Author: Adi Sathe

  • History Comes Alive as Iris Woodmore Solves New Mysteries

    History Comes Alive as Iris Woodmore Solves New Mysteries

    The peace of Walden is shattered with a proposal of building a luxury hotel on the banks of Waldenmere Lake where General Cheverton’s historic mansion stands. The British Army is looking to sell the lake and mansion to the highest bidder. Discovery of General’s body shakes everyone in town. For young reporter Iris Woodmore, the investigation turns devastatingly personal when her best friend is also found dead on the muddy shores.

    As suspicion falls on those dear to her, Iris must navigate her grief to unmask a killer. A gripping, atmospheric mystery that kept me turning pages until the very end!

    The way it’s produced

    This is the second installment of the Iris Woodmore mysteries I’ve listened to, following Death at Crookham Hall. Reflecting on my previous blog post, I realized I missed a crucial point: an audiobook requires more than just a compelling plot to be successful; it requires high-quality production. Having recorded an audiobook for Storytel myself, I know this firsthand. Boldwood Books has clearly prioritized production value here, and Polly Edsell is the perfect narrative voice for this series.

    History as a recurring character

    Continuing the trend from the first book, History acts as a constant, vivid supporting character. While the previous story explored the suffragette movement, this tale delves into the lingering horrors of the Great War and the reality of shell shock. The plot captures a specific post-war tension: the struggle of landowners to maintain properties that were requisitioned for the war effort once the troops were demobbed. Central to this is a lakeside estate at Waldenmere, a setting so atmospheric it feels like a protagonist in its own right.

    About the book

    • Name of Book: Murder at Waldenmere Lake
    • Author: Michelle Salter
    • Publisher: Boldwood Books
    • Publication date: March 21, 2023 
    • Audiobook length: 9 hours and 42 minutes
    • e-book ISBN 13: 9781837510504
    • Audiobook ISBN 13: 9781837510443
    • Paperback ISBN 13: 9781837510481

    My rating

    Story: 4/5
    Writing Style: 3/5
    Cover Design: 3/5

    Overall Rating: 3.5/5

    Where to by

    For more about my views on books, click here.

    This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Sameeksha Reads.

  • Why Iris Woodmore is the Protagonist to Watch

    Why Iris Woodmore is the Protagonist to Watch

    Intriguing protagonist to watch, Iris Woodmore is a young reporter at a local newspaper. She finds herself entangled in multiple mysteries from uncovering a truth behind a suspicious death to searching for a missing person. But, these current investigations reopen old wounds making past and present collide.

    Michelle Salter, has crafted a sharp, rebellious amateur sleuth in young Irish Woodmore. Set in Southern England between the World Wars, the story captures a world in flux; a time when society was being reshaped and new “normals” were just beginning to take root.

    Weaving history with mystory

    Michelle Salter offers a unique perspective on a pivotal milestone in England’s social history; the women’s rights movement, where activists famously reclaimed a term originally meant to derogate them. The backstories of these Suffragettes are every bit as fascinating as the central mystery.

    It is rare to find a book that balances nuanced historical context with a compelling main plot so seamlessly. While this is a difficult feat to achieve in crime fiction, Salter has done an exceptional job.

    About the book

    • Name of Book: Death at Crookham Hall
    • Author: Michelle Salter
    • Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
    • Publication date: June 17, 2021 
    • Audiobook length: 8 hours and 37 minutes
    • e-book ISBN 13:  978-1837510344
    • paperback ISBN 13: 978-1837510405

    My rating

    Story: 4/5
    Writing Style: 3/5
    Cover Design: 3/5

    Overall Rating: 3.5/5

    Where to buy

    For more about my views on books, click here.

    This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ 
    hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Sameeksha Reads.

  • Why You Need to Visit Batty Hole This Weekend

    Why You Need to Visit Batty Hole This Weekend

    Once Britain’s greatest magical prodigy, Sera Swan now lives a quiet life running an inn with her great-aunth Jasmine and a bunch of a chaotic lodgers who ended up at the inn for a night but stayed on. They soon gelled up like a chosen family.

