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‘The Housemaid’s Secret’ is the sequel to ‘The Housemaid’ and this is perhaps one of those rare times when the second book is better than the first. It’s much more engaging than the first, and that’s saying a lot because The Housemaid was a tense thriller.

In Housemaid, we met Millie as she was desperately searching for a job. Then Nina Winchester hires her to help clean her beautiful home. The messes keep piling up, Nina accuses her of stealing her clothes, and Nina’s daughter hates her. The only respite comes in the form of Andrew, Nina’s husband, who seems to understand Millie and the two soon develop feelings for each other. But things aren’t as they seem and everything quickly goes downhill for Millie.

The Housemaid’s Secret doesn’t begin where the first book left off. Quite a few things have happened in Millie’s life since then. Millie is now working as a nanny and has a wonderful, caring boyfriend called Brock. Then she gets fired from the job when the baby calls her ‘mama’ instead of her real mother. Brock asks her to move in with him but, as lovely as he is, she just can’t bring herself to take that next step in their relationship.

So, she needs another job immediately. She has to pay rent for her decrepit room. But she is unable to find one. Then Douglas Garrick, CEO of Coinstock, contacts Millie. He says he and his wife require Millie to cook and clean their house twice or thrice a week. Douglas tells Millie that his wife Wendy is sick and not to disturb her. It seems like an innocent request and Millie agrees.

But soon Millie starts to hear cries from the bedroom. She finds a nightdress with blood along the neckline when doing the laundry. She sees Wendy with bruises on her face. Millie realizes Douglas is an abusive husband and wants to help Wendy escape but Wendy is far too scared of Douglas to let Millie help her. But Millie doesn’t give up and manages to help Wendy. What happens after that is for the readers to find out. Saying anything more would spoil the fun of reading it.

What I can say is that McFadden’s writing and craft have gotten better with each book. The Housemaid’s Secret kept me riveted. I was constantly second-guessing every action and I got quite a few things right. I could see where the story was headed yet I wasn’t prepared for many of the twists in the book.

There is a lot of tension and a fair bit of drama in the book. The story picks up in the second half and I didn’t want to put it down. You could read The Housemaid and then read the second book in the series if you want to know Millie’s backstory but it isn’t necessary. The Housemaid’s Secret works well as a standalone novel. With short chapters and crazy situations, the book will keep you entertained.

Fiction

The Housemaid’s Secret

Freida McFadden

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 365, Paperback

I love breakfast. The idea of it makes me happy. A Pinterest-worthy elaborate spread of toast, muffins, eggs, sausages, bacon, pan-fried potatoes, tea (for my husband), and coffee (for me) is what I aspire for on the rare occasions when our schedules allow us to indulge in a breakfast or brunch session. I don’t enjoy cooking very much but putting together breakfast is something I’m more than capable of. It doesn’t seem like too much effort. And I love how different textures and tastes come together for a satisfying meal.

Chikusa in Thamel, Kathmandu, used to be our go-to brunch spot. Then we moved and Thamel is so out of the way that we rarely ever go there. Now we occasionally try out new restaurants, in hopes of finding a place that serves a nice breakfast. We haven’t been lucky. I thought it would change when we decided to go to Mr. Breakfast in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, on Christmas this year. I had heard quite a bit about it from my colleagues. Though the reviews were mixed, I was looking forward to it.

The place looks nice and has different kinds of seating arrangements that are visible right from the road. There’s even a cute balcony with a wrought iron table and two chairs. We thought we would sit there but it was a bit cramped and the chairs weren’t very comfortable either. We chose to sit on the bigger veranda space that had rattan furniture.

The server came quickly with the menus, which we appreciated because we were famished. A glance at it made us believe we were in for a treat. There was quite a range of options, from all the usual breakfast items to grilled chicken and other heavier meals. We took our time to decide as everything sounded really good.

We settled on a breakfast set and pancakes to start with. The set had eggs benedict, croissant, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, potatoes, sausages, bacon, baked beans, a bowl of lettuce with dressing drizzled on top, and a bowl of fruits dipped in yogurt. It came with a choice of tea or coffee. They even let us select one from the available teas on the menu. My husband chose the tulsi tea instead of the regular milk tea. I ordered a cappuccino.

Good things first: The cappuccino came within minutes. It was what you would expect while ordering a cappuccino. They didn’t make a fuss about changing the tea that came with the breakfast set to one that’s available à la carte. And they did it at no additional cost. The server was nice, refilling our glasses of water without us even having to ask. The food was on the table within 20 minutes or so. It was plated nicely and looked delicious.

