping title but I was refreshingly wrong.
It is funny, full of satire and is an observant take of what goes on in society. Very reflective and a fun read. But I did find it a bit stretched and boring in many parts.
Would recommend to all mystery and bling lovers!
July 2, 2024
The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral is a riveting and satirical murder mystery, witty journey of a mother and her detective friend to find the culprit. Kanan Mehra aka Kay is fed up with her daily life, bored to the gills with motherhood. Awaiting for something interesting and rejuvenating, Kay agrees to help Runa, a detective and her bestie, in a suicide investigation. Was it really a suicide? Or MURDER?!!. Kay's ultimate task is to get into a kitty party group and disentomb their secrets as the twelve members of the Kitty Party are the prime suspects.
Kiran Manral will take you to the wonderful world of exquisite humor, and her beautiful narrative of daily life in Mumbai. One of the lovely things about this book is that it blends two different genres into one fine novel. This was an easy and simple read, rather sarcastic and calming. It was a bit lagging sometimes, but Manral's hysterical writing style kept it entertaining. This was indeed a hilarious and refreshing read. If you want to read something that calm you down and split your gut, then this book is you!
Kiran Manral will take you to the wonderful world of exquisite humor, and her beautiful narrative of daily life in Mumbai. One of the lovely things about this book is that it blends two different genres into one fine novel. This was an easy and simple read, rather sarcastic and calming. It was a bit lagging sometimes, but Manral's hysterical writing style kept it entertaining. This was indeed a hilarious and refreshing read. If you want to read something that calm you down and split your gut, then this book is you!
March 17, 2021
Kiran Manral, after writing many fiction and non-fiction books, has finally written a sequel featuring Kay Mehra, the high-society lady who first appeared in the author's debut novel, The Reluctant Detective. Mother of a brat, struggling with diet control and being in the loop about happenings in the Mumbai gated community society, and getting to indulge her bumbling detective skills... it's the same time-tested ingredients. And once again, the actual mystery of one or more crimes is just a vehicle for the author to entertain and make us laugh with her language skills and setting up of situations.
January 30, 2021
This book was a fun, flirty, breezy read that kept me grinning. A book that talks of the stress points we face or observe as women on a daily basis. The author touches on several themes and sews them together to make a tapestry that leaves you smiling. If you are travelling or plan to, even for the weekend, keep space for this book in your tote.
February 3, 2021
Really short Review: Superb. Intriguing. ROFL most times. Loads of real-woman observations & situations. Really good language with a satirical tone.
Now let me elaborate ;)
Full Book Review : The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral
A hilarious book with a Woman protagonist. Kay or Kanan is a Homemaker and a mom of a six year old Tornado. She loves Sales, buffet lunches, her parlor appointments and treatments, shopping and hoarding stuff, maxing out her hubby's credit card limit etc. But her favorite is: being a good neighbor or as her husband would say- Poking her nose in other people's business. She can make people talk and give information away. She can scan any person and find out all the offensive things about him or her which basically include the brand of clothes or perfume they wear, if their pores are clogged, toe nails require a pedicure,...
Kay, she makes for a good assistant to her Detective friend Runa. Runa is a specimen of woman totally opposite of Kay. Coincidentally both were classmates throughout school of which Kay has unpleasant memories involving Runa. Hence Runa can make Kay squirm with just a stare and make her do her doings just like schooldays. These two are a hilarious pair.
The book is about a Murder with lot of investigation and loose ends to tie up. It is an interesting plot with two different cases running parallelly. You feel you are part of the Kay-Runa team all the time and can see the puzzle pieces falling in place as the story unfolds. You cant keep the book down. After a long time, I was reading a book during meal times and post bed time.
What I liked the best, is the perfect window into a woman's mind. I loved how Kiran Manral has put in words the swirling of thoughts, ideas, self-doubt, questions, observations, .. in a woman's mind. Kay is the example of real-life moms who are SAHM with a lot of potential but cant find the correct outlet or use of their skills. There are lakhs of such Kay's around the world. I also liked how Kiran has portrayed Kay as a vain woman but also one who is an all rounder (apart from body shape) in all spheres concerning her as a mom, wife, DIL, daughter, employer, neighbor, kitty party member, ...
The mental banter in Kay's head is what I am missing the most after completing the book. How much do we women think !? I am surprised. This banter is ROFL. I stopped nodding my head, marking the pages, grinning & saying me too in most women or mother scenarios in the book. Kay is no fictional character. I am trying to guess who did Kiran, model Kay on.
Also I am Yo-yo ing between who can be cast as Kay if this book is turned into a movie. Vidya Balan or Kusha Kapila. What are your inputs? Please suggest.
The language is really good. My brain was abuzz with all the good English and words I got to read after ages. The plot is interesting. It felt a lil rushed with the Bali trip planning in the end. But I was happy, my calculations of both murders were correct. I also whopped when Kay didn't have to go the spouse-directed-profession way. Hi five and same pinch on all husband characteristics.
