The Pearl River 
By Sujata Massey

Overly-Designed Mystery
Meets Commercial Expectations.

    I had heard the buzz about The Pearl Diver by Sujata Massey. Because the protagonist is racially mixed I expected—even though I knew this book was a mystery—that this new HarperCollins release would be a candidate for my annual “Noble” Prize list that MyShelf publishes each January. I do not automatically disqualify genre fiction from consideration. Many romances, mysteries, science fiction and others are also important works of literature that sing a song with the language; that examine the human condition.

     Though The Pearl Diver is entertaining enough, the cast of characters seems calculated to include a little of everything including the biracial antiques expert, a “preppy” sort, some California types, a sort of lapsed Jewish restaurateur, and more. Though the grounding in this book is sufficient for a reader to learn something new about a wide range of places—from Japan to our capital city—it sometimes seems thin; the attempt at including cuisine as a centerpiece feels contrived and a bit distracting in a time when a new foodie-cum-laude slant to a novel almost guarantees success.

       The protagonist, Rei Shimura, is well-enough drawn but even in an early scene when she is using a pregnancy testing kit on herself—certainly a time that most women would have an emotional investment—we feel no real passion, learn little about what makes her tick.. Diver is a good mystery, capably written, well researched, and structured creatively. The politics ring true for the time, as does the material social scene that surrounds it. It’s just that this competent author missed an opportunity at so much more. If you’re in the mood for a mystery with a twist or two, one that might be read in a couple of evenings, have at it. If one turns to the first page expecting little more than light entertainment, a reader will have a good time with The Pearl Diver.