Author: Jigs Ashar

A perfect treat for political thriller buffs, the plot revolves around a ruling party and the various issues at stake as the game towards achieving power unfolds….

When the current PM Mahendra Doshi declares a new name for the upcoming general elections, as a PM candidate, it causes ripples in the otherwise stagnant political in-party waters. The fact that he chose the young and dynamic Maharashtra CM for the top post doesn’t go down well with several people in the political circles within the party.

Alongside the Indo-Sino relationships have always been the perfect potboilers for any scribe globally and the frequent interference of the Chinese in dishonouring the borders haven’t smoothened the relationships between the two powerful countries. The Chinese now require Indian consent to utilise the disputed PoK territory for its Belt and Road Initiative. They are aware that the current PM would never succumb to any pressure.

However what if there is a traitor AKA Serpent who is ready to sell his soul and the country to express his displeasure? How can the best of the Police and ATS prevent an international assassin from eliminating the PM candidate, particularly when the ruthless enemy seems to be a step ahead every time? A carnage is waiting to happen on a special day in Mumbai… will the attempt be thwarted? And at what cost?

This and more in this edge-of-the-seat thriller. A must-read if you are a Mumbaikar!

Author: Meenakshi M Singh

The story is a light-hearted romance set in 2005 in the corporate world when social media pressures were barely present. Those were the days when one’s personal life could stay hidden beneath the veneer of job titles and workaholism.

The story belongs to the female protagonist Suhaani Seth through and through. Brought up amidst middle-class values, Suhaani has always felt like a cog in the wheel in her household, since she wasn’t the proverbial male heir the family yearned for. She craved freedom figuratively and literally. And her jobs were the stepping stone for the same.

She fell in love at the workplace but her heart was trampled upon in the guise of adhering to archaic traditions. She found it difficult to cope and wondered if happily ever afters were not for her or if she was expected to be the demure damsel to mould into some elite household cast, to cater to the needs of a man-child and his family.

But life took a turn when she crossed paths with her senior, Siddharth and before she knew they fell in love and hard. However, its said, that life isn’t a bed of roses and that’s exactly what transpired in their love journey that culminated in a dream wedding.

Whatever happens next, promises to bring the reader a smile.

A breezy read, perfect over unending cups of tea over the weekend!

Author: Bhaswar Mukherjee

In a single line, this is a marvellous piece of literature dripping with pathos.

The story is divided into three parts. The first is based in a lesser-known place called Banguran where the protagonist Baruni, who is just 13, faces the worst horrors of her life. As events unfold in the garb of communal violence the author manages to grip us to the cruel acts justified by the facade of religion and revolution. In 24 hours Baruni is dislodged from the life she had led to date, her body and resolve battered beyond recognition.

The story then moves to Kolkatta where Muneim, a teen from a privileged background detests the very life he has had so far and is desperate to break the shackles of an authoritative father. He revolts to study local shattering his father’s dream of sending him abroad resulting in a permanent crack in the father-son relationship. Despite his brilliance and struggle he innocently has to bear the brunt of rotten luck.

The finale is in Siliguri where Baruni relocates for higher education. She meets Kunal who falls for her but in a strange turn of events she is faced with her dark past, which comes back to haunt her.

Does Baruni attain retribution? Does Muneim overcome the curveballs thrown his way and does Kunal emerge from the burden of revelations about Baruni and his family?

The book is nothing short of a masterpiece and as a reader, I was hooked to it throughout. The author’s impeccable research and intelligence as well as a strong command over language is reflected throughout the book.

I am engulfed with poignant longings even hours after I have finished the book. I ardently hope the author comes up with a sequel.

Author: Abhijeet Bhalerao

Bhagat Singh was someone I have always revered and that is why the title caught my attention. The author is known for his expertise in history and that is seen through the immaculate detailing and thought-provoking write-up.
Besides the plot of how Bhagat Singh’s death was avenged, the story tells us about the sacrifice by the freedom fighters because of whom we breathe freedom to date. The revolutionaries were very young. Bhagat Singh was in his early 20s while some were in their teens. They didn’t hesitate to lay down their lives for the country.
The protagonist Baikunth Sukul emerged from the shadows and stayed right there as he trained and eventually followed his idol Bhagat Singh’s path of freedom struggle and the movements. The betrayal of Phanindra Nath Ghosh hit hard as the revolutionaries became sitting ducks; Phani Babu who once was a part of the movement, turned approver and revealed it all to the British. It didn’t take long for the powerful English to take out the pillars of revolution one by one beneath the façade of ‘fair’ trails.
Phani Babu was provided security by the British but eventually, it proved futile against the brilliant warrior, Baikunth who slayed the traitor.
The author has vividly described the complete evolution of the plot right from when Bhagat Singh killed Saunders to the smoke bomb in the parliament to the freedom movement that never lost its momentum spearheaded by Chandrashekhar Azad.
It’s a lesson to us all to realise how invaluable freedom is, particularly since it rests on the sacrifices made by the bravehearts. The author’s work is commendable. It’s not preachy, yet it is an invisible punch to the solar plexus and forces you to sit back and think.
This book can well be passed off as non-fiction. A must-read for history lovers.

