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Meera Patel #1
Gone With The Wings
Author Leena Clover announces a brand new cozy mystery series set in a small Oklahoma college town. Mystery readers will enjoy this culinary cozy murder mystery featuring plenty of yummy recipes like Masala Fried Chicken and Shish Kabob Blue Plate Special.
Meera Patel is back home with the family after she dropped out of graduate school. Now she shelves books for a living and rustles up fusion recipes at Sylvie's Cafe & Diner. Everything is fine until her old nemesis Prudence Walker floats up in the local pond. Meera is accused of murder! Well, she did publicly declare Prudence would drop dead.
Meera cries foul and screams police harassment. But she has no defense when she is accused of a second crime. Flanked by pals Tony and Becky, Meera puts in the leg work, trying to solve clues and discard red herrings.
Fall in Oklahoma has never been more exciting.
Cozy mystery fans will love this new mystery series featuring an Asian American amateur sleuth. There is a full cast of characters with a professor father, young sibling, old grandparents, loyal friends and a candid glimpse into South Asian culture.
Meera Patel is back home with the family after she dropped out of graduate school. Now she shelves books for a living and rustles up fusion recipes at Sylvie's Cafe & Diner. Everything is fine until her old nemesis Prudence Walker floats up in the local pond. Meera is accused of murder! Well, she did publicly declare Prudence would drop dead.
Meera cries foul and screams police harassment. But she has no defense when she is accused of a second crime. Flanked by pals Tony and Becky, Meera puts in the leg work, trying to solve clues and discard red herrings.
Fall in Oklahoma has never been more exciting.
Cozy mystery fans will love this new mystery series featuring an Asian American amateur sleuth. There is a full cast of characters with a professor father, young sibling, old grandparents, loyal friends and a candid glimpse into South Asian culture.
603 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2021
603 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Leena Clover
72 books365 followersLeena Clover is a popular, bestselling author of cozy mysteries with heart.
You can expect fearless heroines, small town drama, quirky characters and friendships that last a lifetime in her books. Yummy food and a murder or two are guaranteed!
Visit her website at leenaclover.com to learn more.
You can expect fearless heroines, small town drama, quirky characters and friendships that last a lifetime in her books. Yummy food and a murder or two are guaranteed!
Visit her website at leenaclover.com to learn more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 4, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
In this story, we meet Meera Patel and her family. They are a very close family of Asian Indian descent and we see quickly how important their culture is to them. The story takes place in a small college town in Oklahoma. Meera works at the college library and her father is a professor there. His assistant is Prudence Walker, also a professor, and she has a huge crush on the man and that makes Meera positively livid. In fact, they have a huge argument in the stairway of her father’s building. So when Prudence ends up dead, Meera becomes the prime suspect. Then a student from India goes missing right after Meera has words with her and the police believe Meera is responsible for that as well. Meera wants to clear her name but her family believes she needs to leave things to the police. Of course, she does do a little investigating on her own, and that’s a good thing.
I like Meera, her family, and her friends and I really want to know more about them. But I think this book is a prime example of the 1st book in the series “itus” where you have to introduce all the characters, try to engage the reader and give us a great mystery too. This story reads more like Woman’s Fiction with a murder happening on the side. We meet the family and how they all connect, but there are a lot of details left for future books. One thing I quickly learned is this family loves to eat. All the food described sounds wonderful and there are recipes in the back of the book. However, the mystery definitely is playing second fiddle to the family part of the story.
As far as the missing person part of the mystery, Meera really does try to find the girl, which was not an easy task, but in the end, I was underwhelmed by this part of the plot. The conclusion, while plausible, doesn’t fit with the student we met in this story.
I didn’t like the way the murder part of the mystery evolved either. The police officer was a family friend, dating the deceased and decided Meera was guilty immediately. His harassment of Meera was very uncomfortable and he should have been removed from the case. The way it wrapped up just didn’t feel right to me, it was a stretch to believe.
I did enjoy learning more about Indian culture and the food.
The authors writing style is unique, it really needs some editing to tighten it up. I hope I am right and that the mystery will be more primary in book 2 because I would like to visit this family again.
In this story, we meet Meera Patel and her family. They are a very close family of Asian Indian descent and we see quickly how important their culture is to them. The story takes place in a small college town in Oklahoma. Meera works at the college library and her father is a professor there. His assistant is Prudence Walker, also a professor, and she has a huge crush on the man and that makes Meera positively livid. In fact, they have a huge argument in the stairway of her father’s building. So when Prudence ends up dead, Meera becomes the prime suspect. Then a student from India goes missing right after Meera has words with her and the police believe Meera is responsible for that as well. Meera wants to clear her name but her family believes she needs to leave things to the police. Of course, she does do a little investigating on her own, and that’s a good thing.
I like Meera, her family, and her friends and I really want to know more about them. But I think this book is a prime example of the 1st book in the series “itus” where you have to introduce all the characters, try to engage the reader and give us a great mystery too. This story reads more like Woman’s Fiction with a murder happening on the side. We meet the family and how they all connect, but there are a lot of details left for future books. One thing I quickly learned is this family loves to eat. All the food described sounds wonderful and there are recipes in the back of the book. However, the mystery definitely is playing second fiddle to the family part of the story.
