The inquisitor by Mark Allen Smith

"The inquisitor" by Mark Allen Smith. This book is published by Simon & Schuster in 2012 and has 432 pages.

Geiger is very strange person. Very still, does not bat eyelid, no friends, no emotions, disquieting to others. He is in the business of IR (Information retrieval). Plainly put torture (physical, mental and emotional). His partner is Harry, who is a computer geek and manages the incoming business through anonymous website.  One day a client brings a subject for interrogation and their world changes forever. 

Who is the subject? How does it impact Geiger? Why? What does he do? Who is he up against?

It's a very different story. A very different business, a very different protagonist and a very different end. Initially I thought that the story would revolve around various torture techniques. But was relieved to see that it was not so. 

Character of Geiger is intriguing. Readers keeps trying to understands the character till the very end.

Author has brought the character of Lily in the equation but I could not understand why? The character is always in the background and makes a vital contribution in the end but the story would have gone on even without her. 

Geiger's father gives him a gift. Author does not say why he does that or to what purpose. This gift is the beginning and the end of the story. But reader keeps asking the question why? And it goes unanswered. 

A man with no emotions sprouts empathy for someone and it unravels his world and his life beyond repair. Did he expect this to happen sometime?

A very different thriller. Read if you are interested.

The Collectors by David Baldacci

"The Collectors" by David Baldacci. This book is published by Pan Macmillan India in 2014 and has 560 pages. This is Book 2 of 'Camel Club' series. 

A powerful anti corruption congressman and a librarian of rare books are dead. Camel club gets involved. A defense contractor is suspected. But he too is killed. Annabel has pulled a long con on a casino King. 

Who is behind this? Will Annabel meet Camel club? Is there an espionage angle?

Camel club is involved in this affair through Caleb Shaw who is assigned as literary executor of the deceased. Inevitably Annabel gets involved. Camel club investigates with its limited resources. The plot thickens with discovery of 12th copy of Song Book. Only 11 are known to exist in the world. They are all in it together. 

Narration is decent. A number of sub plots are played out simultaneously. The angle of selling out of secret information to enemy makes it darker. However using the library of congress, an elaborate procedure and number of persons seems unnecessary. The same could have been done with a simple message drop or even snail mail. The alter ego angle is also conspicuous.

One can not help but think that Camel club has bit more than it can chew. The events are too complex for a group of 4 simpletons lead by an ex assassin and assisted by a con artist. 

Although it's not a great book, it's not boring either. Reader is not tempted to abandon. An OK affair for light reading. 

The book ends but the story doesn't. The espionage chapter is closed but the long con chapter remains open for the next book of the series. 

Don't' read it if you have not read the first and if you do not intend to read the series.

The Mughal high noon by Srinivas Rao Adige

"The Mughal high noon", a debut novel, by Srinivas Rao Adige. This book is published by Rupa Publications in 2016 and has 183 pages.

Mughal emperor Shahajahan is sick. Hakims can't cure him. Jahanara suggests to take help of a Vaid, a Hindu, a taboo. To do or not to do. Four princes vie for the succession. 

What should Dara, the heir apparent do? How would his brothers Shuja, Murad and Aurangzeb react? How will the power politics play? What are the plans of wily Aurangzeb?

The book traces the events from Shahjahan's illness to his recovery, rebellion by his sons, fighting and alliances between them, the power struggle, wars and finally ascent of Aurangzeb. 

Author has narrated a good story, but it appears a bit imbalanced. He has spent a lot of page space to tell the story of Shuja and Murad that could have been curtailed. Story of Shuja starts in a great detail but then it is suddenly abandoned and we come to know, of what happened with Shuja, only as a news. Considering that this is not a big book, it leaves less page space for Aurangzeb, the main character as the title suggests. 

The story tells what Aurangzeb did but does not tell us what he was made up of. Auranzeb's personality traits are not elaborated. The story ends before his crowning. Some more focus on Aurangzeb, the person, would have done a lot of good to the story. How was he able to garner support and loyalty despite not being viceroy of a rich viceroyalty. 

In the epilogue, Aurangzeb is shown in the mood of repentance on his death bed. Did he really repent?

