I read another thriller this week. This one is set in Bollywood. Subhani Mehta, a young lead actress in the Hindi film industry, walks up a steep mountain in Australia with other crew members to shoot a dance sequence for an upcoming film. It is a long hot day and during the retake she gasps for breath and falls dead clutching the pendant around her neck. An autopsy is done, which rules out any foul play, the case is closed.
Samson Ryder, who had to quit Australian police force under a cloud, is now working as private detective. He is receiving death threats from a few young men who are into peddling drugs. In the middle of all this, he receives an unusual visitor – Subhani’s father – who wants him to investigate the case for final closure.
Sam travels to India and meets several celebrities from the film industry. A terror of someone or something had made Subhani wear the pendant, which was apparently a talisman of some sort. Everyone seems to be pointing at supernatural death due to a curse put on her, which a rational Sam cannot accept. Eventually, he successfully closes the case.
The story is fast paced, and I was left guessing the conclusion. The disappointment for me was the inconclusive supernatural angle. I enjoyed reading the book – there is even a touch of humour provided by Sam’s aunt in Mumbai, who acts as his assistant, but is an incorrigible gossip, which lands him in a few sticky situations.
authorsanjaychandra 