I loved all the characters in the book including the maid Jamuna. Kiran has effortlessly woven them and their characteristics in the story. The husband is a Men are from Mars specimen. Aren't they all ? ;) But I still loved how this couple compliments each other and totally Real-life. Kay's friends Raji, neighbors, Mrs.Kapoor and her dog, Velvet Smocking Jacket(go read the book & hunt), the watchmen, kitty party group ladies... all are sketched perfectly in words. Each character and their traits highlighted effortlessly makes you wonder how Kiran created them.
Now let me elaborate ;)
Full Book Review : The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral
A hilarious book with a Woman protagonist. Kay or Kanan is a Homemaker and a mom of a six year old Tornado. She loves Sales, buffet lunches, her parlor appointments and treatments, shopping and hoarding stuff, maxing out her hubby's credit card limit etc. But her favorite is: being a good neighbor or as her husband would say- Poking her nose in other people's business. She can make people talk and give information away. She can scan any person and find out all the offensive things about him or her which basically include the brand of clothes or perfume they wear, if their pores are clogged, toe nails require a pedicure,...
Kay, she makes for a good assistant to her Detective friend Runa. Runa is a specimen of woman totally opposite of Kay. Coincidentally both were classmates throughout school of which Kay has unpleasant memories involving Runa. Hence Runa can make Kay squirm with just a stare and make her do her doings just like schooldays. These two are a hilarious pair.
The book is about a Murder with lot of investigation and loose ends to tie up. It is an interesting plot with two different cases running parallelly. You feel you are part of the Kay-Runa team all the time and can see the puzzle pieces falling in place as the story unfolds. You cant keep the book down. After a long time, I was reading a book during meal times and post bed time.
What I liked the best, is the perfect window into a woman's mind. I loved how Kiran Manral has put in words the swirling of thoughts, ideas, self-doubt, questions, observations, .. in a woman's mind. Kay is the example of real-life moms who are SAHM with a lot of potential but cant find the correct outlet or use of their skills. There are lakhs of such Kay's around the world. I also liked how Kiran has portrayed Kay as a vain woman but also one who is an all rounder (apart from body shape) in all spheres concerning her as a mom, wife, DIL, daughter, employer, neighbor, kitty party member, ...
The mental banter in Kay's head is what I am missing the most after completing the book. How much do we women think !? I am surprised. This banter is ROFL. I stopped nodding my head, marking the pages, grinning & saying me too in most women or mother scenarios in the book. Kay is no fictional character. I am trying to guess who did Kiran, model Kay on.
Also I am Yo-yo ing between who can be cast as Kay if this book is turned into a movie. Vidya Balan or Kusha Kapila. What are your inputs? Please suggest.
The language is really good. My brain was abuzz with all the good English and words I got to read after ages. The plot is interesting. It felt a lil rushed with the Bali trip planning in the end. But I was happy, my calculations of both murders were correct. I also whopped when Kay didn't have to go the spouse-directed-profession way. Hi five and same pinch on all husband characteristics.
I loved all the characters in the book including the maid Jamuna. Kiran has effortlessly woven them and their characteristics in the story. The husband is a Men are from Mars specimen. Aren't they all ? ;) But I still loved how this couple compliments each other and totally Real-life. Kay's friends Raji, neighbors, Mrs.Kapoor and her dog, Velvet Smocking Jacket(go read the book & hunt), the watchmen, kitty party group ladies... all are sketched perfectly in words. Each character and their traits highlighted effortlessly makes you wonder how Kiran created them.
December 28, 2020
While I am familiar with Kiran Manral, the author, this was my first time reading any of her books. I didn’t get into it with a lot of expectation but I was excited nonetheless.
The book starts with a generous serving of humour and maintains the flavour throughout the course of the story. Be it her interaction with her hyper-active son, her relatively quieter husband, or the domestic help, despite what one would think, Kay’s days are packed with enough action without the need to seek it out. And yet, unbeknownst to Kay, her Spidey-sense is already latching on to the next great drama.
I experienced a slow start with the book which, while incredibly funny, seemed to be teeming with metaphors. As a literary device I have nothing against them but felt they were overused. Then, past the one-third mark, maybe their use diminished, or it didn’t bother me enough to notice.
Kay is the mom-next-door, with a penchant for finding trouble in the most unexpected places. When Runa reaches out to Kay for help on the case, Kay sees it as a potential career opportunity that might elevate her in the eyes of her husband. After all, how hard could it be to infiltrate a kitty group and coax information out of people naturally inclined to gossip, while feasting on scrumptious food? However, when said people are hiding a secret, the task at hand may prove a tad difficult. And Kay is nothing if not persistent which makes her an absolutely delightful character to follow.
