Author: Asim Jaffri
Publisher: Notion Press
Death by Murder by Asim Jaffri is a collection of 4 short
stories, and six bite-sized stories. 1815 AD, East India Company is fast
encroaching upon monarchies and domains. The kingdom of Chhatargarh however
stands strong under the rule of Raja Prithviratan Singh. A mysterious
occurrence catapults Ajit and Anu into an uncharted territory of horrors. Can
they find their way back or will they perish in their newfound phobias? A
ruthless criminal murders an old man for money. Little does he know what shall
fall upon him due to this heinous crime. Can his conscience break the profanity,
or will he be entangled in it for life? September 1947, the Indian subcontinent
has just been liberated and partitioned. A family travels from Lahore to Delhi
aboard the Frontier Mail. Will they be able to realize their dream of reaching
newfound land or will the perils of partition be too extreme upon them to
survive?
Asim’s storytelling is interesting in the way
it takes the premise and spins a tale around it that excites the reader. Each
of the stories that are a part of the collection are crafted beautifully. From the
story set on the cusp of the British entering India to the one where they left,
the 4 stories explore various human emotions. The storytelling is powerful and
keeps the reader hooked to the pages. Death by Murder is a cleverly
penned fable that explores the idea of transition and how things might not seem
what they really are. Unbreakable as a story touched me because of the
way the emotions run through the entire plot and how things come a full circle,
and that is what made this such a wonderful story for me. The Dark Precinct
was again a fable about our inner emotions and how there are things that we
usually keep inside of us until someone calls out to us and wakes us up. Train
to Delhi is a story that drives on coincidences and shows us the power of
human connections and emotions.
The characters that Asim has picked up for
his stories are drawn from real life and are relatable. The descriptions are
just enough for one to visualize them, but not too deep to overshadow the
story. I also liked how he keeps some aspects of the characters hidden for the
big reveal in the end, considering how they are dependent on the characters’ details
for the intended effect of the climax.
The six bite-sized stories are well penned
and are a wonderful end to this book as they are quick page turners and cover a
range of topics. My favorite is The Ventilator for it highlights an
important aspect of the world as we know it.
Overall, a wonderful book that scores a
4.81/5 for me.
Thank you Asim for sending over a copy in
exchange for an honest review.
Get a copy of the book from Amazon India here.
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