The Captive-Lavanya Nukavarapu

Book: The Captive
Author: Lavanya Nukavarapu
Publisher: Eka Press

Do you think we all have demons inside of us?

The Captive by Lavanya Nukavarapu is the story of how things unfold when a when a kidnapped girl escapes and sets the alarms ringing on at least 15 unsolved murder cases, mostly involving female victims. Kruthi Shah who escaped from the wooden cabin after killing one of her abductors. She makes it her life’s purpose to dish out what she sees as the punishment to the perpetrators of this crime. Madhuri Mahiwal, the Officer In-Charge, wants nothing but justice for Kruthi. How does the team crack the case and find the one who held Kruthi and the others?

The plot of the story seemed captivating in the beginning and had a solid start in the beginning as we saw how Kruthi was kept as a captive, but the plot unraveled too fast. I loved the manner in which the search operation was shown and the subsequent unravelling the mastermind of the story. Frankly, the search for the boss was one of the best parts of the book and how the author actually told the backstory, telling it one piece at a time. the title of the book holds many meanings in the book and as they show themselves, it is almost as if a sweater is unravelling, one thread at a time. The thing that could have been improved was the that the suspense could have been held on for a longer period. I would have loved to see a bit more of the wild goose chases in the story. The climax was fresh and interesting.

Coming to the characters, Kruthi as a character did fascinate me with her mental strength and personality as she faced all adversities, yet does not flinch. The way her arc has been established is noteworthy and I loved the surprise in the end. Avinash is another interesting part of the story that does make you think twice before coming to any assumptions as to his role in the story. The character of Madhuri as a police officer and her quest for justice seemed genuine and there was an earnestness in his character that appealed to me.

Overall, a good book that scores a 3.75/5 for me.

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Papa -Jiganshu Sharma

Book: Papa
Author: Jiganshu Sharma
Publisher: Bluerose Publications

What is your favorite murder mystery?

Papa by Jiganshu Sharma is the story of the Mehra family of Delhi who faced a double whammy in the short span of a few months. The murder of Ishita Mehra shocker her family and the people who knew them. Shortly after losing their father to a car crash, the family was in distress as the mother, Kanta had gone into depression, and they had a younger girl who was deaf and had ADHD. The eldest son Pawan was pursuing his MBA and offered to leave his course and help his family, but his brother Ritesh stopped him and shouldered the responsibility of the family. Rajveer Singhmar, a newly recruited cop gets assigned to the case who gets quite involved in it. Can he identify the killer and bring justice to the family?

The plot of the story has been drafted well but the execution of the same could have been better. The murder mystery, which is supposed to be the main plot gets sidelined in all the emotional description that the author introduced in the story. The idea of a middle-class family, wrought with challenges, facing unprecedented hurdles was an interesting setting, coupled with parallel storylines that could have added volumes to the story. with Rajveer’s personal story overshadowing the main plot, the idea of a murder mystery is lost. Another thing that irked me was the overload of information and the insistence of the author of explaining things too much. The book has multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes and needs a second round of editing to make it better. The climax was good but by that time, the interest of the reader in the story wanes away. At the same time, not all is bad in the story. It has its good moments when we see Rajveer interacting with his wife, or when we see his dedication to work.

Coming to the characters, Rajveer as a character was interesting and I loved how emotionally invested he was in his job. Jiganshu created a character that paid attention to detail and I loved the quirkiness that he had. Ritesh as a character was another one that fascinated me with his ability to sacrifice for his family. His dedication to his responsibilities was commendable. I would have loved to see some insight and role of the elder brother, Pawan as well, and it would have made an interesting addition to the plot. The description of Rajveer’s wife, however, was unnecessary and it took up a lot of space in the plot line.

Overall, a decent book that could have been better. It scores a 2.5/5 from me.

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Dozen Pebbles Washed Ashore by Life-Aura Bhattacharjee

Book: Dozen Pebbles Washed Ashore by Life
Author: Aura Bhattacharjee
Publisher: Storymirror Infotech

Do you think observations around you make for good stories?

Dozen Pebbles Washed Ashore by Life by Aura Bhattacharjee is a collection of 12 short stories, each of which carries a subtle message for the reader. Short stories that pair up perfectly with a kulhad or two of steaming tea, travelling on the last row of a public bus, or wading the Mumbai rains to grab the fast local to Andheri. The stories span across people, places and food across Bengaluru, Chicago, Kolkata and Mumbai. Drawn loosely from the author’s life, there are stories that tell the tales of the people like you and me.

The book is a refreshing read with stories that are simple, yet subtle. Each of the 12 stories was different from each other and shows a flair of storytelling that Aura has. The manner in which a plain track of the story gets a sudden burst of a twist in the end was something I liked. Since they have been drawn from her own life, the stories strike a raw nerve in the reader and help them visualize the scene as it unfolds. The descriptions of people, places and emotions is quite vivid and adds a different dimension to these stories. A couple of the stories could have been better in terms of its content, otherwise I liked the rest. My favorites from the pack were Rendezvous, Full Course Meal and Ancient Love as they struck a chord with me somehow.

