Murder in Amaravati

Nice classic mysteries that will take you into a lovely world where all that matters is solving the puzzle. I was able to guess in one book who the killer was, but couldn't figure out the how. Sharath Komarraju's writing is quiet and immersive. If you love crime fiction and the cozy style of small town murders, you will enjoy these.

I had read some of Sharath Komarraju's nonfiction before. This was my first novel of his. I was drawn to the Akbar-Birbal angle. The book kept me engaged until the last page, and even now some of the lines are staying with me. The chemistry between Akbar and Birbal was very well shown, I thought. Will definitely pick up the second Birbal book.

Crows of Agra is a nice gateway book to Sharath Komarraju's mysteries. I had read Murder in Amaravati and Banquet on the Dead when they first came out, so I just got Crows of Agra this time round. I am not someone who is terribly into mythological fiction, so I passed on his Hastinapur novels. Coming to the story itself, it is a charming little novel that will give you a cozy feel. Just forget all real world troubles for three hours and dig in!

Loved these books! They have such an old-world charm to them. I am surprised Sharath Komarraju is not more popular than he is. His books definitely deserve a wide readership.

I had never heard of Sharath Komarraju before, and after seeing an ad for Crows of Agra, I looked him up. I consider myself someone who keeps up with the Indian writing scene, but I somehow missed his work. So I loaded Crows of Agra into my Kindle and began reading. I must say I was hooked until the last page! Without giving any spoilers, if you're a lover of crime fiction, and if you also like the Akbar-Birbal vibe, you will definitely enjoy this book. No doubts at all!

Took me back to my youth and childhood when I was reading Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. Nothing too drastic or emotional, just a nice puzzle each time with colourful characters and good twists. Enjoyed reading books after a long time!

Just okay. Not so bad that I would hate it. But not so good that I will tell my friends about it. Like so many things these days, the quality does not match the hype.

I had read Sharath Komarraju's nonfiction work on the Mahabharata, but never read his contemporary novels. I was confused as to which of the mysteries I should pick up first - then I thought oh well, let me get the bundle! I enjoyed reading them all. A couple of the books were great, the other two were very good. I enjoyed Murder in Amaravati and Tree Bears Witness the most. Highly recommended for all readers of good fiction!

On the one hand, there is a lot to like about Crows of Agra: the premise itself is so interesting. The execution is good too, with Birbal solving an intricate crime. And yet, there is something lacking here. I did not find the wit and charm of Birbal, nor did I enjoy the sometimes blatant disregard for history. Some of these took me out of the story, though I kept falling back into it readily. Four stars.

As a lover of crime and mysteries written by Dame Agatha Christie, these books came as an absolute delight to me. My favourite of the four is Murder in Amaravati. Reminded me of Murder at the Vicarage with the small-town setting. The priest and the constable combo was endearing, and the final chapter came as an absolute thumper! Must-read for all mystery buffs.

More than anything I liked the convenience of these books. I am running out of space to keep my physical books, so the option to read novels on multiple devices (but also with the option of printing out a copy if I need) is just great. I had no trouble loading them onto my Kindle. I also tested them on a couple of other eBook-reading apps and they work just fine. So a big thumbs-up from a compatibility standpoint!

Perfect little reads for all mystery lovers like me. No frills, no grand gestures, just self-contained stories that each pack a punch. Enjoyed them thoroughly.

Loved all four books! Nice variety in them, but each one is satisfying with just the right number of twists and turns, as you would expect in a mystery. These books made me nostalgic in a strange way, as if the world the writer is talking about no longer exists. I think any lover of good fiction will enjoy these. But if you don't, you always the money back guarantee. So what is the problem? Go for them!

Like countless other people in our country, I grew up reading Akbar-Birbal stories. So it was a pleasure to revisit that part of my life, albeit in a different format. Much of the novel is made up, but I was surprised to discover there is quite a bit of historical accuracy in it. For example, the way Akbar punishes and kills a certain character is historically accurate. Overall though, I enjoyed the story, and will pick up the second Birbal novel too!

The author is new to me, so I was hesitant to buy. But the premises of the books interested me. I have always liked to read mysteries in the old format. I was not disappointed at all. Of the four, I found Banquet on the Dead the weakest, so I took one star off. All the other books are great. Will definitely read more of the author's work now.