As far as the missing person part of the mystery, Meera really does try to find the girl, which was not an easy task, but in the end, I was underwhelmed by this part of the plot. The conclusion, while plausible, doesn’t fit with the student we met in this story.
I didn’t like the way the murder part of the mystery evolved either. The police officer was a family friend, dating the deceased and decided Meera was guilty immediately. His harassment of Meera was very uncomfortable and he should have been removed from the case. The way it wrapped up just didn’t feel right to me, it was a stretch to believe.
I did enjoy learning more about Indian culture and the food.
The authors writing style is unique, it really needs some editing to tighten it up. I hope I am right and that the mystery will be more primary in book 2 because I would like to visit this family again.
October 2, 2017
Gone With the Wings is kinda like an Asian fusion cozy mystery. Set in the American Midwest/South (Oklahoma) as well as featuring a main character from South Asia, Clover gives readers the best of both worlds. I love that Meera’s family and culture are incorporated into the novel, setting her apart from typical cozy heroines and giving the book an ethnic flair not normally found in this genre. The mystery in Gone With the Wings is well-constructed, and it kept me guessing right up until the big reveal. There is also a subplot involving Meera’s mother that took a couple of interesting turns too. All of which intrigues me to keep reading the series.
There were a couple things I wasn’t crazy about though. First, the characters lack dimension. They are layered, to be sure, but they still feel flat to me. Maybe it’s in the somewhat stilted dialogue or sometimes over-the-top reactions. Which brings me to the second thing – the writing style is a bit awkward in places, choppy and abrupt. This may have been an intentional choice to convey the nuances of the culture but it broke up the flow of my reading. One final thing that broke up my reading pace was the sheer volume of recipes woven throughout the narrative. I like food in books, but I don’t like stopping my story for a recipe. It just doesn’t feel natural for the narrator to give step-by-step details of what he/she is doing while cooking.
Bottom Line: Gone With the Wings by Leena Clover whets your culinary and investigative appetites, as well as providing you with a glimpse inside South Asian culture and life as an international student at an American college/university. The mystery (including an intriguing subplot) keeps you engaged, and you may find yourself trying to finagle an invitation to one of Meera’s family’s parties. There are some minor issues with dimension and story flow, but overall this is an interesting read and sets the stage for the rest of the series.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
There were a couple things I wasn’t crazy about though. First, the characters lack dimension. They are layered, to be sure, but they still feel flat to me. Maybe it’s in the somewhat stilted dialogue or sometimes over-the-top reactions. Which brings me to the second thing – the writing style is a bit awkward in places, choppy and abrupt. This may have been an intentional choice to convey the nuances of the culture but it broke up the flow of my reading. One final thing that broke up my reading pace was the sheer volume of recipes woven throughout the narrative. I like food in books, but I don’t like stopping my story for a recipe. It just doesn’t feel natural for the narrator to give step-by-step details of what he/she is doing while cooking.
Bottom Line: Gone With the Wings by Leena Clover whets your culinary and investigative appetites, as well as providing you with a glimpse inside South Asian culture and life as an international student at an American college/university. The mystery (including an intriguing subplot) keeps you engaged, and you may find yourself trying to finagle an invitation to one of Meera’s family’s parties. There are some minor issues with dimension and story flow, but overall this is an interesting read and sets the stage for the rest of the series.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
January 2, 2018
The average contemporary cozy features a white woman fleeing a bad relationship and overly taxing job for a bed and breakfast/bookshop/ coffee shop/ florist in a quaint small town, so I was excited to see a mystery about an Indian family in a university town in the Midwest.
Alas, the plot plods, and the mystery is unsatisfactory. And the writing could use work. All those exclamation points! And do we have to eat every single meal with the characters? The food feels more like padding than setting. Also, basic research - Macy's in new York City is on Broadway and 34th Street, not Fifth Avenue.
Alas, the plot plods, and the mystery is unsatisfactory. And the writing could use work. All those exclamation points! And do we have to eat every single meal with the characters? The food feels more like padding than setting. Also, basic research - Macy's in new York City is on Broadway and 34th Street, not Fifth Avenue.
June 23, 2024
A quirky and slow-moving cozy mystery. I know food is life and an important part of the Indian culture, but if the author didn’t provide a lengthy synopsis of almost every single meal eaten in the book, it would have been half the length it was. Not enough of a hook on the mystery part for me to read the remaining books in the series.
September 19, 2017
I think I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. There was a lot to like for this first book in this series. What i liked about it was that it was set in OK in a small college community town and where there seems to be a large Indian (Asian not Native American) population. The family is close knit and they are always eating...that may sound strange but I love food and all of the dishes that were described in the book sounded delicious. I also liked that the murder was solved in a roundabout way and really wasn't the main focus, or it doesn't appear to be the main focus most of the time.
There are some unknowns that might be addressed more in future books, such as, why did Meera drop out of school to work at the local college library? What happened to Meera's mom all those years ago in the tornado? (side note, I think there might be some foreshadowing happening in this book at the end that might address that in future books).
I do think at times the writing seemed choppy and some words were used that didn't seem right such as calling a car trunk a boot. That is the British word and Meera is American so would have used the word trunk unless her family always called it a boot and she picked it up that way.