Runa is a shrewd professional who bothers little with anything that doesn’t impact her work. She is constantly pushing Kay to find the answers that could break open the case. The two women have a long history as described by Kay and it makes for some interesting reading to see it play.
I imagined this to be a comedy about a bored mom in search of some drama in her apartment building to spice up her mundane life. Where the book truly surprises you is that it is not only a murder mystery but a real thriller with nail-biting moments and edge-of-the-seat suspense. While the clues get more perplexing, the bodies keep dropping, and when people start to disappear overnight, it becomes evident that time is running out.
Hilarious and riveting, The Kitty Party Murder seamlessly blends two distinct genres into one intense novel. With so much variety, it is guaranteed to capture everyone’s interest. You’re effectively getting two books for the price of one. I say grab it with both hands and get ready for an adventure that will send your idea of ‘routine’ up in smoke.
For complete review, visit https://aquamarineflavours.wordpress.com.
The book starts with a generous serving of humour and maintains the flavour throughout the course of the story. Be it her interaction with her hyper-active son, her relatively quieter husband, or the domestic help, despite what one would think, Kay’s days are packed with enough action without the need to seek it out. And yet, unbeknownst to Kay, her Spidey-sense is already latching on to the next great drama.
I experienced a slow start with the book which, while incredibly funny, seemed to be teeming with metaphors. As a literary device I have nothing against them but felt they were overused. Then, past the one-third mark, maybe their use diminished, or it didn’t bother me enough to notice.
Kay is the mom-next-door, with a penchant for finding trouble in the most unexpected places. When Runa reaches out to Kay for help on the case, Kay sees it as a potential career opportunity that might elevate her in the eyes of her husband. After all, how hard could it be to infiltrate a kitty group and coax information out of people naturally inclined to gossip, while feasting on scrumptious food? However, when said people are hiding a secret, the task at hand may prove a tad difficult. And Kay is nothing if not persistent which makes her an absolutely delightful character to follow.
Runa is a shrewd professional who bothers little with anything that doesn’t impact her work. She is constantly pushing Kay to find the answers that could break open the case. The two women have a long history as described by Kay and it makes for some interesting reading to see it play.
I imagined this to be a comedy about a bored mom in search of some drama in her apartment building to spice up her mundane life. Where the book truly surprises you is that it is not only a murder mystery but a real thriller with nail-biting moments and edge-of-the-seat suspense. While the clues get more perplexing, the bodies keep dropping, and when people start to disappear overnight, it becomes evident that time is running out.
Hilarious and riveting, The Kitty Party Murder seamlessly blends two distinct genres into one intense novel. With so much variety, it is guaranteed to capture everyone’s interest. You’re effectively getting two books for the price of one. I say grab it with both hands and get ready for an adventure that will send your idea of ‘routine’ up in smoke.
For complete review, visit https://aquamarineflavours.wordpress.com.
November 30, 2020
#readwithharpercollins
💫A beautiful concoction of varied genres: humor + drama+ murder mystery + realistic fiction.
Thankyou @kiranmanral for writing ✍ this in your trademark witty, observant and engaging style.
The author, Kiran Manral, has received multiple awards for excellence in the field of writing.
She's done many Hats- as an Author, TEDx Speaker, Columnist, a Mentor, Journalist, Researcher, Festive Curator and Entrepreneur.
_____
A PERFECT READ IN THESE STRESSFUL PANDEMIC TIMES.
The protagonist, Kanan Mehra (Kay) is a mommy, to a 6 year old energetic child and wife to a very busy, workaholic husband who at the same time keeps a keen, caring eye on his wife always.
She is stressed out at the drop of a hat, always juggling tasks and managing her household with her flair for poking her nose 👃 in things which require her umpteen investigative skills.
I loved her realistic portrayal of feelings..from accumulating and worrying about fat, to exercising her body envisioning a better body shape and asking for magic to happen, to keeping an eye to stay out of binging on sugar ladden foods, to being a referee between her cook and her househelp, to being updated on the colony gossip, to investigating a suicide in the vicinity, to hearing exclusive voices and screams, to helping a friend and investigating a suicide, escaping from a lift malfunction, ignoring her husband's sarcastic comments sometimes, to thinking about paranormal activity happening solely for her, to hearing about more deaths and facing her horror movie watching experiences playing with her thoughts and imagination..to being part of a kitty party club..and finally solving the murder mystery and going for a long due vacation with dear hubby. This book has it all covered, a pure entertainer.
💁♀I could relate to it at so many levels, actually at almost all points except the thrilling murder mystery solving experience, God forbid it ever happens 🙏! Even the stuck in the lift part, I have faced the ordeal, I was pregnant that time, wearing pencil heels 👠 without a trace of fear! I laugh when I remember those days now.
I found it a tiny bit lengthy, otherwise it was an awesome read and so relateable!
🏅 For me, the star of this read was @kiranmanral's writing style which I totally loved ❤!
