#571 - The Body in the Swimming Pool

by Shabnam Minwalla

“The Body in the Swimming Pool” by Shabnam Minwalla. Published by Talking Cub, the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger. An engrossing murder mystery investigated by four teenagers who form the Chicken Pox Club.

The story is set in a high rise apartment complex in the bustling city of Mumbai. Four teenagers Paromita, Darius, Nihal and Sunidhi from the apartment fall sick with chickenpox during the summer holidays. Confined to their homes, the four of them find themselves having to spend time together at Paromita’s home though they aren’t exactly friends. With three of them having been part of an ongoing workshop for young detectives, they form the Chicken Pox Club to do some sleuthing on their own. A mystery is all that they need to try and solve. And they don’t have to look too far for it. A recent murder of a harmless old lady in their apartment complex has made it to the headlines of newspapers. Sandra Saldanha, a poet and English Literature professor has fallen to her death from the balcony of her apartment on the 56th floor straight into the common swimming pool. The story is narrated by Paromita as it takes place.

Without realising the gravity of the situation, the Chicken Pox Club are up against a dangerous killer who is at large. Someone who might go to any lengths to escape being found out. They need to find the clues hidden around them and decipher their meaning. For this, they will have to dive headlong into Sandra’s past. She seems like an unlikely victim of murder at first. They come across information about her old students, her book of poetry and her circle of friends who seemed to know her very well. The clues that they stumble upon include a cryptic note that takes them to an eerie cemetery and a poem that seems to make no sense until some parts of it start getting clearer. Pursuing these leads, the club is up against a vicious killer who might strike them at any time. Can the club members crack their first mystery in the nick of time before disaster strikes? Read the thriller of a book to solve the mystery with the Chicken Pox Club.

Being a whodunit, the book proved to be a page turner. The resolve of the characters to solve the mystery kept me and my ten and a half year old engrossed while we tried to follow the clues as well. With unpredictable twists and turns, shady characters and intriguing clues woven beautifully into a tight plot, the mystery engaged us till the very end. Misled many a times and completely stumped by the time we reached the end, the fast paced book kept us at the edge of our seats as we tried solving the mystery and finding out the identity of the killer. The traits of the teenagers and the humorous banter between them as they become friends gradually in an unexpected way was also enjoyable for us. Though the story is spooky, there is no gore or anything very scary. This was the first murder mystery that my son read and he was totally thrilled about it. It proved to be an amazing experience for him and he realised how some clues or characters could be confusing and misleading making you go on a wrong path while investigating. The characters and settings were so relatable. Looks like this is going to be a series and we would be thrilled if it turns out to be.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 11/12 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Talking Cub here.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Talking Cub, for review. Thank you to the folks at Talking Cub, for sending across the book!