Author: S. Hussain Zaidi
Publisher: HarperCollins India
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Do you like reading fiction based on real-life events?
It's love at first sight for DIG Ajay Rajvardhan of the National
Investigation Agency when he sees attractive young lawyer Asiya Khan in court,
defending a young woman the NIA has arrested on charges of terrorism. They are
on opposite sides - he specializes in taking down terrorists while she defends
those wrongfully arrested by the authorities - but he finds he is unable to get
her out of his head. Even as Ajay and Asiya are drawn closer, a web of crime,
deception and intrigue weaves itself around them and threatens to take them
down. A serial killer is on the loose, murdering India's most famous nuclear
scientists one by one. And something far worse is brewing in the bylanes of
Mumbai. Time is running out for Ajay and his associates, Deputy Commissioner
Sagar Pratap and Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, to find the mastermind behind these
incidents and stop them. Inspired by true events, this riveting tale of love,
terror and revenge is Hussain Zaidi at his best.
Based in Mumbai, Zaidi takes the events of Operation Neptune Spear of the Navy SEALs and sets the tone for the book. The story is told in a linear manner with a few flashbacks to set the tone of the plot. The core idea that Zaidi explores is the cooperation of the various Intelligence agencies and how there are events in the background that a lot of us do not understand. The primary plot in the book is that a serial killer is on the loose in Mumbai and after famous Indian Nuclear scientists. The responsibility comes to DIG Ajay Rajvardhan of the NIA, as well as Deputy Commissioner Sagar Pratap and Commissioner Neeraj Kumar of the Mumbai Police to find the person responsible. As is with Zaidi’s works, you’ll find pieces of real-life events spread out in this story. There are names, places and events that you recognize, and the author binds them in this fabric of fiction quite beautifully. The story is quite fast paced and events take place in quick succession, leaving never a dull moment in this book. The spy craft has been explored well, and there are minute details that he has provided, which add a good flavor to the story. The intricate detailing which lets the case unravel was explored in an extremely well-planned manner, which I thoroughly enjoyed. While the overall reading experience is enjoyable, Ajay and Asiya’s plotline was quite predictable, which, while told nicely, did not work too well with me. Secondly, the conflict in the thriller was a tad bit mellow for me, and having read his other works, I expected a bit more from his storytelling. The climax is executed nicely and brings the story to a close perfectly.
The characters are the elements who drive this story. Basing the primary
characters on real-life people is something that the author does with ease, and
that is what works in this book as well. The character of Ajay has been layered
and the way he builds in the individualities of the characters, which is a
major plot point, was something I really enjoyed. Another aspect of the
characters I liked was that there is not much fluff provided to set up the
characters. The information provided is just enough for you to imagine the
characters, and the plot takes care of the rest.
Overall, the book is a good read for readers of spy thrillers. The book scores a 4.38/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore.
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