Author: Aneeta Sharma
Publisher: Readomania
What if your life was upended by an incident that happens years ago?
The picturesque hill station of Dalhousie is rudely jolted when a
honeymooning couple chances upon a mud-caked corpse. Inspector Kanet is plunged
into a high-stakes investigation, only to face constant interference by the CID
based in Delhi. As secrets unravel and the race intensifies, Kanet and CID
navigate a maze of deception to prevent another murder. Everyone is a suspect
and there are unanswered questions—is entrepreneur Lalit Bharucha concealing a
dark past while protecting his stunning wife, Kiyana? Why has the fiercely
competitive Ashlesha retreated to this remote town? What’s behind Haneesha’s
deceptive innocence? Who is Kabir Rana, and why is he imprisoned? With every
clue exposing deeper lies and every suspect harbouring hidden agendas, this relentless
thriller delivers a whirlwind of intrigue, betrayal, and revenge. Buckle up for
a thrilling ride of twists and turns!
The Dalhousie Murders is a book that explores the idea of how our past can come back to haunt our present. Written as a whodunnit, the book starts off with the discovery of a corpse that unravels a series of events that go back decades. Aneeta’s writing is engaging and you are hooked to the plot to discover what happened in the scene described in the prologue. The plot is straightforward and most of the storyline focuses on the investigation and the motives. The scenes are detailed out and you are able to visualize the characters and the locations, be it the lukewarm tea of the police station, or the house of Haneesha. I liked the way the author slowly shows the layers that she had planned for the story, and through the investigation, you realise that sometimes even mistakes can lead to some unimaginable outcomes and that past rarely forgets. Another good part about the story is that as a reader, you are investigating the case along with the police and the investigator. What I think could have been improved from the perspective of a whodunnit was a bit more of depth in the investigation, forensics and interrogation. As a thriller, the component of excitement and thrill was a bit lacking, and I believe addition of that could have elevated the reading experience a bit more.
Coming to the characters, I really liked the character of Indraneil or
CID as he is referred to in the book. His grit and the ability to read people
is very well established. I liked how the author has slowly built up this
character which could recur in upcoming books, and given him some good and
unique character traits. Kanet’s character is also quite well written and the
continuous teeth scratching does give him a unique identity that stays with
you. Apart from these two, I liked how the author has created the other
characters, be it Daksh, Kabir, Ashley, Lalit and Kiyana. Each of the
characters gets their own time and detailing so that the needle of suspicion
lies on everyone, atleast in till three-quarters of the book.
Overall, this is a recommendation if you are looking for a good
whodunnit, and to add an interesting home-grown sleuth to pick up in the times
to come. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.
Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.
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