A Killer in the Family

A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad, 320 pages

Ali is the second son of an established Mumbai family, happily letting his older brother stress over the family business while he partied his way through life. However, when his mom decides that he needs to grow up, well, he doesn't have much choice in the matter. Thankfully, she's picked Maryam, the daughter of New York real estate tycoon Abbas Khan, to be his wife, a relationship he happily supplements with an affair with Maryam's divorced sister, Farhan. As Ali gets more and more ensconced in the Khan family business, he begins to realize that there are some dark secrets in the family and chooses to launch his own investigation, completely unsure of where it will lead.

It's hard to read a book about the ultra-rich and feel any sympathy for them these days, but thankfully, no sympathy is required with this cast of characters. Generally speaking, they're all horrible in one way or another (some in multiple ways), and the plot keeps you guessing. I also appreciated seeing a non-white family at the center of one of these family thrillers, and the elements of Indian traditions and food were wonderful additions. Sure, there were some twists that were a bit obvious, but really, that's par for the course with these books. Definitely worth a read.

This book will be published April 7, 2026.

A selection of September graphic novels

The Old Guard 3 books by Greg Rucka with art by Leandro Fernandez (2017-2021) 481 pages

Book One: Opening Fire This brought back some memories of watching the movie on Netflix in 2020. A bit gory, but fast paced. Obviously you can read at a slower pace, but I feel like the story doesn't dwell too long on any one thing and keeps the action moving forward. Good job quickly establishing each character.

Book Two: Force Multiplied I really liked this continuation of the story. Andy's flashbacks, the introduction of Noriko, and Booker still being outcast from the group are solid plot elements. Themes of human trafficking and slavery, and whether the immortals work to make the world a better place or cynically view human life with little value are written well by Rucka. I think the art is as good as in the first volume.

Tales Through Time Book 1 Mixed bag. Many writers and artists get to play in different time periods with the Old Guard characters. I liked most of the short stories, but some are less impressive in building the world.

1177 B.C.: A Graphic History of the Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline with art by Glynnis Fawkes (2024) 256 pages

Adapted from a prose history book. Very detailed exploration of archeological findings surrounding the Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. Fawkes, the artist, injects funny asides and jokes throughout. This is not for a casual graphic novel reader. Only take a look if you are really interested in archeology or this time period.

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly with art by Brahm Revel (2023) 322 pages

Fascinating! And left open-ended for a possible second book illustrating Eugene Bullard's life after WWI. From inside the front cover flap, "Brahm Revel's clear and kinetic art captures moments from Bullard's life with remarkable empathy." The writing is strong too from the framing device to flashbacks in the Jim Crow South and escape to Europe. There is a great kinetic energy to the story. This covers Eugene's childhood, his many odd jobs as a young man, and serving in the French army during WWI. He became the first Black fighter pilot in WWI. I'm finding I really enjoy the quality of everything from publisher First Second.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani (2017) 176 pages

For Pri, her mother's homeland, India, can only exist in her imagination. Quick read. I like the story structure and the mix of magic and realism. I wish it was more detailed. Since it is aimed at teens, the shorter length feels a bit rushed. The art is great using both monochrome and color like the Wizard of Oz, except the one Uncle looks like a bobble-head.

Daytripper by Fabio Moon with art by Gabriel Ba (2011) 256 pages

Nonlinear in the best way. Bras is an obit writer for a Brazilian newspaper. Learning of peoples' lives at the point of their death seems like a directionless job for a writer rather than a chance to explore profound themes. Or is it?! The writer and artist, twin brothers, speculate about the choices we make using Bras' life. In diverging timelines, what does Bras' life look like if he died at 32, 21, 28, 41, at 11, 33, 38, 47, or 76. His family and one friend, named Jorge, remain fairly constant. The brothers delve into so much beauty and suffering associated with life by building plots around different unexpected deaths. It is deep and subtle storytelling, keenly felt and at times surreal.

Say You'll Be Mine

Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar, 322 pages

When English teacher Meghna's best friend/writing partner/ex-boyfriend she still can't get over invites her to be the best man at his wedding, she says yes...and then immediately regrets it, as she doesn't have a boyfriend to bring along. Enter Karthik, an engineer who is humoring his mother by agreeing to her traditional Indian matchmaking attempts, despite the fact that Karthik has no intention of ever getting married. When Karthik's mom arranges a meeting between the two, Karthik and Meghna agree to a fake engagement to placate Karthik's mom while making Meghna seem a bit less pathetic during her friend's wedding festivities. But this is a romance novel and fake dating never stays fake...

