Nicolena Reads

Read May 29, 2026

I was waiting on a library hold of this book for weeks leading up to my book club meeting and it just wasn’t my turn, so clearly I waited until the morning of book club to buy and read it. I whipped out my speed reading skills of yesteryear to get this done in 3 hours flat. Thankfully, it was an easy read!

What is it about? 

Siri, a young Sri Lankan taxi driver in NYC, is a crime podcast enthusiast trying to make a living driving randoms around. She has an incredibly hard time making friends as an adult, don’t we all, and befriends a rider who shares her Sri Lankan heritage. After dropping off her new friend, she picks up a guy who seems rushed to get out of town. He’s looking for a ride to the airport and absolutely no yapping on the way! The only problem is when Siri gets him to the airport, he can’t get out of the car… because he’s dead.

Amaya is a public defender who is passionate about the truth. She hops in Siri’s taxi, decides to invite her out with her group of friends, and gives Siri her number. When Siri calls her later that night to tell her she needs help, and not the “I’m lonely, please invite me to dinner” kind, Amaya is faced with representing Siri, her first suspected murderer. Amaya reluctantly allows Siri to participate in part of the investigation, but she isn’t thrilled. She doesn’t even really believe Siri is innocent, because how does a guy get murdered in the backseat of a moving car when it’s just him and Siri?

What does it have?

• New York, New York
• Girls Just Wanna… Solve Murders!
• Friendship is Magic
• Confusing Plot Twist: Wait, What??

The book club had mixed reviews on how much this was actually a mystery/thriller, and we landed on the thought that it definitely isn’t a mystery. There’s also not much thrilling about the plot. What did stand out were the details of NYC, the cultural references, and how Gunasekera did a great job telling a story of a girl trying to find her way in life. Siri narrates, “Society at large always asks us to aspire to something better, bigger, and bolder. It looks down on the people who are essential to making our daily lives function…”. We get to reflect not only on societal expectations but also on how we treat people who are “… relegated to the background.”

Is it worth reading?

If you like light fiction reads without a real “so what?” then you’ll enjoy this, just don’t go in expecting a murder mystery because that’s not what you’re getting.