The Blue Bar: Blue Mumbai Thriller, Book 1

This was a well thought out tale of murder corruption, and mayhem. The characters are well developed, yet I was confused about the actual murderer til the last minute...as was intended. I was ready for the end long before it came. I imagine this is because the thoughts of the killer were a bit too crazy and gruesome. I read through to the finale and was glad to find some peace.

At first it was difficult for me to understand the India slang. Some of the characters have similar names. I guess it would be hard for someone in another country to understand American slang names. I did figure out who the bad guy was and deeper dive you understand why he is so evil. Corruption is in all countries. The book interested me because I was to learn more about other countries.

Taking place in Mumbai, this book is filled with Indian references and places and was quite interesting to read. As other reviewers have pointed out, those unfamiliar with Indian names might have trouble remembering everyone.As for the story; a policeman investigates a number of corpses found with the heads, arms and feet cut off. His superiors seem to want him to stop investigating, but he is undeterred. In the interim a girl for whom the cop has been pining for a long time comes back into his life further complicating it.The story was well written and the characters interesting. Although I don’t insist on a happy ending for every book and hero, I did not like this ending one bit. Surely there are better ways of showing character growth!

This thriller kept me guessing from beginning to end as I raced through it in in a few late and bleary-eyed nights. What's not to love in this intense and literary noir ~ the twisting, surprising plot, the compelling characters, the gorgeous tight writing, or the gritty underworld and glittering aristocracy of Mumbai?The twisting, surprising plot:As Police Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput races to a grisly crime scene, he has no idea that this new case will upend his life. A horrific serial killer is responsible for decapitating and dismembering women, and Arnav can't keep away from cases of missing or dead women. Arnav is haunted by the disappearance of Tara Mondal fourteen years ago, the mysterious girl-woman he loved who danced to Bollywood songs in the smoky, flashing, colored lights of The Blue Bar.Not only must Arnav hunt for an elusive killer, but he must also navigate the ambitions, politics, and corruption of the leaders of the Mumbai police and Mumbai society. Someone will go to any length to sink his investigation.Just when I thought I had something figured out, an unexpected twist would flummox me.The compelling characters:The characters in Damyanti's novel don't let you go. She weaves a story that is both an authentic police procedural and an unpredictable romance.Arnav is dogged in his quest to find the killer, a creepy gruesome slayer with a murderous obsession, before Tara becomes the next headless, handless, footless woman buried in muck with a scattering of blue sequins.Tara has a life-changing secret, someone she must protect with her very life. She risks returning to Mumbai and the Blue Bar as an instructor and performer in an attempt to secure her financial future and realize her goals.This a sampling of the unforgettable characters who inhabit Damyanti's book:Bilal, a loyal family servant who cleans up the bloody messes and arranges for the disposal of the bodies by an underworld Bhai or gang boss,The wildly successful Virani brothers, Bollywood heartthrobswho have captivated India's impressionable young women for years,The unflappable Dr. Meshram, the coroner who will use his own time and moneyto autopsy the brutalized bodies of the unknown and forgotten,Sita Naik, Arnav's tireless assistant, a smart and professional assistant sub-inspector who will do anything to help Arnav solve the case,And Rahul Taneja, a ruthless real estate tycoon famous for his fabulous wealth and lavish parties.The gorgeous tight writing:I already knew that Damyanti was an excellent writer, because I had read her chilling debut novel You Beneath Your Skin. Her writing is fresh, evocative, and eloquent, seemingly effortless. But Damyanti is a writer who admits that for her, writing is a slog. She progresses slowly, word by word, on her computer through multiple drafts and revisions, but she writes because she must.The gritty underworld and glittering aristocracy of Mumbai:To a Canadian American like me, Mumbai is exotic. But Damyanti's ability to bring Mumbai alive is engrossing. Before long, I forgot about exotic Mumbai, as I was drawn into this kaleidoscopic city.Damyanti constructs a Mumbai that is so absorbing you are there, period. The novel opens at rush hour in Borivali Railway Station, swarming with jostling noisy people, and the book transports readers to Mumbai's hectic nightlife, to its stinky marshland and mangroves, to sultry Madh Island on the magnificent Arabian Sea, to its crowded beaches, busy police stations, and dangerous alleys. It is unforgettable!I highly recommend this gripping mystery, The Blue Bar, which I suggest you quickly follow up with You Beneath Your Skin. Inspector Arnav returns in the sequel to The Blue Bar to tackle the hair industry, caste, and castration in Mumbai. “The Blue Monsoon” will be released on October 24, 2023.

