Mikimoto Mystery

Priti Tunda, wife of business tycoon, Akhil Tunda, arrives in Kolkata. She is set to grace a lavish party, thrown by the Tundas, in commemoration of the brilliant performance of their Company, E-gate, operating in Kolkata. The celebration is taking place in Hotel Marina. Priti is also staying in Room No. 705 of the same Hotel.

As per family tradition, she wears the Mikimoto Necklace, a family heirloom, for the occasion. The necklace is believed to bring good fortune. She leaves the party early. Before retiring to her suite she orders coffee on room service at the reception. But when the waiter comes up with the coffee Priti is found unconscious in her room and the necklace is gone.

Though the guests at the Hotel are thoroughly frisked at the exit the necklace is not found in any of their possession.

Digonto Deb is a Professor of Bangla Literature and an amateur private investigator. His wife Anjali is a journalist. Digonto’s childhood friend Pranoy is with the Kolkata Police Department and involved in the investigation of the missing necklace.

Pranoy seeks Digonto’s assistance to resolve another peculiar complaint by one Mr. Niloy Sarkar, a bank employee. Digonto, having read about the theft of the Mikimoto Necklace, is very much interested in investigating the case. But he cannot say no to his buddy and asks Niloy to come over to his place.

But what Niloy Sarkar has to say intrigues Digonto no less. Niloy suspects that someone is stalking him. He does not know why. He is just a peace loving family man who does not like to mess with anyone. But Digonto’s tentacles rise up when Niloy tells him that he was in Marina celebrating Children’s Day with his family on the very day the Mikimoto Necklace was stolen.

Is there any connection between the two cases? Who is stalking Niloy and why? Is Niloy as innocent as he appears to be ? Will Digonto be able to solve the mystery of the stolen necklace?

Mikimoto Necklace by Dipanwita Roy is an engaging story for children,  young adults and even adults. I heard the audio version on Radio Mirchi’s Sunday Suspense Series on You Tube.

Bengalis have a fetish for detective  stories. It’s no wonder that a whole series is dedicated to the genre. However, at times the contemporary storytellers lack the finnese required to build up the plot of a whodunnit. Dipanwita Roy is an exception. Her narrative is interesting and the line of detection lapse free.

Those who, like me, are not conversant with the term “Mikimoto” it refers to the founder of the cultured pearl industry, Kokichi Mikimoto (1858-1954), and the luxury Japanese brand (particularly Japanese Akoya Pearls) founded by him, known for high-quality cultured pearls. Kokichi Mikimoto is credited with creating the first cultured pearl in 1893 revolutionizing the pearl industry. The brand has its own proprietary grading system for its pearls.

A Little About The Author

Dipanwita Roy is a Bengali children’s writer and journalist. She did her comparative studies from Jadavpur University. In 2024 she was awarded the Bal Sahitya Puraskar by Sahitya Akademi. She has been widely published and translated in other languages.