Murder in Amaravati by Sharath Komarraju

"Murder in Amaravati" by Sharath Komarraju. This book is published by Amaryllis in 2012 and has 209 pages. This book was longlisted for Commonwealth book prize 2013.

The village hostess (prostitute), Padmavati, is murdered. Body found in Kali temple by priest Krishna Shastri. Head constable, Venkata Reddy, investigates. There are various characters. Sarpanch Seetaraamaiah, his young son Kishore and crippled daughter Indira. Satyam the postmaster and his wife Lakshmi. Shekhar a man who is wasted below waist and his wife Vaishnavi, a drunkard Sanga, Shastri's wife Annapurna etc..

Who killed Padmavati? What will come out of investigation apart from murderer? Who is the murderer? Why was the murderer committed?

The characterization is good. The village atmosphere, it's intricacies, affairs and enmity is depicted very well. Idea of a constable and priest playing detective is also innovative. Murder of prostitute kicks a scandals in a small village.

Story keeps you interested till the very end. The timeline, alibies, confirming the statements from other witnesses etc. shows influence of Agatha Christie.

When I purchased the book I thought it's a murder mystery in God Indra's Amaravati. However it turned out to be a village in Andhra which was the capital of Satvahana kings, once upon a time. So rather than a mythological mystery, it turned out to be a modern day mystery.

There are some avoidable errors in the book e.g. When the Kali mandir was built by Seetaraamaiah much later, how did his mother, Jagdamba, prayed at Kali temple?

I guessed the killer halfway through the book but as the book converged it appears that I had missed the mark but then I was again proved right in epilogue.

If you like murder mysteries, read it. If you want to venture into murder mysteries then this is not the book to start with.

Banquet on the dead by Sharath Komarraju

"Banquet on the dead" by Sharath Komarraju. The book is published by Westland Ltd. in 2012 and has 265 pages. This is Sharath's second novel.

An eighty year old matriarch (Kauveramma) of a well to do house dies by falling into a well within the compound of house in a town named Hanamkonda. But the lady was extremely terrified of water. Autopsy shows that she died before drowning. Her house consists of three sons (one unmarried, one lame and one married with wife and children), one widow daughter with her married son & unmarried daughter and servants.

Upon request of a family member police inspector seeks help of Mulla Hamid Pasha (An ex criminal who has 'gone clean' for 15 years) as private investigator. When the investigation starts skeletons start tumbling out of closets. Every family member seems to have something to hide.

Was it an accident? Or was it a murder? What was the motive? Whodunit?

It is evident that the story does not take place in present times. Author has placed the story in indeterminate recent past.

I found a lot of similarities with Agatha Christie mysteries. Rich lady murdered, big house, number of relatives, meticulously laid out plot, slow pace, polite detective, too many clues and lot of sub plots, revelation of murderer at the end etc. Sharath has demonstrated a completely different style of writing from his previous book. He has shown his versatility.

The book has a noir title, but it's a murder mystery, a classic whodunit! How ever I was able to guess the murderer early enough.

It would have become more interesting if author had provided map of the house and property around.

Author has left a few loose ends and minor mysteries unresolved like why Swami and Karuna hate each other? What was the tipping point about decision of murder? What is the mysterious illness troubling the doctor? Why book is titled the way it is? These may not be significant things but would have tidied the story.

If you like Agatha Christie mysteries, you might like this.

The Winds of Hastinapur by Sharath Komarraju

"The Winds of Hastinapur" by Sharath Komarraju. This book is published by HarperCollins and has 301 pages.

This book is the story of great war which is also the story of Ganga and Satyawati.

First section of the book is story of Ganga. Mount Meru is the abode of celestials like Indra, Yama, Ganga, Agni, Prabhas etc. Celestials are men and women who drink water from crystal lake on Meru and due to miraculous properties of the water live very long life, though they are not immortals. They also have special powers, know magic and can probe mysteries. Celestials have
a unique ability of passing on their memories to their successors. The successor knows everything that had happened in the lives of his predecessors as if it was his own memory. Thus they appear immortal to human beings on earth and are considered Gods. However the real God or Goddess is mother nature, Bhagwati.

Ganga comes back to Hastina after giving birth to eighth son. Devavrat learns Vedas, weponery and justice at Meru. Ganga does not want Devavrat to return to Hastina and convinces Prabhas to make him his successor. So she smuggles water of crystal lake and make Devavrat drink it. Usually level of crystal lake drops in winter and rises in summer. It also drops when there is a war on earth.

What kind of water is it? Why does the level rise and fall? Is it water? What is the secret of crystal lake? Why does Devavrat renounce Meru and opt Hastina instead?

Second part is story of Satyawati. A Fisher girl who becomes mother at the age of 14 through a willing union with Sage Parashar. A girl who has acquired secret formula from Parashar to make a fragrant powder that will suppress the smell of fish. She is a girl without inhibition who takes a new man once every month managing her cycles deftly.

When Shatanu comes to her hut, she obtains numerous concessions from him and expresses desire to marry him, become queen and eventually king mother.

Devavrat's terrible oaths enable the marriage. When she looses both her sons she invites Vyas to sire sons to ensure continuance of Kuru clan. The book ends with she deciding to rear all three sons of Vyas in same fashion together so that they will not fight for kingdom.

Although this is the start of Mahabharata, it does not dwell into more famous part of the story. Sharath has chosen the section of epic well. It gives a startling new dimension to the story. The angle of approach is fresh, new, ground breaking and realistic. Author had a knack of keeping the readers interested even when not much is happening the story.

I liked the first part, especially life on Mount Meru seems interesting. I would not mind if the writer decides to write a special book just about Mount Meru, life on it & it's inhabitants.

Ganga and Satyawati both have a destiny. Both do not agree with it. Both want to change it. Both try their best to change it. Both do not succeed and finally give-in.

Sharath has displayed excellent imagination in creating the Meru world. Although his imagination runs wild, he has somehow managed to sound it real. The books pace is optimum. You are lost in the winds of Hastinapur.

Knowing the story of Mahabharata, a sequel is in order. Will Sharath be able to resist the temptation of a sequel. I wish he can. This was Sharath's third book and now I would like to read first two.

A Very good book. Recommend reading.