The Crows of Agra by Sharath Komarraju

"The Crows of Agra" by Sharath Komarraju. This book is published by Amazing Reads in 2015 and has 281 pages. This is a Birbal mystery.

Bairam Khan, guardian of Akbar and regent of Mughal empire, is ordered by Akbar to relinquish his responsibilities and proceed to Mecca. The night before his departure he is murdered. In an unrelated incident, Mahesh Das, who miraculously arrives on time to save Akbar's life and subsequently gains his trust, is assigned the task of finding who and why of murder.

Who is Mahesh Das? What is his secret? Why does Akbar entertain him? Who killed Bairam Khan? Can Mahesh Das find the killer? Whodunit?

Story is set in 1562 AD. The characterization is good. Ruqaiya Begum - Akbar's wife, Shamsuddin Khan - Bairam's friend and competitor, Maham Anga - Akbar's wet nurse and one he considers mother, Adham Khan - Son of Maham Anga, Gulbadan Begum - Akbar's aunt and Salima - Bairam's young wife and Akbar's friend are the main players in addition to Akbar and Mahesh Das.

The title has a reference to Akbar's famous question to Birbal 'How many Crows are there in Agra?'. Here the crows are the suspected individuals. Birbal has to find murderers from the crowd of Agra.

It's a good mystery that keeps you interested. The investigation and deduction take their time and keep the reader guessing. This is a mystery with a limited number of suspects and an amateure detective who's future employment is dependent on him finding the murderer.

It's a murder mystery with historical flavour. Historical characters and time period is used to provide a 'change' in regular murder mystery. It's a welcome change. The characters are real, the story is not. Bairam Khan was murdered, but not in palace. He was murdered by another person, not the one in this book. Birbal's background and agree is also changed. However it's a good read.

A good change. Recommend reading.

Rangandhala (रंगांधळा) by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी)

"Rangandhala (रंगांधळा)" a Marathi (मराठी) book by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी). This book is published by  Mehta Publishing House in 2012 (first edition 1977) and has 196 pages. I read the book through Grantha Tumchya Dari (ग्रंथ तुमच्या दारी) scheme of Kusumagraj Pratishthan (कुसुमाग्रज प्रतिष्ठान). This book is a collection of 15 mystery and enigmatic stories.

'Rangandhala (रंगांधळा)' is a story of a painter assumed and taken over by colors (रंग) and his muse. 'Waras (वारस)' is the story of a villa (वाडा) that shows a ghost only to it's inheritor. In 'Pulawarcha Manus (पुलावरचा माणुस)' a man sees another man on the bridge of his ancestral home. Who is he? In 'Baki rahilela kalokh (बाकी राहिलेला काळोख)' a man has a strange repetitive dream of cheating on his wife. His wife has a similar dream. Then there is a murder. Who's it? 'Chikhal (चिखल)' is the story of Ketki who fares to love a servant. She is convinced that her father has killed him and dumped in the marshland (चिखल). Has he? 'Hatmoje (हातमोजे)' is the story of gloves purported to belong to a killer. They want blood and make a murderer out of the wearer. 'Head-study (हेड-स्टडी)' is the story of an artist who specializes in making head statues and his friends psychiatrist. Both do head study.
'Ti don mule (ती दोन मुलं)' is a story of two cute, poor and dirty kids who land in the house of an agent who sells children for being? Or did they?

In 'Talyakathchi hirwal (तळ्याकाठची हिरवळ)' a middle aged, well to do, man starts an affair with a girl half his age and meets her on the lawn at the lake. Who's she? 'Zumbar (झुंबर)' is the story of hate remaining years after the death of a couple. 'Mhatarichi tarun mulgi (म्हातारीची तरूण मुलगी)' is the story of three Casanova friends and a Jakhin (जाखीण). In 'Interview (इंटरव्ह्यू)' Jagannath goes for an interview. But the condition of contract is very tough. 'Washikaran (वशीकरण)' is the story of a verbally challenged girl and what she does to get a young man fall in love with her.
In 'Jalmate (जळमटं)' we meet two old ghosts, their urge to love a child and their feelings.
'Tada geleli kach (तडा गेलेली काच)' shows us the world of a physically fit young man and his not so fit mind.

Ratnakar Matkari is known for his excellent enigmatic stories. He is one of the pioneers of such stories in Marathi literature.

The presence of unknown & the inexplicable has always fascinated human mind. These stories provide a glimpse into this unknown world. These stories are not gross, gory or vulgar, they are classy. They have a literary value.

