Two Indian Girls-Kumar Kinshuk

Book: Two Indian Girls
Author: Kumar Kinshuk
Publisher: Poetic Imagica

What is the one thing you like to see in a crime thriller?

Two Indian Girls by Kumar Kinshuk explores the mystery behind the alleged suicide of Khushbu and Ajit’s family is under the scanner under suspicion of abetting it for want of dowry. The case is handed over to Inspector Rajiv who starts confronting the people associated with her to reconstruct the events leading to her death. Amrita, Khushbu’s closest friend, is in a relationship with Rajiv and is trying to help him link the clues to clear the fog. With all the players in the case having a personal stake, would Inspector Rajiv be able to solve the mystery, or would it be filed as a suicide?

The plot of the book is a bit confusing as the central premise of the book does not get established until almost half the book is done. The story is told primarily from Amrita’s and Rajiv’s Point of view but neither of them add too much to the story. Another thing that drags the story down is the excessive use of fillers to add volume to the story which has nothing to do with the primary plot. There is discussion on politics, society, religious customs etc., which did not have almost no bearing on the main idea that the author wanted to convey. The good thing about the book is that it picks up pace in the second half and the things start falling into place. The murder mystery starts making sense and the important characters start jumping out. The climax, however, is abrupt and sudden.

Coming to the characters, this book is primarily character driven and propels forward through their emotions and their beliefs. The author takes his time, setting the pace of the characters and that is something I appreciate about the book. I loved how different examples were taken to establish Amrita as a character. However, one drawback I noticed here is that the presence of too many characters starts creating a confusion as the storylines start jumbling up. Rajiv’s character was well sketched, and I would love to see more stories featuring him.

Overall, a decent attempt at a murder mystery that requires a second round of editing and trimming to make it better. The book scores a 3.13/5 for me.

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