A Book Review of A Butterfly Riddle by Jaykay Heart: a Riveting Mystery Read
Want to read a great mystery that has all the right elements of love and humour, too, in the perfect permutation? Yes, A Butterfly Riddle by Jaykay Heart is a riveting mystery you need to read now
Book Review: Of Closets and Skeletons and Other Crime Stories by Kaivalya Ramnath
Did you know I was walking with a truckload of questions and suddenly comes this tornado of spiralling instances of human behaviour, crashing me to the ground! Dunno where I landed.
Nahi samjhe? Read my book review of Of Closets and Skeletons and Other Crime Stories by Kaivalya Ramnath
The Chennai Killings | A Book Review
The Chennai Killings by Chital Mehta Inspector Vikram has been reeling ever since his younger sister, Priya’s mindless murder 2 years ago. Despite trying his best to move on, he seems to be stuck in limbo unable to accept the grief as the cold blooded killer seems to have gotten away. Anusha, his wife keeps reminding him of his duties to her and their 7-year-old son Aarav but Vikram just can’t let go of the past. The spine chilling murder of another collegian, Sandhya leads to Vikram being assigned to the case. This one seems to hit a bit too close to home. As he goes about trying to piece together the murder, he comes upon the most unlikely connections between the two victims. As the plot unravels with the entry of new characters, Vikram tries his best to keep it together and not let his emotions cloud his thoughts and perceptions. While dealing with the girl’s family members and friends, the Inspector slowly starts connecting to dots in order to figure out the whole agenda behind the sinister death. Vikram edges closer and closer towards discovering the real truth; one that will finally set him free or will it really? Does he make sure that Justice is served or does the culprit manage to get away with it all? Recommendation: A gripping read that kept me guessing till the very end. Initially the plot felt fairly simplistic with more focus on the play of human emotions rather than any real mystery. I mean, the murder itself didn’t feel like there was any real mystery and that’s wherein the true brilliance lies. The well-defined characters and respective backstories were enjoyable and have been pieced together without letting the tautness of the main plot drop. However as the plot unfolded, a series of events and characters enfolded quick and fast. Not once could I have predicted the final twist. This one turned out to be a brilliant book that I practically read from cover to cover. Good thing it wasn’t too long. Rating: 5/5
The Apple: History’s greatest mystery. Mankind’s greatest theft. – Devashish Sardana
We all know the story from the bible about the Garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit apple. Author Devashish takes us further on the same thought, what if the Garden of Eden and apple still exist? ‘The Apple‘ is a perfect blend of ancient and modern life and their related mysteries. This is the story of Queen Azura and her sacrifice to fulfill her ancestors’ only mission, to safeguard Eden and tree of immortality from evil eyes of selfish outsider-humans. On another side, Dr. Costello wants an apple from the tree of immortality. A team is given the job to find and steal from Sentinels – first homo sapiens who walk the earth. One fateful night Queen Azura finds an intruder in Eden, a man with no memory and bullet wound in his head. But the larger concern is an apple is missing from Tree of immortality. Azura believes that intruder is the culprit but without his memories, she can’t find either apple or his true intentions. To find apple, Azura has to join hands with an outsider but can she trust him? Outsider also has the same question can he trust Queen Azura or for that matter himself. ‘The Apple‘ is a unique concept novel with answers to our what-if questions about the Garden of Eden. Despite being the first novel by Author Devashish, this book is an imaginative creation. “History’s greatest mystery. Mankind’s greatest theft”. This cover page beguiling tagline itself hints towards one more selfish reality of mankind. However, while reading a few times language seems to be less naturalistic. Also, few twists were a little predictable but due to the unique concept, I didn’t mind it much. My favorite character is Queen Azura who is a sharp, brave and responsible queen. Her dedication towards her people is admirable. On the other side, I detested the predictable character of Michelle. This novel can easily qualify for movie or TV series rights as there is a tremendous scope of thriller entertainment. Overall, I would rate this mystery and adventure novel 3.75 out of 5. Also, I will be looking forward to the next book as there was a definite hint towards the next part. . . . . . About the Author Devashish Sardana is the acclaimed author of 10×10 Thrills, a Facebook and Instagram blog where he writes 100 Word Thriller books for his fast-growing community of 75,000+ followers. Devashish is a small-town boy from India who grew up with big dreams and an even bigger imagination. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), he sharpened his storytelling skills as a brand builder in a Fortune 100 company for 8+ years. Devashish lives in Singapore with his wife and college sweetheart, Megha. He currently flits across the globe selling hope in a jar (beauty creams). . . . . . I hope you loved the review and hey, if you really did then please give us a comment below na. Tell us which book do you want us to review next or if you need some book recommendations? Happy Reading 🙂