This series has great potential and I look forward to reading them at some point.
There are some unknowns that might be addressed more in future books, such as, why did Meera drop out of school to work at the local college library? What happened to Meera's mom all those years ago in the tornado? (side note, I think there might be some foreshadowing happening in this book at the end that might address that in future books).
I do think at times the writing seemed choppy and some words were used that didn't seem right such as calling a car trunk a boot. That is the British word and Meera is American so would have used the word trunk unless her family always called it a boot and she picked it up that way.
This series has great potential and I look forward to reading them at some point.
October 12, 2017
Meera Patel, Book #1
Leena Clover
Self-Pub, Jun 2017
Kindle, 243 Pages
Also available in paperback
Genre(s) Asian-American Cozy Mystery/Food
Source Author’s Rep
Other books in this series
A Pocket Full of Pie #2, For a Few Dumplings More #3, Back to the Fajitas #4
My Disclaimer:
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
What it’s about…
Meera Patel is an Asian-American woman who has dropped out of grad school and now works at the local university library shelving books and telling students where to go. Yeah…
Meera’s father is a highly regarded professor at this university and has an assistant that Meera absolutely can’t get along with. The two young women have been enemies since they were young children. They even have trouble being polite to one another.
So when the assistant is found floating in a pond, Meera is the logical suspect. Even some of her friends and family look at her strangely. Then she is accused of a second crime and has no defense.
Meera’s best friend, Tony, runs the gas station in town. He and Meera start trying to work out who really did it and if the two crimes are related so the police will stop harassing Meera.
Technical Tidbits…
The cover is rather delightful with its folk art painting look. The lovely medium teal blue with the fall colors against it really makes a lovely eye-catching color scheme. And the style of the artwork is charming. High marks for the cover!
The storyline was rather good. It’s one I’m sure we’ve all read in any number of books and seen in movies. But Ms. Clover has added some aspects to distract from that.
The characters, for instance, were highly attractive and diverse given their culture and the fact that they still participated in the many aspects and festivals of their culture. They wore the costumes and used the many props of their culture without embarrassment or stigma. They kept the richness of their cultural activities alive through the celebration of their holidays, clothing, and food. Particularly their food.
The pace was brisk and kept your attention on what was happening or might be coming up next. It seemed that there was always something going on. Usually another meal. The tension wasn’t significantly helped by all the things that went on. Some things simply happened and really didn’t seem to move the story along in any way. It was a side activity.
And this is where you STOP if you don’t want to see any SPOILERS…
The good, the bad, and the ugly…and how much it lit up my life… ✰✰✰✰
I obviously don’t like food anywhere near as much as the author does. It seemed like any time Meera stopped to breathe in the book, she had to eat. Whether she cooked the food or someone else provided the food. And we were treated to a full description of every item she ate. If she cooked it, we were given the whole list of ingredients and had to cook with her. They even talked about food a lot. It got to a point that I started skipping those parts. I hope I didn’t miss anything important.
I did like the way Ms. Clover defined the relationship between Meera and Tony. They obviously had been friends since they were children and have remained close. They are just waiting for the right time to take their relationship over the line to make it more than a friendship. It was only mentioned once, but it set the tone for how they interacted with each other and others.
I’m not convinced of the believability of the conclusion. It just didn’t seem feasible to me. Two schools, two states, two countries. Just too disparate for me. Just my opinion.
A question for the future series…
Who was the woman in the rental car who picked up the missing girl and was she the same woman who followed Tony and Meera to Wichita? Could it be she’s finally fallen out of the tornado? I know that’s more than one question, but it’s all tied together as you’ll see once you read the book.
Leena Clover
Self-Pub, Jun 2017
Kindle, 243 Pages
Also available in paperback
Genre(s) Asian-American Cozy Mystery/Food
Source Author’s Rep
Other books in this series
A Pocket Full of Pie #2, For a Few Dumplings More #3, Back to the Fajitas #4
My Disclaimer:
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
What it’s about…
Meera Patel is an Asian-American woman who has dropped out of grad school and now works at the local university library shelving books and telling students where to go. Yeah…
Meera’s father is a highly regarded professor at this university and has an assistant that Meera absolutely can’t get along with. The two young women have been enemies since they were young children. They even have trouble being polite to one another.
So when the assistant is found floating in a pond, Meera is the logical suspect. Even some of her friends and family look at her strangely. Then she is accused of a second crime and has no defense.
Meera’s best friend, Tony, runs the gas station in town. He and Meera start trying to work out who really did it and if the two crimes are related so the police will stop harassing Meera.
Technical Tidbits…
The cover is rather delightful with its folk art painting look. The lovely medium teal blue with the fall colors against it really makes a lovely eye-catching color scheme. And the style of the artwork is charming. High marks for the cover!
The storyline was rather good. It’s one I’m sure we’ve all read in any number of books and seen in movies. But Ms. Clover has added some aspects to distract from that.
The characters, for instance, were highly attractive and diverse given their culture and the fact that they still participated in the many aspects and festivals of their culture. They wore the costumes and used the many props of their culture without embarrassment or stigma. They kept the richness of their cultural activities alive through the celebration of their holidays, clothing, and food. Particularly their food.
