Shylashri Shankar

Women writers reign over the golden age of crime fiction

The humble dal is a common thread linking all Indian cuisines

Was he Prince Albert Victor who was sent on a tour of the Raj after being implicated in the Cleveland Street scandal of 1889?

The Maid | The Island | Murder before Evensong | The Ink Black Heart | Never Saw Me Coming | Murder Most Royal | No Plan B | The Twist of a Knife | Five Decembers | The Paris Apartment

Thrillers for the season—those who live by the mob may die by it; a village where everyone knows everyone’s secrets; a tribute to Miss Marple; and a whodunit where the author is a character

How coffee became an Indian drink

Hilary Mantel (1952-2022) humanised characters from history, as she was interested in where politics met psychology, where the private met the public

How the palace menu reflects both personal choices and social realities

How the Mughal and the British colonial influences come together in Indian gardens

An eclectic crop of detectives in our midst—a constable in a backwater town; an inspector examining deleted audio files; a woman detective in 1920s Bangalore; and a middle-aged bachelor-priest