The Rage Within by Chandrayan Gupta
Publication: Notion Press Page Count: 222 Review One of the Radha Bose Series of Detective Novels by Chandrayan Gupta. Private detective Radha Bose and her associate Aditya Gokhale go about the mundane business of tracking people; usually, disgruntled couples trying to get evidence against their cheating partners in a bid to sue them for divorce. Just as Radha has been contemplating shutting down the Agency, octogenarian Mandira Kapoor steps into their office to get them to take on the 17-year-old cold case of her grand-daughter Sakshi. Allegedly Sakshi was kidnapped only for the burnt body to be delivered at their doorstep the next day, despite her ransom demand being fulfilled. On her last limbs, the old lady desperately wants Radha to help give her closure. As Radha and Aditya go about the case, they connect with retired Chief Inspector Vikram Rathore who soon joins forces with them to find the culprits behind the tragedy. In the bargain, they seem to stumble on way more than they had bargained for as the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet. Can the depressed, complicated detective Duo put aside their own demons and fears as they go about the business of helping out the old lady? Read and find out for yourself as Chandrayan weaves a web so sinister that it leaves you stunned by the end. Do I recommend it? This detective novel was quite a roller coaster ride with so many unexpected twists and turns that I was left reeling after the complex ride. Gupta has managed to lace in so many surprises and shocks that you really want to take up the next one in the series immediately. Rating This one deserves a 5/5. . . . . . About the Author Chandrayan Gupta A young law student and author. Possessed of an insatiable need to read and write, he published his well-received debut crime fiction novel Birth of a Duo at the age of 19. He is currently pursuing a law degree in Kolkatta and spends almost all of his free time working on his Radha Bose series of detective novels. Follow Chandrayan on Twitter @ChandrayanGupta. . . . . . If you loved the review, then get your copy of it on Amazon by clicking here and if you want us to review or recommend a book, then do let us know in the comments below or on Instagram @booxoul.
God Chronicles: Of Swarga by Ranjit More
Indian mythology believes that after death there is either SWARGA or NARKA, so we all wonder what SWARGA will be like…is it the same as earth or something beyond our imagination. How gods we worship live in Swarga? Do they have conflicts or it is all just tranquil? The Author, Ranjit More in God Chronicles takes us to the mythology world of Swarga where Indra is ruling with one absolute rule that no one should cross Line of safety. Crossing a mysterious line of safety leads to a penalty as death or ex-communication. But why? Does this rule is for the safety of goods or own convenience?. All of sudden Kratu – general supreme of Swarga, faces betrayal by king Indra. From one of the powerful of Swarga, lover of apsara-Menaka suddenly Kratu becomes nobody. All he is left is to find the truth of ‘Line of safety‘ or die mercilessly in Swarga politics. Somehow if he is unable to find the truth, then Swarga might end with the lower world. Will he be able to find the truth or fate has stored something else for him? My favorite character in ‘God Chronicles‘ will be Kratu for obvious reasons. The story revolves around him and the reader experiences his character growing from a loyal employee to a survivor of Swarga politics, a merciless fighter. But I would have appreciated if his personal life and love interest could have been elaborated little more to get invested with his character in depth. The latter half of the book becomes a little tedious as connecting with ancient names and characters becomes difficult. Also, I felt that it was a bit stretched. For this mysterious mythology novel, I will rate 3 out of 5 stars as it has a different concept. . . . . . I hope you like my review of ‘God chronicles‘ by Ranjit More and well, if you really did, then please share it na. Also, do let me know in the comments if you want me to review some specific book or write a book recommendation list and I, for sure will try to do that. Happy Reading 🙂
The Conspiracy Unknown by Abishek Babu
Two stories and two different timelines running on a path of love, betrayals and the conspiracies unknown. Sounds intriguing, right? Abishek Babu’s ‘The Conspiracy Unknown‘, is set in an imaginary world of two different timelines. Spread in various genres: historical, mystery and fantasy, is a book worth spending your time on. Initially, though, the story is a bit confusing, but as you move further, it will start making sense to you. It is remarkable how the author has so minutely detailed each part of the story and merge them into an epic of a story. And kudos to him for penning a story at such a huge level and yet making sure that the readers don’t feel lost. In fact, past the initial, I loved how the story took shape. Abishek’s narrative was a confluence smooth flowing river. Highly engaging and entertaining. Furthermore, I loved how he through his story tackled a sensitive issue of rape. Though it was a very minor part of the story, the impression it left on me was impactful. Amazing Abishek! Characters talk It can be difficult sometimes for readers to connect with the character of the book. Especially those books which deal with two timelines and many characters apart from