I have already mentioned here I somehow always get pulled to a thriller book like a magnet every time I go to a bookstore. On one such shopping spree I picked up this book whose synopsis looked promising as well as its blood splattered cover. [It’s not that I look at the cover and pick up a book though].
Set in the backdrop of the capital City of Delhi it is a story about a fatherless son Ardhendu Bose and his survival through rough times with a supernatural twist. Dhar falls back to his Bengali roots and pens the characters of ‘probashi bangali’ (non-resident/ migrant Bengalis) well.
The middle class Ardhendu is singlehandedly raised by his professor mother after the death of his father. She manages to send him to only a B-grade business school but he manages to land up in his dream job in one of the largest life Sciences company RED. Things look extremely easy for him as he starts climbing the ladder and becomes the favorite of his boss Colton White but before he knows he finds himself trapped between the blood-sucking parasites. Let me not spoil more by giving out more details of these parasites!
The fight for the survival & the climax is very Bollywoodish.
What I liked
The dark & sinister tale is quite contemporary & urban. Very unusual for an Indian author though. But when you have series after series of Twilights and Underworlds this doesn’t come as a surprise. Dhar has penned some brilliant descriptions of the narrow lanes of Delhi. I quite liked his simple writing style.
What I didn’t
The book starts of off promisingly but I felt it fell flat with its predictability in the latter half. Some parts are quite clichéd. I felt it has been written like a screenplay with the fact in mind that it will be turned into a film someday. [Well the book says it will be in motion picture soon]. When you are about to imagine a play of emotions the sudden twists and revelations goes off track.
I read up about the author before writing this post, you too can read here. It’s his first book, so as a newcomer I think it’s a good thriller at places. But I am not sure how the sequels are going to be as I hear he is planning a trilogy!
My Thought – You can read it as a time pass simple read, but don’t expect a Robert Ludlum experience.
My Rating – 2.5/5
Book – The Company RED
Author – Shantanu Dhar
Genre – Fiction,Thriller, Horror
Publisher – OM Books International
Published in – 2011
ISBN – 9380070217 (ISBN13: 9789380070216)
Price – 195 INR
Pages – 192
Format – Paperback
I had again vanished from this space… all thanks to long traveling schedule n then being sick. As the result of my vanishing act all my rank, page rank, alexa rank and god knows which all ranks, everything have taken a deep dive. And I am not liking that all. I hope I can resurrect and come out of this pit soon. So I have decided to post every day…well almost.
All this while that I have been sick n waiting at airports have caught up a lot on reading. So many book reviews are on the cards as well as some memes that I came across lately. So starting with a book meme, originally posted by BigGirlBlue. Feel free to tag along and if you can be generous enough then a link back will be appreciated. Disclaimer: I have taken the privilege to modify here and there… after all it’s my blogJ.
Directions: Create a new blog post. Copy and paste the meme below into your blog, changing the comments to your own. Use the title of this meme in your subject line.
What have you just read?
I just finished a thriller novel, Lashkarby Indian author, Mukul Deva. It’s a great piece set in the backdrop of the terrorist activities around LOC. Have also put up a review here.
What are you reading now?
Currently, I am reading the sequel to ‘Lashkar’, ‘Salim Must Die’ by the same author.
Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?
Next in line is ‘The Sword of the Templars’ by Paul Christopher. I am again in my Thriller mode. Can’t get enough of this genre I guess.
What’s the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
I don’t think I was forced to read, but I read it after hearing a lot of praises about it, but I was totally disappointed with ‘Five Point Someone’ by Chetan Bhagat. I don’t know if everyone has the same opinion or not, but I felt it was overrated.
What’s one book you always recommend to just about anyone?
I think it will be ‘The Da Vinci Code’ by Dan Brown. It’s one of my favorite thrillers. I simply love the pace of the story. If you like thrillers you cannot but love reading it.
Admit it, sadly the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don’t they?
Nope. I don’t go to any library these days. I like going through books in Landmark or Crossword or simply order them online.
Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don’t like it at all?
I don’t think I absolutely love this book, but I found it quite interesting unlike many others. I think the book ‘How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got wild & Got a Life’ by Kaavya Vishwanathan was a very interesting read.
Do you read books while you eat?
No. I like concentrating on food more. Though I used to read while eating …. But that used to be for exams… J the last min rush 😀
While you bathe?
No way.
While you watch movies or tv?
No again. I like concentrating while reading. So when I am reading I am just reading.
While you listen to music?
Yes I do at times… when there’s some soft instrumental playing in the background.
While you’re on the computer?
I have read quite a lot of e-books… so yes.
When you were little did other children tease you about your reading habits?
Don’t know about other children, my mum used to be angry for me not reading enough!!! I din’t like reading then though…. Was much more interested in other stuffs.
What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
‘Deception Point’ by Dan Brown again… Master of Thrillers
Has any books made you cry?
It’s difficult for me to cry for almost no reason and definitely not for a book.
I am an absolute fan of thrillers as I had mentioned here previously. Most of this thriller space in my bookshelf is occupied by Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum and some more celebrated authors but today I can say I have come across a fast paced and an action packed thriller by our very own Indian author Mukul Deva. I think it’s the first Indian Thriller that I have come across.This thrilling tale takes you through beyond the untold lines and illustrates the less discovered world of terrorist camps across the border. Since it comes from the ex-army man you don’t have to play with your imagination much. To know more about him you can check his website here.
