The Masala Chai Mystery Club
Cozy Mystery
Setting – Connecticut
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : July 21, 2026
Print length : 336 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-13 : 979-8892426084
ASIN : B0FX81W3KJ
Paperback
ISBN-13 : 979-8892426091
ASIN : B0FX82NB82
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 979-8892426107
ASIN : B0FX7ZLPGJ
Audiobook
ASIN B0FY46MNLH
Suspects abound when a much-despised neighbor is killed, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.
Retired librarian Neeti Shah was hoping for a restful life with her chai-loving friends, but when the body of a neighbor, a childhood friend of Neeti’s, turns up dead and the killer’s MO is similar to that of Neeti’s most recent book club read, things start to get out of control.
When Neeti hears a commotion at a neighbor’s house, she finds Rohit’s body sprawled across the bottom of the staircase with Agatha Christie’s Dumb Witness nearby. Blackmailing his neighbors, threatening them with lawsuits, and calling them by nasty nicknames were only some of the hateful things that made him so disliked. But were they angry enough to kill?
Neeti is indebted to her old friend, and she’s determined to find his killer. But she can’t do it alone, so she enlists her mystery-loving friends, the Masala Chai Mystery Club, to get to the bottom of the murder.
But Neeti and her club members need to be careful. As more bodies turn up and more suspects start to appear, they’ll need to find the killer before they end up in hot water!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Neeti Shah is looking for ways to fill her time now that she is retired from the library. She is happy to spend time with her friends enjoying their masala chai, but she needs something more. She never imagined that it would be investigating a murder. The fact that parts of the crime mirrored her book club’s latest read, and that a copy of the book, Agatha Christie’s Dumb Witness near the body, made the case downright eerie.
Rohit has been her friend since their childhood in India and was now her neighbor; she has to find his killer. She knows she can’t do it alone, so the mystery-loving friends of her book club become the Masala Chai Mystery Club, and together they are determined to solve Rohit’s murder, which gets more complicated as more bodies pile up and the pool of suspects gets deeper.
Neeti Shah loved being a librarian. Books were a touchstone, and reading breathed in life. She was lost when she was forced to retire. She found joy in having her niece, Myra, and her nephew, Ved, live with her. She also had many friends in her multicultural community. Myra came to live with Neeti when she quit college and had Ved out of wedlock. Her parents basically disowned her and moved to Florida. Neeti welcomed them with open arms. Myra is trying to create a new life, and Neeti is giving her time to do so. Both characters are flawed. Myra comes across as insecure and immature, and Neeti mothers her too much, but they each fill a space in each other’s lives. There is a very large cast of characters. I appreciated the highlight feature on my Kindle to help keep them all straight. Yolo stole my heart.
Murder victim Rohit was not well-liked in his community with very good reason. He was very disrespectful, calling his neighbors offensive nicknames and threatening lawsuits. While others thought his death was an accident, Neeti thinks there is more to the story. I enjoyed the way the book club tackled the case and that one of their recent reads is relevant. I also liked that an officer was willing to listen and help. I was able to home in on the guilty party much sooner than Neeti did, but it didn’t diminish my enjoyment.
I loved all the cultural references and Neeti’s community. The friendships and how people came together. Neeti was an interesting protagonist, and we share a love of reading and books. The Agatha Christie tie-in was fun. I have not read Dumb Witness, but plan to check it out.
You can tell The Masala Chai Mystery Club is this author’s debut novel. You can see her refining her craft throughout this story. It has a great premise and a solid foundation, but it could have benefited from another strong edit. Several characters floated through the story with no real purpose unless there is a book two coming soon. If these characters are revisited in a second story, I would be open to reading it or other cozy fiction written by Ms. Soni.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
MJ Soni’s short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Akashic Books, and Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories. She penned her memoir, Defying Apartheid, which captures her experiences as a young activist in South Africa, after a writing class at her local community center.
A lifelong fan of Agatha Christie, she now draws upon her love of the culture and cuisine of her diverse Indian, African, and American background to write heartwarming murder mysteries set largely in coastal New England.
She’s a recipient of the Leon B. Burstein/MWA-NY Scholarship and a runner-up to the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a Pitch Wars mentee and mentor, and a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime National, and Sisters in Crime–CT.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
A Cultivated Corpse (A Food Blogger Mystery)
Debra Sennefelder lives and writes in Connecticut, where she lives with her family and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu. An avid reader across a range of genres, mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. She’s the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. When she’s not writing, she’s either baking or reading. To learn more, visit her on the web at 
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