The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas's book got your attention from the first page. I have read several Indian based books. This book takes place is Mumbai which is an exotic place to base this mystery story of detective Arnav Rajut. He has been a detective for a long time and has investigating dead women's bodies that have surfaced and have been dead for quite some time. It is discovered that these are all "bar girls". It is chilling that the heads, hands, and feet have been removed making it very difficult to identify them. It seems that even higher ups in the police are involved so Arnav doesn't know who to trust. Arnav has been involved with a bar girl himself named Tara but she has disappeared from his life until one day on his investigation she reappears.The plot and characters in this book are well developed and complicated. The story is a "can't put down" story. My only complaint was for Non Indian readers, there are difficult and confusing names for the characters and Indian words. I found at some times I was confused as to who and what? In the book Henna Artist, the author had a listing of characters and a glossary of Indian words. This was very helpful and I think would have aided this book for the Non Indian readers. Many names were very similar and terms were not given a description of meaning. Other wise, Mumbai and all of the culture was so very interesting.

Inspector Arnav Rajput is called upon to investigate a decapitated and dismembered body that was found near Aksa beach, on the construction site of Taneja Estate Holdings.As the investigation goes on, more bodies of the similar descriptions were discovered, at different locations in Mumbai. Inspector Arnav then realizes he’s looking into some cold cases with a possible serial killer on the loose. It also dawns on him that it has everything to do with his own haunting past!THE BLUE BAR is a taut, gripping, harrowing, and at some points, eerie police procedure thriller that entwined in the complicated web of astounding twists and turns!I was totally mesmerized by Damyanti Biswas’ latest suspense page-turning thriller THE BLUE BAR, from beginning till the end! I am so looking forward to reading the sequel of The Blue Mumbai Thriller series, The Blue Monsoon which is anticipated to be out later this year!

From the gorgeous cover to the last page, this book is definitely a gripper. All the necessary elements for a psychological thriller are here: vulnerable, desperate women, an overworked police force with hints of corruption in high places, the glamour of the movie business, at least two crime bosses, and a seriously troubled killer. Add to that the intriguing setting of Mumbai, India. The book does not shy away from the dirt and poverty of the city, in contrast to the luxuries enjoyed by the wealthy.As the bodies of murdered women are uncovered, the reader is given harrowing peeks into the mind of the murderer. Interwoven with these are the personal stories of bar dancer Tara and police inspector Arnav. Action scenes are humanized by elements of guilt, shame, regret, and broken trust. I was keen to find out what happened next and read the book quickly. At times it was a bit of a blur, as the characters raced from one place to another, almost always using cell phones to communicate and gather evidence.The primary characters are well-developed and sympathetic. Enough is revealed about the secondary characters that they are distinct and memorable. I was particularly impressed by journalist (and Arnav's sometime girlfriend) Nandini, and his police colleague Tukaram. A character named Bilal is also intriguing and surprisingly sympathetic, given his relationship to the murderer.Clues are scattered throughout the book, prompting me to formulate theories as I read about the identity of the killer. The ending includes a few shocking revelations and is both heart-wrenching and satisfying.

This story had me at the edge of my seat and although it had it's cliched moments, I was happy to be strapped in for the ride. Also I felt like I was back home in Mumbai and loved all the descriptions of places and food <3

The setting was great. First time to read a book set in Mumbai ( Bombay ). Enjoyed Googling the locations and places the book went into. The writing was good, the story had a lot going for it. Was two stories in one, the murders and Arnav and Tara's affair. Read up to around 50% where the story started to bog down then fast forward to the last few chapters. Could not take Arnav, another Harry Bosch or Jo Nesbo knock off. Problems in his past, contempt for authority, smarter than his colleagues, a vendetta against the police commissioner. All been done before. Why not a regular cop who just gets on with his job. For me, at least, the story would have read better. If you can handle the super cop then this is not a bad book. The characters, the story , the great location make it different and worth taking a look at.

Fairly standard serial killer trope transferred to Bombay and given a touch of exoticness. Gets an extra star for using the word henchman.

An intense, fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat thriller that will have you feverishly turning the pages to find out what happens next, with an ending that you will not see coming. This was a roller-coaster of a ride that will appeal to lovers of crime and thrillers.