The pace was brisk and kept your attention on what was happening or might be coming up next. It seemed that there was always something going on. Usually another meal. The tension wasn’t significantly helped by all the things that went on. Some things simply happened and really didn’t seem to move the story along in any way. It was a side activity.
And this is where you STOP if you don’t want to see any SPOILERS…
The good, the bad, and the ugly…and how much it lit up my life… ✰✰✰✰
I obviously don’t like food anywhere near as much as the author does. It seemed like any time Meera stopped to breathe in the book, she had to eat. Whether she cooked the food or someone else provided the food. And we were treated to a full description of every item she ate. If she cooked it, we were given the whole list of ingredients and had to cook with her. They even talked about food a lot. It got to a point that I started skipping those parts. I hope I didn’t miss anything important.
I did like the way Ms. Clover defined the relationship between Meera and Tony. They obviously had been friends since they were children and have remained close. They are just waiting for the right time to take their relationship over the line to make it more than a friendship. It was only mentioned once, but it set the tone for how they interacted with each other and others.
I’m not convinced of the believability of the conclusion. It just didn’t seem feasible to me. Two schools, two states, two countries. Just too disparate for me. Just my opinion.
A question for the future series…
Who was the woman in the rental car who picked up the missing girl and was she the same woman who followed Tony and Meera to Wichita? Could it be she’s finally fallen out of the tornado? I know that’s more than one question, but it’s all tied together as you’ll see once you read the book.
September 26, 2017
I must give a warning to all readers about this book. Don't read this book if you are hungry. There are so many yummy recipes and foods scattered throughout the book, I found myself walking into the kitchen to get a snack. I will confess that I ate while I read the entire book. The author does an amazing job of describing foods so well, I could almost smell the aromas of onions, peppers and garlic.
Meera is full of life and I loved how the author introduced readers to Meera's culture. Her parents are from India and Meera embraces her heritage. I loved that Meera honors her grandparents and treats them with high esteem. To say that I love her job working in a library is an understatement. I worked at one for fifteen years. I did everything from helping people, issuing library cards, checking out books to shelving books. I thought it was funny that one of the students found it beneath them to shelve.
It seems that we all had that one person who was our nemesis in school. They were always lurking around ready to throw insults at us. Everywhere we went, there they were glaring at us and talking about us. Meera's nemesis is Prudence. She had it in for Meera and found a way to weasle into her life all the time. To everyone's shock Prudence is found dead. Can you guess who the prime suspect is?
The graphic description about a tornado was so realistic I could hear the winds howling and furniture being tossed around as the rain pelted the windows. The author really shows her talent in her mainstream depictions of scenes. It's impossible not to feel like you are a part of the story. I am so impressed with the articulate ways she is able to paint a picture of every scene. The setting for the story is a small town in Oklahoma. There is a university there and many students there are from different countries. I found myself being sympathetic to one particular student. She becomes an intregal part of the story and I found her character to be quite intriguing. When a student comes up missing , Meera decides to investigate . The story is very intriguing and I loved reading how Meera and her friends work together to find the missing girl and clear Meera's name. I know I have to read the next book in the series because the author has left a trail of a mysterious person following Meera. I must find out if my guess is right. This book was very well written and I loved the twists the story took. I am now a huge fan of the author.
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escape Virtual Blog Tour. The review is my own opinion.
Meera is full of life and I loved how the author introduced readers to Meera's culture. Her parents are from India and Meera embraces her heritage. I loved that Meera honors her grandparents and treats them with high esteem. To say that I love her job working in a library is an understatement. I worked at one for fifteen years. I did everything from helping people, issuing library cards, checking out books to shelving books. I thought it was funny that one of the students found it beneath them to shelve.
It seems that we all had that one person who was our nemesis in school. They were always lurking around ready to throw insults at us. Everywhere we went, there they were glaring at us and talking about us. Meera's nemesis is Prudence. She had it in for Meera and found a way to weasle into her life all the time. To everyone's shock Prudence is found dead. Can you guess who the prime suspect is?
The graphic description about a tornado was so realistic I could hear the winds howling and furniture being tossed around as the rain pelted the windows. The author really shows her talent in her mainstream depictions of scenes. It's impossible not to feel like you are a part of the story. I am so impressed with the articulate ways she is able to paint a picture of every scene. The setting for the story is a small town in Oklahoma. There is a university there and many students there are from different countries. I found myself being sympathetic to one particular student. She becomes an intregal part of the story and I found her character to be quite intriguing. When a student comes up missing , Meera decides to investigate . The story is very intriguing and I loved reading how Meera and her friends work together to find the missing girl and clear Meera's name. I know I have to read the next book in the series because the author has left a trail of a mysterious person following Meera. I must find out if my guess is right. This book was very well written and I loved the twists the story took. I am now a huge fan of the author.
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escape Virtual Blog Tour. The review is my own opinion.
June 22, 2017
Lot of twists and turns to a cozy mystery with a lot of food and culture!