Recommendation: I feel the language, vocabulary will not be easy for beginner level readers and 25+ age group can relate more to thi book.
Although, anyone can read and enjoy his fun, dramatic read! It's for you to decide!
#noorthebookwormreviews
#thekittypartymurder
💫A beautiful concoction of varied genres: humor + drama+ murder mystery + realistic fiction.
Thankyou @kiranmanral for writing ✍ this in your trademark witty, observant and engaging style.
The author, Kiran Manral, has received multiple awards for excellence in the field of writing.
She's done many Hats- as an Author, TEDx Speaker, Columnist, a Mentor, Journalist, Researcher, Festive Curator and Entrepreneur.
_____
A PERFECT READ IN THESE STRESSFUL PANDEMIC TIMES.
The protagonist, Kanan Mehra (Kay) is a mommy, to a 6 year old energetic child and wife to a very busy, workaholic husband who at the same time keeps a keen, caring eye on his wife always.
She is stressed out at the drop of a hat, always juggling tasks and managing her household with her flair for poking her nose 👃 in things which require her umpteen investigative skills.
I loved her realistic portrayal of feelings..from accumulating and worrying about fat, to exercising her body envisioning a better body shape and asking for magic to happen, to keeping an eye to stay out of binging on sugar ladden foods, to being a referee between her cook and her househelp, to being updated on the colony gossip, to investigating a suicide in the vicinity, to hearing exclusive voices and screams, to helping a friend and investigating a suicide, escaping from a lift malfunction, ignoring her husband's sarcastic comments sometimes, to thinking about paranormal activity happening solely for her, to hearing about more deaths and facing her horror movie watching experiences playing with her thoughts and imagination..to being part of a kitty party club..and finally solving the murder mystery and going for a long due vacation with dear hubby. This book has it all covered, a pure entertainer.
💁♀I could relate to it at so many levels, actually at almost all points except the thrilling murder mystery solving experience, God forbid it ever happens 🙏! Even the stuck in the lift part, I have faced the ordeal, I was pregnant that time, wearing pencil heels 👠 without a trace of fear! I laugh when I remember those days now.
I found it a tiny bit lengthy, otherwise it was an awesome read and so relateable!
🏅 For me, the star of this read was @kiranmanral's writing style which I totally loved ❤!
Recommendation: I feel the language, vocabulary will not be easy for beginner level readers and 25+ age group can relate more to thi book.
Although, anyone can read and enjoy his fun, dramatic read! It's for you to decide!
#noorthebookwormreviews
#thekittypartymurder
December 11, 2020
The Kitty Party Murder by Kiran Manral is a laugh riot in its very essence. The author has very well portrayed the intricacies of an Indian family living in suburbia and has promised a laugh a minute read.
Kanan Mehra a.k.a Kay is tired of living her routine life with her offspring and spouse and often gets involved in adventures which the spouse doesn’t approve of. She, been a fan of mysteries and horror films is often seen with Runa, her detective friend lurking around at the crime scenes, and has a keen interest in uncovering the hidden. Living on one of the top floors of the apartments, she enjoys waking up to the infernal device’s alarm and has no guilt in to snooze further. She is fond of eating and is often found thinking about a strategic place to sit in order to get easy refills. Her son or what she has happily called ‘the brat’ is filled with more than enough energy to keep her on the toe 24/7. On a very fine day, Runa asks her to join a suicide investigation which would require her to join a kitty group adding on to the list of many kitty groups she is a part of. She gets to join the group and does the needful with the help of her instincts as well as from the guidance she receives from Runa. While she is on it, her apartment building is shaken by a mysterious death which adds pounds to the situation at hand. With this starts the struggle to find out the cause and circumstances behind the death of the one whom, she believes, had screamed on various occasions while she (Kay) is climbing the stairs in an attempt to lose weight.
Would Kay be able to solve the mysteries at hand or would she fail at it? Pick this book up to find out what happens next.
The writing style is pretty lucid but I admit I had to keep the mobile dictionary at my disposal from time to time to get the voluminous details of the entire scene been described with all the tits and bits of it. The plot is fast-paced and truly a page-turner. The use of humor has been very well even in the most frightening circumstances which makes it a laugh a minute read which is exactly what I had been yearning for.
I congratulate the author and appreciate her for all the efforts she has put in to make this one a hilarious read while at the same time working on the cues to set the scene in place.
Kanan Mehra a.k.a Kay is tired of living her routine life with her offspring and spouse and often gets involved in adventures which the spouse doesn’t approve of. She, been a fan of mysteries and horror films is often seen with Runa, her detective friend lurking around at the crime scenes, and has a keen interest in uncovering the hidden. Living on one of the top floors of the apartments, she enjoys waking up to the infernal device’s alarm and has no guilt in to snooze further. She is fond of eating and is often found thinking about a strategic place to sit in order to get easy refills. Her son or what she has happily called ‘the brat’ is filled with more than enough energy to keep her on the toe 24/7. On a very fine day, Runa asks her to join a suicide investigation which would require her to join a kitty group adding on to the list of many kitty groups she is a part of. She gets to join the group and does the needful with the help of her instincts as well as from the guidance she receives from Runa. While she is on it, her apartment building is shaken by a mysterious death which adds pounds to the situation at hand. With this starts the struggle to find out the cause and circumstances behind the death of the one whom, she believes, had screamed on various occasions while she (Kay) is climbing the stairs in an attempt to lose weight.