There’s nothing that can go wrong with set breakfasts. Toast is toast, unless you burn it but nobody will serve you charred bread. Fried sausages and bacon are always sinfully delightful. Grilled tomatoes taste the same everywhere. The eggs benedict, on the other hand, can be a game-changer. I was looking forward to digging into some lusciousness. But the bread was stale and the whole thing felt off. I pointed this out to the server who said they don’t bake their own bread. I didn’t know what to say to such a silly excuse. He told me he would get me a feedback form and he didn’t.

I’m a sucker for pancakes. I could have them for dinner. So, I ate my share without any complaints. There were two pieces on one plate. My husband thought it was a bit too doughy and stuck to the roof of your mouth.

We ordered grilled chicken with mashed potatoes since the breakfast wasn’t very filling. This we enjoyed. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the chicken was juicy and tender. The vegetables on the side had just the right amount of crisp. We should have just skipped breakfast and gone straight for the mains instead.

Our verdict was that Mr Breakfast wasn’t trying hard enough to stand out. It’s serving the same kind of items at similar prices. It has to work on its menu to give its customers a reason to go back. It has a lot of potential as it’s located in a nice area and the stakeholders seem to have put in a lot of thought in decorating the space to make it feel calm and relaxing.

Some books never leave your mind. You see their spine on the bookshelf and are transported back to that time and space. You remember how you felt while reading it. ‘The Missing’ by Chris Mooney is one of those books for me. I had to sleep with the lights on after finishing the book. I must have recommended it to all of my reader friends and they too had similar reactions. It’s horrifying. It’s so good.

Mooney is the critically acclaimed author of Deviant Ways, World Without End, and Remembering Sarah, which was nominated for the Barry Award and the Edgar Award for Best Novel. Mooney’s other works are also equally terrifying and I love many more titles apart from The Missing. But The Missing is my favorite because it was my first time reading the author and I wasn’t prepared for what was coming. I later found out that it was also the first book in the CSI Darby McCormick series.

Specific scenes of the book still make me shudder. I decided to reread it to see if it still evokes the same feelings as it did a decade ago when I first read it. It was every bit as satisfying. Mooney is a great storyteller with a special penchant for crafting characters you will come to love and then throwing them into highly unlikely and unsettling scenarios. Something about it just makes your heart race. You feel for these people and become invested in the story.

CSI Darby McCormick finds an emaciated woman hiding at a kidnap site. DNA tests confirm she is the same woman who has been missing for five years. She has somehow managed to escape the dungeon in which she had been held captive. Then a teenage girl goes missing and Darby begins to hunt for the dungeon as she suspects a sadistic serial killer is on the prowl. She soon discovers that she has a past with the kidnapper/murderer and that she might be his next victim.

I don’t want to say anything else and ruin the suspense. I feel too many emotions for this book so I don’t trust myself not to say anything to spoil it for those who haven’t read it. But I can safely say that everyone will enjoy this book. The plot is good. The writing is superb. The author has mastered the pacing and tension-building that makes a good thriller. But The Missing isn’t just a blood-curdling psychological thriller. Mooney knows how to evoke empathy and question your morals. So, it makes for an interesting, wholesome read. Best, the ending will make you squirm.

Fiction

The Missing

Chris Mooney

Published: 2007

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 403, Paperback

‘How to Kill Your Family’ is narrated in the first-person by Grace Bernard, a 20-something Londoner who hates her millionaire father. He refused to acknowledge her as his daughter. She and her mother had miserable lives while he shuffled between his luxury homes. Now, Grace’s mother is dead and she wants revenge. She wants to kill her father, but not before she kills the rest of his family members. She wants him to suffer.

 But before she can kill him, she ends up in prison. She isn’t caught for the many murders that she does commit but for one she had nothing to do with. In prison, Grace keeps a journal in which she documents the six murders she committed. She describes them in great detail, almost relishing them and in her flawless execution.

The book had potential—the plot is interesting. The characters are well-crafted. But the author didn’t flesh out the story beforehand. The first few chapters are good and the story picks up pace mid-way. But the ending feels forced and abrupt. Grace kills people in ingenious ways but that’s all she’s doing and after a few murders you can guess what she’s going to do. It gets repetitive and boring.

The story is peppered with biting commentary on the consumerist culture. These bits are fun and provide insight into Grace’s mindset and what drives her. But Grace still comes across as acerbic and annoying. I could never empathize with her. Even when some people have been kind and taken care of her, she’s been ungrateful, always questioning their motives. She never grew on me.

Also, since the story is narrated only from Grace’s perspective, you get a one-dimensional view of what’s happening. Grace is a cynical narrator and thus every character comes across as silly and vile. There is only black and white in Grace’s world and as a reader you find Grace’s ideas being forced onto you. It’s quite a discomfiting feeling at times.