I really liked this book and will definitely want to read the next books in the series. While getting involved in the storyline, I learned a lot about the culture and foods of India. Living in the house is the extended family, grandparents, father, brother and Meera with her aunts living close by. The closeness of this family helps Meera survive some pretty awful accusations. There is a lot of Indian foods throughout this book interwoven with the murder and missing witness. The beginning of the book is a prologue starting with Stan the police officer of the town accusing Meera Patel of murdering Prudence Walker her nemesis since grammer school. Then the book takes us back two months to what was happening with the investigation. And because Stan was enamored of Pru he continues to harrass Meera with accusations. With the witness Stan wanted to use against Meera missing that just adds to the harrassment. Meera decides she has to investigate to clear her own name since Stan isso dead set on proving Meera murdered Pru and kidnapped the witness to keep her from being interviewed, The first step is to try to find the missing witness, Jyothi, who speaks and understands little English. Being surrounded by a group of close friends, Becky, Tony, Sylvie and Jon (cafe owners) and with their help, Meera and company proceed to investigate the case. The case takes us through many twists and turns, deadends, red herrings to its surprise conclusion. The only thing that was off-putting was the letter at the end. It was too well written for the character who wrote it. I received a copy of this book from the author, but the review here is stricly my own.
I really liked this book and will definitely want to read the next books in the series. While getting involved in the storyline, I learned a lot about the culture and foods of India. Living in the house is the extended family, grandparents, father, brother and Meera with her aunts living close by. The closeness of this family helps Meera survive some pretty awful accusations. There is a lot of Indian foods throughout this book interwoven with the murder and missing witness. The beginning of the book is a prologue starting with Stan the police officer of the town accusing Meera Patel of murdering Prudence Walker her nemesis since grammer school. Then the book takes us back two months to what was happening with the investigation. And because Stan was enamored of Pru he continues to harrass Meera with accusations. With the witness Stan wanted to use against Meera missing that just adds to the harrassment. Meera decides she has to investigate to clear her own name since Stan isso dead set on proving Meera murdered Pru and kidnapped the witness to keep her from being interviewed, The first step is to try to find the missing witness, Jyothi, who speaks and understands little English. Being surrounded by a group of close friends, Becky, Tony, Sylvie and Jon (cafe owners) and with their help, Meera and company proceed to investigate the case. The case takes us through many twists and turns, deadends, red herrings to its surprise conclusion. The only thing that was off-putting was the letter at the end. It was too well written for the character who wrote it. I received a copy of this book from the author, but the review here is stricly my own.
September 25, 2017
This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. I was happy to see that the main character isn't your typical cozy heroine. She is a college librarian whose family comes from India. In the course of the story, we learn quite a bit about Indian food and culture--and there are some delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book!
Meera, the main character, has a great support system. She lives with her grandparents, father and younger brother, she has other relatives living nearby, she has close friends, and the couple who run a local diner appear to be honorary family members. AlMsl of that support comes in handy when she faces some horrendous accusations.
Ms. Clover creates such a wonderful story for these characters, giving us a look at their culture and how it impacts the way they (and other Indian members of the community) interact with the rest of the world. There is one character who has a lot of difficulty accepting the differences between Indian culture and American culture, and I alternated between disliking her and feeling sympathy for her.
There are two mysteries to be solved in this book...a murder and a missing person. I had no clue what happened in either case until very close to the end--and I was surprised to see how they were actually connected. I am looking forward to reading more about Meera and her adventures in the future.
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
Meera, the main character, has a great support system. She lives with her grandparents, father and younger brother, she has other relatives living nearby, she has close friends, and the couple who run a local diner appear to be honorary family members. AlMsl of that support comes in handy when she faces some horrendous accusations.
Ms. Clover creates such a wonderful story for these characters, giving us a look at their culture and how it impacts the way they (and other Indian members of the community) interact with the rest of the world. There is one character who has a lot of difficulty accepting the differences between Indian culture and American culture, and I alternated between disliking her and feeling sympathy for her.
There are two mysteries to be solved in this book...a murder and a missing person. I had no clue what happened in either case until very close to the end--and I was surprised to see how they were actually connected. I am looking forward to reading more about Meera and her adventures in the future.
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
July 17, 2017
Meera Patel is a 20 something college dropout who know works at the local university's library. She had a bright future ahead of her, but for some reason she has changed course. She still lives at home with her grandparents, father, and younger brother while her mother has been missing since she was 7 years old. In her free time Meera loves to cook, especially with her best friend Becky and often finds herself helping out of the cafe Becky works at, she is also close with owners Jon and Sylvie. Her other best friend, Tony, works at a gas station and always has her back even when she is a suspect for murder! Just because Meera and Prudence never got along doesn't mean anything, even if one time Meera did threaten Prue's life...she obviously didn't really mean it! It's going to be hard to convince Prue's boyfriend of that, but Meera's friends and family are ready to help her no matter what.
This was a fun, easy book to read. Ms. Clover has created a bunch of very likeable characters and it's a joy to read their interactions. Food is at the forefront of this story, and sometimes it did almost take away from the mystery aspect. I would suggest not reading this book on an empty stomach! Luckily many recpies have been included at the end of the book. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Meera and her grandmother, what a great character! I look forward to reading more of Meera's adventures and rated the first one four out of five stars.