Would Kay be able to solve the mysteries at hand or would she fail at it? Pick this book up to find out what happens next.
The writing style is pretty lucid but I admit I had to keep the mobile dictionary at my disposal from time to time to get the voluminous details of the entire scene been described with all the tits and bits of it. The plot is fast-paced and truly a page-turner. The use of humor has been very well even in the most frightening circumstances which makes it a laugh a minute read which is exactly what I had been yearning for.
I congratulate the author and appreciate her for all the efforts she has put in to make this one a hilarious read while at the same time working on the cues to set the scene in place.
June 16, 2021
I was quite excited about the story as the blurb calls it a murder mystery, also, the cover seemed quite interesting. But what a disappointment!
The protagonist is a woman named Kay, an assistant detective to her friend called Runa. They both are trying to figure out why this one lady from this kitty party group committed suicide. So, Kay decides to befriend one of the members from that 'Kitty Party' group who also happened to have shifted in Kay's building recently.
At the same time, there have been incidents in Kay's building where people & Kay herself have heard incessant crying, screaming & torturous shouting coming from the flat no. 504. It would have been great if the author had focused on one of these cases but the blend of both these incidents felt like a mess for a great murder mystery storyline.
What really disappointed me the most was the inner dialogue of Kay to herself. She seemed to be obsessed with weight gain issues. She constantly uses self-derogatory remarks on her body, the cellulite, and food. Starting from the first page, almost every page has a self-deprecating joke. Also, she loves making unnecessary remarks on 'healthy" people all the time. This main character had really great potential but the author made her this shallow woman who is big time judgemental, keeps on commenting at almost everyone on their looks.
There were times when I wanted to leave this book and start another one as I was not able to visualise the scenes, the storyline and the characters at all.
All in all, I won't recommend reading this book. I respect that the author tried to blend humor in a murder mystery, but, it was just not the kind I would like to read ever again.
Have you read this book or any book from this author? If yes, would love to know your opinion.
The protagonist is a woman named Kay, an assistant detective to her friend called Runa. They both are trying to figure out why this one lady from this kitty party group committed suicide. So, Kay decides to befriend one of the members from that 'Kitty Party' group who also happened to have shifted in Kay's building recently.
At the same time, there have been incidents in Kay's building where people & Kay herself have heard incessant crying, screaming & torturous shouting coming from the flat no. 504. It would have been great if the author had focused on one of these cases but the blend of both these incidents felt like a mess for a great murder mystery storyline.
What really disappointed me the most was the inner dialogue of Kay to herself. She seemed to be obsessed with weight gain issues. She constantly uses self-derogatory remarks on her body, the cellulite, and food. Starting from the first page, almost every page has a self-deprecating joke. Also, she loves making unnecessary remarks on 'healthy" people all the time. This main character had really great potential but the author made her this shallow woman who is big time judgemental, keeps on commenting at almost everyone on their looks.
There were times when I wanted to leave this book and start another one as I was not able to visualise the scenes, the storyline and the characters at all.
All in all, I won't recommend reading this book. I respect that the author tried to blend humor in a murder mystery, but, it was just not the kind I would like to read ever again.
Have you read this book or any book from this author? If yes, would love to know your opinion.
December 2, 2021
I was more than excited to read this piece of work - 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 by 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒍 as it's got so much attention since its release and many people recommended this as well so my expectation did increase as well I don't know that was the mistake I made or over-excitement went behind this book.
Having said that, it's also the truth that I can't simply deny that this book’s got a lot of humour and mystery surrounded thoroughly. The writing is pretty simple to read and the narration is smooth enough. A beginner-friendly book.
The character build-up of Kay is way too complicated. There were places where you would be shocked but more than that I was quite disappointed with how it turned. The book for me turned out so boring after like 30-40 pages of my readers and I thought of dropping it out down but still being an avid reader I couldn't so I read and I need to tell you the ending was, quite predictable.
There were not only one instead multiple murders happening around and it was handled in such a comical way which for me turned out to be so annoying. I believe the book is unnecessarily stretched after a certain point to a certain point.
Unnecessary Gossips in so-called kitty parties has been glorified, the stereotypical lines at times, Information was scattered like not in any particular manner or organised way, so the pace of the book was lost in its way.
After successfully completing it out and out, I concluded that definitely, it was not at all worthy. I had expectations or say a bit higher expectations but left out disheartened.