The story starts with a fictional account of series of bomb blasts in Delhi which is masterminded by people across the border. Iqbal, the protagonist, is among the many unfortunate misguided young bloods from India who are brought into this fiery path of Jihad by their religious leaders. He along with groups of boys from India are taken and trained in the various terrorist camps in POK under the guidance of big bosses of the neighboring army.
When he returns to his base in Lucknow after his training he faces the cruel shock of the death of his mother and beloved sister in the Delhi blasts which was carried out by his jihadi group. Faced with the brutal twinge he starts to follow the dictates of his conscience and starts planning his revenge against all of those who are responsible for misguiding young people and running the terror factory.
Apart from the story of Iqbal the most intriguing part in the book, for me, was the response and retaliation from Indian Government as an answer to the repeated terror attacks on our land. Deva, gives a brilliant description of the vengeance by the Indian Army. His depiction of Force 22, which I can make out is an equivalent to the US Marines & Seals, is breath taking. How I wish our army could actually take up steps as described, I am sure we would be in a much better situation than our ‘handing-the list-of terrorist-names’ stance.
‘Lashkar’ offers the much required adrenalin punch for a thriller and I am quite impressed with the way it’s written. It was quite an engrossing read which compelled me to finish it off in three days flat, making me a little more sleep deprived! But I am not complaining.
I think I should also share a few facts which have an uncanny resemblance with reality. This book was written and published in 2008. It mentions the presence of Osama bin Laden in an ISI safe house in Pakistan and we all know what happened in May 2011. Similarly some more details are also mentioned in the book and I think it’s time which is going to tell us if they also will bear resemblance or not. I read over the net that a movie is also on the cards.
My thought – A very nice and thoughtful read. I also came across its sequel ‘Salim Must Die’ and I am currently glued on it.
My rating – 4.5/ 5
Book – Lashkar
Author – Mukul Deva
Genre – Thriller
Genre – Thriller
Publisher – HarperCollins Publishers India
Published in – 2008
ISBN – 978-81-7223-665-6
Price – INR 166 (on Flipkart Currently)
Pages – 371
Format – paperback
Love the most subtle yet the most powerful emotion is a celebration in itself. It’s rare if anyone has never been touched by love – love of parents, sisters, lovers or even the little pet! Love stories, likewise, are enthralling. A happy love story can leave you content where as a sad end might keep you thinking for long.
Pride & Prejudice has been my favourite romance classic till date – always seems to leave you on a high. And when you steer your eyes from the Mills & Boons and Erich Segal you chance upon ‘Urban Shots – The Love Collection’ – a new and refreshing book by a host of Indian budding authors.
Unlike other novels these short stories are real, urban and closer to earth – stories that you can imagine happening next door or even can relate with yourself. Edited by the talented Sneh Thakur, this book is a collection of 31 love stories by 27 authors. From juvenile sweet love to matured bolder love this book contains a myriad moments where you can feel and absorb love. Unlike the regular ‘happily ever after’ you can read some off-beat stories for a change and enjoy the shades of grey and that’s what makes this different from the crowd.
Some of the stories which I quite liked were these out of the box ones where you can’t predict from the first few lines. ‘Making Out’ by Hina Siddiqui (also the editor’s pick) is as straight and blunt as the title explains but also unfolds some hidden truth and the grey shades of society. My favourite has been ‘Twisted’ by Lipi Mehta, you will find it simple until you read the last words, and yes that’s a great twist to make a different love story all together. ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’is very rustic and you can identify with the characters and their emotions very easily. Stories like ‘Pause, Play, Rewind’ by Shoma Narayan and the deep conflicting ‘Shahana and Shamim’ by Sangeeta Bandopadhyay feels like a mini screenplay which you can imagine unfolding right in front of you. ‘Strangers’ by Ahmed Faiyaz has been gripping and spooky and I applaud him for that. ‘Reality Bytes’ by Anitha Murthy definitely is touching and heart breaking and one story which you will love to read. It’s a must read in this book. Other stories worth commenting are ‘High Time’ by Kailash Srinivasan, ‘The Jhalmuri Seller’ by Bhabani Shankar Kar. ‘A Girl can Dream’ by Ayeesha Khanna is simple yet beautiful.
There are some stories too which didn’t go that well with me for may be the percentile factor! ‘The Girlfriend’, ‘The Girl who was too Loud’, ‘Written in the stars’, were nice but predictable for me.
It was a satisfying read for me, in fact I am happy that I finished it off within a week even after a mad schedule at work. Some of the stories were captivating and I read them almost like how I read a thriller. After a long time I got to read the mixed emotions of love, penchant, desire, guilt, anger, blues and so many more. To read minds of young and budding authors is always pleasant. And it feels closer to you when you can start relating stories with yourself and the others whom you know who might have gone through similar situations.
My thoughts – Everyone needs romance, feel some love – all kinds of it.
I thank Blogadda for the opportunity to review this book.
My rating – 3.5/ 5
Book – Urban Shots – The Love Collection
Edited by – Sneh Thakur
Publisher – Grey Oak in association with Westland
ISBN – 978-93-81626-47-4
Price – INR 199
Pages – 226
Gengre – Romance, Fiction
This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!
