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by Yosha Gunasekera
When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera.
Siriwathi Perera doesn't quite know where she's going in life. She never expected to be a taxicab driver in New York City, struggling to make ends meet and still living with her parents at twenty-eight. The true-crime podcasts that keep Siri company as she drives don't do much to make up for the legal career she imagined for herself, or the brother she's grieving.
When public defender Amaya Fernando gets into her cab, they make a quick connection through their shared Sri Lankan roots. Siri, whose social circle is limited to her grade-school best friend, Alex, thinks things might finally be looking up with this new potential friendship. But she's suddenly dropped into her own true crime when she discovers her next passenger murdered in the backseat, and she has to call Amaya sooner than she'd expected.
Pinned as the obvious and only suspect, and desperate to clear her name, Siri chases down leads across the boroughs of New York City with Amaya's help. But with her court date looming, they have just five days to find out who really killed the midnight passenger—or Siri's life will be over before she can even truly live it.
"Gunasekera, an attorney with the Innocence Project, pulls no punches when it comes to detailing the hostility Siri faces from law enforcement, but she never loses sight of the brain-teasing fun inherent to the best locked-room mysteries...Readers will be rapt." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This is a richly detailed, well-crafted debut mystery led by an appealing amateur detective duo in Siri and Amaya. Recommended for fans of Nita Prose and Jesse Q. Sutanto." —Library Journal (starred review)
"Mystery readers should be drawn to this lively loner, perhaps the most engaging whodunit heroine since Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone…A charming debut mystery told with panache." —Kirkus Reviews
"Gunasekera writes with straightforward ease, relaying the step-by-step process of Siri and Amaya's fast-moving investigation. The Sri Lankan American background she shares with her protagonists adds cultural and sociopolitical enhancements to her narrative, broadening the scope beyond the usual whodunit. Her plotting proves notably clever." —Shelf Awareness
"I adored this resilient, plucky taxi-driving sleuth and her fiercely loyal public defender. Yosha Gunasekera's debut whodunnit takes readers on an intriguing ride with plenty of surprising turns. Perfect for fans of Olivia Blacke and Mia P. Manansala." —Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
"Mystery takes Manhattan in this charming debut, which features a winning cast steeped in the rich diversity of immigrant New York and the nuances of the criminal justice system." —Nina Simon, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night
"Standing ovation! The Midnight Taxi is a treasure. Engaging, authentic and eye-opening—with a delightful and relatable main character I instantly adored. It's fast-paced, uniquely voiced, perfectly plotted, and realistically emotional—but what makes this murder mystery a standout is its wise and heartfelt exploration of cultural identity and the search for justice. This is the beginning of your new favorite series!" —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of All This Could Be Yours
"The Midnight Taxi is one of my favorite mysteries of the year—a witty, charming love letter to New York City, immigrants, and the often-unseen laborers who make the world go round. With a pair of supremely endearing sleuths, a puzzle-box structure full of twists, and a deeply satisfying conclusion, Gunasekera has a winner on her hands." —Ashley Winstead, USA Today bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me
"The Midnight Taxi is one of the most fun and unique takes on a locked room mystery that I've ever read. I had a blast tagging along with Siri and Amaya as they traversed New York City trying to uncover exactly who killed Siri's late-night fare in a moving taxi cab. Yosha Gunasekera weaves enlightening–and timely–insights about her Sri Lankan culture and what it's like being an immigrant into a satisfying, well-plotted mystery. I already can't wait for book two!" —Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Missing White Woman
"Yosha Gunasekera's debut reads as a love letter to New York and all the unsung heroes residing within the city mixed with the intrigue of a locked room mystery. Siri's blend of strength and vulnerability kept me rooting for her throughout the many twists and turns in the story, and I can't wait to see what new adventures are in store for the dynamic duo of Siri and Amaya!" —Mia P. Manansala, author of the best-selling Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series
"Yosha Gunasekera's debut reads like a hug from your tenacious, messy Sri Lankan aunty. A gripping mystery wrapped in a love letter to the immigrants of New York, it has all the elements of your next favorite read—an unstoppable force of a main character, a dead body found in a moving taxi, and a mouthwatering portrait of New York's food culture. Equal parts clever, funny and insightful, I didn't want this wild (taxi) ride to end!" —Amanda Jayatissa, author of Island Witch
"Deep family ties, strong food culture, and love and longing for a better future build a picture that one can only hope isn't quashed by today's political chaos." —First Clue
This information about The Midnight Taxi was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Yosha Gunasekera is a Sri Lankan American attorney who represents people who have spent decades behind bars for crimes they did not commit. She teaches a course at Princeton University focused on wrongful conviction and exoneration. Yosha is a former Manhattan public defender and has written and spoken extensively on the criminal legal system.
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