I wouldn't like to recommend this book at all.
Having said that, it's also the truth that I can't simply deny that this book’s got a lot of humour and mystery surrounded thoroughly. The writing is pretty simple to read and the narration is smooth enough. A beginner-friendly book.
The character build-up of Kay is way too complicated. There were places where you would be shocked but more than that I was quite disappointed with how it turned. The book for me turned out so boring after like 30-40 pages of my readers and I thought of dropping it out down but still being an avid reader I couldn't so I read and I need to tell you the ending was, quite predictable.
There were not only one instead multiple murders happening around and it was handled in such a comical way which for me turned out to be so annoying. I believe the book is unnecessarily stretched after a certain point to a certain point.
Unnecessary Gossips in so-called kitty parties has been glorified, the stereotypical lines at times, Information was scattered like not in any particular manner or organised way, so the pace of the book was lost in its way.
After successfully completing it out and out, I concluded that definitely, it was not at all worthy. I had expectations or say a bit higher expectations but left out disheartened.
I wouldn't like to recommend this book at all.
December 2, 2020
𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬' 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬.
This premise sounded so intriguing and I was very excited to read this book. But unfortunately, this book didn't work for me.
This book is told from Kay's POV and the entirety of the book is mostly a constant monologue of Kay obsessing over her gained weight. And for some reason she refers to her child as "fruit of our womb and loin", it was very off-putting.
The writing is definitely sarcastic and there were few times I laughed. The quirky, observational, and sarcastic remarks were definitely the highlight of the book. But when the same kind of monologue repeats again and again, it doesn't feel funny anymore towards the end of the book.
The pacing is also very very slow and combined with the writing style, this was an overall extremely slow paced book. As a suspense book, I should be thrilled and excited to know what happened, but I was not, in fact I was bored.
The conclusion was so underwhelming. There are two murder cases going on here, one is from Kay's own building and the other one is the suicide of the woman from the Kitty Party. Both the mystery were solved in a rushed unsatisfying manner.
But this is my personal opinion of the book and that doesn't mean this is a bad book. I rate my books based on how much I enjoyed them. Just because I didn't enjoy it that doesn't mean you won't too. I will still ask you to give this book a try if you like a light hearted murder mystery with a sarcastic humorous writing approach.
This premise sounded so intriguing and I was very excited to read this book. But unfortunately, this book didn't work for me.
This book is told from Kay's POV and the entirety of the book is mostly a constant monologue of Kay obsessing over her gained weight. And for some reason she refers to her child as "fruit of our womb and loin", it was very off-putting.
The writing is definitely sarcastic and there were few times I laughed. The quirky, observational, and sarcastic remarks were definitely the highlight of the book. But when the same kind of monologue repeats again and again, it doesn't feel funny anymore towards the end of the book.
The pacing is also very very slow and combined with the writing style, this was an overall extremely slow paced book. As a suspense book, I should be thrilled and excited to know what happened, but I was not, in fact I was bored.
The conclusion was so underwhelming. There are two murder cases going on here, one is from Kay's own building and the other one is the suicide of the woman from the Kitty Party. Both the mystery were solved in a rushed unsatisfying manner.
But this is my personal opinion of the book and that doesn't mean this is a bad book. I rate my books based on how much I enjoyed them. Just because I didn't enjoy it that doesn't mean you won't too. I will still ask you to give this book a try if you like a light hearted murder mystery with a sarcastic humorous writing approach.
December 21, 2020
The book is a complete package with humor and wit entangled. The author has tried to bring a murder mystery to the reader, with a hint of humor to it. Most of the time, we relate to the characters as we turn the pages. It's a novel where you can relate to Kay (Kanan Mehra, the main character), who is not very fond of running to the gym and finding it hard to cut out ounces. Kay couldn't avoid the dilemma of not gaining weight and getting invited to dinner and lavish lunches. I could relate to how women are obsessed with sugar in their cups and on their hips. I loved the fact that there are different characters, though cutting out much drama of remembering names. We have an interesting character Runa, Kay's detective friend, who hired Kay to work for her on a murder or suicide case. I was flipping the pages quickly to reach to the scene where the mystery kicks in. There is alot to learn while you read this novel. I was impressed by the wit used by the author here. The novel has been quite metaphorical at places. A woman has been so observational during her lifetime, this fact has been well-depicted in the novel. I would also like to highlight, the character you will eventually fall in love, Kabir! Kabir, Kay's child, the way his dialogues has been written amidst conversation with his mother is just commendable. I won't break suspense by revealing how and when the Kitty helped in revealing the murder mystery. But, I would like you to grab your coffee and this book soon to explore humorous murder mystery.
December 25, 2020
"The Kitty Party Murder" is somewhat everything apart from a novel of the mystery genre, which it was supposed to be. Initially the idea was perhaps to have a book which was parallely humorous as well as thrilling, but it all muddles up together into a mess.
