Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.4/5)
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Medical Fiction / Sri Lankan English Literature / Crime Fiction

Book Review:
Crossmatch by Carmel Miranda – winner of the Gratiaen Prize 2020 – is a gripping debut novel blending medical mystery, social commentary, and psychological depth. Lotus, an introverted medical student, witnesses the final moments of a poor young boy who dies in the ICU. Everyone calls it a tragic accident – except Lotus. Her sense of justice aroused, she follows a trail through Colombo's hospitals, slums, and mansions, uncovering secrets about the boy's death, a mysterious ''Lotus Hospital,'' and her own connection to the case. Prof. Arjuna Parakrama praises its ''sensitive and nuanced understanding of the Lankan medical world'' combined with ''a powerful and moving, yet unsentimental, psychological account of love, loss and reconciliation.'' A must-read for mystery and literary fiction lovers.