Author is an IAS officer. It is a new emerging trend, in Indian fiction literature, where IAS and IFS officers with their rich experience turn into authors and mostly good ones. This author has also demonstrated a lot of potential in this debut novel. 

Recommend reading.

Numero Zero by Umberto Eco

"Numero Zero" by Umberto Eco, translated from Italian to English by Richard Dixon. This book is published by Random house in 2015 and has 208 pages.

Colonna, a loser and unsuccessful writer, is approached by Simei to work for an as-yet conceptual newspaper's Zero issue and simultaneously ghost write a book, creatively describing the journey of this newspaper, for Simei. There is a conspiracy theory. 

Who has purported conspiracy theories? What does Colonna know? What about Mussolini?

This book is about conspiracy theories, one of which is that Mussolini did not die when the world thought he did. This theory is introduced for the first time when the book is half way through. Till then the story ambles along without much happening. 

It appears as if the author is confused if he wants to write what happens at the newspaper or he wants to write about Mussolini.  In trying to step on both stones he ends up neither here nor there. I decided to read the book after reading the blurb in Bookworld in Dubai mall that emphasizes on Mussolini angle. 

Character of Braggadocio spews conspiracy theories one after another. He is killed. Why? By who? Maia is a lady lost in her own train of thoughts. Colonna appears to be more capable than his achievements. 

Author has a style of writing long nested sentences. The book is written for Italian readers assuming they know all the references. However international readers will either have to go to Internet to understand the references or simply skip them. 

What is the message that author wants to give? Conspiracy theories? Paranoia? Life goes on?

I actually started reading the original Italian book but gave up after a few pages and read the English translation. But I wasn't satisfied with it either. 

AVOID.

The Rigveda code by Rashmi Chendvankar

"The Rigveda code" by Rashmi Chendvankar. This book is published by The Write Palace in 2014 and has 244 pages.

Vrij is strongest kingdom in Bharatkhanda. Rikshavi is princess of Vrij. She is a natural archer but her father is not interested in teaching her. Her father, King Vrajesh, is searching for the Ultimate weapon that ever existed. 

What is the ultimate weapon? Will the Kshatriya code be broken? What does Rigveda code say? Is Rikshavi the one to fulfill the prophecy? What secrets are going to be revealed? What is the politics?

The story is set in 600 BC, 300 years after the great Mahabharata war. It is the period when India was divided into smaller kingdoms after weakening of Pandav clan. A period when weapon wielding females was an oddity. 

The story is based in the legend that Krishna left his Sudarshan Chakra, the ultimate weapon, behind in the care of Pandav and there is a clan that still guards and hides the Chakra from being discovered. It's the Clan of Pancharishis founded by Sahadev, the fourth Pandav who was an accomplished astrologer. The Chakra is to be hidden until a person with unique Rajyog can claim it. 

This is a new Indian legend for a fiction. Search for Sudarshan chakra can be a powerful plot. However author only makes passing references about the search and failures of finding the Chakra. She builds the story up but the climax is summarily executed. It could have been more thrilling and interesting.

The book ends with the creation of the first republic in the world. Later known as Licchawi republic. However author does not elaborate much about how Rikshawi deciphers the Rigveda code and how she determines that Lord Krishna intended to create a republic through his message.

Author has left some threads unexplored. Why is Amogh in love. Even if he wasn't there would have been no change to story. What happens to Magadhan forces after they depart? Is there no retaliation. Why reveal identities of Pancharishis? Is Lord Krishna's work over after formation of one republic or did Krishna wanted it to happen for the whole world? We're there three storied residential buildings in 300  BC?

I liked one sentence from this book very much. It goes like this 'Each one of is born with an element of God inside of us, it's called the conscience'. 

Appreciation is due for the cover design showing outline of a female with flowing hair and stretched bow, about to release arrow on a backlit background. The arrow tip is colorful peacock feather. The cover interested me and I purchased the book. 

The book back cover identifies the genre of the book as historical fiction, but it's actually a mytho-historical fiction. It's a good book, could have been better.

Recommend reading.

Bravely fought the queen by Mahesh Dattani

"Bravely fought the queen", a play, by Mahesh Dattani. This book is published by Penguin India  in 2006 and has 100 pages. My father gave me a copy to read. 