For a debut novel, this one is pretty darn good. I loved the characters and the representation, and I'd love to read more of Kumar's books in the future. The one thing that got to me was the long-distance element of the relationship. Karthik lives in New York, Meghna lives in Dallas, and they are constantly flying back and forth to visit each other (and to Miami for a bachelor party) for the sake of this fake relationship, with no financial hesitation. Who the heck has that kind of money?? Other than that though, I thought this was a charming novel.

Well-Behaved Indian Women

Well-Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave, 385 pages

Simran seems to have everything lined up for a fantastic life: she's living in New York, she's finishing up her Master's in psychology, and her fiance is a medical resident with a promising future. But as planning for a large Indian wedding moves along, the cracks in her life begin to appear. Simultaneously, her mother, Nandini, is similarly experiencing some strain from her in-laws, as well as Simran's future mother-in-law. It doesn't help that mother and daughter can't seem to talk, or get a hold of Nandini's mom back in India. Can the women hold it together to see this wedding through?

Dave's debut novel, this book shows the pressures of not only being a woman, but being an Indian-American woman, tasked with serving traditional in-laws in a society that keeps pressuring women to "lean in." It's illuminating and fascinating (I'm *so glad* my wedding preparations were not like this!), and I look forward to what Dave writes in the future.

The Marriage Game

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai, 338 pages

Fresh off a horrendous breakup (and the viral video that accompanied it and caused her to be fired from her job), Layla Patel heads back home to San Francisco to get a new start. She's ready to start her own business as a job recruiter, which her dad is happy to help with, giving her the office above his Michelin-starred Indian restaurant. Unfortunately, he's also leased the office to business downsizing consultant Sam Mehta, who he neglects to tell about Layla's reappearance. Soon enough, the two are uncomfortably sharing an office, and, to throw an extra wrench into things, Layla has to deal with the bachelors that keep showing up in the office. Why? Because Mr. Patel listed his daughter on an arranged marriage website for Indian Americans, and invited a handful to meet his daughter. Somehow, the fight for the office and Mr. Patel's well-meaning matchmaking become tied into a bet, and even though they can't stand each other, Layla and Sam spending way too much time together.

It's an interesting mix of the pros and cons of arranged marriage, as well as the enemies-become-lovers trope of romance novels. And Desai did such a good job of describing the fantastic Indian food that my mouth was watering as I read the book (and I'm not even a huge fan of the cuisine). I enjoyed the various elements of the story, though on the whole, it wasn't my favorite romance novel.

Good talk

Good talk / Mira Jacob, read by Mira Jacob + full cast, 355 pgs.

I read this book earlier but doubled back to listen to the audio.  How could the audio improve on the graphic lit format of the book?  Well, I can't explain it but it does.  It is absolutely brilliant and I can't praise it enough.  Background sounds, a cast that replicates conversations between key characters and wonderful content.  This is the audio book you have been waiting for.

Good talk

Good talk: a memoir in conversations / Mira Jacob, 355 pgs.

I loved the graphic format of this memoir.  Author Jacob places drawings of speakers over a series of photos and drawings.  The effect is amazing.  I really got a feel for the people by viewing the cartoon versions of them.  But aside from the visual presentation, the memoir is excellent talking about growing up a super minority in New Mexico (supposedly the 3rd Indian family to move there).  Figuring out what it means to be a minority as you grow up. Marrying and having a son who is bi-racial and trying to figure out how to teach him what that means.  Then real life historic events including 9-11 and the election of the last few presidents.  This is really an impressive memoir.

Unbecoming

Unbecoming: a memoir of disobedience / Anuradha Bhagwati, read by the author, 321 pgs.

Bhagwati always chaffed against her conservative Indian parents (both economists) and spent her younger years feeling like she did not fit in anywhere.  Somewhat inspired by the movie G. I. Jane, she abandons grad school and joins the Marine Corps.  When her training begins, she realizes the movie might not have been exactly accurate.  She is subjected to racism, sexual violence, sexism and harassment at a level she was not anticipating.  She works hard at overcoming obstacles and standing up for herself, often pushing herself to her limits.  Post Marine life is spend dealing with her various traumas and advocating for changes.  She throws herself into political activism and makes progress changing laws and attitudes affecting military women. This memoir is so different because the author has done things that so few of us have done.  Certainly a lot of insight into problems for women in the military and the many changes that are still needed.  Personally a story of struggle with a lot of triumph but sometimes more struggle.

A Place for Us

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, 385 pages.

The story opens with Amir returning for his sister Hadia
's wedding and then jumps back to Amir, Hadia, and Huda's childhood in California. Their parents, Layla and Rafiq, are devout Muslims and strict parents. Huda and Hadia do their best to please their parents, but Amir chafes at their rules and rebels. Amir blames himself for a lot of his failings as a dutiful son, but as we hear their stories and see the crossroads traveled by the family and the choices they make, we realize that not all the fault is his. But, honestly, most of it is. A pretty good book.