Advanced Praise for Maya, Dead and Dreaming

Publishers Weekly -  Maya, Dead and Dreaming was included in this month’s Mystery/Thriller Discover Books discovery roundup 

“Why Maya Had to Die” isn’t just a question—it becomes a demand that Munna stop running from her past. Maya, Dead and Dreaming is a novel about ghosts in every form: spectral, emotional, and societal. Thought-provoking and haunting, it’s a masterfully told story of reckoning with truth, no matter how painful….A quiet stunner.” –Seattle Book Review

“A haunting labyrinth where grief and dreams blur into a psychological masterpiece.” –Goodreads review

“I found this to be a very enjoyable read and definitely gave off an old school murder mystery vibe. I also like that it touched on the fact that Munna was a minority in town and that she never thought her opinions about anything mattered, much less those about a possible murder. It in a way is a story of not only finding justice but finding herself in her own unique way at the same time.” –Netgalley review

“This book has a compelling mystery but also a certain cozy charm with the small-town setting. I really enjoyed Munna as our narrator; her voice immediately came alive for me on the page and I felt invested in what would happen to her.” –Negalley review

“Two things drew me to Maya, Dead and Dreaming by Lana Sabarwal: (1) its cover and (2) the mention of Agatha Christie and Jhumpa Lahiri in the description. After reading the synopsis (a mysterious note, a haunting, and a small community being the highlights), picking up this book was easy.” –Story Graph

"Maya, Dead and Dreaming" is a brilliantly executed mystery that drifts away from the typical tropes of a mystery and instead embraces a character-driven narrative with exploration of grief, memory and hidden truths.” –Gayatri Saikia | per_fictionist

“For a debut novelist to deliver such a fully realised work is extraordinary. For an economist to do so, while retaining the elegance and depth of literary suspense, is nothing short of remarkable. Maya, Dead and Dreaming doesn’t just announce Sabarwal as a talent to watch; it reasserts the timeless power of a well-told mystery—one where the real enigma isn’t the crime, but the people who hide it. In an era of disposable thrillers, Sabarwal’s debut is a reminder that the best suspense endures because it understands, as Christie did, that the human heart is the most labyrinthine mystery of all.” -The Last Critic

“Why Maya Had to Die” isn’t just a question—it becomes a demand that Munna stop running from her past. Maya, Dead and Dreaming is a novel about ghosts in every form: spectral, emotional, and societal. Thought-provoking and haunting, it’s a masterfully told story of reckoning with truth, no matter how painful….A quiet stunner.” –Seattle Book Review

“Lana Sabarwal’s Maya, Dead and Dreaming is not just a mystery novel; it is a meticulously constructed psychological labyrinth…What makes the book remarkable is not just its tightly wound plot or its richly drawn characters, but the fact that it was written by an economist-a professional accustomed to dealing in data, policy, and empirical analysis, rather than the ambiguities of human motive and the shadowy corners of small-town secrets…The result is a debut that feels both classical in its mystery foundations and strikingly modern in its psychological depth.” -The Thoughtful Critic

“Maya, Dead and Dreaming is a slow-burning, atmospheric thriller…The strength of this story lies in Lana’s nuanced portrayal of small-town dynamics—how wealth, loyalty, and fear dictate truth. The recurring motif of water and drowning lends a poetic, almost nightmarish quality to the narrative. The author’s language is so good. It’s virtually lyrical when she describes the flora and fauna and the scenery of the silent town. While the mystery itself is compelling, it’s the psychological depth of characters like Shelly and Munna that makes this novel unforgettable. A must-read for lovers of literary suspense.” –Devvrata Dwivedi, Goodreads

“This book is a haunting, immersive novel that blurs the lines between reality and illusion…[it] manages to be both intellectually engaging and emotionally charged, offering a rare blend of suspense and introspection. A compelling choice for readers who appreciate mysteries with psychological depth and literary flair.” –Uday Sadana, Goodreads