main characters, who fleet in and fleet out of the story. However, the author Abishek Babu with his pen has done an amazing job of justifying each character in regards to the storyline of this book. What I did not like about the book? ‘The Conspiracy Unknown’ could have been a 5 on 5 reads, had it not been such a huge book. I felt that it was in some places stretched out a bit. Moreover, the language needed editing. I feel that the publishers should do their part honestly while editing so that the hard work authors do, pay off. Overall, the book is a perfect travel companion. And a perfect read for the thriller, time travel, and fantasy fans. For me, it’s a 3.5 out of 5 stars read. . . . . . Do let us know in the comments if you liked the review and if you’ve read this book, then what’s your review of it? Also, read: Traveller Inceptio Happy Reading 🙂
A must-read for the readers who love the books with the air of mystery
Forgo by Jai T.J Okay… Forgo by the author Jai T. J. is one hell of a book. I was twisted into many knots throughout the book. I was awestruck if I would simply say. Full of surprises on every turn of a page! Forgo is going to keep you on your toes. Initially, when I started reading this book I was somewhat confused with the turn of events. But as the story unraveled, so did the story. The whole aura of the story felt otherworldly. The most part of the story of Forgo is set in Bangalore. Author Jai, sure knows what he’s doing. A master of storytelling, his narrative is spellbinding. However hard I tried I couldn’t get out of its clutches. The very first scene of the book is sure to give your heart a stutter. And a few pages in and you will be sucked into the vortex nightmares. Kudos to the author Jai, whose hard work can be seen in every minute details of the story. About the characters; I am speechless!!! Devin, his sister, Miss 55, and etc. They were mystifying. I had no idea what to make of them. Each character was a mystery to me until the very end of the story. Jai’s Forgo is a complete package of Thriller, suspense, and horror, which will grip you hard on its very sharp claws. Though the only thing I did not like about this book was the language. I wouldn’t say that it was hard or something, on the contrary, it was quite easy to understand, but it was a bit crude. Unfortunate, this is the case in most of the good books I get to read. And that, in my opinion, hinders the success of the book. Do I recommend this book to you? Yes, this is a must-read for the readers who love the books with the air of mystery. A perfect book to read in cozy winter nights. A 4 out of 5 stars read for me! . . . . . I hope you liked the review. Do let us know in the comments, if we missed anything or if in any way, can we make this better and also, do you have any special request for us to post about? If yes, then, either comment down below or DM us on Instagram, here.
Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt. Ltd by Richa S Mukherjee – I read this book in one sitting!
Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt. Ltd by Richa S Mukherjee This is the very first time I have completely and irrevocably fallen in love with an Indian author. Ha! Me, who always use to criticize them for something or the other. I am talking about Richa Mukherjee, the author of Kanpur Khoofiya PVT Ltd. The moment I started reading it, I knew that I was going to love this book and it’s super interesting characters. Hat’s off to Richa, who did a remarkable job with her writing – simplistic, yet full of wit and humor – which is confident and self-assured and the narrative is vivid and compelling (I read this book in one sitting, which for me is the first time). It will keep you chuckling… This witty, suspense story Kanpur Khoofiya PVT Ltd. will keep you chuckling. Furthermore, it has every element to keep you hooked; from intense moments to a little bit of action, to some mind-boggling mystery, all mixed in crazy humor. I was mightily impressed with the story, dipped and soaked in Kanpuriya essence and peppered with Kanpuriya slang. Every nook and corner of the story was a treat to my heart. There wasn’t a moment when I hadn’t chuckled like crazy. The Characters Cherry to the cake was its characters. Especially, Prachand Tripathi and his wife Vidya, and also Hirwa, the cow. These crazy characters seemed so real and believable, that they are now etched my heart forever. It was fun following Prachand Tripathi as he was trying to solve the disappearance of famous personality Shailaja Kapoor, and the murder of her husband. Loved the chemistry between him and his wife Vidya, and their crazy banter was hilarious. As crazy as the characters seem, and as nutty as their adventures are, they still seem so real and believable. Also, read: Love courtroom dramas, police procedural series, and thrilling suspense? Do I recommend it? Richa made sure that none can unravel the ‘whodunit’ mystery. She made us circle around our own assumptions. Kudos! One thing that I did not like about the book was that it finished too early. I did not want it to end and, part with my favorite characters. I hope that Richa turns this book into a long series (fingers crossed). For me, it’s a 5 out of 5 stars read. . . . . . Have you read this book? If yes, then do let us know your take on ‘Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt. Ltd‘. Also, you can get bookish updates straight on your feed by following us on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Booxoul (@booxoul) on Oct 9, 2019 at 5:37am PDT Happy Reading 🙂
