The Siya Rajput Crime Thrillers Box Set: Books 1–3

I received a review copy of this book set from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. This is one more intense series of books. I’m not sure which of the three books is the most intense, but they are all edge of your seat thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of family unity and togetherness that permeates the stories; especially between Siya (the main character) and her sister. The relationships here feel authentic, the investigations are intelligent and tech-savvy, and the action is realistic, for the most part. In the second and third books the “bad guys” come out of thin air without any hint beforehand of who they are, but it doesn’t feel overly contrived. In the first book, the reader is aware of who the primary “bad guy” is, but there is another operating in the shadows. That character I managed to figure out ahead of time, but it’s the only time I did.
With all of that being said, I did have some rather major issues with the books. At the end of Where Are They Now (book 1) Siya decides not to renew her law license. Then in Finding Her (book 2), when an old boyfriend asks for help in finding out who killed his sister’s family, she agrees to pretend to be the suspect’s court-appointed lawyer. At one point she even admits that as soon as she finds out what happened she is walking out on her “client”. And even though she uses the “everything you tell me is confidential” spiel, she immediately tells the lead detective what the suspect told her. This from a defense attorney. I have a major problem with her lack of ethics in this situation. She would have found herself in jail for ethics violations and for destroying the prosecution’s case if she had been discovered. Of course, all works out in the end, but that bugged me. Also, how the lead police detective constantly gives her inside information. No court in the world would prosecute a suspect when the defense attorney was getting that type of information and functioning as an ad hoc detective. Crazy. I know it is fiction, but there should be some semblance of how police function in the real world when police procedure is the basis of your story.
My other issue with the series is the lack of the services of an editor. There were multiple issues of misspelled words, wrong character names, and the wrong use of English slang. It was rather distracting. However, seeing as I still gave the set a 5-star rating, has to tell you something. I would like to read the next book in the series, but the serial killer from book 1 makes a reappearance and I’m not sure my blood pressure can stand it. Make sure you check out these books if you haven’t already.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every story of Siya Rajput. These are great crime stories that keep the reader glued to the pages. I voluntarily reviewed this boxset.

These are the three books about Siya Rajput brought together in a boxset. I’ve read all three of them separately and give you a review of each one.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
When CID of Pune (India’s 8th biggest metropole, aka Poona) is called for the murder of a young professional woman in one of the affluent area’s of the city, inspector Kapil Rathod notices similarities with the crime scene of a woman that disappeared 16 years earlier. When not only a lock of hair from the kidnapped Naina Rajput is found but also a message in her blood to her daughter Siya Rajput (there’s more to come, say hi to Siya) the old investigation is opened again.
3 years ago, lawyer and private investigator Siya Rajput made a mistake when she defended a murderer she believed to be innocent, who went straight back to killing once he was free. Ever since then, she keeps away from legal affairs. She works now as a teacher in a college and planned to have her legal license expire. Now with this new evidence, her options change. Will she leave this to CID or will she investigate herself? Not only her mother disappeared, but 3 months later, her dad vanished as well. Is there any doubt that she will continue the search for her mother?
Then, 5 years ago, she was elemental in the catch of Kishore Zakkal, the man responsible for the kidnapping of Siya’s mother and 6 other women and a murder in America. He never wanted to disclose if the women he took were still alive or their whereabouts. Now they now that Naina was still alive very recently, at the time her hair was pulled out. So even from his cell, Zakkal has still the reigns in his hand and obviously, he has a ‘student’ or ‘protegee’ that follows the same MO and tactics. However much control Zakkal thinks he has, he cannot pull the strings of someone else as efficiently as his own.

