The Bottom Line: Witty and intellectual, Alpha Beta Gamma introduces a highly charismatic amateur sleuth who risks everything to unravel a sinister international political conspiracy.
Alpha Beta Gamma opens in Tehran, where former spy Nasser and his wife, Fatemeh Ali, are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their daughter, Sara. The stakes are high, as they know that Sara is engaged in protests against the morality police, who recently killed a young woman. Soon, an emotional phone call confirms the couple’s worst fears.
Determined that Sara’s death won’t go unpunished, Nasser decides that those responsible must be charged with war crimes by the United Nations. He knows that going directly to the international media would put his entire family in danger. Instead, he resolves to reach out to Reza Tavacol, a professor in London and critic of the Iranian regime. Though Tavacol left Iran 30 years prior, he’s hopeful that the good professor will be both helpful and sympathetic.
In London, a rumor spreads like wildfire across campus that Professor Tavacol is dead. He was apparently killed in his lab between 1 and 3 a.m. in the morning. A group of students led by Sri – who friends affectionately dub “Miss Marple,” in tribute to the Agatha Christie detective – embark on an investigation to solve the murder. Soon afterwards, tragedy strikes again when university lab manager Helena Swift is found dead.
It seems that a reporter for the Guardian has evidence that Iran’s Morality Police used illegal nerve agents on students during protests. Was Professor Tavacol the intermediary, and if so, is that why he and Helena were killed?
Inspired by real-world headlines, author Malabika Ray’s tragic prologue sets the tone for a hardboiled political thriller. That tone changes sharply the moment Ray switches to the first-person narration by college student and 23-year-old “sloppy sleuth” Sri. The banter between Sri and her fellow students is hilarious, and when it comes to her flatmate, Matt, is also sexually charged (Matt: “So, one of your professors has been murdered, has he”? Sri: I can’t help but picture his ripped chest and the lion-like narrow waist right under those plain clothes). While the cheeky collegiate environment initially lowers the post-murder tension, Sri and her friends have rare chemistry. If you like the quirky, witty tone of Only Murders in the Building, you’ll love the camaraderie between Sri and her pals as they go about their quest for the truth.
On a higher level, Ray uses Sri to explore gender roles and expectations, particularly through Sri’s interactions with her family and peers. Not only is Sri lacking in confidence, but she also faces skepticism from her mother regarding her aspirations to be involved in detective work, which is deemed “unladylike.” Kudos to Ray for highlighting the societal pressures placed on women to conform to traditional roles and the struggles female characters face in asserting their independence and ambitions.
