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Book Reviews by a Pioneer: The Diary, The Crooks and the Albatross by K Amol

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.

The Author Show Season 2: Vadhan Bommadevara in conversation with Vardhan Dharkar and Sanjay Chandra

Sai Chandravadhan Bommadevara writes under the pen name of Vadhan. His books belong to two different genres, fantasy thrillers based on Indian mythology and thrillers based on societal issues, whether it is vigilantism, corruption or spurious medicines.

Watch Vadhan talk about his life and work during his conversation with Vardhan Dharkar and Sanjay Chandra.

Sanjay Chandra is the author of Behind Closed Doors (2023) – a crime thriller, The Gymnast (2022) – contemporary fiction, and The Life and Times of a Common Man (2019) – memoirs.

We would also like to bring authors of Indian regional languages and from outside India on The Author Show for our readers. Interested authors may please connect with Sanjay Chandra at sanjaychandra59@gmail.com.

The Author Show Season 2: Sameer Nagarajan, author of The Parijat Tree and other stories, in conversation with Vardhan Dharkar and Sanjay Chandra

Sameer Nagarajan‘s stories have a twist in the tale. He writes several twists before deciding which version of the story to pick up.

Maybe sometime he may publish a collection of the same story with different twists. Watch this and other twists during his conversation with Vardhan Dharkar and Sanjay Chandra.

Sanjay Chandra is the author of Behind Closed Doors (2023) – a crime thriller, The Gymnast (2022) – contemporary fiction, and The Life and Times of a Common Man (2019) – memoirs.

We would also like to bring authors of Indian regional languages and from outside India on The Author Show for our readers. Interested authors may please connect with Sanjay Chandra at sanjaychandra59@gmail.com.

Book Reviews by a Pioneer: The Parijat Tree and other stories by Sameer Nagarajan

A few years back I tried dark chocolates as the healthier alternative to the usual chocolates. I did not like them. I also tried Guiness Stout, the dark beer. I did not like it either. Then I read The Parijat Tree and other stories by Sameer Nagarajan. I loved it.

The book is a collection of 10 short stories by the writer. Each story starts with a routine life for the protagonist(s). As the story progresses, a least expected dark twist creeps up to you. After the first story, I was looking forward to a dark ending in each of the stories; it was still unanticipated when it came.

A collection of short stories with deliciously dark endings.

The review is by Sanjay Chandra, author of Behind Closed Doors (2023), The Gymnast (2022), and The Life and Times of a Common Man.

Contact sanjaychandra59@gmail.com for Book Reviews, The Author Show, Guest Blogs, and Creative Writing Workshop.

Book Reviews by a Pioneer: The Eclipsed Sun by Ramita Sengupta

This is a story set against the backdrop of the Indian war for independence. The war was fought on several fronts – non-violent as well as violent. It will be extremely difficult to say what got us freedom – it was a culmination of the efforts of all. Suraj, the lead protagonist, coming from an affluent family in east India is one such hero.

But the story starts in 2000. We are introduced to Prithvi who is in jail as a corrupt customs officer. He is a top intelligence officer, who is working undercover to trap a corrupt politician. And right in the beginning, we realise that he takes after his great-granduncle Suraj, who would go to any extremes for the successful execution of the plan. This sets the tone for what is to come in the following pages. And the story does not disappoint.

We travel back to Bengal of the pre-independence period. Suraj is born into a conventional family. But Suraj is unconventional. He is a complex character. He loves his parents but is unable to show his love. He is introduced to revolutionaries early in his life, and his focus changes. He is an active member of this war for independence. He takes risks that others will not take. His life is a deception – for the goal of freedom.

The Eclipsed Sun is a work of fiction, but references to many well-known revolutionaries with whom Suraj came in contact and who influenced him make this an extremely relatable story.

The story gets a little drawn out sometimes, but overall, I loved the storytelling. There was not a dull moment. The other characters in the life of Suraj are also well-written. They are strong characters by themselves as they support the story of Suraj. I am looking forward to a sequel narrating Prithvi’s story.

The review is by Sanjay Chandra, author of Behind Closed Doors (2023), The Gymnast (2022), and The Life and Times of a Common Man.

Contact sanjaychandra59@gmail.com for Book Reviews, The Author Show, Guest Blogs, and Creative Writing Workshop.

Book Reviews by a Pioneer: Mis(s) Adventures of a Salesgirl by Aashisha Chakraborty

All of us, or at least most of us, have secrets in our lives – either those that we did not divulge or those that were kept from us – almost always to not break relationships.

Enakshi, a 25 year old young woman, the lead protagonist of this book, also has one such secret kept from her, though hinted at by her close ones. She could not guess, not could I, till the truth hit us, almost towards the end of the book. Surprisingly, it did not break Enakshi, nor her relationships – they became stronger, with an empathy difficult to see in current times.

In between, we have the 25-year-old Enakshi completing her business management, and going to Chennai for her internship. If hell would have a name, it would be this city for the lady. She is required to study the market by a strict boss, who refuses to acknowledge her. She is clueless of the local language, faces unknown biases – gender, no toilets for women in the field, sexist innuendos, a stalker, etc etc.

I loved the way that the author tackled sensitive issues, never faltering. There was not a dull moment. The other characters were also well etched, even as they supported the story of Enakshi.

That is the beauty of the storytelling of the young author.

The review is by Sanjay Chandra, author of The Gymnast, and The Life and Times of a Common Man.

Contact sanjaychandra59@gmail.com for Book Reviews, The Author Show, Guest Blogs, and Creative Writing Workshop.

Book Reviews by a Pioneer: The Reluctant Doctor by Balesh Jindal

I shifted to Delhi towards the end of 1997. I had often travelled to Gurgaon on a highway, which at that time was nothing much to boast about. I have seen the metamorphosis of this road to an expressway. But, I had not thought much about the localities that I would pass through, which are as dense as any urban jungle, and which I now associate as an integral part of the capital city of India.

It is in these localities, which were nothing more than villages with vast expanses of agricultural lands in the mid-eighties, that the author of the book found herself running a rural clinic, fresh out of medical college. She had dreams of moving out of the country. But her father had other ideas for her, and he gently nudged her into a journey, now spanning almost 40 years.

And what a journey it has been. It is not just the years, it is the transformation that has taken place from a rural setting to urban – people who turned rich overnight selling their farmlands in the name of development. The ills that would plague a youth which did not know the way to keep a level head burdened by the riches – drugs, unwanted pregnancies, fights, and much more.

And this lady, our author has seen it all. The book is about changes in our society – some good, some bad – as Balesh has seen. The book is contemporary as it is relevant even for the youth of today. Real life anecdotes and incidents make the book an interesting read.

The review is by Sanjay Chandra, author of The Gymnast, and The Life and Times of a Common Man.

Contact sanjaychandra59@gmail.com for Book Reviews, The Author Show, Guest Blog, and Creative Writing Workshop.

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