Coming to the characters, the one thing that stands out about them is their rusticness. These are people one would see in their families, offices, trains and basically around them. Aura has recounted her experiences and thus each of the character felt real, as if it is a real person. Despite being short stories, the characters are well defined and there are almost no loose ends or wayward people. With just the right amount of characters, it felt like a perfect party where the guests are telling their life stories.

With a score of 3.69/5, the collection of stories a recommendation from me if you are looking for a light read, one that fits all your moods and will make you smile, regardless of what you were feeling before reading the book.

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Those Delicious Letters-Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta

Book: Those Delicious Letters
Author: Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta (aka The Bong Mom)
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you think letters convey an emotion that no other medium can?

Those Delicious Letters by Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta is the story of Shubha, a quadragenarian, settled in the United States who starts receiving mysterious letters from an old lady in Calcutta, who claims to be her grandmother. The surprising part: each of the letters carries a traditional Bengali recipe. While not a person fond of cooking, these recipes bring a feeling of nostalgia and she gets sucked into the world of forgotten food, one letter at a time. Her flavors become a favorite with everyone, except her husband Sameer who is too busy to be at home to taste them. Intrigues by the letters, Shubha tries looking for the old woman, and in the process unravels her past, allowing her to travel to a time past. Balancing her search for this woman, the feeling of success and saving her marriage, Shubha tries to find the recipe for her life.

The plot of the book is extremely well crafted, with attention to minor details. Sandeepa has blended the two languages with such ease that it just feels right as we read the Bengali terms interspersed with English, almost as if one has cooked the cholar dal, with just the right amount of sugar. The story is very touching and the manner in which it moves stirs nostalgia inside a person, specially if they have lived in the area of Kolkata and its suburbs. The book was an amazing ride down the lanes of the food that is a part of the Bengali culture and this is an excellent way of keeping some iconic recipes alive. Coming back to the story, I loved the manner in which the story has been divided and the concept of an Inland letter getting delivered every month to Shubha, and how those transform her life. The idea of providing the recipes in the book was an added bonus! Taking the idea of a mid-life crisis and how people usually behave, Sandeepa has shown a flair for research before penning down this book. The plot has no holes, and frankly, I was drooling at times while reading the book. One thing that deserves a mention in the review is the true idea of the book right till the end when it all comes together. Frankly, the climax was something that was unexpected, and I actually brimmed up when those things unfolded.

Coming to the characters, the book has some very interesting assortment of characters that are funny, quirky and what not, sometimes at the same time. Shubha, our protagonist, is an interesting study as she believes to be above all vices that one has, yet falls prey to the simplest of them. A confident woman who makes her own choices, I loved the way her character arc was sketched and developed through the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations in her head, and sometimes not! Kajol as a character impressed me with her belief systems and her trust in Shubha and her team. I loved the character of Jai, and would have loved to see a bit more of him than the doi maach scene. Coming to Sameer, I am amazed as to how much detail would have gone in creating his arc, with all the things happening. I am awestruck by how Sandeepa hid some details in plain sight that seem obvious in hindsight.

Overall, I simply loved the book and I am happy I read this one. Those Delicious Letters is not just a book, but an experience akin to having a food-infused journey through the eyes of the writer. The impact of the story can be seen by the fact that I could taste the flavors and imagine the letters as they were being read out. The book is a complete full course meal from Hing’r Kochuri to Khichuri and finally completing the palate by the ever favorite Sondesh.

The book is almost perfect with a score of 4.94/5 for me.

 Grab a copy of the book here. 

Check out her website here.

Our Song-Milan Vohra

Book: Our Song
Author: Milan Vohra
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Music has the ability to invoke something deep inside a person and to bring out the raw emotion one has in them.

Our Song by Milan Vohra explores the story of Ragini, a struggling music composer who walked away from her training of Hindustani Classical Music to find her own tunes in Bengaluru, to do something which her heart desired, and Andrew, the head of a mega pharma company. Andrew being Indian on his father’s side, and British on his maternal, has a personality that is magnetic. They cross paths when Andrew’s company needs a song composed for the silver jubilee celebrations and he zeroes in on her. Ragini needs this collaboration to be able to do what she loves doing, make her own music. The problem-they set off sparks in each other and that is something neither of them wants to focus on. This is the Jugalbandi of emotions and music that the story explores.

