The Secret Keeper of Jaipur Informal Buddy Read

[Lea]

Kim E. and I are going to read this book, others are welcome to join!

We were going to read it in the beginning of March, but I did get a copy of this book today...so I could start it earlier...

[Kim. E.]

I sent you a quick message. Putting my bag as I write this. :-)

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "I sent you a quick message. Putting my bag as I write this. :-)"

It's on! :-) I hope it will be good!

[Lea]

Well, that started out with a bang. :-)

[Kim. E.]

So as I type this I’m waiting for official word from nurse to discharge today. You would think reading would be an easy event at the hospital but not so much.

I’m starting Chapter 6. I was listening to The Henna Artist on audiobook earlier this week as a reminder but I think this book would be fine on it’s on.

My curiosity is climbing - know there are needed answers coming

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "So as I type this I’m waiting for official word from nurse to discharge today. You would think reading would be an easy event at the hospital but not so much.

I’m starting Chapter 6. I was listening to The Henna Artist on audiobook earlier this week as a reminder but I think this book would be fine on it’s on.

My curiosity is climbing - know there are needed answers coming"

I hope your mom's discharge went well and she is able to recover at home. I find reading at a hospital very difficult - I feel like it is "hurry up and stop" all of the time with all of the distractions.

I'm in the middle of Chapter 12. And I have a lot of questions too. I hope it isn't going where I think it might be going...

[Kim. E.]

Not much happened there with the reading and we weren't home until after 8 pm, so to say I was exhausted is minor. After mostly sleeping and recovering from a fall I am active in the book and in chapter 7 where the tension is rising.

I'm curling up on couch and hoping to get as far as possible tonight because I'm now invested

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "Not much happened there with the reading and we weren't home until after 8 pm, so to say I was exhausted is minor. After mostly sleeping and recovering from a fall I am active in the book and in chapter 7 where the tension is rising.

I'm curling up on couch and hoping to get as far as possible tonight because I'm now invested"

I hope you got some good reading in, Kim, but more than that, I hope you got good rest!!

I really hope that the Singh family is held responsible for the collapse, because I don't like them. I suspect the accountant will be responsible, because accountants are easy to hate, almost as easy as lawyers. Says the accountant. :-) :-) :-)

[Kim. E.]

I curled up under a blanket on the couch and in between naps I read all the way through! Once I could focus I couldn't stop.

Had to laugh about the accountant comment above. Yes, he seemed a clear person to be held.

I am looking forward to discuss all this with you. So easy to detest some, be surprised by others, and even a few tears.

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "I curled up under a blanket on the couch and in between naps I read all the way through! Once I could focus I couldn't stop.

Had to laugh about the accountant comment above. Yes, he seemed a clear person to be held.

I am looking forward to discuss all this with you. So easy to detest some, be surprised by others, and even a few tears."

It sounds like you liked the book, by your comments! That makes me happy. I am now in Chapter 22, will hurry to finish. Lakshmi has arrived in Jaipur, and Malik is beginning to try and solve the mystery. But, they are short on time. I'm very interested.

[Lea]

I really liked the book. 3.5 stars. I preferred The Henna Artist to this book, I thought the plot to the first book was a bit more tightly written. I also thought the ending to this book was not very surprising, whereas I was kept guessing a little more in the first book. That said, this book had all the feels and I loved the epilogue. It was gratifying to have the ending happen the way it did, because at least some of the people who were involved in the scheme got held accountable, but I was looking at it as a mystery and this one was pretty easy to solve. I did have a soft spot in my poor accountant and the theatre manager, and of course the old Maharani. What are your thoughts, Kim?

And the food. Oh my goodness, I need to pull out our Indian cookbook tonight and see what we can make!

[Kim. E.]

I was quite tickled by the way the scene went down in the cinema with all the parties there in their various roles abd issues. And I definitely loved the epilogue because now I can rest knowing where everyone goes. I don’t always like those, but in this case after the two books it left me fulfilled and I needed that at the moment.

It wasn’t too hard to solve the mystery, but I was intrigued with some of the roles, and it’s going to encourage me to read more and learn more about the history and culture and that’s never a bad move.

It didn’t hold me the way The Henna Artist did, but a worthy continuation when I loved the first one so much. And Lashkmi (not access to my notes right now to be sure of the spelling) is a woman that I admire by her strength, boldness, courage .

So glad we read this!!