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
Rose’s Bent Stem by Nomita Khanna
This year has been really good in regards to reading good books, compared to last year. I got to read some of the finest books by Indian writers, which is to be quite rare. Nomita Khanna’s book ‘Rose’s Bent Stem’ is one of those books that kept me hooked throughout. In fact, it turned out to be a completely well-executed surprise for me. Why a surprise, you ask me? Well, for one, I had thought it to be an average love story kind of book, but rather it turned out to be a psychological thriller. My favorite genre, you see… So imagine my delight when the book started taking shape in front of my eyes. I was in complete awe of her writing style. Intricate and executed well. The writing and the narrative of the book blew my mind off the walls. It was gripping, heart racing, a complete thrilling drama that gave me a jolt of shock so strong that I was rendered speechless. Furthermore, it was smooth as a flowing river and eerie as the nursery rhymes used in the book, which gave goosebumps. I could literally feel my hair standing on end. Moreover, loved the language used in the book, fresh, easy and free-flowing. I was lost in the story that was a maze of twists and turns so intense that at the end of the story, one had to remind herself to breathe deep and have a cup of hot tea. Though at some places, I thought it was stretched a bit long, and that kind of was off-putting, otherwise no bother. It is an amazing job done by Nomita. Penning a real-life story, that could have gone either way. It was a risk she dared to take. As I reckon writing a psychological story needs lots of details taken care of. The book is very vividly written in a diary form. Very graphically detailed. Ergo, not everybody’s cup of tea. I highly recommend this book to all who like Crime/Thrillers. This book has earned a 4 on 5 stars for its gripping story and strong plotline. . . . . . Love reading suspense thriller, then definitely check this book out and also, visit more of our suspense thriller book reviews and recommendations. Happy Reading 🙂
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 🙂
A thriller to keep you on your toes – The Correctors by Rahul Vishnoi
2019 was a good year of reading. I’ve discovered a lot of great authors, and some of them are Indian authors. One such author, which I have recently discovered, is Rahul Vishnoi, a professional dentist and an amazing hobby writer. ‘The Correctors‘ is his second book. What an amazing book this has been! ‘The Correctors‘ is a story that has kept me on my toes from the beginning to the end. It’s spread across three genres: Suspense Thriller Comedy The story revolves around the most eccentric characters, such as the Bride, The Correctors, Ayan Bakshi, the protagonist Saayan Bakshi, and so on. The characters were so eccentric that they left a huge impression on me, and they shadowed my thoughts long after I read the book. No matter how you try, you just can’t turn off their strong personality. The style and narrative of the writer fascinated me mightily. Moreover, every nook and cranny of the narratives is polished to perfection, spell-bindingly gripping and smooth as butter. This pushed me to read on the run for hours to the limit. The beginning shocked me, Thenceforth, I was invested in the story. It was a maze of sudden twists and turns full of laughter and unpredictability, jolting me out of my senses. But the climax was shocking. What an ending author gave to this book. Though I have an inkling, that there might be a book 2 in the future, seeing how it ended. Furthermore, the language impressed me. Neither simple nor hard hard to understand. One can see clearly the command of English the author has in the book. Rahul’s book ‘The Correctors‘ has earned 5 on 5, for its high entertainment quotient and writing style. I recommend this book to every reader, who don’t mind reading graphically detailed suicide and torture scenes. What an incredible journey this has been. Reading this book. . . . . . Love reading thrillers? Then, don’t forget to check out our Thriller section. Also, do let us know your favorite thriller book in the comments below! Happy Reading 🙂
Love Courtroom dramas, police procedural series, and thrilling suspense? Then, Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer is a book for you…
Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer I have been asked many times by my friends to read books by Jeffrey Archer. But somehow or the other, I just couldn’t pick any of them. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan as they so graciously sent over Lord Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Nothing Ventured’ my way to review. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ever read him. So I jumped head-on, with apprehensions in my heart as it was the first time I was reading any of his work. And what pleasant jolt of a surprise it was. Yeah, surprised I was. Ask me why? Firstly, this book was simply incredible! From the first chapter, I was tongue-tied. There was nothing in it to crib about. This page-turning saga ‘Nothing Ventured’ is book one of ‘Warwick Series’. In this book, Jefferey Archer introduces detective William Warwick. I must say this book was a brilliant start to I hope an even better series. Though while reading this book, you have to keep one thing in mind This is not a detective story, this is a story about a detective Indeed, this is a story of William Warwick, who has for the longest time wanted to be a detective, and much to his father, a famous barrister Sir Julian Warwick QC’s dismay joins London’s Metropolitan Police force. Whence starts his journey as a detective amidst all the twists and turns. The master storyteller knows how to keep his readers enthralled through the simple yet captivating storyline. It is so vividly told, extraordinarily engaging and hilarious at times. The brilliant narrative style of Jeffrey Archer is simply going to blow your mind with electrifying courtroom dramas, – I am sure nobody has done it better than Archer. No offense to others – shrouded with mystery throughout. There was so much going on in the story – policing, romance, court proceedings – however, regardless you don’t get befuddled by them. Furthermore, the light easy banter between the Warwick family sealed the deal form me. It worked like a cherry on top of an amazing cake. Characters I loved how the author penned his characters into the story. Each character had a distinct persona. They had so much depth and emotions that at one point, I felt like I seriously got entangled in their events. The characters enriched the story more. Also read: I read this book in one sitting! Do I recommend this book? Yes, I highly recommended ‘Nothing Ventured’ to those who love Courtroom dramas, police procedural series, and thrilling suspense. Sure to raise your hackles and make you breathless. This book has earned a 5 out of 5 stars for the Author Jeffrey Archer’s sheer story writing style and character build-up. . . . . . About the Author Jeffrey Archer Website: www.jeffreyarcher.co.uk Twitter: @jeffrey_archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English author and former politician. He was a Member of Parliament and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party and became a life peer in 1992. His political career, having suffered several controversies, ended after a conviction for perverting the course of justice and his subsequent imprisonment. He is married to Mary Archer, a scientist specializing in solar power. Outside politics, he is a novelist, playwright, and short-story writer. Read more… . . . . . So, that was my review of ‘Nothing Ventured‘ by Jeffrey Archer. I hope you liked it and if you did, then don’t forget to share it with people who you think are going to love this book. Also, we are open to suggestions, so if you have any suggestion for us to make things better here, do let us know in the comments below! Happy Reading 🙂
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 🙂
