Murder on a Side Street has a tight plot, racy story-telling, tricky red herrings, interesting twists and intriguing characters in short, all elements of a good whodunit. The author, Salil Desai, has topped it off with dollops of youthful humour and the atmosphere of excitement and adventure which keeps the reader hooked. Desai has also been able to breathe life into the characters of the group of young friends, just out of college, who investigate the crime. Their individuality, earnestness, courage and rapport set them apart from the caricatures and stereotypes of young people, we see in most books these days. Murder on a Side Street is Salil Desais second murder novel released in 2011, and it lives up to the promise of his first one The Body in the Back Seat.