Seconds Later-Vani Kaushal

Book: Seconds Later
Author: Vani Kaushal
Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications

What would happen if you had not one, but two stalkers?

Seconds Later by Vani Kaushal explore the story of Nikita, stabbed and lying in a pool of blood next to her killer, she never imagined an end like this. A talented VJ, popular talk show host and national darling, the cruelty of it cut through the pain she was feeling. She scanned her falling memory for answers. Who was this young man lying next to her? Where did he come from? Why did he stab her?

Seconds Later is an interesting book because of the premise that Vani explores in the book. The story covers a variety of topics such as the impact of fame that can have on a young person, and shines a light onto the dark side of the glittery world of the silver screen. The plot is basically a flash back and explores the events that lead to the climax of the story. The plot is quite crisp and keeps you on the edge, specially in the second half. The story keeps you hooked and as you turn the page, you realise that Vani’s storytelling has a charm that make you wonder what is the next card that she has up her sleeve. Some of the images in the book are very powerful and make you empathize with the characters as they occur. Another interesting aspect of the story is how each of the 4 primary characters have a reason for their actions, which is meticulously planned and shown as a part of the plot. The climax is well baked and it is a fitting end to the story and the title of the book.

Coming to the characters, I liked how Nikita’s character has been crafted, and while she is shown to be a young girl in her late teens, her power and strength is described extremely well. The antagonists have been crafted extremely intricately (not putting names to avoid spoilers), and their presence in the plot is powerful and drives the story forward. Cyrus’s character stands out for me because of him being the “adult” in the entire story, and yet his vulnerabilities have not been hidden. I would have ideally wanted to read a bit more about his background to understand his reasons for doing what he does.

Overall, this is a fast-paced thriller that’ll keep you hooked. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Get your copy of the book on Amazon India.