The humour part of the book seemed outstretched and overdone. After a point, a reader will most probably have no choice but to give up on the hope that the book will fulfill any of the expectations that had been anticipated. In an attempt to swerve away from the classic way of telling a crime novel, the author presumably had resorted to a more laid back writing style. However, the book ceases to provide any sort of excitement after a while.
The plot which starts off with a promising note, almost soon becomes a truckload of gossip, chattering and far-fetched judmentalism of everyone around. Surrounding itself around kitty parties, the protagonist tries to weave mild satires and humour in the dialogues, but it seldom works out. The thrill or the suspense swiftly becomes invisible from the storytelling and a blatant stereotype mindset of each and everything quickly creeps in.
"The Kitty Party Murder" had the potential of becoming a fast-paced and promising story which could have gifted us humour in the most unconventional of ways. However, it has actually seen a plain bad execution.
Thanks HarperCollins India for the book.
The humour part of the book seemed outstretched and overdone. After a point, a reader will most probably have no choice but to give up on the hope that the book will fulfill any of the expectations that had been anticipated. In an attempt to swerve away from the classic way of telling a crime novel, the author presumably had resorted to a more laid back writing style. However, the book ceases to provide any sort of excitement after a while.
The plot which starts off with a promising note, almost soon becomes a truckload of gossip, chattering and far-fetched judmentalism of everyone around. Surrounding itself around kitty parties, the protagonist tries to weave mild satires and humour in the dialogues, but it seldom works out. The thrill or the suspense swiftly becomes invisible from the storytelling and a blatant stereotype mindset of each and everything quickly creeps in.
"The Kitty Party Murder" had the potential of becoming a fast-paced and promising story which could have gifted us humour in the most unconventional of ways. However, it has actually seen a plain bad execution.
Thanks HarperCollins India for the book.
January 5, 2021
The book started on a good note with a good effervescence & command over vocabulary. The beginning of it was accompanied by a never-ending perpetual & satirical sense of humour full of mockery as it gets infused throughout the novel. It embodies every bit of gossip which ladies perceive as 'fun' dialect of life as the narrator take forward that aspect diligently. From the blurb & description, I inferred it's a crime thriller novel based on a murder mystery where the criminal conspiracy will be solved & justice to the culprits will be served accordingly. Everything went well until I realised that the novel has little of everything else needed except the most crucial part - 'thriller or mystery' in itself which is really pathetic. And I feel that's a total letdown for me since I love mystery books. Yes, the truth indicates the fact that it's really going to be dissapointing which really hurt me in the end as I had high expectations from this novel considering the cover has been designed beautifully & theme crafted exquisitely!
Writing style could've been better along with the narrative instead of the drama added occasionally in copious amounts. Climax was self evident without much of a hassle/effort/trouble as it can be deduced pretty easily. I would've found it cute if it was a romance novel but for this genre, it's pretty much of a mismatch. Overall, the book was pretty monotonous by far stretch & dragged unnecessarily without any control. Not worth recommending.
Writing style could've been better along with the narrative instead of the drama added occasionally in copious amounts. Climax was self evident without much of a hassle/effort/trouble as it can be deduced pretty easily. I would've found it cute if it was a romance novel but for this genre, it's pretty much of a mismatch. Overall, the book was pretty monotonous by far stretch & dragged unnecessarily without any control. Not worth recommending.
August 9, 2023
I tried to like this novel, I really did. The story seemed intriguing and the book started out quite entertaining. But I finished it with difficulty.
The frequency of idiomatic language and metaphor was jarring after a while - how I hate people who call their partner "the spouse", "the man" or children "the fruit of my womb" instead of according them names and sticking to it. I get that the author was being humourous and trying to match the "tongue in cheek" humour that you encounter in British authors, but it comes across as unnecessary when every second line is filled with it.
Also, the portrayal of an urban, wealthy family put me off. The main characters are a mother who does little to bring up her only child, shows no interest in anything but gossip and spending money, who shames herself constantly for being overweight (and others for their various features), who seems stressed no matter how much household help she has; a husband who barely even talks to his family, who seems to have no personality; a child who comes across as a brat who will only eat junk food and boss his parents around - it's a portrayal that made me feel extremely relieved I don't have her problems to deal with. Are men really still talking to their wives like this, condescending and mean?
The plot could have moved much faster and I may have enjoyed it more if the characters had been more likeable and their world had been a little less frivolous.
The frequency of idiomatic language and metaphor was jarring after a while - how I hate people who call their partner "the spouse", "the man" or children "the fruit of my womb" instead of according them names and sticking to it. I get that the author was being humourous and trying to match the "tongue in cheek" humour that you encounter in British authors, but it comes across as unnecessary when every second line is filled with it.