Apart from the names and places, you can hardly tell that this story takes place in India. The author rarely mentions a traditional costume, a song on the radio or other local habits. This could be anywhere in the world. Siya definitely has a weakness for Chinese cuisine, that I can hardly imagine as being the lame version we see over here. If this proves anything it’s that India is not a third world country for a growing part of the population. The poorer areas of the city are mentioned only once as the place where the wife of a murdered inmate lives and are not described. There are few descriptions, apart from the villa where they live, in the book anyway.
The writer is not blind though for the widespread corruption and bribery amongst politicians, lawyers, prison guards, and the police just as well as in other sectors, due to very low wages and greed.
I put questions by the pleasant and easy cooperation from the police with a private detective who’s also family of one of the victims.
I also doubt that the police can go to a prison at night to interrogate a prisoner. I don’t know, maybe it has to do with the climate or so but in Belgium urgent or not, over here prisons close for visitors, lawyers and the police at night.
I like the idea of pet-friendly cafes. But I’m not sure what’s understood as a café in India. Here in Belgium, a café is mainly a pub, similar to the French café-bar-tabac. Or do they mean something like an English café, like a greasy spoon what you see on Eastenders? From the context and the characteristics of Radha herself, I imagine something that we call a tearoom, especially as it’s also a book-café.
The psychology of the criminals, their motivations and the relation between both killers are very meticulously researched and the author paints a gruesome, frightening picture of predators that lurk unnoticed (until it’s too late) amongst us. I must say that in several places Zakkal reminds me of Hannibal Lecter.
This is a well-constructed story with credible and likeable characters. Although Siya is a bit too perfect for my liking. She could do with a few flaws. The book is suspenseful and a thrilling read. You want so much that she finds her mother alive and well.

FINDING HER
Siya, an Indian lawyer, can’t forgive herself for an error she made 3 years earlier and gave up her practice. Then she receives a phone call from a childhood friend. His sister’s family is murdered but her 8-year-old daughter is missing. As the police have the alleged killer in custody, her friend asks her to be his defence lawyer in the hope to find out the whereabouts of his niece this way.

The book is a real thriller with lots of twists and turns, and the outcome is even more gruesome than you can imagine. Do not read this if you have a weak stomach because even though the horrors are described in a rather clinical and clean manner, it is what is behind the words what is sickening. Just knowing that such animals exist puts you out of your comfort zone. I haven’t read any other contemporary Indian writers, so I can’t compare but I think he could have done more with the ‘couleur locale’. He sprinkles some local words in e.g. when referring to food or clothes but I miss the description of the streets, people, what the food looks and tastes like, local tidbits of history and other common (local) knowledge. Also is the book placed in the very well-to-do higher middle class and the story can effortlessly be taken away from India and put into any American city. Maybe I’m nagging but is India that dangerous that as a lawyer you need to carry a gun or are the weapons a remainder of her PI days? What are the gun laws in India, actually? Apart from that, I can recommend this book to anyone that likes to read crime fiction with action as well as brainwork.

THE BONES ARE CALLING
In 2003 (16 years ago) Siya’s father, a policeman went missing. Now she receives a phone call from a voice that says to have information about his disappearance. When she gets there, she doesn’t see anyone and loses conscience somehow. When she wakes up she’s covered in blood and there’s an unknown, stabbed woman in her car boot. She’s brought to a befriended doctor but dies on the operating table. It remains the question if the woman is a friend or foe but she has undergone extensive cosmetic surgeries.
Meanwhile, senior investigator Kapil Rathod and his partner Mahesh Bhalerao are called to a lavish residential complex. The owners of the flat, a cosmetic surgeon and her husband a gynaecologist, are shot as well as an unidentified male in shabby clothes.
Both crimes could be connected and Siya and Rathod will work together once more. This time, without official permission. ACP Shukla is vivid when he finds out and makes her swear that this will be the last time that she interferes with a police investigation. So, it leaves to be seen what will happen in the next book.

In this third book, there are far more references to local food, religion, clothing and other aspects of daily life. It adds more atmosphere to the story. I don’t know if the change in eating habits (they suddenly eat fewer take-outs and now have regular home-cooked meals) happens under the influence of maa, but is definitely more realistic.
This story is also more of a straight forward police procedural, despite the meddling of ‘private detective’ Siya. She always claims that she’s given up that line of work and her lawyer license has expired but I never see her teaching or going to the college where she teaches. Well, maybe it is summer vacation? The involvement of civilians to the extent that Siya (and in the end, Radha even teams up with Shukla as SWAT) are, is of course totally ridiculous in real life but it makes a great story. It’s written that well and suspenseful that you realise the unlikeliness only later.
It’s also faster-paced than the 2 previous ones. Overall, this book is even better than those, the second was also better than the first. That promises for the fourth in the series!
I think that it’s a shame that Rathod is already married with kids. They would have made a cute and nice couple.
I lost another night of sleep as I really wanted to know what was happening and read the book in a day and night. Well worth the effort though.
I received a free ARC from the author and this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

Action packed series about criminal lawyer turned PI and police consultant. You get all the crime stories while getting to know Siya and all her family problems. Grabs your attention and keeps it. I enjoyed my ARC copy of this set. I never suspected the person who turned out to be person behind everything in the last book. Yes there will be another book.