Kaalkoot by R. Venkatesh

"Kaalkoot" by R. Venkatesh - India's Andy McDermott. 

This book is published by TreeShade books in 2018 and has 343 pages. 

A secret was buried in Himalayas in 1944. Manohar Rai has chosen Yogyaveer, to go into hiding with a trove of artefacts, manuscripts and sculptures that represented best of Indian civilization from Vedic times to save them from Imperial guard. Imperial guard, British white supremacist secret organization, planned to destroy all Indian artefacts and manuscripts before giving independence. In 2018, ACG (an undercover group formed by government of India) smells something fishy. A banker loves a girl but is afraid of commitment. A professor is spinning fantastic tales about Kaalkoot. A mad scientist is weaponizing labour of his life.

What is the secret? What does ACG discover? What does Sam have to go through to recognize that he loves Ananya? What is Kaalkoot? Can Damini stop the plot?

Fate throws Damini- ACG's best agent,  Sam- a banker and Bani- a professor together. Each of them has a different agenda. Damini wants to stop the bio weapon,  Bani wants the glory of discovering antidote and Sam just wants to get his girlfriend back. Eventually the mantel rests with Sam to rescue the world. 

The story is about Kaalkoot or Halahal, the mythical poison released during Samudramanthan, a toxin. It's produced by a pathogen making it a bio weapon without cure. Apocalypse is round the corner, world's only hope is Sam, but world doesn't know it. 

The Gupta Khandara and it's booby traps reminded me of Andy McDermott's Nina Wilde - Eddie Chase adventures. This one also contains clues in the form of verses that Sam has to decipher to get to his goal and also to remain alive. Although this idea is not new, author has used original tricks for the traps. 

There are some objectionable things too. Will an intelligence officer dismiss a plot involving visiting heads of state as heresy because there is no proof or will he reinforce the team to get to the bottom of it? Will an intelligence officer trust an investment banker to save the world? Moreover, Sam remembering images from past and those images solving the puzzle is little too convenient. A person is referred as Doc. Suddenly Doc is addressed as Maestro from one point onwards. Then why call him Doc in the first place?

Cover of this book is gaudy and colourful. Author R. Venkatesh is from the new breed of authors who graduated from IIT and IIM and took up writing fiction, following footsteps of Chetan Bhagat.

Why did I read this book? Author, Title.

What I didn't like? Objections as above. 

What did I like? Sikkim.

Although it's not wow, you can read it.

Baji Rao: The warrior Peshwa by E. Jaiwant Paul

"Baji Rao: The warrior Peshwa" by E. Jaiwant Paul - The general who never lost a war!

This book is published by The Lotus Collection in 2007 and has 184 pages.

Book summary

Aurangzeb was responsible for starting the dreadful decline of Mughal Empire by his fundamentalist religious policy and his never ending military miss adventures. The empire crumbled after his death. Sayyid brothers became the king makers. A void was created. The stage was set for Baji Rao. Mughal nobility was aligned into four groups: Persians, Afghans, Turani Mughals and Hindis.

Main characteristic of Baji Rao's forces was extreme mobility. Bajirao's army moved 50 miles per day and had three horses to every two men. They lived off the land and carried no baggage and tents. Baji Rao prided himself in enduring the same hardships as his soldiers and sharing their scanty fare. 

Baji Rao was a military genius and is described as a heaven born cavalry leader.  Hindus from all over the country flocked to his banner. Rajputs had always been strong defenders of Mughals. However, blind fanaticism and anti-Hindu bias of Aurangzeb undid all good work of his forefathers.

Author has reserved a chapter for the three trusted lieutenants of Baji Rao viz. Malharrao Holkar, Ranoji Scindia and Udaiji Pawar. They were founders of the states of Indore, Gwalior and Dhar respectively in today's MP.

Mastani lived with Bajirao, rode with him stirrup to stirrup on his numerous campaigns, was his inspiration in battle, was mother of his son and chose to perish when he died. Perhaps historians swept her under carpet because she was an embarrassment. Even a strong person like Baji Rao couldn't break the shackles of Orthodox Brahmins.

An entire chapter is dedicated to Kanhoji Angre and Maratha navy and repeated failed attempts by British and Portuguese to win against Angre. Another chapter is dedicated to Baji Rao's campaign against Portuguese and British. 

High point of Maratha's empire came when Baji Rao reached Delhi and defeated Nizam-ul-Mulk again at the battle of Bhopal. 

At the young age of 42 he died of illness. 

End of book summary

There is an uncertainty about how Mastani died. This book says that she went Sati on Baji Rao's funeral pyre. The book has a very old and partly damaged picture of Mastani. This is different from the picture you see on Wikipedia. 

Author singles out Baji Rao's decision to grant English peace and free trade as hideously short sighted. He also states that Maratha's, and Baji Rao, did not pay enough attention to business and trade, thus they were short of cash for military expeditions and had to depend on spoils of war to fund the war.

