Alpha Beta Gamma by Malabika Ray

A bookish physicist taps into her sleuthing skills in Alpha Beta Gamma by Malabika Ray, the engaging first book in The Diary of a Sloppy Sleuth series.

When Sri’s respected colleague mysteriously dies in his university lab, this curious and independent scientist lends her impressive brain and true-crime obsession to the hunt for justice. Half a world away but tangled in the mess of this case, the murder of a young Iranian protester has sparked an unlikely plot for revenge that could plunge the country into chaos. As Sri digs into the professor’s death, and butts heads with an arrogant young Met police officer, she soon discovers the victim’s older, more radical connections, and realizes that the danger is far from over. Bound by loyalty to her friend and an endlessly curious nature, Sri plunges into a breakneck journey to stay ahead of deadly foreign agents before they close her investigation for good.

Despite the hyper-contemporary nature of the premise and the intriguing twists of the plot, there are a few errors in the prose, such as tense mismatches and an overall stilted quality that lacks a degree of emotion, coupled with frequently inauthentic dialogue. That said, Ray has created an appealing lead sleuth to navigate this complex and winding case, which offers plenty of surprises for readers.

Ultimately, while some execution issues put a damper on Ray’s clever characters and sharp storytelling, this is a stimulating, timely, and creative tale.