Gone With the Wings is kinda like an Asian fusion cozy mystery. Set in the American Midwest/South (Oklahoma) as well as featuring a main character from South Asia, Clover gives readers the best of both worlds. I love that Meera’s family and culture are incorporated into the novel, setting her apart from typical cozy heroines and giving the book an ethnic flair not normally found in this genre. The mystery in Gone With the Wings is well-constructed, and it kept me guessing right up until the big reveal. There is also a subplot involving Meera’s mother that took a couple of interesting turns too. All of which intrigues me to keep reading the series.

There were a couple things I wasn’t crazy about though. First, the characters lack dimension. They are layered, to be sure, but they still feel flat to me. Maybe it’s in the somewhat stilted dialogue or sometimes over-the-top reactions. Which brings me to the second thing – the writing style is a bit awkward in places, choppy and abrupt. This may have been an intentional choice to convey the nuances of the culture but it broke up the flow of my reading. One final thing that broke up my reading pace was the sheer volume of recipes woven throughout the narrative. I like food in books, but I don’t like stopping my story for a recipe. It just doesn’t feel natural for the narrator to give step-by-step details of what he/she is doing while cooking.

Bottom Line: Gone With the Wings by Leena Clover whets your culinary and investigative appetites, as well as providing you with a glimpse inside South Asian culture and life as an international student at an American college/university. The mystery (including an intriguing subplot) keeps you engaged, and you may find yourself trying to finagle an invitation to one of Meera’s family’s parties. There are some minor issues with dimension and story flow, but overall this is an interesting read and sets the stage for the rest of the series.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower