Insomnia by Ravi Subramanian and Jigs Asher

"Insomnia" by Ravi Subramanian and Jigs Asher - Not a murder mystery.

This book is published by Westland in 2020 and has 164 pages. 

Rohit and Tanvi are a well-off couple living in a bungalow at sea in Mumbai. Tanvi has lost her mind after her father's death and started sleep walking. She also tried to stab Rohit multiple times. He can't sleep. ACP Meera Dixit and SP Aditya Sachdev get involved. Aditya is also facing demons from his past. 

What happened to Tanvi? Why? Why can't Rohit sleep? What are Aditya's demons? Is there a spark between Aditya and Meera?

Meera is a beautiful, brilliant and determined officer. Aditya is a very capable and highly rated officer. Hemant Gokhale is the Commissioner, who likes them both. Rohit loves his wife and, despite danger to his life, won't let his wife be institutionalized. Tanvi has lost her mind. Chauhan is made acting MD of Tanvi's business by board after her illness. 

Although the story is mildly interesting, the plot is not convincing. Too many ifs and buts have to come together for it to succeed. It's weak. For a long time, readers wonder what's happening. In the end,  if the revelation of mystery answers all questions satisfactorily, it's worth it. But, in this book, that too doesn't happen. So at the end it appears like a novel written by a novice rather than an accomplished author. 

Some questions remain. Aditya is SP but he and others refer to him as Inspector. Why forensic analysis of SUV wasn't done? Etc.

This book consists of 56 small chapters in 164 pages. The story is delivered in small packets. So none of the detail is trivial. That is the clue to mystery. 

What is Shortz? It's series of short, plot oriented, fast paced novellas. Ravi will be co-authoring this series with various new author. The idea of Shortz sounds very similar to James Patterson's Bookshots series. 

Why did I read this book? Author and Shortz. 

What I didn't like? Weak plot. 

What did I like? Length.

Give it a miss. 

Operation camouflage by Amit Sidham

"Operation camouflage" by Amit Sidham - A breath of fresh air!

This book is published by Norton Press in 2019 and has 300 pages. 

A team of technologically advanced green revolutionaries determined to protect mother nature and if required, kill the ones destroying her, creates conglomerate called Galaxy. They are working anonymously until one day they are forced to reveal themselves. 

Who are they? What is their objective? What's operation camouflage? Why are they forced to reveal? How big and powerful is Galaxy?

It's a very interesting story. An all powerful organization envied by competitors, industry and government and loved by employees and public. It's a heady mix. Idealistic but exciting. 

Author spends a lot of time in bath, cleansing, prayer etc. in first half of the book, so the story is slow. But then it picks speed and keeps reader not just interested but intrigued too. 

It's a book of a different genre. Off the beaten path, breath of fresh air, feel good. Readers' initial apprehensions fall away once the reader accepts fantastical gadgetry like invisible robots, C blast, I field and vigilante Justice. 

Reader is better off not asking questions like Why operation reveal was necessary when the possibility of anonymity still existed? How was the high tech Galaxy head quarter built in secrecy? Is it justified to kill for a good cause? How do they not receive law enforcement backlash despite public acknowledgement of breaking the law of the land?

It's a complete story but the book ends with a preamble of a sequel. More to come.  I would read the sequel, when published.

Why did I read this book? Interesting title. 

What did I like? Idea

What I didn't like? Initial slowness. 

Recommend reading. 

Term limits by Vince Flynn

"Term limits" by Vince Flynn - Before Mitch Rapp... 

This book is published by Simon and Schuster in 2012 and has 656 pages. 

President of America, Jim Stevens, wants to get his budget approved. His Chief of Staff Stew Garrote and NSA Mike Nance explore unconventional means. Three prominent Senators and a Congressman are murdered. President is threatened and asked to change budget. Former CIA Director of Black Ops, Jack Higgins, is abducted and killed.

Who is behind the attacks? Are they terrorists? What do they demand? Can Irene Kennedy and Thomas Stansfield save the day?

 

This story is a prequel to Mitch Rapp series. So it features CIA Director Thomas Stansfield,  Irene Kennedy, FBI Director Roach, Jack Worch of Secret Service, Scott Coleman & President. These characters play an important role in the Mitch Rapp series later. Only Mitch is missing in this book. Congressman Michael Orork and Agent Skip McMahon are other important characters. 

The story is fast. Events unfold in quick succession. Readers remain with the story. The perpetrator's identity is not a secret. Those who have read Mitch Rapp series know the identity already because the reference has appeared multiple times. 

End is little unconvincing. It is not easily palatable. One wonders if it's the right end and how does the President go along. What were the motivations of Thomas Stansfield? Apart from that it's an enjoyable book. 

Why did I read this book? Author

What I didn't like? End.

What did I like? Everything else. 

Read, even if you don't or haven't read Mitch Rapp series. 

The family by Mario Puzo

"The family" by Mario Puzo - Intriguing!

This book is published by William Morrow and company in 2011 and has 432 pages.

It's Renaissance era Europe. Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia is an ambitious man. He becomes Pope Alexander VI. He has four illegitimate children, 3 sons and a daughter. He acknowledges them publicly and bestows Papal favours on them.

How does he become Pope? What favors does he bestow? How can Cardinals and Popes have family? How do the children fare,  especially the eldest, Cesare? How is Vatican politics? What will be Borgia family strategy?  What will be the legacy of Borgia family?

Pope's eldest son Cesare is appointed as Cardinal and later commander of Papal forces. Juan is appointed as commander of Papal forces. Daughter Lucrezia and son Joffre are married for political alliances. Does it look like modern political family? Does it look like mafia family?

The Borgia family, despite being family of Pope, enjoyed carnal pleasures. The debauchery was so immoral that there were multiple incests. Incest between brother and sister. Incest between brother in law and sister in law. Incest between father in law and daughter (niece) in law. Then there is also  fratricide. In addition there are murders, rapes, extramarital affairs, bastard children, treaties and deals, reneging from promises, favouring family, duplicitous behaviour of Pope and what not. Revulsing! One really wonders how can they be called men of God?

Famous historical personalities like Niccolo Machiavelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo are characters in this story. 

Cesare Borgia occupies the center stage. His character undergoes a sudden transformation in later part of the book. But these traits are not evident in the first part. So the transformation appears abrupt. 

It's said that Niccolo Machiavelli's famous and controversial book "The Prince", was written with Cesare Borgia as the model. It professes  that results justify the means and unscrupulous, cunning, intelligent, duplicitous behaviour is not only acceptable but necessary for success. It's an irony that model of the book (Cesare Borgia) is forgotten and such behaviour is known as Machiavellian and used as pejorative. 

It's a fascinating, colourful and eventful account of ambitious, capable, vicious and fearless Borgia family. They created their fiefdom but weren't able to hold on to it after the death of the patriarch. In the epilogue Carol says that Mario believed that Borgias were the first crime family. Popes were Dons and Pope Alexander the greatest of them all.

This is a partly fictionalized account of the Borgia family. So readers should take it with a pinch of salt. However, as they say, there's no smoke without fire. 

Mario Puzo spent over twenty years working on the book off and on, while he wrote others. The novel was completed by his longtime girlfriend, Carol Gino. The Family is effectively his last novel.

Why did I read this book? Author.

What did I like? The story. 

What I didn't like? Slows down at times. 

Its an intriguing story. Recommend reading.

Wrath of Posidon by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell

"Wrath of Poseidon" by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell- Back to the past! 

This book is published by Penguin in 2020 and has 437 pages. This is Book 12 of 'Fargo adventures'.

Book starts in present day and takes us quickly into flash back. How Sam and Remy met, fell in love and courtship. But this courtship is not a normal one. It too has adventure. The story comes back to present times for conclusion with the enemy from past.

Why flash back? How did Sam and Remy meet? What was the adventure in their courtship? Who's the villain?

Being a Fargo adventure, there has to be a treasure. It's Poseidon's trident, from the times of King Cyrus of Persia, about 1500 years ago. Sam and Remy go through the cycle of attraction, love, soul mates, doubt, breakup, patch up and marriage. But the reasons for these emotions are different from other lovers. Nothing in the lives of Fargo's is normal. The book is entertaining. 

The flow is good and keeps reader interested. Sam and Remy make friends for life in Greece. However, I doubt if these friends will appear in any further book.

The treasure, however, is secondary to the story. Why they do not pursue the treasure for 10 years is not clear and then why they do after 10 years is also not clear. The ease with which they find it is too easy.

It's a second book in a month, that I read,  where a Greek megalomaniac is the villain. Coincidence or trend?

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Treasure. 

What did I like? Sam and Remy when they were nobody.  

Read if you like the series. 

Purvanubhava: The rise of the legend of Panini by Dr. Ashutosh Jain

"Purvanubhava: The rise of the legend of Panini" by Dr. Ashutosh Jain - Undeclared series!

This book was published by India Press, Meerut in 2020 and has 254 pages. 

Kaliyug. Two army men, Abhinav and Ravi. Battle with Pakistanis in Siachen. Another dimension. Nandanvan. Mayavi forces. Gandharv lok. The legend of Panini. Shukracharya. Revenge.

Where are Devas? Who is Kaal? What is Shukracharya planning? What is the legend of Panini?

The story is engaging. It takes us from Siachen to Nandanvan to Gandharv lok to Amravati to Vishnu avatar and back to modern day.

Author uses a blend of physical and metaphysical worlds and leverages on the philosophy and stories of Sanatan dharma. One story suddenly morphs into another story. Both stories are interesting but reader is lost for a while. 

While reading the book I felt that a lot of time is spent in the adventure of Ravi and Gayatri in Gandharv lok, Karnav Rishi's era, Bali's time etc. I started feeling that author is going to fall short of pages to conclude the book. But author didn't fall short. Why? Because the story doesn't end. Readers will have to wait for next book. It's a series!

The book doesn't say it's a series. Readers come to know about it at the end. I have always maintained that author has to be honest and should declare that it's a series. Choice of whether to read the series or not should lie with reader. Not doing so is cheating. 

The orange monster is an imitation of The Hulk. Why was Bali killed? 

So what's about the title. It simply means that whatever you have accumulated over previous births comes to use in subsequent births. 

Why did I read this book? Interesting title. 

What I didn't like? Not declaring that it's a series.  

What did I like? Story. 

Read only if you plan to read the series.