Winner of the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize 2023,
and the Binod Kanoria Children’s Book Award, 2023, Mallika Ravikumar
is a lawyer-turned-writer, published by Penguin, Hachette, and Karadi Tales,
amongst others. Apart from writing about law and history, she loves learning
about trees, conducting tree walks, and creating videos about trees on her
YouTube channel, Tree Talk with Mallika Ravikumar.
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When young Shimplya Jadhav comes to Mirchi asking for his help after the police arrest his fisherman father, the group of detectives who call themselves the M4—Mirchi, Malhar, Meera and Munna the dog—decide they need to investigate. Someone has planted a sack full of turtles in Shimplya’s father’s boat! Who could have done this? And why is a poor man like Surmai Jadhav being framed?
As the M4 keep digging, they unearth more and more astonishing facts and secrets. The turtles are being poached from the forests near their town of Maulsari, and are being sent out of the country to be used in exotic medicines and potions. Their investigation takes them from horrific pet trade shops to weekly village markets where forbidden goods change hands. Donning disguises, going undercover to get to the source of the wildlife poaching racket, the children also start learning more about the wildlife laws of the country, and understand that protecting the environment is not so straightforward.
The Case of the Missing Turtles is the M4’s second case—and it is just as exciting, twisted, and thought-provoking as their first!
