Author: Kiran Manral

This book is a brilliant piece of literature. This is the author’s second book i read and she doesn’t disappoint or play down my expectations. Every page is like a tutorial for an upcoming author!

The story belongs to Kamla Malik a new ‘rich’ widow who is haunted by her dead husband’s ghost everywhere she goes. Her husband Nihar had died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Goa. She is grappling with closure vacillating between her past and the present.

She tried to look for him in the twisted labyrinthine worlds that he now inhabits using every medium possible, though flinched upon by modern science. She finds it difficult to separate hallucination from reality and explain the same to doctors as well… her injuries almost fatal remain a mystery.

On being invited she visits her eccentric ailing aunt, a Diva of her times who is now a shadow of her former self. Here Kamla meets her aunt’s stepson Victor who receives the co-ownership of the huge house Kamla inherits. She also has a no frills fling with Victor who is already betrothed. But even here Nihar continues to haunt her.

Pros: As mentioned earlier, the book is a treat to someone who loves literature. there is an array of figures of speech served on a platter. The plot is picturesque which is Manral’s trademark and it makes you be in the moment every single time. She has handled the grey area between the living and the dead with a panache par excellence. A page turner!

Cons: This book was projected as a thriller hence the pace becomes vital. Given the play with words, some which make you rush to the dictionary breaks the flow. There have been repetitions of instances… like the cat adopting them. Those could have been avoided to reduce word count and the redundancy. The ending is rushed where the protagonist is shown to derive sudden realization which is a little unrealistic. Finally, too many piques to the sensory system causes sensory overload hence holding back a little may help.

Overall a recommended read!!