The Witch in the Peepul Tree By Arefa Tehsin- Book Review
The Witch in the Peepul Tree By Arefa Tehsin – A Dark and Thrilling Murder Mystery
Amazon
Books that address a social issue through a nail-biting murder mystery are extremely rare. Add some elements of the supernatural, and such books become even more difficult to find.
Combining so many elements without losing track of the original plot and also maintaining the suspense is a difficult feat to achieve. But Afera Tehsin has managed to do in her latest book The Witch in the Peepul Tree, proving her genius as an exceptional writer once again.
Premise – The Witch in the Peepul Tree
On the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti,Ahad finds the dead body of his 16-year-old sister in their father Dada Bhai’s house. As the police start investigating the murder, there are several suspects they need to clear. These include the cruel zamindar of Singhgarh, Rao Sahib, the intensely immoral Hariharan, Nathu, and the immensely attractive night Parijat, who is a night soil worker. Then there is the young Bhil Nathu, who had come to Dada Bhai’s house from his remote tribal village to update him about the killing of a leopard. The list of suspects also includes Sugra, the sharp-tongued widow, who keeps rolling her rosary beads while wishing for the witch of the Peepul tree to be her confidante. Is one of the suspects the murderer or is there something more evil walking the corridors of the grand house of Dada Bhai.
Character Development – The Witch in the Peepul Tree
The author needs to be applauded presenting the characters in depth by delving into their social status and their behaviors. She has done it in a layered manner to help the readers understand the intricacies of human nature and mind. She has also highlighted the impact of culture, religion, socio-political activities of the time, and racism and casteism on the various characters.
Plot – The Witch in the Peepul Tree
The story is set in 1950, in Udaipur in Rajasthan, at a time when India had just gained freedom from British rule. The rich history and mystical aura of the city provide the perfect setting for the events. Even though the events occur only over 24 hours, the author has followed a slow pace of narration to enable the readers to savor the tale.
Writing Style – The Witch in the Peepul Tree
The author has used lucid and captivating language to narrate the story and even when the plot becomes sad and disgusting, she has managed to avoid using expletive language. Most importantly she has managed to keep the twist hidden till the very end and used each chapter to reveal something new.
The cover page design is simple and interesting but does not reveal the theme of the book in any way.
Final Verdict: The Witch in the Peepul Tree
The Witch in the Peepul Tree genre-bending tale that keeps the readers on their toes till the end and I give it a rating of 4.5/5.
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I like historical fiction and thrillers. The fact that the book is both makes it my next pick for sure
that’s a great rating! For me, the fact that all the events unfold in one day and that it is a historical novel plus the intriguing title are enough reasons to want to read it.
Your review on this was interesting which piqued my interest in it, will check it out!
Wow 4.5 rating, that is great one. I am not into reading murder mystery much but the plot of this one sounds really interesting. it seems, this book is a great read for those who loved this genera. thanks for sharing your honest review dear.
The Witch in the peepul tree seems to be a crowd favourite. I am sure it is a captivating tale from your review and I should grab it soon.
I really enjoyed this book. After a long time, I found an author who could carry so many characters and soci-economic settings in a truly remarkable style. She has brought out so many aspects of the era in a newly liberated India, trying to find its feet and normalising life for the society. The murder does show another aspect of her expertise as well.
The title of the book The Witch in the peepul tree itself seems so intriguing and interesting. Your review and storyline wants me to make ot my next read.
I so want to read this book. Seems so entertaining and interesting. Coincidentally I’m currently reading a witch book and loving every bit of it.
First things first… What a visually striking cover. A mystery with a social message seems like a great combination. 4.5 is huge… I am picking it up next.
Wow, that’s some cover and storyline! I’m intrigued with the many stories that are interwoven around the murder while I’m assuming the real one is hidden deep beneath the layers. Would love to read this one.
This is so cool, the title, the cover, the storyline as well as the review, have enticed me enough to surely give this one a read though not my preferred genre.