If you like history, mystery or folklore, or all three put together, you will love this book. No question! You will have to suspend some disbelief in terms of historical accuracy, because after all, how accurate is the premise of a crime-solving Birbal? But once you do that, the book will entertain you all the way to the end. I finished mine in a single sitting!

Lovely plotting. Keeps you hooked till the very end.

I've always been a lover of Agatha Christie novels, and these books took me back to my childhood where I devoured mystery after mystery without a break! My favourite of the four is The Tree Bears Witness, though all four are pretty good. I'm reading straight mysteries from an Indian author after a long time, and I am super thrilled. May Sharath's pen never rest!

Sharath Komarraju was new to me before I tried this bundle of books, and now I want to read more of his work. I feel that we have a dearth of Indian authors who write well-plotted popular fiction. These books fit perfectly into that space. I believe we should all support such authors and their books. Murder in Amaravati was such a treat to read! So were the Birbal books. Anyone who likes well-written books will appreciate these. No hesitation at all, highly recommended!

This book made me nostalgic for the old Akbar-Birbal Amar Chitra Katha books. I went out and bought some again - Birbal the Wise, Birbal the Clever and all!

I was a little annoyed at the start at the historical inaccuracies, but then I remembered Birbal is not a historical character. Once I made the switch, I was able to enjoy the novel for what it is - a well-crafted, tightly plotted mystery with a historical flavour. A good mix of history and folklore, as long as you don't read it as a text on how the Mughals lived.

Perfect collection of mysteries to while away a weekend. For one of them I saw the ending coming, but the book was still fun to read. I hope Sharath writes many more mysteries like these.

I had read one of Sharath Komarraju's Hastinapur novels long ago (Rise of Hastinapur), but never knew he wrote mysteries too. Found him on my feed, and took a chance on Crows of Agra. I was a little disappointed that a regular paperback was not available, but the printable PDF did its job. The novel itself is very engrossing. Keep a lookout for the scene where Akbar gets one of his cousins thrown off the balcony. Chilling!

I am a big Agatha Christie fan, so these books were no-brainers for me. But sometimes you get a book in your genre and end up hating it. That was definitely not the case here. The four novels show a great variety in plots and character and setting. Even the two Birbal novels were refreshingly different from one another. Will pick up the Hastinapur series next!

What I liked: creative use of folklore to tell a crime story. The writing style is fluid without being too caught up. Reminded me of the old mysteries of the golden age. What I did not like: too many liberties taken with the historical record. Here and there, the language becomes modern and takes you out of the story. But despite all this, I enjoyed the book. Worth trying.

Taking off one star because there are four books in the bundle, and I didn't like all four equally. Maybe I am in the minority here, I enjoyed Murder in Amaravati and Banquet on the Dead more than the Birbal novels. But overall, easy to recommend these books to all mystery lovers at this price. A whole weekend of reading for the price of a meal, at the convenience of your home. Go for it!

Must read for crime fiction fans! Bonus points if you also enjoy historical fiction and have a nostalgic love for Agatha Christie's Poirot and Marple. Finished all the books in one sitting. Two thumbs up!

I was initially worried that loading the book into my Kindle would be difficult. But the instructions post order are very clear. I did not even know Kindle had a 'send to Kindle' feature? Be that as it may, I am glad I gave Crows of Agra and Sharath Komarraju a chance. More than anything I enjoyed the scenes in which Akbar and Birbal banter about how many crows there are in Agra. Brought back memories of the old Akbar-Birbal stories!

I had read one of Sharath Komarraju's standalone novels a while back, but never tried his crime fiction. I thought I'd take a chance on Crows of Agra. I found the premise of Birbal interesting. I found the writing immersive, and the plot believable yet with enough twists and turns. Historical accuracy was a bit off, but that is expected - because Birbal himself is not historically accurate. Still, there was just enough historical flavour in it to make it enjoyable. Highly recommended!

I was a little hesitant in purchasing these books because I had not heard of Sharath Komarraju before. But I needn't have worried. The stories and writing are top class! Each of the four books have different themes, different plots, and different resolutions. No repetition of writing style or words. I am so happy to have discovered a new Indian writer!