    Everything changes when Sera uses a forbidden spell to resurrect her Jasmine, a desperate act that costs her both almost all of her magic and her place in the elite British Guild. Exiled by her power-hungry mentor, Albert Grey, Sera spends fifteen years in the magical shadows, maintaining Batty Hole, a bartered inn, held up by old angry magical spell which keeps away the troublemakes but lures those who are lost and broken.

    Her chance at redemption arrives via a rare restoration spell written in a forgotten tongue. With the help of Luke Larsen, a charming Guild historian who stirs more than just her hope, Sera begins a journey to reclaim her power. But Albert hasn’t forgotten his only true rival and he’ll do anything to ensure she stays powerless.

    Meet the lodgers!

    Jasmine Ponnappa (Great-aunt): A wise matriarc who once died but resurected by Sera; which almost cost Sera her magic. Known for her unconditional love, wisdom and care.

    Clamie (Clamentine Bennet): A witch trapped in a fox body as a result of a failed attempt to curse Albert Grey; the power-hungry villain.

    Matilda: An old lady who came to inn years ago and never left. She’s a garderner who’s very possasive of vegetable patch. She has a dream to have goats on her farm.

    Nicholas: A 23 years old who is way too much invested into his role of a knight from a cosplay at the nearby Medieval Fair that he is always in his suit of armor.

    Theo: A magical eleve-years-old cousin, came to live sera as his non-magical parents don’t know how to deal with him and his powers and raise him.

    Roo-Roo: A zombie skeletal chicken which came back from dead as a side effect of Sera’s reserection spell while reviving Jasmine.

    Posy: A youngest member of the family who’s autistic younger sibling of Luke Larsen. She takes refuge at the inn but spreads joyful energey around herself.

    Luke Larsen: A grumpy magical historian who ends up being a love interest of sara and a reluctant member of the family to begin with. But ends up being a strong support and caregiver for the inn and it’s family.

    About the book

    • Name of Book: A Witch’s Guide To Magical Innkeeping
    • Author: Sangu Mandanna
    • Publisher: Berkley, A Penguin Random House Imprint
    • Publication date: 15 July 2025
    • Pages: 340
    • ISBN – 13: 9781399709934
    • Kindle e-book Price: ₹ 371.70

    My rating

    Story: 4/5
    Writing Style: 4/5
    Cover Design: 4/5

    Overall Rating: 4/5

    Grab your copy

    For more about my views on books, click here.

    This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Cerebration​ – Think with body, mind & soul.

  • A case of misplaced beliefs – New Alfa Case

    A case of misplaced beliefs – New Alfa Case

    For years, there has been a “detective-shaped” hole in Marathi crime fiction; until now. Sourabh Wagle introduces us to Alfa, a brilliant young sleuth who is exactly what the genre needed. I first discovered this series when Wagle was publishing exclusively on Kindle, thanks to a recommendation from my fellow blogger, Varsha. After hearing me rant about the lack of detectives in Marathi literature during our travels in Varanasi, she pointed me toward Alfa and she wasn’t wrong. I am now officially hooked and constantly find myself looking forward to the next case.

    डिटेक्टिव्ह अल्फा आणि ग्रामदेवतेचा प्रकोप (Detective Alfa and Wrath of the Protector) is set in a small village in Konkan, near Mumbai. The community is paralyzed by the fear of their protector deity’s wrath. This constant dread has forced the villagers to abide by an odd daily routine and perform strange rituals during their annual festival.

    An anonymous letter warning of this descending “wrath” brings Alfa and his partner, Prabhav, to the village. Soon after their arrival, people begin dropping dead under mysterious circumstances. Curiosity gets the better of them, and they begin investigating the strange occurrences; even though the local police have already dismissed the deaths as an “Act of God.”

    Whether Alfa can uncover the truth behind these superstitions is a mystery you will have to read to solve.

    About the book

    • Name of Book: डिटेक्टिव्ह अल्फा आणि ग्रामदेवतेचा प्रकोप
    • Author: Sourabh Wagale
    • Publisher: Dilipraj Prakashan
    • Publication date: December 2025
    • Pages: 190
    • ISBN – 13: 978-81-991872-9-0
    • Kindle e-book Price: ₹ 320

    My rating

    Story: 4/5
    Writing Style: 5/5
    Cover Design: 4.5/5

    Overall Rating: 4.5/5

    Grab your copy

    Should you read it?