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie is a light read you will forget the minute you finish it. It goes downhill pretty quickly. But you will have some fun while reading it. The writing is humorous and some passages will resonate with you, or you will vehemently disagree with the protagonist’s ideas. Whatever the case, your opinions and biases will surface time and again. In that way, the story will lead to some introspection, which can sometimes be a much-needed thing. But don’t go into it expecting it to be a great read, it’s just an average one.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/50224049 

How to Kill Your Family

Bella Mackie

Published: 2022

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 359, Paperback

I read ‘The Sari Shop’ over a decade ago. I remember how good I felt while reading it. It was a heartwarming story that stayed with me long after I finished it. I found the protagonist endearing. I came across the book as I was going through some of my old stuff—kept on random shelves and boxes at my parent’s home. All I had to do was read a couple of pages for the story to come back to me. I felt bad that I had forgotten about it for so long, that I hadn’t talked about this book when people inevitably asked me for book recommendations.

Ramchand is a 26-year-old shop assistant at Sevak Sari House in Amritsar, India. He spends most of his days showing saris to women who come to the shop. There are posh women from rich families who like to be treated well and giggling girls who like expensive silk saris but can only afford cotton ones. There is a certain rhythm to his days and Ramchand likes it, despite knowing he could never afford the lavish lifestyle of his customers.

Then, one day, he is sent to show some saris to a wealthy family. They are preparing for their daughter’s wedding. This incident jostles him from his reality and he wants another shot at reliving his childhood dreams. To start with, Ramchand tries to find a purpose by fulfilling his dead father’s dream which is to improve his prospects by learning English. He spends a major portion of his earnings on the Oxford English Dictionary, The Complete Letter Writer, and Pocket Science for Children, among other random titles.

His efforts with English mean he can finally pick up fragments of conversation among his wealthy customers. The things they say aren’t always nice and he can’t make much sense of things when they talk about politics and other worldly affairs. You could say Ramchand’s efforts disrupt his peaceful existence and make him realize that life can be a lot harsher than he imagined.

The simple story is dotted with events that make you think about social hierarchy and society’s obsession with wealth. Through the varied characters—the crass Mrs Sandhu, the educated but improper Mrs Sachdeva, and the young and hip Rina and Tina Kapoor—Bajwa paints a picture of upper-class India and the growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots. There is a lot of sarcasm and a fair bit of humor too. But the story is in no way pretentious. Nothing dramatic ever happens. The Sari Shop is a social commentary where the ugly truths of life are brought under a glaring spotlight.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/9409  

The Sari Shop

Rupa Bajwa

Published: 2004

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 240, Paperback

Fiction

Malice

Keigo Higashino

Published: 2014

Publisher: Little, Brown

Pages: 218, Paperback

I love Keigo Higashino. My friends love him too. I have yet to meet another reader who doesn’t speak highly of this uber-talented Japanese author. Higashino is the best selling and most widely read novelist in Japan. Though he has a satisfyingly large bibliography, the English translation of his works is only published periodically, with only seven translated novels available to date.

‘Malice’ is the first novel in a series that features Detective Kyoichiro Kaga of the Tokyo Homicide Division. It came out in 1996 and was translated into English in 2014. Kunihiko Hidaka, a famous novelist, is brutally murdered days before he is relocating from Japan to Vancouver. He is found in a locked room, inside his locked house, by his wife, and best friend, Osamu Nonoguchi. Both of them have rock-solid alibis.

Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka’s best friend. Years ago, when they were both teachers, they were colleagues at the same high school. Kaga went on to join the police force while Nonoguchi left to become a full-time writer. Kaga thinks something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi’s statement and gets a search warrant for his apartment. Ultimately, Nonoguchi confesses to the murder. But that’s only the beginning of the story.

The premise sounds simple but the way it’s executed makes the story gripping and one of its kind. It’s not your average thriller. Higashino knows how to get inside your head. He knows which buttons to push. This psychological cat-and-mouse game with a cunning killer will have you gulping and gasping. The story is told from the viewpoint of Nonoguchi and Detective Kaga, alternating between the two. Clues are laid out for the reader as more information about Hidaka and Nonoguchi is revealed.

The thing is despite knowing who the killer is, you don’t know why he did it. That makes you wonder if Nonoguchi is indeed the culprit. One minute you are sure of something and then the very next chapter forces you to change your mind. This back-and-forth is what makes the story captivating. Nonoguchi is an unreliable narrator. Kaga is intelligent, akin to Sherlock Holmes. The two main characters together tell a fascinating tale of love, loss, and redemption that explores the dark side of human nature.

