The Blue Bar

Biswas’s (You Beneath Your Skin) follows Arnav Singh Rajput, an inspector with the Mumbai police, who is called to the scene where dismembered bodies—some recently killed, judging from their clothing and degree of decomposition—have been found. The bodies were dismembered in a very particular way, and there were blue sequins on the clothing. Arnav immediately suspects a serial killer, but his superiors call on him to close the case, rejecting his theory that this case could be connected to similar ones in the past. Arnav can’t let the matter drop, however, because more than 10 years ago, his own girlfriend went missing under eerily similar circumstances. Sneha Mathan narrates this compelling mystery, authentically pronouncing Indian names and lending gravity to the story. Mathan captures the rhythm and cadence of each character, bringing out the diversity of castes, regional dialects, and accents that mark Mumbai society. A lot of action, a bit of romance, and a complex plot make this a good choice for collections looking to branch out from typical fare.