The Fast and the Dead-Anuja Chauhan

Book: The Fast and the Dead
Author: Anuja Chauhan
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you become a prime suspect in a murder investigation?

All of Habba Galli, Shivajinagar, is disturbed when eccentric Dondi Pais empties her double-barreled shotgun to scatter a pack of noisy mongrels on Karwa Chauth night. But their distress turns to shock the next morning when it is discovered that one stray bullet has ploughed into the skull of a sour, spiteful jeweler, leaving him quite definitely dead. The more devout residents immediately recall how, the previous afternoon, the jeweler’s wife of thirty years had broken her fast well before the appearance of the sacred Karwa Chauth moon. 'Aiyyo,' they whisper, 'she's gone and angered the Goddess!' But several mere mortals have motives too--including rising Bollywood star Haider Sait, back in Shivajinagar to visit his widowed mother and still eager to charm Habba Galli hottie Jhoomar Rao, now newly poor, newly single and a veterinary surgeon. By a happy coincidence, ACP Bhavani Singh is on hand to investigate. But as corpses start piling up in the bustling bazaar, will the canny old policeman be able to prove his powerful hunch--that these deaths are not accidents, or by the hand of the goddess, but a sinister case of murders-most-meticulous?

Anuja brings back ACP Bhavani Singh after the events of Club You to Death and this time he moves out of the posh localities of Delhi to the hustle-bustle of Bengaluru. Written in Anuja’s classic style, the emotions and accents of our characters play a crucial role in setting the mood of the plot. I loved the fact that the story is set in an old-fashioned mohalla and the interconnectedness of the residents plays into the plot as she tells us the story. The storytelling is captivating and keeps you turning the pages as the investigation progresses and facts come to light. Another aspect I loved about the book was that Anuja balances the whodunnit as well as the romance perfectly and it adds a wonderful flavor to the story. The description of the places and people is quite vivid and you can imagine the scenes as they play out by painting a mental picture. The investigation has been explored in detail and when the reveal happens, you realise the depth of the planning that the author did while writing the book and the prowess that Anuja has in storytelling.

Coming to the characters, ACP Bhavani Singh once again stands out for me because of his quirkiness, distinctive manner of speaking and the tidbits of trivia that comes out. Another interesting character for me was that of Jhoomar Rao and how the author uses her life and profession as a critical part of the story. Anuja’s characters seem to stem from real-life people as you see a local loudmouth who prides herself in gossipmongering to the helmet-wearing filmstar to the just-married couple who bring a modern twist to the classic customs. The relatability factor plays a critical role in the book and as a reader you are sucked into the story and move around with Bhavani Singh as he unravels the threads of the events that night.

Overall, the book was a wonderful read and is a definite recommendation to anyone looking to pick up a whodunnit with a side of old-school romance. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book from your nearest bookstore or on Amazon India.

Read my review of the previous book in the series Club You to Death.