I am a fan of Agatha Christie, particularly the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot created by her. There is a suspicious death in many of her stories. The famed detective is called to investigate. He visits the scene of the crime. Then he starts meeting people, visiting the neighbourhood, before calling all involved for a final meeting, usually in the living room of the dead person, to disclose the culprit with a flourish.
There is death in K Amol’s story as well. The culprit is revealed and apprehended in the living room of the dead person in the end. But that is the only similarity with the Christie investigator. The living room is the stage for the drama during the entire book. However, this does not slow down the narrative in any way.
Shivika, a young professional, falls to her death from her high-rise apartment three days after the announcement of demonetization. Initial investigations by the police point to suicide due to cash crunch caused by the demonetization or accidental falling from the balcony due to damaged railing. The case is closed as accidental death.
A year later, six people, close to Shivika, assemble in her living room for the first death anniversary, all asked to be present through a mysterious text message. They all want a closure to her death.
They start reading diaries maintained by Shivika. As the entries in the diary progress, each one of the six comes under suspicion, including her parents. The investigator is one of the six.
There are back references to incidents in Shivika’s life involving those present in the living room, as narrated by the dead girl in her diaries. There are also few references to the legwork done by the investigator during the interim one year. However, the narration does not slack anytime.
All the clues are there for the reader to indulge in own detection, since you know that one of those present in the room is the culprit. The end, when it comes, is still unexpected for the reader.
The book is a fast-paced crime thriller. I am looking forward to more investigative work by the detective in town.
The review is by Sanjay Chandra, author of Behind Closed Doors (2023), The Gymnast (2022), and The Life and Times of a Common Man (2019).
Contact sanjaychandra59@gmail.com for Book Reviews, The Author Show, Guest Blogs, and Creative Writing Workshop.
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