Dark Justice by Jack Higgins

"Dark Justice" by Jack Higgins - Run of the mill!

This book is published by Putnam Adult in 2004 and has 288 pages. 

A plot to assassinate President of America is foiled, but the white assassin prefers suicide to capture and dies with warning 'Beware wrath of Allah'. Dillon, ex IRA, now works for 'Prime minister's army', a secret organization answerable only to the PM of UK. He is tasked to handle the situation. Major Yuri Ashimov, right hand man of billionaire Joseph, is behind this. Joseph has Putin's backing. 

Who is behind the attempted assassination? How come a white man is recruited by Islamist terror group? Are there Irish links? How will Dillon handle? What price will good guys have to pay?

The story is easy. The start is catchy. An attempt to assassinate POTUS is a good beginning. One expects the story to be a complex plot with many twists and turns. But the story is relatively straight forward. Involvement of Russians is not a secret, so it's a situation of 'we know and they know that we know'. The climax is a bit anticlimactic. It happens between 6 people in a house. One expects the climax of an international plot to be very exciting, but that's not what we get. 

Dillon is the enforcer, he is also a legend of IRA, now with the establishment. Greta Novikova is GRU, loves Yuri and also moon lights for Joseph. She shows some liking for Dillon. Yuri Ashimov is Joseph's goon and head of security. Joseph is ex KGB and now Oligarch. Salim is British imam of Iraqi origin,  has a PhD, & is trying to recruit young British muslims. 

However, readers don't understand a number of things. Why Joseph is trying to kill US President? Why a fine angle created by author of spark between Dillon and Greta is wasted. Why Salim tries to recruit? He is not even shown as a hard core jihadi. Why does Dillon act solo when he should have a considerable power of PM to apprehend the perpetrators? Why 'Wrath of Allah' becomes irrelevant for the story? Why does the assassin use silenced AK47 to take shot at the President rather than sniper rifle? Too many loose ends.

Why did I read this book? It was on hand. 

What did I like? Irish angle. 

What I didn't like? Climax. Loose ends. 

Not a must read.

The hunt for Kohinoor by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

"The hunt for Kohinoor" by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar. This book is published by Westland Ltd in 2013 and has 432 pages. This is Book 2 of Mehrunisa Khosa series.

Mehrunisa has taken the post of her godfather at Archeological Survey of India. She is still haunted by nightmares; aftereffect of her father's disappearance when she was six.

President of Pakistan and Prime minister of India are in secret talks to establish peace when President of Pakistan is assassinated. The important documents he was going to hand over to India are also destroyed, but there is a copy somewhere. It's code named Kohinoor. Hunt for Kohinoor is on - in Pakistan. Babur Khan, a mysterious American soldier turned Islamic terrorist has surfaced.

Who is hunting for Kohinoor? Where is it? Who will get it? How is Mehrunisa involved?

As in the first book there are a lot of references to renaissance painters and their paintings and Mughal art. The story takes place in Pakistan and India.

The decision to send Mehrunisa, a civilian, to Pakistan in search of Kohinoor instead of her father does not make sense from logical and intelligence point of view. Especially when so much is dependent on the success of the mission, recruiting Mehrunisa seems to be far fetched. It's surprising that Pakistani intelligence can not find Mehrunisa, Raghav and RP Singh but Babur Khan can track them.

The author seems to be confused as to what should form the central theme of the story. Mehrunisa, Kohinoor documents, Agent Snow Leopard or the terrorist attack on Indian facility. In an attempt to cover all, she is all over the place and none of them is covered properly.

Manreet had raised my expectations after her first book. Her first book was profound. The second book however does not stand up to the reputation. It appears like a documentary. It's superficial. It disappoints.

Give it a miss.

The Puppeteer by Arindam Mukherjee

"The Puppeteer" by Arindam Mukherjee. This book is published by Grapevine India in 2013 and has 254 pages.

