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    The Masala Chai Mystery Club

    Author MJ Soni
    Hardcover
    $29.99 US
    Crooked Lane Books
    5-1/4"W x 8-1/2"H | 20 oz | 12 per carton
    On sale Jul 21, 2026 | 336 Pages | 9798892426084
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    Suspects abound when a much-despised neighbor is killed, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

    Retired librarian Neeti Shah was hoping for a restful life with her chai-loving friends, but when the body of a neighbor, a childhood friend of Neeti's, turns up dead and the killer’s MO is similar to that of Neeti's most recent book club read, things start to get out of control.  

    When Neeti hears a commotion at a neighbor’s house, she finds Rohit’s body sprawled across the bottom of the staircase with Agatha Christie’s Dumb Witness nearby. Blackmailing his neighbors, threatening them with lawsuits, and calling them by nasty nicknames were only some of the hateful things that made him so disliked. But were they angry enough to kill?

    Neeti is indebted to her old friend, and she's determined to find his killer. But she can't do it alone, so she enlists her mystery-loving friends, the Masala Chai Mystery Club, to get to the bottom of the murder. 

    But Neeti and her club members need to be careful. As more bodies turn up and more suspects start to appear, they’ll need to find the killer before they end up in hot water!
    Praise for The Masala Chai Mystery Club:
    “Author Soni provides Neeti with a colorful, multinational cast of collaborators and coconspirators in her quest.”
    —Kirkus Review

    “MJ Soni masterfully creates a cunning new sleuth in retired librarian, Neeti Shah. Neeti is a sari wearing sleuth that uses humor, wisdom, and a razor-sharp wit to unravel the knots in this well-plotted mystery that will keep you entertained and flipping pages until the last page and the final clues are revealed. With a dash of Shakespeare and a nod to Christie, The Masala Chai Mystery Club is a contemporary mystery with a classic flair. Plus, there's a dog and recipes. What more could you want in a mystery?”
    —V. M. Burns: Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award finalist

    “Bubbling with culture, character, and, of course, chai, The Masala Chai Mystery Club is a must read for fans of Jesse Q. Sutanto, Kelly Mullen, and Richard Osman. I’ve never wanted to join a club so much and I already can’t wait for Neeti, Myra, and Peggy’s next adventure.”
    —Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Missing White Woman

    “The Masala Chai Mystery Club offers up a heartfelt mystery featuring a smart and sympathetic heroine, Neeti Shah. Her complex relationship with the victim makes the investigation into his death layered and engrossing. I look forward to fixing myself a cup of chai tea and sitting down to enjoy the further adventures of the Masala Chai Mystery Club!”
    —Ellen Byron/Maria DiRico, USA Today bestseller and Agatha and Lefty Award winner

    “MJ Soni’s The Masala Chai Mystery Club is a witty, well-written, warm-hearted, whodunit that boils over with heart, humanity and intelligence. It’s the best kind of reading escape.”
    —Cheryl A. Head, award-winning author of the Charlie Mack Motown Mysteries, and historical mystery, Time’s Undoing

    “The Masala Chai Mystery Club features an international cast of wacky characters, including a retired librarian and mature amateur sleuth, an HOA board run amok, a border collie named Yolo, yummy food, cozy beverages, and an interesting murder or two.”
    —Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Author of the Edgar and Agatha Award nominated Savvy Summers mystery series

    “A vibrant mystery filled with HOA drama, found family, cultural delights, and one adorable pooch—be sure to drink it in!”
    —Jennifer J. Chow, Agatha-nominated author of Tell-Tale Treats

    “MJ Soni’s The Masala Chai Mystery Club delivers a twisty, intriguing mystery set in a world rich with friendships and intergenerational family, and flavored with Indian culture. I didn’t want to leave.”
    —Olivia Matthews author of The Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries and National bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 novels
    MJ Soni’s short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Akashic Books, and Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories. She penned her memoir, Defying Apartheid, which captures her experiences as a young activist in South Africa, after a writing class at her local community center. 

    A lifelong fan of Agatha Christie, she now draws upon her love of the culture and cuisine of her diverse Indian, African, and American background to write heartwarming murder mysteries set largely in coastal New England.

