Men Like Ours

A suspicious death sparks an investigation and heated gossip in an Indian American enclave in the excellent debut from Bansinath. Matthew Pillai, 55, is found dead in his car on a New Jersey highway, surrounded by pills. The police interview multiple women whose addresses showed up on his GPS record, including recently widowed Anita Sharma, whose late husband, Ashok, was a colleague of Matthew’s and introduced him to their neighbors on Willow Road. The nonlinear narrative then dives into the Sharmas’ unhappy arranged marriage and move to the U.S. in the 1990s, revealing how in the years since, Anita, who hates America and calls it “death by QVC,” constantly criticizes both Ashok and their daughter, Leila. When Ashok brings avuncular Matthew home for dinner, he takes a shine to Leila, 13, and becomes fast friends with the families in the neighborhood, gaining their trust. He encourages Leila’s desire to become an actor, paying for her drama classes and taking her to Broadway shows, at first with his wife, Louise, then by himself. By the time Leila is 15, she realizes Matthew has been grooming her for sex, driving the story to its crisis point. Bansinath is an impressive storyteller with a firm grasp on the intersecting story lines, showing how Anita’s bitterness drives away Leila, making her vulnerable to a predator. The author also breathes life into the tight-knit community, where neighbors grow jealous of Leila over Matthew’s doting on her and badmouth Anita, whom they view as a snob. Readers will be engrossed by this clear-eyed and explosive tale. (May)