The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

I absolutely loved Joshi’s first book, The Henna Artist, so I was thrilled to learn of the sequel. At first I had assumed that book two would follow the protagonist of book one, Lakshmi’s younger sister, and I was disappointed that she is only mentioned in this volume. But I hear that Joshi is researching book three in the series which will focus on Radha so I’m mollified!

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur picks up about a decade after the events of The Henna Artist and focuses on Lakshmi’s protege Malik and the important people in his life as he is apprenticed to a family friend in Jaipur. When their company is found responsible for a tragedy, secrets surface that have been hidden for a long time.

While I didn’t connect as fully to the characters in this volume, I did find the plot and setting to be especially compelling. I found the story very readable and absorbing and I felt surrounded by the tastes and smells of India. One of Joshi’s special talents is bringing to life not only the visual descriptions of a place and time but all the other sensory elements as well. I don’t recommend reading this book when hungry, however, because the food is so well described and delicious-sounding I often found my mouth watering and would pause the book to google nearby Indian takeout and to brew fragrant cups of chai.

Definitely read this book - you won’t be disappointed. I do recommend reading them series in order just for the full experience but you won’t be lost if you read the second book first.