Almost all the stories are good, however Waras, Mhatarichi tarun mulgi, Washikaran & Jalmate were especially good. A number of stories either have an undercurrent, intention or overt sex in them. A number of stories have ghosts (भुतं, पिशाच्च, जाखीण) or such creatures in them. Some stories also have mental illness. Almost all the stories use the shock technique and unexpected endings. As the book progresses, you start expecting the unexpected.

This book is a masterpiece of the genre. A must read if you are not against the genre.

The cuckoo's calling" by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling

"The cuckoo's calling" by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter fame).

Lula Landry, a mixed race adopted child of white parents and herself a very famous model, falls from the balcony of her apartment in the middle of a chilly winter night and dies. After investigations the police declare it as suicide. But her adopted brother is not convinced. He engages a, once brilliant, now broke and loser, detective Cormoran Strike and his latest temporary assistant cum secretary Robin to investigate.

Strike starts to investigate the case and puts the details together meticulously & methodically. There is a witness claiming it to be a murder but police prove that she was lying. Then there is another murder.

Who is the murderer? Her druggie  boyfriend? Her gay friend and fashion designer? Her co-model and friend? Her poor lady friend who has undergone treatment for mental illness? Her mother? Unknown stalker? An American rapper? Why was she murdered? Was she murdered?

Author has based the novel on the backdrop of fashion world. The lives and affairs of rich and fashionable are brought to the fore. The artificialness, hollowness, and addiction to drugs and publicity is shown effectively. The book employs foul language. The f*** word appears at least a thousand times in the book.

JK Rowling has taken her time to develop the plot. She has given a lot of attention to details. The buildup to the climax is slow. You neither get excited not bored. Sometimes I could feel influence of Agatha Christie due to attention to detail.

I was able to guess the murderer but not the modalities of murder.

Although the book is not in the same league as Harry Potter, it's a good book. Recommend reading.

Taken at the flood by Agatha Christie

"Taken at the flood", a murder mystery by Agatha Christie. A classic whodunit. This is a Hercule Poirot mystery.

Gordon Clod, a rich man supports families of all his brother, sisters and cousins. He marries a young widow (Rosylene) while travelling from South America to England thereby automatically nullifying his previous will, that benifited his relatives. He dies in bombing (war) before making new will, so all money goes to his new wife.

A person appears claiming that 1st husband of  Rosylene is alive. He is murdered. Another person commits suicide. Hercule Poirot thinks that everything is wrong in this case. Then Rosylene is found dead. Is it murder or suicide? Whats wrong? Who has been murdered? Whodunit? Can Poirot find the murderer? There are a number of relatives, 2nd wife, her brother but nobody seems to have motive for all the deaths.

The clues were there scattered all over the book. I even found one clue but could not make the link. I thought, I was able to recognize the culprit (though using different logic than Hercule) untill the last chapter but there is a big twist in the last chapter and Agatha defeats the readers once again.

As always this is a meticulously written book with a lot of details. You need time and patience to read Agatha Christie mystries.

A good mystery. Read if you like Agatha.

Vyomakesh Bakshi mystery stories Part 1 by Sharadindu Bandopadhyay

"Vyomakesh Bakshi mystery stories Part 1", a novel by Sharadindu Bandopadhyay, translated in Marathi by Ashok Jain.

1st story is called 'Prani Sangrahalay'. An ex judge runs a farm and employs a number of questionable characters. He assigns a work to Vyomkesh and removes him from job shortly after. Then he is murdered. Another person on the farm is also murdered. Who is the murderer? Who is the mysterious ex actress, now disappeared?  Has the young widow of owner anything to do with it? Or is it his nephew? You will have to read the book for answers.

2nd story is called 'Chitra chor'. Vyomkesh is on recuperation leave in a small town on west border of Bengal. 3 copies and negative of a group photograph go missing. Is it serious? There is an interesting assembly of characters. An unhappy husband, a bossy wife, a young widow, a wealthy man, a young doctor, a banker, a beurocrat, a DSP, an addict sketch artist and so on. 

There is a theft where nothing of value is stolen and the sketch artist is found dead by drowning. Is it murder? Is there any relation between the three incidents? Is there any other angle? Will Vyomkesh solve the mystery?
     
Setup of the stories is more than 50 yrs ago. Bengal of old times and Vyomkesh's methods of solving crimes is a novelty for todays reader. Things move slowly as was the pace of life in those days. Writer has shown Vyomkesh, his side kick Ajit & other characters smoking too many cigarettes.

It is amazing that widow remarriage and plastic surgery are used in the stories years ago by the author. Those who like murder mystries and those who liked the serial on Doordarshan can read this book. You can read it because it is different.