The start of a new investigative series and what a way to introduce it! A Will to Kill is a brilliant novel that kept me engaged from start to finish, I haven’t been this keen to finish work and get home to my book in a long while! It’s snappy, thrilling and brilliantly executed!

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The scene it set with wonderful descriptive so you can visualise as if you are there. Athreya is a mysterious character himself and has so much death, some of it we get to read about in this book but you get a feeling there is much more to him. So I hope he makes another appearance.
Doused in mystery and intrigue, it was a page turner for sure. Can't wait to see what is next!

Thrilling and exciting and a very good pace. I have always enjoyed novels set within modes of transports, and snowy remote places. Thanks for the copy

Really enjoyed this clever mash up of Golden Age crime in a contemporary setting, and the very locked room feel to the whole affair. With small interludes of barbed observational humour and a cleverly constructed set up of crime and investigation, this was a winner for me.

As soon as I read the blurb I had to be involved in this tour! This book is absolutely right up my street. The first in a new series of cosy crime and my favourite genre.

A secluded Manor House, relatives with questionable motives and a contemporary locked-room mystery set in India.

I loved everything about this book. The characters were entertaining, the plot was twisty cleverly executed and the build-up and tension kept me on the edge of my seat! Combined with the stunning setting descriptions, this whodunnit is perfect for Christie fans.

I can’t wait to read more in the series and RV is a very talented cosy crime writer.

Huge thanks to NetGalley an the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this.

trigger warning
<spoiler> mention of colonialism, mention of racism, mention of domestic violence, mention of suicide, mention of torture, mention of trauma, gun violence, landslide </spoiler>

Our protagonist is called, because there is a chance his services may be of use in the future. His client, you see, has made two wills: The one everybody was familiar with in case he dies of a natural death, and one if he does not.

This reads a lot like Agatha Christie, with the difference that the characters are people of colour in India. They speak Tamil and Hindi, the cities they casually mention have different names, but for all intends and purposes, we have a class of very well to-do people. And some want to be even better off, even if that means murder.

We have all my favourite crime tropes: A small secluded area in the middle of nowhere, even more secluded due a landslide - it's monsoon season after all - and a small and fixed cast of characters. At least one of them is ready to do murder, but all of them are hiding things.

The only thing I didn't really like was the epilogue which felt very rushed.
What I did like was the sense that the protagonist already has made a name for himself, despite this being the first installment in a series. It felt more real, us stumbling to the scene of the crime and going on this journey.

I'd be interested in reading more of this in the future, and I'd recommend this to both people who love cosy crimes and people who want to see what Indian literature has to offer.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

Harith Athreya, a retired investigator, receives a mysterious invitation from an elderly millionaire, Bhaskar Fernandez. The invitation is delivered by Bhaskar’s son, Manu, as the elderly gentleman is in a wheelchair and finds travelling too tiring and challenging.

Athreya is intrigued, especially when Manu reveals that his father had written two conflicting wills. He decides to accept Bhaskar’s invitation to Greybrooke Manor in Nilgiris.

When he arrives, he meets Bhaskar and the elderly millionaire tells him of his suspicions that someone from his family is wishing him dead. In case this person succeeds, Bhaskar would like for Athreya to be in charge of that investigation. In the meantime, Athreya can get acquainted with Bhaskar’s family and friends and enjoy himself. However, the investigator decides that he will observe the surroundings and people living on the estate.

Soon, Athreya meets Bhaskar’s nieces and nephew: Dora, Michelle, and Richie. It appears that Bhaskar has a good relationship with his nieces, but it’s the men he has issues with, including Michelle’s no good husband Murthy.

One evening, Bhaskar invites his friends, family and neighbours to a dinner party. There are supposed to be twelve people at the dinner table. However, with an unexpected arrival of an extra person making it thirteen guests, inwardly Bhaskar is agitated, however, he doesn’t show it to the guests. He is a very superstitious man and he’s convinced it’s a bad omen.

His thoughts become reality when a tragedy strikes… Someone gets murdered. Is it Bhaskar? Or maybe one of the guests? Because of the landslide, the guests become temporarily isolated. No help or police can reach the manor, so it’s up to Athreya to investigate. What will he uncover?

You have to read the book to find out! I simply adored this story, it had an Agatha Christie feel, and Athreya’s shrewdness and attention to detail reminded me of Hercule Poirot. I certainly didn’t expect the ending, which is always a bonus!

This story is full of suspense, mystery, and it’s a great ‘whodunnit’. I thoroughly recommend it.

I really enjoyed the plot of this story, such an interesting concept having two wills 😂

This is a short read, so is easily an one sitting book, even if it was longer, I would have carried on reading as I thoroughly enjoyed Athreya’s investigations to determine what has happened.

I am looking forward to reading more by the author.

I found this to be well written and interesting. However, I was uncomfortable with the way that the writing handled there being a character in a wheelchair, and, being a wheelchair user myself, this was a bit of a deal breaker and I ended up DNF.

Bhaskar lives in the impressive Greybrooke Manor in Nilgiris with members of his extended family and long-term staff. After several near death experiences/possible murder attempts, he invites retired detective Harith Athreya to come and stay with them to learn about the situation and to investigate in the event of his death.

