Maya, Dead and Dreaming by Lana Sabarwal
A moving, intelligent and unputdownable whodunit that will stay in the reader’s mind well after the last chapter has concluded.
Author Lana Sabarwal has written a memorable debut novel, Maya, Dead and Dreaming, a compelling mystery featuring an intelligent and emotionally fraught protagonist and an intriguing plot where friendly faces hide secrets, motives and the identity of a killer.
Maya Hickman’s death in 1938 was tragic, and the circumstances around it were murky enough to set off the gossip mills. Munna Dhingra, Maya’s former best friend, has never quite shaken off the memory. Now, 14 years later, the memory of Maya is about to revisit Munna and the small town of Shogie, Washington, with a vengeance.
When the Past Resurfaces
Munna’s heart is deeply wounded when a letter arrives at work, hinting that all was not as it seemed with Maya’s death. For a few years in their youth, Munna and Maya were inseparable. Yet, Munna believed there would always be an unspoken divide between the two; the Hickmans were a wealthy family, and Munna’s mother worked for the Hickmans.
Now, Munna works for a former lawyer turned law professor at the University of Shogie named Andrew Weaver. The letter was meant for Andrew, but the mention of Maya sparked Munna’s interest, along with suspicions.
Munna alerts Andrew about the letter’s contents along with her concerns, and he reaches out to a psychoanalyst named Karenina to aid Munna in reinvestigating Maya’s death. Munna is initially put off by Karenina’s probing questions and cavalier attitude, but Karenina’s presence at Munna’s side eases her mind as she approaches Maya’s family for help.
A Chilling Investigation
The Hickman family doesn’t want the past opened up. A new investigation could upset the delicate balance of the town. Despite a lax investigation conducted by the local police, the Hickmans have accepted Maya’s death as an unfortunate, tragic accident.
Munna believes the Hickmans are more concerned with keeping up appearances than with uncovering the truth, and she suspects that Maya was actually the victim of foul play. As Munna and Karenina continue their investigation, Munna begins to uncover secret after secret about her late friend and her troubled family.
And Munna herself has been keeping a secret from everybody all along: Maya reached out to her for help on the day of her death.
A Poignant Whodunit
The ghosts of the past and the hurtful sting of regret are at the core of Maya, Dead and Dreaming.
In the story’s initial pages, Munna is a reserved woman who stands at a crossroads in her life. She pines for the boss she’s about to walk out on, and yet is excited about working for her late friend’s mother as an assistant, a job she was offered after knowing the Hickman family for years. But during the course of her investigation, Munna’s character begins to evolve. To get to the bottom of the mystery, she must become more self-assertive and forthright.
Munna’s exploration of Maya’s death yields discoveries about her troubled friend, but it also offers catharsis for the burden of guilt Munna has borne over the last decade. Munna’s decision not to hear Maya in her time of need has lingered in her mind over the ensuing years. Maybe if she had listened, Maya would still be here. The solution to the case may offer Munna the closure she desperately needs.
The plot will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the suspect pool deepens throughout the book. The surprises are well placed and lead to an outstanding climax featuring a devastating and unprecedented revelation. Author Lana Sabarwal pens a moving, intelligent and unputdownable whodunit that will stay in the reader’s mind well after the last chapter has concluded. Sabarwal’s book will resonate with mystery lovers, a crime story with more than a bit of tragedy.
Lana Sabarwal is a novelist, an economist and a devoted Agatha Christie disciple. Her debut psychological mystery, Maya, Dead and Dreaming, will be out in June 2025. It is a satisfying whodunnit that explores complex themes, including how useful gossip can be, how we are unreliable narrators of our own lives, and what happens when women’s self-discovery collides with dysfunctional families and tight-knit communities.
Lana’s day job is in international development, where she writes about education and gender issues across the world. Her work has been downloaded more than 3.5 million times and covered by global media. Lana grew up in India. She lives in Washington, DC, and within the pages of her favorite books.
Publish Date: 6/8/25
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense
Author: Lana Sabarwal
Page Count: 269 pages
ISBN: 9798992617801