THE MIST OF MAZHAKKUNNU

An Anand Varghese Mystery - I

A village trapped by a landslide. An old woman who vanishes into the mist. Nine birds hiding a secret. And a deaf boy who sees what everyone else misses.

In the mist-covered hills of Wayanad, the remote village of Mazhakkunnu has an unsettling legend: the Kodamanushyan, the mysterious Mist Man, walks through the fog, and those who encounter him may never return.

Then a devastating monsoon landslide cuts the village off from the outside world. On the same night, the lights burn late at Greymist, the old bungalow of eighty-eight-year-old Rosamma Pereira. A lantern moves toward the forest, and by morning, Rosamma has disappeared.

The villagers blame the Mist Man. But fourteen-year-old Anand Varghese is not convinced.

Anand has been deaf since childhood, yet his world is rich with details others overlook. He reads lips, studies expressions, remembers faces, and notices the smallest inconsistencies. With his sketchbook as a record of secrets and his sharp-eyed friend Farida by his side, he begins to investigate Rosamma’s disappearance.

A trail of muddy footprints, a suspicious clue, and a mysterious drawing of nine birds lead Anand towards a truth far more dangerous than village folklore. The missing woman may hold the key to the death of Anand’s father four years earlier-a death everyone believed was an accident.

As the rain continues and the mist closes in, Anand must decipher the hidden message, uncover the secrets buried in the hills, and discover whom he can truly trust. Every face may conceal a lie. Every clue may change the case. And someone is determined to keep the past buried.

Can a boy who cannot hear uncover the truth before the mist claims another victim?

The Mist of Mazhakkunnu is an atmospheric Indian mystery that blends a suspenseful disappearance, visual detective work, local folklore, and the secrets of a close-knit hill community. Featuring a perceptive young detective whose deafness shapes his unique way of investigating the world, this story explores courage, friendship, justice, and the power of paying attention.

Perfect for readers who enjoy young detectives, atmospheric crime fiction, clever clues, isolated settings, and mysteries in which appearances can be dangerously deceptive.

The mist hides many things. Anand is determined to see them all.

Book One of The Anand Varghese Mysteries.