Author: Kanchana Banerjee

A beautiful amalgamation of multiple tiny plots that blend into a super climax with an unexpected end.

The story begins with the discovery of a cut limb buried in a construction site. The inspectors in charge are not allowed to investigate further but Officer Virat decides to go about it stealthily. Mainly because he has doubts about whom the severed leg belongs to.

Jenny arrives in the sleepy town of Rajasthan after she sees the picture of a little boy in a magazine whom she suspects is the son of her dead close friend Rubina. Jenny who uses the name as an alias has a history of being abused at the hands of her mother who was a prostitute. She had a tough life and things went downhill when she was taken in by a self-proclaimed cult leader Vishesh. She escaped when taking a leaf out of the Peoples Temple mass suicide murder, the entire cult was erased from the phase of the earth.

Jenny’s past threatens to catch up with her particularly when she joins hands with Virat. As they unearth the layers of the crime and as the truth unfolds, the sinister plan underneath it all is revealed, leading to a diabolical climax.

Are the cases related? Does Jenny achieve what she has set to do?

This is a thriller with a twist in the end that was unexpected!

Author: Siddharth Maheshwari

This is a spectacular plot with a fast-paced narrative that will keep the reader on tenterhooks.

The central plot revolves around how India’s external intelligence agency R&AW unearths hints of a sinister stratagem while working on an investigation. The country’s top nuclear scientist Hamid Ansari is in possession of a unique nuclear fusion formula. However he gets kidnapped and to the utter chagrin of the R&AW, their plan to let him be to catch the larger fish in the pond backfires.

Meanwhile, the democratic government in Myanmar is toppled by a military coup and at the same time a technological marvel called Vita which is developed by the DRDO falls prey to a planned heist.

For R&AW’s top agents Vikram and Ranbir, it’s a race against time.

The story unravels across various geographical locales, right from Delhi to Kathmandu, chaotic Myanmar, Multan and also the lush coffee estates of South India. The action unfolds and the reader is taken through a roller-coaster ride of adrenaline rush and one cant guess what happens next.

Who is the mastermind behind all the plotting and killing in the garb of patriotism? How deep is the iceberg of conspiracies that threatens to destroy peace and order in a volatile political arena?

The author has got in many subplots to enhance the ideologies and towards the end converged them meticulously without leaving any loose ends.

A riveting read!

Authors: Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal

This is my second book from the author duo, and on hearing the title, my expectations skyrocketed. They didn’t disappoint. This book was unputdownable from the go. Every chapter is a thrilling tale from a posting of Aloke Lal sir who is a retired police officer
(Director General).  For instance the sinister plot in the garb of looters from Nepal or How a rottweiler ‘dug’ deep enough to expose the thief and got out more skeletons from his closet. My personal favourite was about the woman named Samundari and her character shaping out in particular. (no spoilers here!!)

While every story brings about the problem-solving parameters of the force, it also shows us the raw appeal of the Hindi heartland despite our reservations or prejudices. The ingenious heists conducted would give an intelligent professional a run for his money. The authors have given a picturesque touch to the book that takes the reader on a trip to all those crime scenes and one feels like he is a part of the problem-solving force!!

The language is filled with witty and humorous elements that have left me smiling long after I have finished the book. A very interesting read!

Author: Nilanjana S Roy

This has been the best book I have read this year—a sheer piece of literary brilliance.

In a fictitious sleepy village called Teetarpur lives a humble farmer Chand whose sole reason for survival is his little daughter Munia. However, everything is shattered when Munia is found hanging from the jamun tree. Chand’s world collapses around him even as the author delves into his past in Delhi on the banks of the Yamuna where he lived his past as a squatter.

Parallely, Sub-Inspector Onbir Singh from the lone police thana takes it upon himself to solve the heinous crime despite the numerous setbacks. A local wanderer who belongs to another community (religion ) is blamed for the murder of the little girl.

The author beautifully weaves the plots which appear totally different from each other but the reader is provided a literary treat as she joins the dots and brings the story to a climax. The issues of the case and religious divide seen even today are brought out sensitively. The tough lives of squatters and the poorest of the poor amidst the backdrop of political circus in the garb of religion are brought out superbly by the author.

The reader is taken through a roller coaster of emotions where the lives of the lower socio-economic starts individuals seem to hold barely any value. The gutwrenching reality of the situation in the lesser-known pockets of the country has been vividly put forth. Despite politics of religion threatening to play havoc and destroy their lives, two of Chand’s friends for years, Badshah Miyan and Rabia, stand by him through his sorrow. The book is fast-paced and through police procedurals, it’s a relentless quest for ‘justice’

This book is literary fiction at its best and a treat for literature lovers!

