Created and conceptualized impressively, Detective William Bose by Subhadeep Ghosal is the latest crime fiction thriller to hit the stands albeit one which has comic relief to it despite the thriller element. Revolving around the classic missing people case scenario, this one has the main protagonist rifting through clues amidst unpredictable twists and turns and solving the mystery surrounding the village in his signature style. An indulgent read, bookmark this one for your next crime fiction thriller read.

The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.

Arthur Conan Doyle in The Hound of the Baskervilles

Indeed, it is the obvious things which lie unchecked, unobserved because we always seem to be too preoccupied to be observing and checking out those things which are of less importance than those which are more vital. And that is exactly what sets a detective apart from laypersons like us. Detectives are those people who tend to observe as well as note all that stands ordinary as well as apart from the ordinary. Why? Simple. The idea is to observe the pattern and read between the lines as far as understanding human nature and solving problems is concerned.

I recently read and finished Detective William Bose by Subhadeep Ghosal and I must say I was mighty impressed with the manner he has created and painted such a brilliant mystery which was a treat to read. 

The story is set in a village called Nilambari where initially a tigress goes missing followed by people which becomes a subject matter of discussion and worry in the village. The debate ensues whether the tigress is killing the people to satiate her hunger. As events proceed one after another, a half Bengali and half Portuguese character William Bose is a detective as well as a fun-loving, gossiper as well as a professional who was involved with the police service in Europe. 

Having come to do an obligatory service for his department, William gets entrusted with the task of finding out the truth behind the kidnappings as well as the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of the tigress, can alongwith Hari uncover the reality? 

Subhadeep has managed to ensure that the thriller is something that will make you on the edge of your seat as well as keep your jaw crinkled as there is a lighter side both to the characters as well as the manner in which Bose proceeds with the mystery. A fun, quirky character, not only does Bose enjoy gossip but is as enjoyable as can be. Giving reasonable comic relief to the story, Subhadeep ensures that there is respite as well as a reasonable gait maintained throughout the book as far as the plot proceeding goes. As the story proceeds, each layer that gets unravelled, gives a new spectrum, a new view to the story, making it more and more enjoyable as we proceed.

Making sure that he incorporates all elements of a good crime thriller, Subhadeep has added not only reasonable suspense, and drama but also comedy as well as a warmth of sorts to make sure that the reader enjoys throughout and is not overwhelmed at any point in time whilst reading the book. A good style of writing, this one is definitely a refreshing new take, especially on the detective style of fiction where I usually feel the plot along with the build-up of the story and characters is of premium importance along with ensuring a very relatable rhythm throughout. I always say that it is very important for the readers especially for the genre of thriller/crime fiction/mystery to be able to be there and get right into the skin of the characters, to be able to enjoy the book thoroughly. Else, it truly is of no use I’d say.

Related:

• Book Review of A Detective’s Diary by Anvika Perodi
• Enjoy reading the classic Bengali Crime Fiction Series Feluda? Then do read this book The Amateur Detectives to discover another such gem on the block
• A Twist in the Tale – Sherlock and Devdas by Manav Vigg

Fortunately, as far as Detective William Bose is concerned, Subhadeep has managed to not only do reasonable justice to both the plot as well as the characters, but he has also presented us with a refreshing new detective character aka William whose pursuits I shall certainly look forward to reading more of, in future. To be able to create such a character whom you can relate to and that too in such a manner that you want to go back to him, again and again, indulge in the manner in which he goes about, his character traits and demeanour, his overall disposition, is a true win-win situation for the writer. Creating such iconic characters is no mean feat especially right in your debut work and Subhadeep has managed to achieve this rare feat, I’d say. A good piece of writing and surely looking forward to more in the series, if he plans to come up with more pursuits for William. With a good vocabulary and a simple yet tasteful writing style, bookmark this one for your next crime thriller read in case you like those which also give a bit of relief and comic respite alongside. A good all-in-one entertainment of sorts, all elements being created have been done in perfect harmony to make the book an enjoyable and entertaining as well as an exciting read.

So, hope you guys liked my thoughts on Detective William Bose by Subhadeep Ghosal.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any thriller recommendations for me. Stay tuned for a load of exciting stuff coming up right here at Booxoul, India’s best book review and lifestyle blog.

Adios Amigos!