    I have been fan of all the Detective Alfa books. They haven’t disapointed me and this one is no exception to this statement either. So feel free if you are into a crisp Crime Fiction.

    For more about my views on books, click here.

    This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Cerebration​ – Think with body, mind & soul.

  • चार लोग क्या कहेंगे… – A Poem from a Goan Retreat

    चार लोग क्या कहेंगे… – A Poem from a Goan Retreat

    Goa; the very name usually rings a stereotypical bell in our minds of beaches, beer, and the carefree hippie life. But Goa has so much more to offer if you take a moment to look beyond the obvious. It’s a place where flavors, art, and rhythm come together in a vibrant celebration of creativity.

    There’s food that can dazzle your taste buds, music that makes your feet move on their own, and artists who breathe life into ideas, by painting them on canvas, shaping them into sculptures, and building mesmerizing installations.

    This year, I attended the Goa edition of the Blogchatter Retreat like my annual ritialistic trip. I arrived a couple of days early to indulge in a bit of solo travel and explore the local art scene. One of my memorable stops was the Museum of Goa, curated by Dr. Subodh Kerkar.

    Among the many artworks, a particular set of paintings depicting human heads; caught my attention and set my mind in motion. The reflections that followed took shape as a free verse, which I’m sharing below.

    चार लोग क्या कहेंगे..

    हर बार जब भी मैं सोचता हु कुछ अलग करने का,

    जमाने की सोच से हटके।

    कोई नई रह चलने के लिए कदम उठाया ही था,

    के हल्की सी आवाज कानों में गूंजी।

    “ये तुम क्या करने जा रहे हो।

    चार लोग क्या कहेंगे, ये भी तो सोचो।”

    वैसे कमरे में तो मैं अकेला ही था,

    फिर भी कोनों में गूंजी ही रही थी वो आवाज और,

    अब तो महसूस भी हो रही है, 

    मुझ पर गड़ी वो आंखे…

    जो गौर कर रहीं है, की मै क्या करता हु।

    वरना वो कैसे तय करेंगे,

    “चार लोग क्या कहेंगे…”

    —

    आदित्य साठे 

    १७/०९/२०२५

    This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2025. For more posts, click here.

    This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Ratna Prabha.

  • It’s Coffee, Flowing Through Me

    It’s Coffee, Flowing Through Me

    This week’s Blogchatter Blog Hop prompt is a delight for a caffeine-fueled soul like me; it’s all about my favorite drink: coffee. Honestly, I can’t even remember when I had my very first sip. Most people think of Indian households as temples of chai, but mine has always been divided. My father and grandfather are staunch members of the tea party, while my mother, younger brother, and I proudly belong to the coffee gang. Leading our clan for years was my grandmother, the undisputed queen of filter coffee, who reigned until her last days.

    Not just tasty, they are pretty as well

    My earliest memory of coffee isn’t of taste or color; it’s of fragrance. The comforting aroma that filled our home when my grandmother prepared filter coffee in her trusty stainless steel filter. That little device has been brewing magic in our household for decades, even before I was born. Growing up, my world revolved around homemade filter coffee, the occasional cup of Bru instant, and the rare “fancy” machine-made version I naïvely thought was the height of coffee sophistication. Everything changed in 2010, when I moved to Pune.

    Places which Inspire stories

    Back then, Cafe Coffee Day dominated India’s coffee scene. Their cafés seemed to sprout on every corner, luring coffee lovers like me as surely as moths to a flame. Pune, with its bustling college crowd and growing IT culture, also nurtured a new wave of indie cafés. These cozy little spots became hangouts for friends, hideaways for couples whispering sweet nothings, and creative nooks for dreamers like me. Many of my stories were born in those spaces, steeped in coffee flavored air, as I soaked in the places and people around me.

    Today, I’ve built my own little coffee arsenal—South Indian filter, French press, moka pot, and an electric drip machine. Specialty beans are just a click away, ready to be brewed however I please. Yet, no matter how many new brews I discover, my heart always drifts back to that core memory. The one where my grandmother working on our old kitchen counter with her back to me. Patiently preparing her morning filter coffee, filling the air with love and fragrance.

    This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop.

    Also, This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Bohemian Bibliophile.

    To read more from my archives, click here.