Also, the portrayal of an urban, wealthy family put me off. The main characters are a mother who does little to bring up her only child, shows no interest in anything but gossip and spending money, who shames herself constantly for being overweight (and others for their various features), who seems stressed no matter how much household help she has; a husband who barely even talks to his family, who seems to have no personality; a child who comes across as a brat who will only eat junk food and boss his parents around - it's a portrayal that made me feel extremely relieved I don't have her problems to deal with. Are men really still talking to their wives like this, condescending and mean?
The plot could have moved much faster and I may have enjoyed it more if the characters had been more likeable and their world had been a little less frivolous.
December 4, 2020
This book has been such a roller coaster ride for me. It starts of with the life a very normal house wife, Kanan. She is a married woman and mother of Kabir.
The story starts with the introduction into the life of Kay. The way this book has been narrated is simply fabulous. I was hooked from the very first page. I didn’t find a single sentence without a sarcastic or a humorous comment. You will be laughing your hearts out, while relating a little too much. The way a normal housewife’s life turns into a very adventurous one is so smooth. Loving shopping, food and gossip, this housewife has a tendency to sniff out the trouble and somehow become a part of it. The story is a brilliant connotation of humour, sarcasm, thriller and normality of life. The way Kanan only refers to her husband as ‘Spouse’ had me chuckling throughout.
I can’t stop admiring the wittiness of the author.
What made me a little uncomfortable at times was the brutal way the author has portrayed the injustice faced by women in today’s world. Other than that, this book was a complete package and I couldn’t find any flaws. Only some grammatical mistakes, though they are not really noticeable. The ending was satisfactory, and weirdly pleasing. I was looking for a more thrill or action packed ending, but is was not disappointed by the real ending in any sense.
Loved it!!
Highly recommend it.
The story starts with the introduction into the life of Kay. The way this book has been narrated is simply fabulous. I was hooked from the very first page. I didn’t find a single sentence without a sarcastic or a humorous comment. You will be laughing your hearts out, while relating a little too much. The way a normal housewife’s life turns into a very adventurous one is so smooth. Loving shopping, food and gossip, this housewife has a tendency to sniff out the trouble and somehow become a part of it. The story is a brilliant connotation of humour, sarcasm, thriller and normality of life. The way Kanan only refers to her husband as ‘Spouse’ had me chuckling throughout.
I can’t stop admiring the wittiness of the author.
What made me a little uncomfortable at times was the brutal way the author has portrayed the injustice faced by women in today’s world. Other than that, this book was a complete package and I couldn’t find any flaws. Only some grammatical mistakes, though they are not really noticeable. The ending was satisfactory, and weirdly pleasing. I was looking for a more thrill or action packed ending, but is was not disappointed by the real ending in any sense.
Loved it!!
Highly recommend it.
December 12, 2020
What would be your motive to join a kitty party?
'The kitty party murder' by Kiran Manral is a satirical murder mystery narrated over 240 pages.
Kanan Mehra a.k.a. Kay, is a witty and gritty women, mother to naughty and cute Kabir, wife to her college sweetheart turned supportive spouse who keeps his attractive nose out of people's business.
As she gets bored of her job of motherhood and just when her life seems hazy just like a perfect monsoon day, she takes a thrilling task of investigation to help her detective friend in a suicide.
Kay joins the kitty party to get information , gossips and dark secrets hidden behind the suicide of a lady who was a member of this very Kitty party.
The thought of lady who marinated herself in all that blood gushing from her wrist, was strange. Was it really a suicide? Or a murder framed as a suicide?
Just when Kay was on her little detective internship, there is another mysterious death of a women from her building .
The book grabs your attention with a blend of good humour, mystery and a picturesque narration.
Although somewhere midway in book I found narrative a bit too much and deviating from main story but the author has done a really great job with her trademark humour. I'm sure you'll find yourself instantly smiling and giggling as you read the book.
A great ecstasic , witty and thrilling read!
'The kitty party murder' by Kiran Manral is a satirical murder mystery narrated over 240 pages.
Kanan Mehra a.k.a. Kay, is a witty and gritty women, mother to naughty and cute Kabir, wife to her college sweetheart turned supportive spouse who keeps his attractive nose out of people's business.
As she gets bored of her job of motherhood and just when her life seems hazy just like a perfect monsoon day, she takes a thrilling task of investigation to help her detective friend in a suicide.
Kay joins the kitty party to get information , gossips and dark secrets hidden behind the suicide of a lady who was a member of this very Kitty party.
The thought of lady who marinated herself in all that blood gushing from her wrist, was strange. Was it really a suicide? Or a murder framed as a suicide?
Just when Kay was on her little detective internship, there is another mysterious death of a women from her building .
The book grabs your attention with a blend of good humour, mystery and a picturesque narration.
Although somewhere midway in book I found narrative a bit too much and deviating from main story but the author has done a really great job with her trademark humour. I'm sure you'll find yourself instantly smiling and giggling as you read the book.
A great ecstasic , witty and thrilling read!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 50 reviews