Kiran Manral's Blog, page 7
December 9, 2020
‘The Kitty Party Murder’ is a delicious feel-good concoction of humour and mystery
By Purba Chakraborty on WritersMelon
Kiran Manral’s latest book ‘The Kitty Party Murder’ is a delicious feel-good concoction of humour and mystery. As evident from the title, ‘The Kitty Party Murder’ revolves around a ladies’ kitty group that has some dark, deep secrets regarding the recent death of a kitty member.
The mundane life of Kanan Mehra/Kay suddenly gets interesting when her detective friend, Runa asks her for help in a suicide investigation. Kay has to infiltrate a kitty group and try to unearth the dark secrets of the members. The secrets are buried underneath fancy meals, designer dresses, and frivolous conversations. At the same time, the apartment building of Kay is shaken by a mysterious death.
Kay is a woman in her mid-thirties who is bored with mommyhood and dreams of shedding those extra pounds without going to the gym. Climbing up and down the stairs seems to be a much better option. It is during one of those exercise sessions that she hears a startling scream. So, in the very first chapter, we are given a glimpse of what we can expect from the book- mystery marinated in dollops of humour.
I liked how Kiran has weaved two mystery plots in the same story. We are left guessing if those two plots would intersect at some point in time.
There are some hilarious scenes in the book that will make you laugh out loud. One such scene is when Kay falls in the washroom of the restaurant while trying to behold the murderer from the exhaust fan vent.
Kay is a person who enjoys the thrill of investigation. Despite being chided by her husband to not poke nose in other’s business, Kay revels in it. She wants to stay far from a boring corporate 9 to 5 job. Although she wobbles at investigation, her excitement to do the work is what makes the book interesting.
I enjoyed Kay’s equation with her spouse, her son Kabir, and Jamuna, the housemaid. Check out the following sentences for instance:
“The spouse gave me one of his looks. The kind of look he reserved for moments of serious doubts about whether I needed to book a consultation with a psychiatrist.”
Or this one:
“The spouse and I were on opposite sides of the sleep divide. He was the lark and I the owl. He was the ‘carpe the diem before the rooster wipes the sleep from his heavy-lidded eyes’ and I the ‘hit snooze on repeat’.
I also enjoyed her interactions with her detective friend, Runa. Although Runa initially bosses Kay around, she later realizes Kay’s potential.
Overall, it was an entertaining light weekend read. The language is beautiful and the narration is gripping. The story takes some time to pick up momentum, but when it does, you would want to unearth the two mysteries along with Kay.
If you are looking for a witty, humorous read with some suspense thrown into it, read the book. You will enjoy the ride!
Read the original article here: https://writersmelon.com/blog_detail_not_logged_in/YmxvZ19pZF8xOTcxMTY1/Book-Review-:-The-Kitty-Party-Murder
December 8, 2020
Review: The Kitty Party Murder: A Gripping Mystery, Served With Dollops Of Humour, Wit And Satire
By Jacquiline Singh
When one picks a humorous mystery novel to read, there is some scepticism about whether or not it can strike a good balance between the two genres without losing the plot. Just a few pages into the Kitty Party Murder, and I was reassured that this was a story that can satiate my cravings for both mystery as well as humour.
I was right till the very last page of this unputdownable whodunit. Author Kiran Manral strikes the right notes as she lays out this mystery novel with generous servings of humour, wit and satire, thrown in at appropriate moments.
Read the rest of the review here: The News Agency
November 26, 2020
The Kitty Party Murder: Review on Women’s Web
“
An urban comedy with a spine-chilling murder mystery
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.”
Read the entire review herehttps://www.womensweb.in/2020/11/kiran-manral-kitty-party-murder-review-nov20wk4mad/
November 17, 2020
Makers India: On Men Writing Women, And A Case For Chick-lit: Author Kiran Manral Speaks
Kiran Manral (49) speaks like she writes – with witty remarks and astute takes on the world we live in. Whether it is about the world of literary writing and chick-lit, or about men writing women, Kiran’s observations on the contemporary Indian English literature is not to be missed. In a recent Zoom call with MAKERS India, Kiran Manral spoke about all these and more.
Watch it here
November 7, 2020
New Book New Book! The Kitty Party Murder on pre-orders now
So forgive me while I hop around unseemingly with all the excitement.
[image error]This gorgeous one is finally out on pre-orders here: https://tinyurl.com/y43wntgd
Thanks due to Prerna Gill at HarperCollins India, Suhail Mathur at The Book Bakers, the very wonderful Gul Panag for those kind words about the book.