There are stories that you can imagine and then there are the ones that make you feel the emotions in the plot. Our Song falls in the second bucket. The plot of the book is simple, but the way it has been told is quite interesting. It is primarily a love story, but it talks about love at multiple levels. The music of the book is so deeply entrenched that one can actually hum the songs that Ragini composes. Milan unravels the story bit by bit, so much so that taking a break between the book becomes a challenge in itself. Another thing that interested me was the way the perspectives in the scenes change from Ragini to Andrew and back, such that you can imagine yourself hovering over the scene, living it with them. The exquisite details in the story make it a worthwhile journey from the crowded city of Bengaluru to the enticing hills of Kasauli. One thing that I would love to mention here is the fact that while each of the character had a past, the way it was unveiled was quite interesting and added a different flavor to it. There are a couple of grammatical errors, nothing that a second edit cannot fix. The climax was extremely filmy and considering the way the plot moves, this is actually a fitting way it would have ended. The underlying feeling of hope is something that would surely catch the attention of a reader.

Coming to the characters in the book, Ragini as a character amazed me with the way her story was told. With the chirpiness and the spring in her step, she was a bubbly character that added the jazz to the story. her dedication to music, her emotions and her reactions were beautifully crafted, and it was as if I could see her walking down the road on the flyover. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Andrew is the non-nonsense guy, focused on his work, enjoying the carefree life. His detachment adds the serious notes to the jazz that Ragini brings to the story. The manner in which he evolves was something that surprising as well. Anand Arya was a surprise character for me, and I did not bet on his appearance at all.

Overall, it is a musical journey that will drive you to open your music app and create a playlist of the songs mentioned in the book. I have my fingers crossed to hear the Livin’On song quite soon!

The book scores a 4.5/5 for me.

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The Girl Next Door-Arpit Vageria

Book: The Girl Next Door
Author: Arpit Vageria
Publisher: Srishti Publications

Do you think the lockdown brought about a material change in our lives and the way we look at things?

The Girl Next Door by Arpit Vageria is the story of Ishaan, a guy who had vowed never to return to his place of birth, his hometown after what happened one fateful night and Ruhi, a well-known choreographer and the Chief Minister’s daughter. Both of them had led separate lives in the city of Mumbai but when a lockdown was imposed to cope with the impact of the Aquavirus, both of them travel back to Bhopal. As their eyes meet across the roofs, love starts to blossom, the 90s way. Would they cross roofs and meet, or would they fall victim to the lockdown?

The plot of the story is quite contemporary with Arpit picking up the current scenario of the lockdown to base his story on. The story is the usual boy-meets-girl, only this time the setting is a bit different. The concept of the story seems good, but it fails on the execution aspect. The scenes of the story seem disconnected and the plot suffers from gaps that reduce the reading experience. The style of narration used by Arpit is quite innovative and when the reason comes to light, it is quite shocking and provides context to the entire thing. The one thing that did not work for me in the book was that some of the scenes seeming forced and uncalled for. It is a quick read and good if you are looking for one. The climax was good but could have been better.

Coming to the characters, a good backstory was provided for the Agarwal family to behave the manner they did, and a lot of context was provided for the same. Ishaan’s character curve was interesting, and I loved his treatment in the story. I would have loved to have Ruhi’s perspective of the story as well and it would have given a completely new dimension to it. Nakul as a character did confuse me and his arc did not seem that clear to me.

Overall, the book scores a 3.19 for me.

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Along Came a Spyder-Apeksha Rao

Book: Along Came a Spyder
Author: Apeksha Rao
Publisher: Treeshade Books

Have you ever wanted to be a spy?

Along Came a Spyder by Apeksha Rao is the story of Samira Joshi, a teenager who aspires to be a spy, and that is something that flows in her blood. With a great-grandmother who liked to stick her nose in everybody’s business, a grandmother who loved to track down errant husbands & missing servants to parents who are elite intelligence agents for the RAW, but for some reason, they continuously nag her to pursue the profession of being a doctor. When an unplanned encounter at a coffee house leads to some sleuthing by Samira, she discovers something that might change her life. The question is, can she get what she always wanted?

Apeksha has crafted an interesting spy thriller that engages you from the very first page and keeps you hooked as the story moves ahead. The plot is simple yet intriguing as we uncover the various adventures that Samira takes up in her quest of being a spy. Apeksha brings out another idea of children choosing their careers and how motivation can drive a teenager to become so brave as to face their worst fears. The author also explores the idea of teenage rivalry and friendship through Tina and how their journey evolves through the story. A Young-Adult book, the Spyders are an interesting start to a probable series and I would love to see more of the Spyders in the future with more adventures. The climax was a bit expected and I would have loved to see a twist though. There are many instances in the story that would actually make you gape in awe at the research that must have gone into the book. Wordplay in the title and many places in the book is quite commendable.

The characters in the story are well defined with credible back stories and settings. I loved how the backstory of the Joshis unravels and adds volume to the story. The entire concept of the Spyders and their different members, each with a completely different personality add a lot of credibility to Apeksha as a storyteller. With interesting nuances in the characters such as Col. Baldev Singh and his secretary, I would definitely like to know more about them and their stories as they come along.

The book scores a 3.88/5 for me.

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