Author: Aditya Banerjee

A thriller plot revolving around a stolen box from the state archives. This according to the police of the time is considered insignificant. However, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

A couple of young journalists Manik and Kedar look into it. While the former is reeling under the pressures of a scandalous article the latter is less liked in the organisation.

The pox turns out to be a Pandora’s box holding secrets which if revealed could cause unimaginable chaos. The backlash received for the innocuous article seems to have multiple layers stemming from the box itself.

The author has extensively researched the media play at the time and has creatively weaved the plot in its intricate fibres, using politics and corruption to complete the sinister picture.

This even applies to current times where the media have a role to play and move beyond tabloid gossip. The repercussions of the revelations in the story bring out the essence of the plot leading it to a crescendo of climax.

The author’s research is commendable and so is the ability to balance multiple layers. The only drawback as a reader I feel the colloquialism could have been done away with and the language could have been crisper. This could have increased the pace of the narrative. Occasionally, there is a redundancy setting, and the author probably would like to look into it.

Overall an interesting read.

Author: Prasun Roy

A beautiful story set in the backdrop of the famous Navaratri celebrations in Kolkatta.

The author uses every day from Mahalaya to Maha Dashami as a chapter to highlight aspects of a series of crimes, their investigation and finally culminating into a climax. The endpoint is victory over evil which is the significance of our festivals.

Amid the festivities, a fugitive business baron Durgacharan Mahesh is being extradited from Spain to Kolkatta en route to Mumbai. Police Commissioner Chouhan and his team are given the task of successfully transferring the baron amidst the high-tension duty of maintaining law and order during the festivities. However, a murder takes place and they are left with a  clue, the word ‘Devi’ written in blood beside the body. This is followed by a series of murders with similar MO and the word written and the police are clueless about who is the self-proclaimed vigilante set to right the wrongs. The dead people are connected to heinous crimes from not very long ago and the police are at a loss even as bodies pile up.

The story moves ahead as secrets from the past unravel and finally ends in a stunning discovery.

The author through this story has thrown light on how the rich and influential get away with sinister crimes and the cascading effect remains in the form of disgruntlement and very often resulting in vengeful activities.

The end is a bit rushed, otherwise, the story keeps the reader glued.

Author: Anand Ranganathan

The novel is a compelling page-turner and keeps you on the edge of the seats till the end and yet the last paragraph too leaves you wanting for more.

Business tycoon Mihir Kothari falls dead after he takes a bite of the specially prepared souffle earmarked for him. The circumstantial evidence points towards renowned celebrity chef Rajiv Mehra. Soon, other evidence emerge and that helps the police build a watertight case against Rajiv. So compelling is the evidence that the defence has nothing to counter the prosecution and Rajiv is sentenced to death. This brings an end to the high profile murder case taking the country by storm. However, Inspector Dayanand Apte, the case in charge despite soling the last case of his career before retirement, is not a happy man. He feels there is a void that can’t be explained, lacunae that can’t be filled…

Parallelly as Rajiv is transported to a holding place where the gallows await him, the vehicle meets with an accident resulting in the death of all the police personnel but Rajiv escapes with injuries.

The rest of the story follows the pursuit of finding the truth with a few red herrings thrown the reader’s way and I give it to the author for the vivid imagery he painted. helps keep you glued.

On the flip side, however, there are a few moments that turn the tide of the story but don’t seem to be plausible. For instance the execution of a capital punishment so quickly… however high profile the case may be we know how staggered our judicial system is. Also, Rajiv fighting a trained assassin and even managing to kill him, seems impossible… Or the inspector going way ahead of his boundaries post-retirement…like travelling abroad to find clues…There are a few of these absurdities.

The plot is brilliant and if these few drawbacks can be taken care of then the book is a masterpiece.