The story also deals with a lot of issues—bullying, insecurity, jealousy, a writer’s struggle to get published, as well as the pressure of having to churn out one successful novel after another. But Higashino keeps things subtle without overly dramatizing anything. Malice is a murder mystery but it feels like a story that could very well play out next door. It also makes you ponder over the seriousness and complexities of life. 

Fiction

The Collected Regrets of Clover

Mikki Brammer

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 314, Paperback

‘The Collected Regrets of Clover’ deals with death, a topic most of us aren’t comfortable with and actively avoid discussing. I didn’t buy it after reading the blurb (I must confess it spooked me a little) but the book kept popping up on my Instagram feed. Many of my close friends had read it (and loved it), as had a few celebrities I follow on the social media platform. Also, the raving reviews on Good Reads made me curious. So, I went back to Ekta Bookstore in Thapathali, Kathmandu, to buy myself a copy.

It is, hands down, the best book I have read in 2023. Since the new year is just a month away, I doubt there will be other contenders for that title. Though the story is about death and accepting the fleetingness of life, it’s also about finding joy in the little things in life, conquering your fears, and the importance of meaningful connections.

Clover is a death doula. She spends time with those who are dying if they have no one to take care of them or if their relatives can’t deal with the practical matters that come with a loved one’s passing, like planning a funeral, etc. Ever since Clover was five and she watched a teacher die while telling her class a story, she has been comfortable with death in a way no one around her is. This makes her a sort of outcast in school. A new girl Clover wants to be friends with actually says it will hurt her image.

In her 30s, with only one (elderly) friend, and no family or romantic partners, Clover is alone in the world. She spends a lot of time with those who are dying and tries to learn a lesson from each one of them. She has notebooks titled ‘Regrets’, ‘Advices’, and ‘Confessions’. Though she actively avoids human connection, you get the sense that she is somewhat craving it too. Then she meets the feisty Claudia who has terminal cancer and is expected to die in a few months. As Clover gets to know Claudia, she slowly learns to reclaim the life she’s lost.

The writing is beautiful. There are phrases and paragraphs that I reread one too many times. ‘Grief is just love looking for a place to settle’ is one of my favorite lines from the book. The characters are crafted well. Clover, Leo, Sebastian, Claudia, and the others all have distinct personalities. You enjoy getting to know them and their quirks. It’s an enjoyable read and the story makes you realize the importance of living without inhibitions and taking chances.

In Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, ‘The School for Good Mothers,’ we meet Frida Liu, a 39-year-old single mother, who is overworked and struggling to stay on top of her personal and professional duties. Then one day, in an insomnia-induced irrational state, she leaves her 18-month-old daughter Harriet alone at home for two hours. She has to go to the office to retrieve a file.

Next thing she knows, she’s being hauled into police custody for child abandonment. Her daughter is handed over to her ex-husband and his partner. But Frida isn’t a bad mother. She just had a bad moment. Even when she tries to repent and convince the ‘authorities’ that she loves Harriet and won’t repeat her mistake, everything she does is interpreted as evidence of her negligence and incompetence.

She is eventually sent to a place that teaches women how to be good mothers. The crimes of the other mothers range from testing positive for marijuana use to letting her child play alone. Each woman is assigned a robotic child and she must practice her parenting skills—hugging (for not a second too long or less), kissing, maintaining eye contact, etc.—with it.

In order to get Harriet back, Frida has to be able to show those in charge that she is capable of putting her child before her in all instances by loving the robot like it’s her child. But it’s not easy. The robot is programmed to be difficult and it sends recorded data to the authorities. The ‘experimental rehab facility’ with cameras everywhere is like a prison and the tiniest violation of rules can lead to permanent termination of parental rights. There is no way to win but countless ways in which you could be deemed an unfit parent.

The School for Good Mothers isn’t a horror novel. But you will be spooked nonetheless. It has a chilling dystopian feel to it that makes you shudder. It makes you question the unnecessary societal burden of expectations that’s put primarily on the mothers. Why are women expected to be at the top of their game when it comes to nurturing? Do they have to love being a parent all the time or are they allowed to be tired and maybe even crib about how draining it is once in a while?

The book is reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Those who have enjoyed reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ will enjoy Chan’s The School for Good Mothers as there are many similarities between the two stories. But I suggest you go into it with an open mind as many instances will have you rolling your eyes at the incredulity of it all.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57846320-the-school-for-good-mothers 

The School for Good Mothers

Jessamine Chan

Published: 2022

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 319, Paperback