Dolly and Alka, sisters, are married to Jiten and Nitin, brothers. One day Lalitha, wife of their employee, Sridhar, comes to their house. A number of unspoken things and secrets are revealed. 

Who is Praful? Who is Daksha? Why is Baa upset?  What are the secrets?

It's a strange story. A number of unrelated things are revealed to the reader as the story moves on. The revelations do not make sense until the end. The last dialogue brings forth the truth for the audience.

A mentally and physically challenged  young child who appears only in reference, married women's fantasy, a manipulative brother who never makes an appearance, impractical brothers, Baa's diatribe and wondering and uncomprehending couple form he cast of the play. 

Unique thing about this play is that Act 1 and Act 2 happen at the same time. In Act 1 we see what happens at the residence and in Act 2 we see what happens in office at the same time. Another unique thing is Baa's dialogues withsome one  that happen independently but are blended with ongoing scene. Baa appeares in the background of both scenes i.e. Home and office. 

When you read a play, the characters and their relations with other characters are not explained by author like in a novel. Audience comes to know them through dialogues. Here the things take eternity to untangle. 

When I started to read the play, I wondered what was the significance of the title. It then became clear that is has the reference to the famous poem about Rani of Jhansi that says 'Khoob ladi mardani who to Jhansi wali rani thi'. 

This play touches a number of subjects like suppressed emotions, wife abuse, homosexuality, infidelity, deceit  etc.  

Mahesh is a Sahitya Akadami award winner. He is also a director and owner of theater. Mahesh's plays are known to portray women as victims. This play is no exception. Here every woman is a victim. This play was first staged in 1991.

Some plays are interesting to read and watch. Some are more interesting to watch than read. This play falls in the later catagory. I have not watched this play on stage. With a good director, it's a powerful play of suppressed emotions and desires.  

Watch the play rather than reading the book. 

The grownup by Gillian Flynn

"The grownup" by Gillian Flynn. This book is published by Orian publishing group in 2015 and has 96 pages.

A girl who begged during her childhood and was a hand job specialist turns into a fortune teller and aura reader. Susan comes to her with her problem and takes her to Susan's Victorian mansion. 

Can the fortune teller bluff her way? Can she pretend to help Susan? Or is there more to it?

It's a very good story. It's a thriller through and through. The buildup is slow but once it's done the things happen fast. There are multiple twists towards the end that increase the heartbeats of the reader. The story ends tantalizingly leaving a lot to the fertile imagination of the readers.

There are several possibilities about the reality and it is upto the reader, to decide for oneself, which one to believe. A good formula of success. It's a gripping story where the graph keeps on rising. 

This story has won 'The Edgar award'. Converting an award winning short story, by author of a famous book (Gone girl), into a standalone book is a commercial master stroke by publishers. I happened to notice this book in Bookworld in Dubai mall and read it because of the name of author and because the small size of book piqued my curiosity. Publishers won.

Looks like all Gillian Flynn book covers have got a black background with light colored lines making some kind of pattern. This book is no exception, the pattern being smoke.

Recommend reading but too small to purchase it as a book. Go to the library or borrow.

Hitman Andres and the meaning of it all by Jonas Jonasson

"Hitman Andres and the meaning of it all" by Jonas Jonasson. This book is published by Fourth Estate in 2016 and has 400 pages. 

Per Persson, a nobody, is a receptionist in a third rate hotel. Hitman Andres, a thrice convict, comes to stay in the hotel. A jobless priestess Johanna Kjellander, who does not believe in God, meets Per. Three of them form a strange alliance and business venture. 

What is the alliance? Has it anything to do with money? Is there violence? How is Jesus involved? What is the connection with Santa?

It's a slapstick comedy where characters do all sorts of nonsensical things. The lead characters act without thinking thereby creating a lot of confusion and funny scenarios. They do all sorts of crazy things but eventually come out unscathed and triumphant. It's the journey that entertains you rather than the outcome. 

Here Hitman, Receptionist and Priest run three different business ventures. Each one very different from other. Jonas has concluded the book with a business venture that is satisfying and gratifying. In short a happy ending. 