This was a fun, easy book to read. Ms. Clover has created a bunch of very likeable characters and it's a joy to read their interactions. Food is at the forefront of this story, and sometimes it did almost take away from the mystery aspect. I would suggest not reading this book on an empty stomach! Luckily many recpies have been included at the end of the book. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Meera and her grandmother, what a great character! I look forward to reading more of Meera's adventures and rated the first one four out of five stars.
January 21, 2018
Meera Patel is an American Indian who works in a library and manages to get involved in a mystery because her arch enemy was found murdered. Merra had every motive to bump off Prudence - Prue made good in academia, while Meera dropped out and Prue never let her forget it, Prue was sophisticated, successful and respected, as a college professor while Meera was a librarian, and Prue never let her forget it, Prue had the hots for Meera's Dad, who was now technically single and worked together with him and Meera was not about to have Prue as her new step mother!
The author has introduced a whole new world of India and its culture in this series of cozies and it is exciting and interesting to find out how "the other half" lives. She has painted a very good picture of the customs and foods and explained it well. It is informative and useful and she has generously included recipes at the back of the book, which is another big plus.
However, I have only awarded 2 stars because for some reason, I feel that this book has not quite got it right. The characters are relate-able to and in fact quite fun, the ending a nice surprise, so I feel it has a lot of potential, but yet it lack something. It did not leave me looking forward to her next book, but I intend to read it, if only to see if it gets better.
I received this as a freebie, but this review is my honest opinion
The author has introduced a whole new world of India and its culture in this series of cozies and it is exciting and interesting to find out how "the other half" lives. She has painted a very good picture of the customs and foods and explained it well. It is informative and useful and she has generously included recipes at the back of the book, which is another big plus.
However, I have only awarded 2 stars because for some reason, I feel that this book has not quite got it right. The characters are relate-able to and in fact quite fun, the ending a nice surprise, so I feel it has a lot of potential, but yet it lack something. It did not leave me looking forward to her next book, but I intend to read it, if only to see if it gets better.
I received this as a freebie, but this review is my honest opinion
September 18, 2017
If you could smell the story inside books, you would be able to smell “Gone with the Wings” from across the bookstore when you walked in. And it would make you very hungry! Meera’s family dynamics are centered in the kitchen, and the author does a fantastic job of setting a plate for the reader and making them one of the group.
I’ve not read many cozy mysteries set in Oklahoma, so I was eager to see what Ms. Clover did with her setting. I really enjoyed that she took the time to show the reader the diverse landscape that one can find throughout Oklahoma, and how much pride the residents take in where they live. It was a very refreshing depiction!
The story itself is fast, moving quickly, but not rushed. I liked how there were several different layers going on, and when the reader thinks they’ve got one figured out, something happens in another area that will upend their assumptions. A quick read, but a jam-packed one!
The best part of the book, for me, was watching how Meera’s family interacts, and getting invested in their lives. Ms. Clover has deftly laid the set-up for the books to follow, and I believe it will be a series to enjoy!
I received a review copy of this work from the author
I’ve not read many cozy mysteries set in Oklahoma, so I was eager to see what Ms. Clover did with her setting. I really enjoyed that she took the time to show the reader the diverse landscape that one can find throughout Oklahoma, and how much pride the residents take in where they live. It was a very refreshing depiction!
The story itself is fast, moving quickly, but not rushed. I liked how there were several different layers going on, and when the reader thinks they’ve got one figured out, something happens in another area that will upend their assumptions. A quick read, but a jam-packed one!
The best part of the book, for me, was watching how Meera’s family interacts, and getting invested in their lives. Ms. Clover has deftly laid the set-up for the books to follow, and I believe it will be a series to enjoy!
I received a review copy of this work from the author
September 20, 2017
A fun start to a new series. I always like it when I get into a new series.
Gone With The Wings is a nice clean Cozy read.
No language. No bedroom scenes. Just good reading.
Meera Patell and her pals are entertaining and provide the reader with a look into a loving and close knit family.
When Meera becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a collegue (who happens to have a crush on Meera's father) she
recruites her friends and family to help her investigate.
Before much investigating can happen the police's prime witness turns up missing after having a heated discussion with Meera.
The story revolves around Meera's search for other suspects and for Jyothi the suspect who turns up missing.
Meera's family is a close knit group that does 'life' together.
There is always an event or group dinner with lots of good food.
Gone With The Wings was a fun introduction to a new series.
I enjoyed the characters. (See my character interview below.)
I received a complimentary copy from Great Escapes Tours.
Gone With The Wings is a nice clean Cozy read.
No language. No bedroom scenes. Just good reading.
Meera Patell and her pals are entertaining and provide the reader with a look into a loving and close knit family.
When Meera becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a collegue (who happens to have a crush on Meera's father) she
recruites her friends and family to help her investigate.
Before much investigating can happen the police's prime witness turns up missing after having a heated discussion with Meera.
The story revolves around Meera's search for other suspects and for Jyothi the suspect who turns up missing.
Meera's family is a close knit group that does 'life' together.
There is always an event or group dinner with lots of good food.
Gone With The Wings was a fun introduction to a new series.
I enjoyed the characters. (See my character interview below.)