Author: Nithya Sashi

The story is filled with two main parallel tracks. One belongs to a senior journalist of TNN network, Koena, and another to her husband Shom, a celebrity chef.

On the surface, they seem to be a regular career-driven family and active socialites. However, the plot unravels with a blast at the Delhi CM’s bungalow that shakes the foundation of Law and order in the Capital. Especially when the blast suspects are the Naxalites. Koena is touted to cover the story and each layer of the report gives way to another lying underneath. All are pointing to something deep-rooted that questions Koena’s very existence.

The quest for truth takes Koena on a sojourn into the dark lives of the coal-mine workers and to her shock she unearths her connection to that life.

there are many sub-plots where she also realizes her husband isn’t someone she has known in the past two decades.

The author has intricately weaved the plots and with a fast-paced narrative has managed to bind them all together in the end. A very exciting edge-of-the-seat read.

Author: Karan Bhatia

Do you believe in life after death? How does Karma play a role in it all? What exactly determines the inevitable journey in the cycle of life and death? These questions are hard-hitting but the author in this piece of fiction has demonstrated the sojourn heavily basing it on science and conviction.

Roy has been through a lot… he was not even 13 when he lost his only confidante, his older brother in a drowning accident for which he has blamed himself all his life. He thought his Army man father was indifferent to him, eventually losing him in the Kargil war. To escape from it all he ran away figuratively and literally. Parallely, Allison, a UK-based activist comes to India, and Roy and Allison become housemates in Bangalore. Allison carries personal baggage from back home and is seeking answers too…

There is a thread that binds them all. Roy, after many years, confronts reality back home and discovers the truth about his deceased brother and father. Engulfed by guilt, he decides to commemorate his father by penning a memoir. But disaster strikes yet again and Roy finds himself in another realm…

Does this process help him discover the ultimate truth? Can he finish his pending karma? How does his soul eventually attain salvation, which we mortals often speak about?

The author has made a brilliant attempt to explain the entire process in a light-hearted manner. The book gives us food for thought and makes us ponder!

Author: Ashwini Bhatnagar

In a single phrase, if I have to describe the book, it’s, ‘a sheer piece of literary brilliance!‘

The story is a biographical memoir of an artist par excellence, Amrita Sher-Gil. Most of her artwork is iconic and reeks of individualistic perception of the world around her especially India. Amrita loved color, and that’s evident in how the splashes on her canvas took their own form. Despite being unconventional in all her ways, Amrita soon emerged as the most celebrated painter of her time.

What attracts the reader further is the megalomaniac-like personality traits Amrita exhibits. She was a rebel with a larger-than-life personality. Not just with her art but also in her personal life. She didn’t believe in fidelity. Her colourful escapades with both men and experimentation with women have been interspersed throughout the story. Such was her persona that even the then-Indian Congress head Jawaharlal Nehru was left bedazzled.

She was in a relationship with her first cousin Victor and eventually married him despite parental and social opposition, given the blood relationship. Her death under mysterious circumstances remains unresolved to date. Whether it was a botched termination of pregnancy or whether she was intervened late because of Victor, a doctor himself, who dragged his heels instead of seeking another opinion before it was too late, the mystery remains…

The obituary given by Nehru and Sarojini Naidu upon her passing throws light on the kind of impact Amrita had on everyone around her. Her flamboyance was addictive, be it art or person. Her careless approach to pertinent aspects of life may be attributed to her conflicted upbringing in a mixed-racial household. Nonetheless, she was a beauty who stuck to her convictions till her last breath.

The author has brought together an amalgamation of well-researched viewpoints from those close to Amrita. His language is par excellence and as a reader, I am still reeling in the paroxysms of literary delight hours after finishing the book!

Author: Rasika Bhatia

This is a hilarious memoir by the author who happens to be a wedding planner and the book is a collection of her experiences in the business. Every story is different and gives us a takeaway just like the wedding guests! The stories are laced with sarcasm and dark humour; through these anecdotes, the author takes us on a journey. A journey that indirectly tells us the hard work and resilience every wedding planner puts in for an event to be successful. The book talks about the bed of thorns that a planner needs to tread to fulfill (sometimes unreasonable) customer demands. However, she also asserts that ‘alls well that ends well’ and the wedding planner is also a vital element involved in the union of two hearts.

The language is simple and the pace has been maintained throughout. Its a light and breezy read and promises to leave you smiling even hours after you have finished reading!