The perfect cup of chai takes at least twenty minutes to brew, which was why Kausar usually stuck to the quick method of a tea bag and boiled water.
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Table of Contents
Why Detective Aunty?
This past weekend I was on my usual library errand and looking for my next book to read. I wanted something light and easy to read after the heavy non-fiction I had just read. None of the unread fiction in the unread section of my ebook reader were really what I wanted and my hold for a contemporary romance title hadn’t come in yet. So based on a suggestion I went browsing the library shelves.
On the library’s “Best Bets” section, I found a new book by Uzma Jalaluddin, not the book I am reviewing today, it was one of her romance titles. I looked up the author on the library’s website and vaguely recalled that someone had mentioned her to me in the past. It turns out, that one of her mystery novels Detective Aunty was available at the library branch I was in so I checked it out.
The description said it was a whodunit mystery and that sounded like the perfect palate cleanser that I was in the mood for. I read a paperback edition (ISBN/UID – 9781443472845) published by HarperCollins in May 2025. Blurbs on this edition from – Hannah Mary McKinnon, Janie Chang, Katie Tallo, Nalini Singh, Kate Hilton, and Ausma Zehanat Khan.
Let’s get into it.
The Book
Detective Aunty is a whodunit mystery novel in the style of a Agatha Christie mystery. The book wears this inspiration on its sleeve, from the dedication to the main character of the book being a fan of Agatha Christie’s writing. The main character Kausar Khan is very much supposed to be a South Asian equivalent of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple character.
The story follows Kausar Khan as she travels back to her old neighbourhood in Toronto after she gets a call from her daughter Sana saying that she is the primary suspect in the murder of man in their neighbourhood. What follows is a journey of Kausar slowly unravelling the various intrigues and relationships in the neighbourhood, navigating her own family’s various issues, and trying to clear Sana’s name.
First thing of note here is Kausar herself. I think this is the first time I have seen a woman of this demographic being depicted in a fiction novel – late 50s, South Asian – this is not a combination of characteristics I see often. Hell, I don’t see main characters in their late 50s or later in fiction often either, the last time was when I read The Correspondent.
I liked Kausar a fair bit. She reminded me of my mom in some ways which is not surprising considering my mom is also in her late 50s and is a South Asian woman. When Kausar talked about making chai, it reminded me of the way my mom made chai. I liked how Uzma Jalaluddin portrayed the complexities of a woman who was raised to be a certain way with certain societal expectations trying to figure out what her “second wind” looks like.
Second thing of note in Detective Aunty is the setting. The book is set in contemporary Toronto and more specifically in Scarborough, a sub-section of Toronto. This is in itself a novel experience for me, I can’t recall the last time I read a book set in contemporary Toronto and I am fairly sure I have never read a book set in Scarborough, a part of Toronto where I have lived since I was a teenager.
It was mildly disconcerting to read a book where places I have been to in person get mentioned. When the author mentioned Kennedy Station, I had a moment of “oh huh, yeah I’ve been there”, which is a kind of representation I don’t get in books very often, it was a good feeling. It was also super cool to see the South Asian community that makes up large portions of Scarborough be represented with the nuance and complexity it deserves.
The mystery itself was also a fun read. There is quite the colourful cast of characters, everyone with their own secrets, motivations, and grudges. It was fun to see Kausar try to put together the various little details together to solve the mystery. At no point in the story did I correctly guess who the culprit was, it remained a mystery until Kausar did the big reveal at the end.
Concluding Thoughts
I really enjoyed my time reading Detective Aunty. It was a quick easy read and a fun mystery with a colourful cast of characters that kept me invested in its world all the way through. I really resonated with a lot of the representation of South Asian culture and I very much want more stories like these set in Toronto.
This was the perfect palate cleanser and I am glad I picked it up. This is the first book in the Detective Aunty Investigates series and the second book is already out and I have a hold on it. I am looking forward to reading more Kausar’s detective adventures in very short order! Uzma Jalaluddin is also a contemporary romance writer and I am open to reading those books as well in the future.
That’s all from me. Stay hydrated y’all, and I’ll see y’all in the next one.
P.S – the Toronto Police detective character on the murder case being named Detective Drake is very funny.
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