The Secret Keeper of Jaipur: A Journey of Self-Discovery, Resilience and Courage Amid the Glamour and Intrigue of Jaipur's Royal Court (The Jaipur Trilogy, 2)

Delectable

Lakshmi is the sensible, clever heroine whose life, set 12 years apart from The Henna Artist, is just as mesmerizing to follow. There’s suspense, unexpected twists and details, and the imagery are always painted so beautifully with words.

Alka Joshi, you did it again.

I was really forward to reading this book because I liked The Henna Artist so much but I just found it ok. It is definitely a sequel to The Henna Artist and I believe I heard there is a 3rd book in this trilogy. Thank goodness for the list of characters; I referred to this often. I felt like much of the beginning of the book was reviewing The Henna Artist. There are so many characters-thought I was reading an Indian soap opera.
This book picks up 12 years later and all the same characters are just living their lives. There is a new love interest for Malik; Nimmi (very small bit in THA) and Lakshmi is still his mentor/friend. The Secret Keeper really revolves around Malik and his apprenticeship at the Royal Jewel Cinema in Jaipur. Lakshmi and her husband Jay and Nimmi are back in Shimla when the balcony at the cinema collapses on opening night. Malik becomes a real life detective and starts investigating what really caused the collapse.
It is a nice story, not a thriller, not really suspenseful either. It is well written but I was just dragging to read it.

If you have read "The Henna Artist" by Alka Joshi and if you fell in love with Aunty bosses charming, obedient and faithful helper Malik, then "The secret keeper of Jaipur" is the book you should read next.

Set in the backdrop of Shimla and Jaipur, the secret keeper of Jaipur revolves around 20 year old Malik, who leaves his life and love (which he finds in a girl named Nimma in shimla) to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema. But when a balcony at the cinema collapses and the blame is directed towards manu, Malik along with Lakshmi is all set to uncover truth.

The secret keeper of Jaipur is as well written as Alka Joshi The Henna Artist. Through this book, Alka Joshi has also highlighted the gold laws of India as well as how it was smuggled into the country at that time. The plot of the story is very easy to figure out, which makes it an easy read. The characters are all familiar except for Nimma (Malik's lady love) and her 2 children.

A book I recommend if you loved The Henna Artist.

I selected this book because I like books set in other countries. This one is set in India in 1969. However, I wish I had the first book in this trilogy since I felt a bit confused at times.
I like the characters: Malik, Nimmi, Lakshmi, and Doctor Jay Kumar. There is a bit of a mystery involved in this book, since a newly built theater collapsed and everyone wonders why. Malik was working on this project and worries that he'll be blamed. He notices the bricks are of inferior quality and one of the invoices was obviously doctored. Nimmi is a courageous young widow with two young children. She meets Malik when he visits her flower stand and eventually goes to work for Lakshmi in the herbal garden of the clinic.

3.5 stars. The story line about the gold was a little too forced. The book was still very enjoyable. I had fun revisiting the characters from the first book.