President of Pakistan has agreed to acknowledge the line of control in Kashmir as international border. This is a big victory for India. Lasting peace seems to be a real possibility. But Pakistani multimillionaire business tycoon and pro Islamist Aamir Ben Kalish is livid. He doesn't like the stance of the President who also happens to be his personal friend. He summons his second in command Zuair and his son Omar to assassinate the President while on tour of India.

Can his plan come to fruition? Can his team infiltrate India? Can they find agents to assassinate the president? Will they succeed? Can Indian intelligence stop them?

This is Arindam's first fiction novel. He has put up a credible effort. The seed is imaginative. Execution is also good. He has managed to churn a decent story. Characterization, though, needed more efforts.

A large portion of the book is spent on elaborating first the reason and then the perpetration for the plot. The Indian intelligence does not get the whiff of the assassination plot until two third of the book is over. This means that the tantalizing cat and mouse game gets limited page space.

It also appears that the Pakistanis had not done their home work thoroughly and they improvise the plot as it develops. Such plots usually do not succeed. Side story of Mafizul and his lust for Salima appears weak.

Author has introduced a special twist in the tale in the epilogue. I don't know why he waited till epilogue for reveling the twist.

OK book. Read if you have time.

The intern's handbook a.k.a. Kill your boss by Shane Kuhn

"The intern's handbook" a.k.a. "Kill your boss", debut novel of Shane Kuhn. This book is published by  Simon & Schuster in 2014 and has 288 pages. Why there are two titles? Because this book is published in US as "The intern's handbook" and in UK as "Kill your boss.

John Lago is an orphan and works for HR Inc. run by Bob. What's their business? To place interns in various corporations. The interns are assigned to a boss. They earn his trust and then kill him. HR Inc. is an organization of contract killers disguised as interns.

John is assigned to kill one of the three partners of a Law firm. He has to identify the one who sells the identities from witness protection program and kill him. This would be his last assignment before he retirees at the age of 25. Here he meets Alice, a beautiful junior associate and decides to use her as an asset to gain entry where an intern is not allowed. He pretends to love her and she intern mobilizes help to find his biological father.

Can John identify and kill the partner? Who is Alice? Can she find his father? Does John retire? Is this his last assignment?

The book is written in first person narrative. John has written a handbook for other interns and told his story through it. It could have been a memoire instead of handbook and still would have made the same impact.

The idea of intern assassin is superb, full marks to the idea. The anonymity enjoyed by an intern, a free worker, is key to gaining confidence of boss without drawing attention and then killing him. Author has written very well. The start of book is engaging, middle portion drags a little bit and end is again interesting. Although you don't read it in one go you also don't abandon it.

Style of writing is different and a good change from usual. Narration is informative and entertaining but a little mechanical at times. Considering that this is the first novel of author, we can expect more good work from him in future.

The cover design and use of eye catching yellow color is very effective. I think the European title is more appropriate.

A good book. If you are a fan of thrillers and want to read something different, this book is for you.

A case of exploding mangoes by Mohammad Hanif

"A case of exploding mangoes" by Pakistani writer Mohammad Hanif. This book received two prizes (Commonwealth book and Shakti Bhatt) in first book category and was long listed for Man Booker prize in 2008.

The book has been advertised as Indian and Pakistani best seller.

General Zia was killed in a plane crash along with his top generals. Conspiracy theories have been making rounds ever since. Hanif has used this incident to write this fiction by adding Hanif another conspiracy to the mix.

It is a story of Zia, his security chief TM, chief of ISI Gen Akhtar and two young officers Ali Shigri (whose father was Colonel Shigri, found hanging from fan) and Obaid Ul Lah.

Author has used his observations well to highlight the contradictions in the Pakistani society in general and army in particular. Gen Zia is portrayed more as a buffoon than a capable general.

It is not clear whether author has tried to write a satirical thriller or sarcastic comedy or comical  suspense. Since the approach appears confused, so is the flow of story and ability to keep readers interested. You often wonder what exactly is he trying to convey?

I had to use a lot of will power in order not to abandon the book, hoping for something interesting in subsequent pages. Alas! it did not come.

I was unable to find what the judges / jury of these prizes could find in the book.

Avoid.