What do readers think of The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera? Write your own review.

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera was a sweet surprise. Two women of Sri Lankan descent who barely know each other team up to investigate and solve a murder with the hopes of keeping one of them out of prison. In this delightful book we learn about Sri Lankan food and culture as the duo race through the streets of New York City following clues and interviewing possible suspects. Who would have thought that a taxi driver and public defender could solve a crime, eat lots of delicious food (that I have never heard of) and, at the same time, engage in witty self-dialogue that actually keeps the reader wondering what could possibly happen next. I think anyone who likes murder mysteries will enjoy this book. We can only hope that we find these two teamed up again in another fast moving whodunnit.

This pulled me in from the beginning. Loved the protagonist and her found family. Hopefully this is the first in a new series.

Siriwathi Perera is a taxi driver with a penchant for true crime podcasts. Unfortunately for her, a true crime occurs in the back seat of her taxi. She was just taking a man to the Air France terminal at JFK airport. Her fare was murdered at some point during the trip, but Siri didn't see or hear a thing.

The police believe that she must have killed him. Off she goes to jail. But, wait! Siri has
the business card of a fellow Sri Lankan attorney in her pocket. Will a good attorney be enough to free Siri?

"The Midnight Taxi" is an enthralling murder mystery. First, there's the tragedy itself: who stabbed the fare? Second, another tragedy: an innocent woman being falsely accused.

I thought "The Midnight Taxi" was well-written– a real page turner. Siri and her lawyer look for clues and try to find the actual culprit. The characters seem like real people. Siri has known tragedy in her life, and I was rooting for her and her lawyer.

I recommend "The Midnight Taxi" if you're in the mood for a tricky mystery with characters you'd probably like to meet. Personally, I hope it becomes a series.

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. This is my honest review.

I couldn't wait to start this book and hoped it would live up to my expectations. It did! What an entertaining, fun book, with serious themes woven throughout.

Our main character, Siri, has had a difficult few years, but is rolling along in life as an NYC cab driver. While she has mixed feelings about the direction her life has taken - some the result of her own choices, some not - she's proud of the service she provides to her customers, noting that she'll often wait to ensure that her fares make it safely inside their drop-off location. So she's horrified when one of her fares ends up dead in the backseat of her cab and she ends up as the prime suspect.

Siri is such a fully drawn, real character. She's someone I'd like to get to know. The same can be said of Amaya, her attorney. I like that their relationship isn't immediately besties (maybe the friend equivalent of insta-love in romance tropes), despite what they have in common. Their rapport and trust takes time to build, as it would in real life.

There is a lot of commentary on the criminal justice system and the treatment of defendants awaiting trial. It isn't distracting or hectoring, it makes total sense in the context of the story, and it's information that more people should know. Siri references back several times to the difference between how the justice system is portrayed on television shows and podcasts and what it's like in reality and it's an important reminder. The criminal justice system is often unjust for large groups of people, including the poor, people of color, and the mentally unwell.

I also enjoyed learning a bit more about Sri Lankan culture, including how food dishes differ from many Indian food dishes.

I thought the pacing of the story was good, I enjoyed the characters, and I liked the mystery. As I neared the end of the book, I was thinking, I hope this is just the first in a series, so was thrilled to see an excerpt from a second book at the end! This is definitely a character I'd like to ride along with again in the future.

People who enjoy cozy mysteries will like this book. I also think it would make a great book club selection, to discuss the points raised about the criminal justice system, ideally over a delicious meal of Sri Lankan food!

This is a cute, cozy mystery featuring Sri Lankan characters - Siriwatha "Siri" Perera and Amaya Fernando - working together to solve a mysterious murder, one in which Siri must prove her innocence.

Siri is a midnight taxi driver in New York City. She loves true crime podcasts and was hoping to go to law school. One night she picks up a fare who upon arrival at the airport is dead and Siri is the logical suspect. Fortunately for Siri an earlier fare had been another Sri Lanka, Amaya, and she's able to secure an attorney quickly. Free on bond, Siri and Amaya join forces to solve the murder. No spoilers here; you have to read the book to find out what happened. It's a good ending!

I enjoyed the characters in this book. Siri is particularly enjoyable with her love of the true crime podcasts where there are certain requirements involved for investigating and solving crimes which are reflected in the story - adding a light, comedic touch. Amaya serves as a nice foil to Siri - so no surprise! There will be another book with these two. I also liked the introduction of Sri Lankan characters, giving more diversity to the mystery genre.

I want to thank BookBrowse and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Night taxi driver, Siriwathi Perera, picks up a fare at the criminal courthouse in Manhattan late at night. Her passenger is a public defender in night court, Amaya Fernando. Both being Sri Lanken they strike up a conversation. Amaya gives Siri her business card with fare,at drop off, suggesting they meet for Sri Lankan food in the future. Little does Siri know how important that interaction and card will be later that night.

Thus begins the mystery. As the story goes on we learn much about Siri, present and past. The characters are very real and interesting. New York City is a character especially in the feelings of Siri. When Siri is arrested for a horrific crime she did not commit, but evidence suggests otherwise, she must use the business card to enlist Amaya's help. Siri, who has listened to many true crime podcast. thinks she is a good investigator and insists on helping Amaya find the truth.

The cultural aspects of the Sri Lankan family and community, the criminal justice system and New York City itself were vividly written and very engaging. I look forward to more from this author, and there was a preview of next book.

An amusing, entertaining plot. The action takes place in New York City; there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek, insider humor. Trivia is part of the entertainment. The twists and turns of the plot are believable. The protagonist and her lawyer are Sri Lanken and they bond over food and the emigrant experience. Light and entertaining.

This book meets all the requirements of a good midnight snack and who doesn't love a good midnight snack? It's not too big, won't keep you awake all night, it's full of good ingredients (plot, character) and very satisfying. I loved the glimpses of life in NYC, little tastes of Sri Lanken culture, and the friendship between Siri, Alex and Amaya. And as a mom, I appreciated the delicacy with which the author dealt with Siri's relationship with her parents. I enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for future installments.