Burn by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

"Burn" by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge. This book is published by Random House in 2014 and has 368 pages. This is the seventh book of Michael Bennett series and the first I read.

Michael Bennett is a FBI agent from major crimes division. He is forced into witness protection when his friend, a fellow FBI agent is brutally taped and murdered. He has ten adopted children and their governess Merry Catherine. His wife is dead.

After coming out of witness protection he is assigned to head a squad to help the most needy, a political idea. It's kind of a demotion. Here he meets a rag tag bunch of subordinates. One of his subordinates is murdered. Suddenly biological father of one of his daughter surfaces. Michael lands himself in three cases simultaneously, one of which is high profile.

What is the strange case? Who is murdered? Who is the man claiming to be father of his daughter? What about high profile diamond heists?

Author has used easy narration style. The pace of story is not forced, it's natural flow. Characters of Michael & Merry are portrayed as responsible, caring and silently in love.

Considering the length of the book, has the author stuffed it with to many cases (three)? Probably! But since the cases converge eventually, it's OK.

Elaborate plans of diamond heists to mask something else seems far fetched. It is not properly justified. The very end seemed abrupt and a bit of anti climax.

Although this is the seventh book of the series, you don't feel inadequate or at a loss even if you have not read the previous six books. Credit to the author.

A good book. Read if you have time.

The price you pay by Somnath Batabyal

"The price you pay" a debut novel by Somnath Batabyal.

Abhishek, a young journalist joins Express. He is mentored by legendary crime journalist Amir Akhtar and Deputy Commissioner of Delhi police Uday Kumar and helped by ACP Mayank. This coupled with his nose for story allows him to generate three fist page stories in the first month of his service, an achievement unheard of.

Abishek also finds out that Babloo Shankar, once a kidnap king and now hiding in Singapore, is planning a return to India and get back into business. There seems to be some equation between Uday, Amir and Babloo.

Abhishek gets an offer from TV channel News today (This channel seems to be based on NDTV) and accepts. He suffers a lot of humiliation at the hands of his colleagues and is at his low when, while thinking of returning to newspaper, he decides to break a story that will make or break his career.

What is the story? Will Abhishek settle in TV or go back to newspaper? What does mysterious, beautiful and sexy Archana Pandey have to do with all of this? Does Babloo return?

Somnath has explained in detail how newspaper industry works. How corrupt and honest survive. How police and reporters have a love hate relationship. How journalists are manipulated. How TV journalism is all about TRP rather than news. The hollowness of it all and the hope in it, as well.

The story takes place in Delhi. Naturally there are multiple references to places, roads, people in Delhi. Author has captured the pulse of Delhi perfectly. Readers come to know the identity of city of Delhi. Full marks to him for that.

The book is 285 pages long and the story moves at an easy pace for about 250 pages and then suddenly accelerates in last 30 odd pages. The climax could have been longer.

The book is a novelty. Read for a change.