Baji Rao had a chance to decimate Nizam and banish British and Portuguese out of India. But he did not do it. He considered unification of Hindustan as primary objective and invaders from north (Nadir Shah) as primary threat. This is the beauty of history. One decision can change the course of history. What if Baji Rao destroyed Nizam after victories in battles of Palkhed and Bhopal? What if British were banished from India? What if Mastani was accepted wholeheartedly by Brahmins and Hindus? What if Baji Rao had lived another 15 years? Baji Rao was at the gates of Dilli, What if he had entered the capital? What if a Maratha king had ascended the Peacock Throne of Dilli? Alas! None of it happened.

This is a book about Baji Rao. However, the book covers only one aspect of his personality, the wars. There are some glaring omissions. There is hardly anything about Baji Rao, the person or his private life sans Mastani. Nothing about his relationship with his wife, children, mother, brother or other family members. No elaboration about his administration or his vision or point of views about matters not related to wars. Baji Rao's main strength was the lightning cavalry and his impossibly fast movement of army. He was a logistics genius. However, the book doesn't say how he achieved it. The battle of Bhopal is also hurriedly covered. 

Author has chosen to tell the stories of Mughal kings, Nizam-ul-mulk, Kanhoji Angre, Peshwas etc. separately. So every time he has to go back in time and tell the story. While telling a story he has to refer to other stories to establish time line. As a result, the book appears like a patchwork quilt and not as uniform and continuous fabric. If he had told it as a single (and some what complex) story, keeping with time line, it would have become more interesting.

Why did I read this book? Wanted to know more about Baji Rao

What I didn't like? Structure of the book and omissions. 

What did I like? Information. 

Although it could have been better, it's a must read.

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

"Long Road to Mercy" by David Baldacci -  Misnomer!

This book was published by Macmillan in 2018 and has 384 pages. This is Book 1 of Atlee Pine series. 

Special agent Atlee Pine is posted at FBI office at Grand Canyon. A batch of tourists climbs down into canyon on mules. Next morning one tourist is missing and one mule is dead. Higher ups in FBI take interest in the case of dead mule. Atlee is seeking answers from a serial killer, who she suspects, kidnapped her twin sister, Mercy, when they were 6 and probably killed her. 

What is the mystery of dead mule? Why are top bosses interested? Will Agent Pine do what is right? Will she be able to trace Mercy?

Although the title is about Mercy, only first chapter is about Atlee's attempts of closure about Mercy. Rest of the story is about an international plot involving the Russians and North Koreans. A typical apocalypse scenario. 

Atlee Pine has to go off-grid to investigate. She gets unconditional help of her secretary and a Park Ranger and little help from the Yazee family and one of her boss' boss. There is also a hint of romance.

The romance, if it happens, and the story of Mercy and what happened to her is probably for the sequel. Since the book does not have story of Mercy, the title of the book becomes a misnomer. Road to Mercy is really long. It transcends books. 

The story is not very interesting. The investigation is sedate. The deductions are not fantastic. Story is slow. The big plot hatched by powers is strange. The powers go to a great length to keep the plot on course, but it crumbles easily and it appears that the decision to abandon the plot is taken by a low-key officer and not higher ups. Americans appear naive and Atlee is more intelligent than the entire administration. In short it's disappointing. However, despite all this, author manages to barely retain reader's interest and you don't abandon reading. 

Why did I read this book? Author.

What did I like? Native American angle.   

What I didn't like? Many things as listed above. 

Give it a miss. 

Burning Angles by Bear Grylls

"Burning Angles" by Bear Grylls - Nazi plot revealed. 

This book is published by Orion in 2016 and has 416 pages. This is Book 2 of Will Jaeger series.

Story starts where the previous book ended. Jeager, Narov and Raff decide to rescue Letitia Santos. Narov's mysterious people help them. The trail leads to Katavi, Africa. Jeager and Narov go to the game reserve and discover the Nazi plot. To counter Nazis there is another organization of good guys. 

Did they rescue Santos? What do they find in Katavi? What is the Nazi plot? Who is behind it? What is Gottvirus?

In first book there was a high altitude para jump, this one starts with LLP jump, a very low altitude para jump, about 250 feet. Author also uses another very high altitude jump for the climax. 

This book reveals the Nazi plot that will eliminate majority of world population in one fell swoop. It's a typical apocalyptic situation. The crazy Nazi is none other than the Deputy Director of CIA. He uses CIA assets like reaper drone, hell fire missile and, surprisingly, no one gets any wiser. Strange! Is there no oversight in America?

Author uses real incident of the outbreak of Ebola in Africa and blends it with his fiction. It's a good cocktail. It shows authors fertile imagination. 

Character of Irina Narov, the ice queen, starts to thaw and opens up to Jeager. Readers understands some of her actions and reactions (or the lack thereof) from first book. Jeager and Narov are attracted to each other. But Jeager's wife and son (assumed dead) are alive. Will Jeager be torn between two women in third book? The Nazi mastermind is not apprehended yet. Will book 3 be the mission to capture him from his lair?

Subtitle of the book is Will Jaeger finds his dark side. But I did not find any dark side of Will Jeager in this book. It's anticlimactic. Why the subtitle?

Why did I read this book? Goodreads rating and Book 1 was readable.

What I didn't like? Plot does not take you on the edge

What did I like? Technical details. 

It's not as good as Book 1. Read if you plan to read the series.