Culture, History, Duty... and Murder (Dharma Book REVIEW)

An ancient Indian artifact. A dead archeologist. An attractive art history professor. A dangerous ex. A determined cop. A pair of eager-beaver college students. And secrets, so many secrets. 

Sounds like the key elements in a new Indiana Jones tale, doesn’t it? Instead, they’re all part of author Vee Kumari’s first novel, Dharma (A Rekha Rao Mystery), which I’m joining on a virtual book tour, today! 

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When professor Rekha Rao wakes up one Saturday morning, the last thing she expects is a call asking her to assist the police. Actually, make that the next-to-the-last thing; the last thing is what the police want from her, which is to help identify an ancient statue that was used to bludgeon a murder victim, then left atop the body. 

The victim? Her mentor and friend, Dr. Joseph Faust, a fellow professor at the same college.

Rekha really doesn’t want to get involved, for reasons that go much deeper than the horrifying nature of Faust’s death. Her own father was murdered, a few years earlier, and Rekha obsessed over the details for years. Being so close to that investigation left a bad taste in her mouth for the police, and for their ability (or inability, with her father) to solve murder cases.

She’s also still reeling from the after-shocks of escaping the clutches of an abusive ex-boyfriend… an ordeal that left her so shaken, she quit her job at a prestigious university, moved, found work at a smaller college, and has been looking over her shoulder ever since, knowing from experience he’s not a man to give up. 

But Rekha cannot escape her dharma, the strong sense of duty ingrained in her by her traditional Indian-American parents. Regardless of what she would rather do—just let the police handle things, and hope for the best—that isn’t an option. For her mentor—and in a sense, for her father, whose death she’s still no closer to understanding—she’s determined to uncover the truth, and find justice… no matter the cost to herself. With a killer still on the loose, though, she can only pray that cost is not too high.

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As a now-retired professor, Kumari brings an intimate knowledge of life in academia to Dharma, which is vital, since the setting is almost another character in the story.

More important is the unique cultural perspective she provides, via her Indian-American professor-cum-sleuth, Rekha. Scenes with family—both immediate and extended—allow a fascinating look at customs which are still being followed. And in Rekha, we see a blending of cultures, of tradition and modern attitudes, as her impetuous, impulsive actions increasingly contradict her quite formal—stiff, even—manner. 

Kumari succeeds in her freshman foray into mystery-writing, providing a fine “whodunit”. (Although I guessed the “who” early on, the “whydunit” was unexpected, and the reasoning for both holds up.)

The only nitpicking I have is that this book would’ve benefited overall from another round of content editing… to make it tighter (cutting sections that go on a bit too long, or are repetitive), while expanding other areas (the romance isn’t very compelling, given that there’s really no build-up to establish it). 

On the whole, though, Dharma is an easy recommendation for readers looking for a leisurely-paced, intelligent mystery with an unusual heroine… one it would be good to see more of, in future. :)

~GlamKitty

[First Aside: As an Angeleno, Dharma’s setting—the greater Los Angeles metro area, particularly Pasadena, as well as Eagle Rock, DTLA, West Hollywood, Culver City, and the Valley—brings an extra dose of enjoyment for me, as I’m quite familiar with so many of the places—streets, establishments, and neighborhoods—depicted herein. :)]

[Second Aside: Although I really do miss dead-tree books—I requested/received one for this review, since I planned on doing some reading out on my patio during the COVID pandemic lockdowns, and my iPad has too much glare for outdoor use—the photos below illustrate another good reason to go digital. Oh, Boycat… ;)]