Mysteries, and tales on making a woman's life one's own (IANS Books This Weekend)

Read the tale of Inspector Ashwin Chopra who on the day he retires, discovers that he has inherited some rather unexpected mysteries - the case of a drowned boy and a baby elephant. Also to read this week is a tale from an ambitious female editor of a news magazine - about what it means for a woman to make one's own life. Here's this weekend's dose of IANS books. Read on!

1. Book: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra; Author: Vaseem Khan; Publisher: Mulholland Books; Pages: 297; Price: Rs. 399

On the day he is to retire, Inspector Ashwin Chopra discovers that he has inherited some rather unexpected mysteries, unlike any other officer in his place. The first is the case of a drowned boy whose death under suspicious circumstances no one wants to solve. And the second, a baby elephant.

As Inspector Chopra begins hunting for clues, the search takes him across the teeming city of Mumbai, from its grand high-rise buildings to its dark slums and deep into the murky underworld. These instances are when Chopra discovers that it takes a lot more to unlock these mysteries than what they seem like.

As he learns that the journey is going to get even tougher, maybe the determined elephant is just what Inspector Chopra needs to solve the mysteries. But does he?

2. Book: Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own; Author: Kate Bollick; Publisher: Corsair; Pages: 308; Price: Rs. 399

"Where to marry, and when will it happen -- these two questions define every woman's existence, regardless of where she was raised or what religion she does or doesn't practice", thus begins this book on making a life of one's own.

Coming from an ambitious contributing editor of a popular news magazine, this book gives out a revolutionary outlook of the pleasures, problems and possibilities of women living independently in the current generation. And what it takes and means, for women to 'have it all'.

3. Book: Leap of Faith; Author: Julia Regul Singh; Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 278; Price: Rs. 295

Christina von Hoisdorf, the youngest tenured professor of sociology at New York University, has many books and guest lectureship offers under her belt. But it is destined that in a village cafe, she meets a handsome investment banker from New Delhi, Andalip. As one can guess, they soon fall in love.

As the two progress towards their marriage, Christina finds herself remapping her life when she leaves for India to attend a Indo-German wedding. Lead by a series of cross-cultural misunderstandings -- the duo find themselves struggling to keep their relationship alive. Will Christina and Andalip's love survive?

4. Book: Only Ever Yours; Author: Louise O'Neill; Publisher: Quercus; Pages: 390; Price: Rs. 399

This is a tale where the author talks about the world in which baby girls are no longer born naturally; where women are bred in schools, and are trained in the arts to please men.

And when these women are ready for the outside world, only the best would be chosen. And only the men decide that.