Author: Sonia Chatterjee
Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Would you unravel a family secret that could change your life forever?
Detective Raya Ray is riding high on her success as a private
investigator when she receives an anonymous call. She takes up the case of dual
deaths that shook the peaceful beach town of Saptaparni two decades ago. Raya
meets a whole slew of characters with a probable connection to these deaths.
The intrepid detective traverses through a web of deceit to encounter a
well-guarded secret. As she peels away the superficial layers, she’s shocked to
discover veiled connections. Will Raya be able to race against the forces of
nature to deliver justice to the departed souls and retrieve the secret from
falling into the wrong hands? ‘Diary, Deceit, and Death’ is a thriller about
greed, betrayal, and masked identities of two families spanning three
generations in four cities over five decades.
A good detective story is one where you, as a reader, are invested along with the detective in solving the mystery that is in front of them. In Diary, Deceit and Death, the storytelling compels you to solve the mystery of the deaths along with Detective Raya Ray. The plot is very engaging and at no point do you have a moment where the plot gets boring or predictable. The high point of the story is when the true colours of the characters are revealed and you are presented a picture that is a complete opposite of what you have been led to believe till that point. Another aspect of the story that I really liked was the setting that goes perfectly well with the story, be it the hills or the sea side town. As a sign of a good thriller, the author holds the cards close to her right till the end and you are left guessing who was in the wrong and who was right until the author chooses to reveal the truth to you. The writing is easy to read and does not distract you from the plot of the story and you are focused only on the events and not the words, which elevates the reading experience. The climax takes its time to unravel, considering the tangle of the family ties, but the wait is worth it. I would highly recommend that you take notes while reading the book to understand the climax because the family connections are myriad.
Coming to the characters, Raya Ray’s character as a detective is quite
good and I loved the zeal that she displays while solving the case that is in
front of her. Right from the first page where she is given the documents to the
very last page, she is quite dedicated towards solving the case. I really
enjoyed her thought process and the way she gathers the clues to crack the case
was fun to read. Another thing I found interesting in Raya’s character was that
she never shies away from asking for help, and thus the entire gamut of
characters in the book also do not lose their place in the overall scheme of
things. The supportive husband, Krishanu, was a delight to read, and almost
akin to Watson to Holmes, helps the thinking process of the detective. On the lines
of Lestrade we have Inspector Sudhir who appears just at the right time and is
quite instrumental in Raya Ray’s involvement in the Ghoshal family mystery.
Overall, if you have a love of reading a good detective fiction and are
fans of Feluda or Sherlock, then pick up this book. The book gets a 4.94/5 for
me.
Get a copy of the book from your nearest bookstore or on Amazon India.
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