Review of Dharma

[Kelly Jurkowski]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Dharma" by Vee (Vijaya) Kumari.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Just three years after her father’s brutal murder, Professor Rheka Rao finds herself in the role of investigator when her friend and mentor, Professor Joseph Faust, is bludgeoned to death. In Dharma: A Rheka Rao Mystery, Vee Kumari introduces us to the Indiana American Art History professor called in to assist the handsome detective Al Newton by identifying the rare statue used in the crime. When Rheka’s father was murdered outside his clinic, she put everything else aside to find his killer, without success, and now Rheka struggles to keep her PTSD in check as she follows a similar path. Against Detective Newton’s warnings, Rao begins to ask questions as she seeks answers about who could want to harm the well-liked and highly respected archeology professor. As one of her students becomes the prime suspect, Rao looks into other suspects, including Professor Faust’s wife and cross-dressing son and colleagues at Oxy Occidental University.

This lively mystery is full of historical art and traditions as we are taken into Rao’s life as an Indian American. Kumari rounds out Roa’s race for justice with her brother, Sanjay, and their mother and grandmother. The family dynamics and never-ceasing matchmaking efforts bring a lighthearted aspect to this baffling mystery.

As Professor Rao juggles her university and family responsibilities, we are taken along on her dangerous investigation into the brutal murder. As each chapter unfolds, more clues evolve, and the intrigue builds. Just when you think you know who killed Faust, the author throws you a curveball that crumbles your theory of the crime. I appreciated the clarity of the author as she explained the artifacts and cultural aspects of the book. Ree Kumari’s imagery allowed the reader to see the artifacts and settings as clearly as if a movie was playing in your head. I could almost smell and taste the Indian species as she and her mother cooked.

While there was one minor timeline error, Dharma was an exceptionally well-written book that was a pleasure to read. I read the Amazon Kindle version, and about half of the chapters had a minor formatting error where the first two letters are written without a space between them. The first letter is written in a much larger font in the other chapters, and it appears this was just a formatting area with the ebook version. These errors were not distracting and in no way hindered my enjoyment of this book.

As I stated, the minor formatting issues did not distract from the reading, and I rate Dharma: A Rheka Rao Mystery a four out of four stars . I would highly recommend Vee Kumari’s debut novel to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery. However, there is graphic detail of the murder that would not be suitable for very young readers. I am looking forward to reading more from this author and hope that Rheka Rao becomes the heroine of many more books to come.

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Dharma
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[Latisha McDaniel]

This novel definitely sounds very interesting because the reader can get a glimpse into the culture and lifestyle of an Indian American family while a mystery unfolds. I look forward to reading it. Thank you!