And now I continue hopping from foot to foot in excitement.
October 16, 2020
US based website Bookriot.com lists The Face at the Window among 7 eerie books by Asian authors for Halloween
Dee Das Oct 16, 2020
Even though Halloween is a festival of the West, its spirit is not just exclusive to America. Since you can’t party like all the other years this Halloween, what better way is there to celebrate than to curl up with an eerie book on your couch? While you are at it, might as well diversify your reading list and explore how Asian Literature feels about all things ghostly! Fear not, here comes a list of Asian horror stories, tailor-made for your Halloween reading spree.
THE FACE AT THE WINDOW BY KIRAN MANRAL
Mrs. McNally was living a quiet life alone in the foothills of the Himalayas, fiercely guarding secrets that could unravel the lives of her daughter and granddaughter. Besides being haunted by ghosts of the past, she could also feel a presence in her home. How would she be at peace with the world when the vicious presence in her house won’t let her? This book is unlike any other horror story as it offers a very layered take on aging, fear of loss, identity, and losing the people who form the core of one’s existence
Read the entire list herehttps://bookriot.com/eerie-books-by-asian-authors/?fbclid=IwAR0K3wWQ36DNPPBTWvntEmZwjQsN0biJNqZp9FmItOSCToIF_EnB0rc5r7c
September 30, 2020
Top 10 Books by Indian Authors You Must Read by Eduswami
At no 10:
10. The Face At The Window
For all the horror fans this is one of the best novels ever written in thriller and horror genre.The Face at the Window by Kiran Manral is a novel about paranormal experiences and psychological mindset of a woman who was born and brought up in an orphan in India. The plot and twists will keep you awake at night. The Face at the window is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Read the entire list here: https://medium.com/@ashish_9530/top-10-books-by-indian-authors-you-must-read-b41bcd028d9e
August 9, 2020
In the Sunday Midday yesterday
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August 7, 2020
An interview on the Amazon blog
Award-winning writer and environment activist, Kiran Manral, joins us for an honest discussion on the terrifying climate crisis, the importance of reading and her upcoming projects.
By Day One Staff
on 06 August 2020
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Kiran Manral
A journalist, a TEDx speaker, an entrepreneur, a researcher, an environmental activist – the feathers are unending on Kiran Manral’s cap. Ahead of Prime Day, we sat down with Ms. Manral for a heart to heart on many of her upcoming projects.
As a recipient of several awards such as the Women Achievers Award by Young Environmentalists Association and the recognition from Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, GoI, for excellence in the field of writing, Ms. Manral is no stranger to the spotlight. So when the spotlight was on her ahead of Prime Day, she chose to raise her voice for an issue that is critical to our entire generation.
Ms. Manral’s upcoming project revolves around climate change and pollution, which are two pressing issues of the modern day world and also happen to be her interest areas. As scientists estimate our inevitable doom inching closer day by day, we are now more than ever required to dwell on the impact we have in our daily lives on the environment. Ms. Manral says that she has written a few dystopian short fiction pieces which are based on the climate crisis, along with a series of reports on how pollution is impacting our health.
“
I worry about us, on this planet. I can see, year on year, how things are changing, how we are slowly tipping over. And I worry for our children.
Kiran Manral
”
An ardent lover of fiction, Ms. Manral says that “reading fiction helps you develop imagination, empathy, allows you to time travel, and live other lives”. She also dwells on the importance of non-fiction reading, which helps one widen their knowledge and assists in developing analytical skills. But above all, Ms. Manral takes joy in how “reading gives you words to put your thoughts into even when you speak or write”.
An award-winning writer herself, Ms Manral outlines the editor’s role in making sense of her ramblings and says how she is thankful to editors for deriving coherent sense out of long pieces at times. We are happy to have Ms. Manral’s writing as part of the Prime Reading program, and would recommend our readers to read her work Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change.
Prime Reading
Read the original here
Thanks to Karthik Venkatesh and Deepthi Talwar, my wonderful editors at Amazon Westland
August 5, 2020
New E-Book announcement: Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change
Thanks to the offspring for all his questions during the pandemic which led to this e-book. Gratitude to my fab editors at Westland Books, Karthik Venkatesh and Deepthi Talwar for seeing this one through. On @amazonIN Prime Day on @KindleIndia.
Link here: shorturl.at/hJRU0
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