    She’s a recipient of the Leon B. Burstein/MWA-NY Scholarship and a runner-up to the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a Pitch Wars mentee and mentor, and a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime National, and Sisters in Crime–CT.
    MJ Soni View titles by MJ Soni

    About

    Suspects abound when a much-despised neighbor is killed, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

    Retired librarian Neeti Shah was hoping for a restful life with her chai-loving friends, but when the body of a neighbor, a childhood friend of Neeti's, turns up dead and the killer’s MO is similar to that of Neeti's most recent book club read, things start to get out of control.  

    When Neeti hears a commotion at a neighbor’s house, she finds Rohit’s body sprawled across the bottom of the staircase with Agatha Christie’s Dumb Witness nearby. Blackmailing his neighbors, threatening them with lawsuits, and calling them by nasty nicknames were only some of the hateful things that made him so disliked. But were they angry enough to kill?

    Neeti is indebted to her old friend, and she's determined to find his killer. But she can't do it alone, so she enlists her mystery-loving friends, the Masala Chai Mystery Club, to get to the bottom of the murder. 

    But Neeti and her club members need to be careful. As more bodies turn up and more suspects start to appear, they’ll need to find the killer before they end up in hot water!

    Praise

    Praise for The Masala Chai Mystery Club:
    “Author Soni provides Neeti with a colorful, multinational cast of collaborators and coconspirators in her quest.”
    —Kirkus Review

    “MJ Soni masterfully creates a cunning new sleuth in retired librarian, Neeti Shah. Neeti is a sari wearing sleuth that uses humor, wisdom, and a razor-sharp wit to unravel the knots in this well-plotted mystery that will keep you entertained and flipping pages until the last page and the final clues are revealed. With a dash of Shakespeare and a nod to Christie, The Masala Chai Mystery Club is a contemporary mystery with a classic flair. Plus, there's a dog and recipes. What more could you want in a mystery?”
    —V. M. Burns: Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award finalist

    “Bubbling with culture, character, and, of course, chai, The Masala Chai Mystery Club is a must read for fans of Jesse Q. Sutanto, Kelly Mullen, and Richard Osman. I’ve never wanted to join a club so much and I already can’t wait for Neeti, Myra, and Peggy’s next adventure.”
    —Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Missing White Woman

    “The Masala Chai Mystery Club offers up a heartfelt mystery featuring a smart and sympathetic heroine, Neeti Shah. Her complex relationship with the victim makes the investigation into his death layered and engrossing. I look forward to fixing myself a cup of chai tea and sitting down to enjoy the further adventures of the Masala Chai Mystery Club!”
    —Ellen Byron/Maria DiRico, USA Today bestseller and Agatha and Lefty Award winner

    “MJ Soni’s The Masala Chai Mystery Club is a witty, well-written, warm-hearted, whodunit that boils over with heart, humanity and intelligence. It’s the best kind of reading escape.”
    —Cheryl A. Head, award-winning author of the Charlie Mack Motown Mysteries, and historical mystery, Time’s Undoing

    “The Masala Chai Mystery Club features an international cast of wacky characters, including a retired librarian and mature amateur sleuth, an HOA board run amok, a border collie named Yolo, yummy food, cozy beverages, and an interesting murder or two.”
    —Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Author of the Edgar and Agatha Award nominated Savvy Summers mystery series

    “A vibrant mystery filled with HOA drama, found family, cultural delights, and one adorable pooch—be sure to drink it in!”
    —Jennifer J. Chow, Agatha-nominated author of Tell-Tale Treats

    “MJ Soni’s The Masala Chai Mystery Club delivers a twisty, intriguing mystery set in a world rich with friendships and intergenerational family, and flavored with Indian culture. I didn’t want to leave.”
    —Olivia Matthews author of The Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries and National bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 novels

    Author

    MJ Soni’s short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Akashic Books, and Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories. She penned her memoir, Defying Apartheid, which captures her experiences as a young activist in South Africa, after a writing class at her local community center. 

    A lifelong fan of Agatha Christie, she now draws upon her love of the culture and cuisine of her diverse Indian, African, and American background to write heartwarming murder mysteries set largely in coastal New England.

    She’s a recipient of the Leon B. Burstein/MWA-NY Scholarship and a runner-up to the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a Pitch Wars mentee and mentor, and a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime National, and Sisters in Crime–CT.
    MJ Soni View titles by MJ Soni

    Additional formats

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