The blurb on the back suggests a novel of romance and revenge. I settled more comfortably on the recliner for a Mills & Boon meets Perry Mason page-turner. Page-turner it sure was. An independent girl Anu, raised in a non-conforming Indian family arrives in US for higher studies. After graduating from college, she is caught between a subtle passive peer pressure to have an "arranged marriage", and her independent streak to find the perfect partner by herself.

A rare novel set in the 80's - 90's when every self-respecting Indian Engineering student sought higher education in the US, a passport to a better life. While these Engineering students have successfully assimilated to the life in the US, they have not written much fiction. Our news of this generation has been gained mainly through hearsay. Asita has given a voice to this generation.

Asita's insightful observations into an immigrant's psyche keep the reader intrigued -- adapting to changes in the US based on a frame of reference rooted in India; exercise culture -- the unease with expensive yoga lessons which might otherwise support hundreds of families in India; weight-consciousness -- the opposite indices of Indian well-being vs the American figure-consciousness.

Asita's story-telling style -- narrative interspersed with Anu's first-person voice -- while changing pace somewhat abruptly, fills the details adequately. In order to sustain the whodunit suspense - Roopa's character is sacrificed, A great read for someone from the sub-continent who can appreciate the nuances of the immigrant life in the US. A great read for anyone looking for murder and suspense fiction, wth a delicate inroad into the Indian psyche.

Book Description: In California, half a world away from her native India, Anu finds her heart torn between three men -- Dan, a detective, Pavan, her mild-mannered childhood friend who's long dreamed of marrying her and Deepak, a Silicon Valley executive, a dazzling fellow countryman who's won Anu's head, but not her heart. After spurning the luxury of wealth and leaving the abusive Deepak, Anu is surprised by a call from Roopa, Deepak's new wife. Pregnant, she fears her husband may kill her. Anu's resolve to help Roopa draws her back to the two men who still want her until Deepak's unexpected death develops into a murder investigation that will alter everyone's life forever. A novel of romance and revenge that focuses on the intricate social customs and psychological bonds of Indian society while grappling with the customs and challeng