I received a complimentary copy from Great Escapes Tours.
July 23, 2017
This is the first in a series about a young woman from an east Indian family who becomes an amateur sleuth when she is falsely accused of murder. It is set in a small college town in Central OK, so there is an interesting contrast between the culture of the town and the culture of her family. There's a lot of description of cooking and eating, which I enjoyed, as well as recipes added at the end of the book. I liked the characters and the investigation was entertaining. My only criticism would be that there was some odd use of language and some typos. I couldn't decide whether it was because the main character was from another culture (although she'd apparently been in the U.S. most of her life) or whether they were just plain mistakes. Still, I enjoyed the interaction between the characters, and the plot was nicely constructed.
November 16, 2017
A decent start to a new series.
Some things I liked:
• The glimpses into Indian and Indian-American culture add a unique and thought-provoking element. The character of Jyothi is used well to highlight culture shock and how international students cope (or not) with it.
• The tornado scene: Really descriptive scene that captures one of nature’s vagaries and the characters’ reactions to it.
What I did not like:
• More tension was needed in this story. I never got fully invested. I did not get that ‘can’t put this book down’ feeling.
• Situations I would have liked to have been ‘shown’ were simply retold to the reader, making it harder to get into the story.
Maybe not a favourite but I did think this novel was a modest start to a new series and I would like to try at least the second book.
Some things I liked:
• The glimpses into Indian and Indian-American culture add a unique and thought-provoking element. The character of Jyothi is used well to highlight culture shock and how international students cope (or not) with it.
• The tornado scene: Really descriptive scene that captures one of nature’s vagaries and the characters’ reactions to it.
What I did not like:
• More tension was needed in this story. I never got fully invested. I did not get that ‘can’t put this book down’ feeling.
• Situations I would have liked to have been ‘shown’ were simply retold to the reader, making it harder to get into the story.
Maybe not a favourite but I did think this novel was a modest start to a new series and I would like to try at least the second book.
October 14, 2020
I enjoyed reading this cozy set on the Pioneer College campus in OK. The narrator is Meera Patel who is a charming young woman caught up in and accused of being involved in 2 different mysteries in the small town. The book is mixed with lots of Indian recipes and heritage information. Most of the main characters are of South Asian decent and the author does a wonderful job of intermingling the culture into the story. She also portrays a college campus and its happenings quite accurately.
The mystery is well written and the reader followed along as Meera, Tony and Becky try to get to the bottom of the 2 cases. My only real issue with the book and why I didn't give it 5 stars is because its timeline felt a bit off. Other than that I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more books by Leena Clover
The mystery is well written and the reader followed along as Meera, Tony and Becky try to get to the bottom of the 2 cases. My only real issue with the book and why I didn't give it 5 stars is because its timeline felt a bit off. Other than that I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more books by Leena Clover
October 25, 2023
It was a good story!
I enjoyed the new book! This is a new series that I found when I got the book for free on one of my free clubs that I belong. I will be reading more now that I belong to the Books by Mail at the Eustis Library. I tried to send back a book last week but it came back 3 times now, so I called the library and got it straightened out. Now let’s see if it will work out ok!
This book is about the advanced college classes in Oklahoma, most of the kids who are living in and around the University.
Meetra Patel works at the University Library and her father is the head professor at the Engineering department.
She likes to solve mysteries and has a group of young people who help her. They all eat at her house and go with her anywhere she goes.
The story is very good and I was able to read it very quickly.
I enjoyed the new book! This is a new series that I found when I got the book for free on one of my free clubs that I belong. I will be reading more now that I belong to the Books by Mail at the Eustis Library. I tried to send back a book last week but it came back 3 times now, so I called the library and got it straightened out. Now let’s see if it will work out ok!
This book is about the advanced college classes in Oklahoma, most of the kids who are living in and around the University.
Meetra Patel works at the University Library and her father is the head professor at the Engineering department.
She likes to solve mysteries and has a group of young people who help her. They all eat at her house and go with her anywhere she goes.
The story is very good and I was able to read it very quickly.
February 17, 2024
Incredibly Boring!
I was looking forward to a fun read - all the markers are there: a great extended family, the protagonist is a smart young woman with good friends who are going to solve a murder. But all Meera did was eat. If anyone ate as much and as often as she did, they’d weigh 800 pounds. The author went from one meal to another with a little investigating squeezed in between. Eat, eat, eat, eat! I kept skipping ahead to try and find the mystery parts. That was the mystery: where are they because they are missing. I know, let’s eat! Again. It was just too much, and I love Indian food! The denouement was so halfhearted (probably because everyone was so stuffed from eating) that I thought, “who cares?” Not going to bother with book number two.
I was looking forward to a fun read - all the markers are there: a great extended family, the protagonist is a smart young woman with good friends who are going to solve a murder. But all Meera did was eat. If anyone ate as much and as often as she did, they’d weigh 800 pounds. The author went from one meal to another with a little investigating squeezed in between. Eat, eat, eat, eat! I kept skipping ahead to try and find the mystery parts. That was the mystery: where are they because they are missing. I know, let’s eat! Again. It was just too much, and I love Indian food! The denouement was so halfhearted (probably because everyone was so stuffed from eating) that I thought, “who cares?” Not going to bother with book number two.