As so many people would benefit if he died, Bhaskar has written two wills as a kind of insurance policy - the first would be valid if he died of natural causes, but if there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death (an accident or murder), the second will would come into play. This second will eliminated many of the benefits of the first in an attempt to avoid any further attempts on his life.

When a landslide cuts them off in an already remote location, and a body is discovered, it looks like Bhaskar's plan has been foiled. It's now up to Athreya to work with the feuding family to solve the crime.

The “locked room mystery” is one of my favourite categories of crime novels and it really did seem like I was reading one of the classic whodunnits from the Christie era, it was only when there was the odd reference to a mobile phone or other modern items that I remembered that it was set in the present day. This unusual mix of contemporary and Golden Age mystery gave the story a really unique feel.

A Will to Kill has a detailed and intricate plot. As Athreya interviews each of the suspects there are plenty of clues and red herrings, motives and suspicions to work through before reaching the big reveal. As well as an ending I wasn't expecting, the story also introduced me to a setting I have never read about before which provided a stunning backdrop to the story. This novel was both refreshing and a pleasure to read.

A Will to Kill by R V Raman has all of the ingredients to make the best of crime and thriller cakes.

There’s a remote location, there’s a landslide making it even more remote, and there’s a dozen or so gathered guests all with motives to do bad things and commit crimes. And then dead bodies start cropping up.

First off, I enjoyed the way that R V Raman set the scene for the misty and intriguing location of Greybrooke Manor in the Nilgiris - there were detailed descriptions which made you want to travel there (perhaps in sunnier, happier times though).

Secondly I loved the premise of main character, Bhaskar, having two wills in play - one if he dies of natural causes and one if he passes away suspiciously.

There are echoes of Knives Out here regarding the wills and the greedy relatives, circling like sharks in money infested waters. There’s something brilliant about seeing people’s scheming ways tripping them up and being exposed.

Bhaskar brings in well respected Athreya to investigate a recent attempt on his life, and things drastically get worse quickly.

There are also definite chimes of Agatha Christie - guests assembled around a dinner table in stormy, worsening weather. There’s shifty glances, there’s avoidance, there’s alibis and there are lies.

R V Raman cleverly makes you ask if the first victim was actually intended and not a case of mistaken identity. He goes on to thoroughly map people’s movements and timings all amongst the misty manor. Athreya sets about questioning them and unpacking their lives and what their situations are.

Eventually a second body is discovered and it keeps you asking the age old question of whodunit - with the bulk of the party with motive and opportunity.

What’s always there as a thread running through the novel is Bhaskar’s art collection. Without giving any spoilers away, everything is connected to the art.

What doesn’t make this a five star read for me is that although the pace is decent, it doesn’t drive the plot on quickly enough for me (particularly through the mid section). Then, some of the most major reveals towards the end are rushed through in the last few chapters which is a shame.

I’ll still be recommending this to my friends and family as it’s an enjoyable, escapist murder mystery. Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the early copy!

Wow, what an utter delightful and thrilling read. I loved this intriguing and mysterious and puzzling story. I also loved the characters and the setting too. This is a gem of a murder mystery that has the feeling of an Agatha Christie plot but set in a modern India up amongst the hills. If you are looking for something unique, familiar yet strange this is one for you… also you might start hankering for curry you have been warned.

I'm a big fan of Golden Age novels and so I really enjoyed this novel's feeling to it, but set in today's modern-day India. I really enjoyed the mystery and it kept me totally on my toes!

I really liked the premise of this book as it sounded like an Indian version of the film Knives Out and I honestly feel this was written as if it was a film script rather than a book.

While the plot is intriguing I found the execution was just too confusing.

The language sounded like it came from the early 20th century rather than the modern day and oftentimes I was just planin confused as to what era this book was set in.

The mystery itself started out well but by the time I got to 50% I was so bored out of my mind, I had to skip to the end.

I think the concept is good and the writer put a lot of work into this, but the voice for this just isn’t there and it needed to be faster paced for a thriller.

An entertaining mystery it kept me hooked and excited. Raman hasn't reinvented the wheel but he didn't need to. This was a good old school mystery that was well written and reminded of an Indian Agatha.

Not my usual genre of book but I found it really enjoyable and will read more of the same type, preferably by the same author. Well done!

This is an enjoyable class whodunnit involving an array of characters within a feuding family all hoping to inherit from the death of the eldest surviving family member. Retired detective Athreya is invited to stay at the family house and observe proceedings as Bhaskar Fernandez invites his relatives to stay. A murder is committed and Athreya sets out ( on the request of Bhaskar);to solve the crime and in doing so uncovers the dark secrets of all attending. The book has an old fashioned charm and is all the better for it leaving the reader guessing who and why until the last pages. RV Raman has created a lively protagonist and I look forward to the next instalment. My only gripe is the suddenness of the final page.

Entertaining And Engaging.....
The first in what may be a new series featuring investigator Harith Athreya and a nod to the Golden Age of crime in an entertaining and engaging mystery with a genuine puzzle at its’ heart. A colourful cast of characters populate the plot and Harith is both a likeable and enigmatic protagonist. A promising start to a series.