The story drags, trundles, rolls, crawls in the general direction of conclusion. Although the narration of the standalone book is entertaining, those who have read the first two books will find it repetitive and monotonous.

Author has little to add in this book that was not there in the previous two. At times I was tempted to abandon. 

This is author's third book. First one was absolutely fantastic. He has a very special dry humor style of narration. Second was less good. This one is even less good. I sincerely hope the author brings something new in his next one. 

Give it a miss.

Evading the shadows by Rajesh M. Iyer

"Evading the shadows" by Rajesh M. Iyer. This book is published by Kriscendo Media LLP in 2016 and has 341 pages. 

Pandav's are about to complete there 12 year  vanvas (forest stay) and about to start 1 year agyatwas (incognito stay). Kaurav spies are on their trail. Duryodhan has sent them on a mission to find Pandav because if they are found they would repeat 12+1 year.

Who are the spies? Do they sniff Pandav? Can Pandav outsmart them? Will they get help?

The book cover declares it to be a fictional spy thriller set during Mahabharata. I purchased the book reading that one line. I haven't read much about any attempts by Kaurav to find Pandav during agyatwas except some passing comments. A lot was at stake for both parties during that one year. The game of cat and mouse wpuld be at its peak. So to write a fiction on that aspect is a brilliant idea. Full marks to author's imagination. 

Author introduces a number of fictional characters and events to spice up the story. That makes it interesting. Author has also emphasized that even though Pandav were in disguise, they being human, could not disguise their personality traits. These traits put them in danger and provided leads to Kaurav spies. 

Author has used flash back technique liberally to take the story forward and make his point. The stories in flash back are well known to the readers and some times one feels that they could have been curtailed. 

Something interesting. When there is a change of scene, author has transitioned every time in a very peculiar way. The punch word of the last sentence of previous scene is also the punch word of the first sentence of the subsequent scene. That gives the prose a flair of poetry. Author has managed to narrate a good story that maintains reader's interest. I liked his style. We can expect more good work from Rajesh. 

What is the drawback of this story? Well, unlike any other thriller, reader knows the final outcome. I felt that the book should have ended immediately after revelation if Pandav identity. But author, avoidably, stretches it a bit more. 

Cover design is not impressive. Black shadows on the background of blackish red. Too dark. No recall value. A little more effort would have carried the message and done a lot of good.

Good book. Recommend reading.

Vikraal by Sangeeta Bahadur

"Vikraal" by Sangeeta Bahadur. This book is published by Pan Macmillan in 2015 and has 516 pages. This is Book 2 of Kaal trilogy. 

Devanampriya and Tejaswi begin their onward journey. There is a burning tree without heat. A prophecy is fulfilled. Agneyi meets Arihant. Prapto has to take a quest on his own but will find a fellow seeker. Aushij is very close to waking up.

Why is the tree burning? What is the prophecy? Will Arihant and Agneyi gel? What is the quest? What is the reward? Will there be a showdown? What is Vikraal? Has Aashman lost his love?

The fascinating tale continues with the same tempo. The miraculous world, events and story retain the captured imagination from Book 1 (Jaal). It's a complex yet interesting story and narration is enticing. 

Devanampriya's fight with dark forces continues. His battles hopping dimensions, stepping time streams go on. However there is a defeat in store for him. His complex mind needs solutions and answers. He can't find them and it results in frustration and insensitive behavior towards those who love him. This Indian superhero develops and gains powers. In Book 1 he undergoes physical metamorphosis, in Book 2 he has self realization. What would it be in Book 3?

Kudos to the author for creating this imaginary world that rivals Harry Potter. Her imagination seems to have no bound. She has done it convincingly. Reader wants to know what next?

Special mention should go to the beautiful names given to all the characters. All the protagonists have beautiful names, but not only them, even supporting and minor characters have beautiful names.

The book ends on a tantalizing climax. Readers will have wait release of Book 3 to know if what appears to have happened, does happen. 

In all trilogies, retaining the tempo, interest and grip in third book and ending it on a high note is the most difficult part. Let's hooe that Sangeeta delivers in Book 3. 

Recommend reading.