May 29, 2021
Meera is a 20-something South Asian gal from Swan Creek, OK. She still lives at home and works as a library assistant. She’s a pretty down-to-earth gal with a quirky family and a strange fetish for exotic food/cooking. “You can’t be part of the Patel family and not talk about food.” (LOC 359)
This had an ok rhythm and easy-going style. It was a little too into food with weird names, if you ask me. It was kinda slow as life revolves around the university, where Meera’s job is.
Where’s the mystery? They call this book a mystery on the front cover.
It’s an okay story on the culture of an Indian American family, but not much going on anywhere else.
This had an ok rhythm and easy-going style. It was a little too into food with weird names, if you ask me. It was kinda slow as life revolves around the university, where Meera’s job is.
Where’s the mystery? They call this book a mystery on the front cover.
It’s an okay story on the culture of an Indian American family, but not much going on anywhere else.
November 1, 2021
I'm starting to enjoy cozy mysteries as a bit of escapism with some thinking involved and some humour too. This is the first book in the Meera Patel series, and we meet the Patel family - multi generational living together in Oklahoma- Meer, her brother and dad, maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother who has brought her up. We meet the wider circle - friends Tony and Becky, and older couple Sylvie and Jon who run the diner. This was a group it would have been fun to be part of. They are so supportive when Meera is facing accusation, and each has their part to play. Good fun, good investigation and great food! #netgalley #gonewiththewings
September 21, 2017
I have not read anything by this author before this book. This is the first book in the series and it is a easy read. I liked following along with the mystery trying to figure out who the murderer was. This is a cozy mystery book. This book had some good twists and turns. I liked the culinary snippets that were through out the book. I enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable, and it has a great story line.
I received a copy of this book through the Great Escapes Blog Tour program, all opionions are my own.
September 14, 2017
Nice beginning to a series.
I found this to be a very nice cozy mystery. It also helped to introduce a new culture to me. I really enjoyed all of the characters and look forward to getting to know them better as the series progresses. The only part I did not like was that it could have stood another proof reading to catch some double action and misspelled/missing words. Overall, a good book that I will definitely recommend.
I found this to be a very nice cozy mystery. It also helped to introduce a new culture to me. I really enjoyed all of the characters and look forward to getting to know them better as the series progresses. The only part I did not like was that it could have stood another proof reading to catch some double action and misspelled/missing words. Overall, a good book that I will definitely recommend.
January 31, 2019
Leena Clover is one of my favorite authors and I am reviewing this book for her, BUT this is my honest opinion. I loved the way it was written. It felt like Meera and I were having a chat about what was happening in her life. I was mad that the police were accusing her without a lot to go on and I thought Stan should have been kicked off the case. I am anxious to see if her and Tony finally crush each other at the same time and if they find out any information on her missing Mom.
March 6, 2020
A Lesson to Learn
An active mystery with family and friends trying solve not one mystery but two while hoping to stay out of jail themselves .A mystery full of passion, fun humor, misplaced anger and plenty of family support. Aquier a copy and start enjoying "Gone With The Wings "as much as I have. Kat
An active mystery with family and friends trying solve not one mystery but two while hoping to stay out of jail themselves .A mystery full of passion, fun humor, misplaced anger and plenty of family support. Aquier a copy and start enjoying "Gone With The Wings "as much as I have. Kat
June 12, 2021
Gone with wings is the first book in a series by author Leena Clover. There is alot to this story like Culture, food's from India and recipes all to make you feel hungry.
There are twists and turns and too help Meera through is her extended family that live in the same house.
A great book not to be missed
There are twists and turns and too help Meera through is her extended family that live in the same house.
A great book not to be missed
January 31, 2018
Nice start to series
I thought the story was slow to start, but once the mystery kicked and it was actually really good. I love all the food commentary. And the recipes. And I definitely will be checking out the second book in the series.
I thought the story was slow to start, but once the mystery kicked and it was actually really good. I love all the food commentary. And the recipes. And I definitely will be checking out the second book in the series.
July 13, 2020
Good read
After reading The Pelican Cove Mysteries by this author I decided to try snort series of her. Took me a bit longer to read as I wanted to understand some of the language but it was a good story. Characters are great and loved the recipes from a different culture.
After reading The Pelican Cove Mysteries by this author I decided to try snort series of her. Took me a bit longer to read as I wanted to understand some of the language but it was a good story. Characters are great and loved the recipes from a different culture.
May 28, 2021
I had almost quit reading because every book I thought I liked, into a few lines had vulgar or sexual content and cussing so I quit, then I discovered the Leena Clover books. They may not be for everyone but I enjoy them and am back to reading every day.
October 13, 2022
Food, food and more food dominates this story. Makes your mouth water with every page!
Merra is a great character and I love all her extended family. The mystery was good and Merra's involvement was believable.
Merra is a great character and I love all her extended family. The mystery was good and Merra's involvement was believable.
May 4, 2025
I ended up with this title because I had to read a culinary cozy set in Oklahoma. I'm glad I did! The writing was a little wonky, and the ending was a bit rushed, but the recipes in the back and the likeable characters made up for it. I will try to read more of the series.
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