Book Review ~ Return Of The Brahmin by Ravi Shankar Etteth

 
 

 
RETURN OF THE BRAHMIN

AUTHOR
Ravi Shankar Etteth
 
 
Format: Paperback
Publisher : Westland
ISBN-10 : 9390679397
 

 
BLURB

After thwarting the devious Lord Suma and becoming the emperor of Magadha, Ashoka now faces a new threat—a lethal foe whose only aim is to topple his empire. By slaughtering imperial officials, kidnapping royal prisoners and infiltrating the palace, the nemesis weaves a mesh of hatred, intrigue and menace. His identity is unknown, yet he breathes such terror that even dying men fear to utter his name. He calls himself the Khandapati. He provokes prison riots. He leads the Resistance. A poison witch and a murderous giant terrorise the people. What is the role of the vishkanya Daarya and the Pretnath? Who is the mysterious prisoner named Nirmukh?
Caught in a vortex of death and deceit, there is only one man Ashoka can turn to. The Brahmin. Years of friendship and fealty lead the spymaster back to Magadha, only to be caught in a violent conspiracy that extends beyond the empire’s boundaries. Will he be able to live up to his role as Magadha’s protector or will the Khandapati prove to be more than a match for the Brahmin?
 

 
MY TAKE
(Review)

 
Turbulent times beckon a shadow mysterious
He who sends a chill down the spin
Devious are his ways
Yet, an ally sought after by the mightiest
Silent as a cat he watches
Bids his time in shadows mysterious
Cross swords with him and invite peril
He is the spymaster, a genius

Ravi Shankar Etteth’s spymaster the Brahmin, is perhaps the only one who can withstand Emperor Ashoka’s wrath without a twitch of the lips or flicker of the eyelids. Such is his power and prowess that when Magadha experiences a spate of disturbing events that are strong enough to rock Ashoka’s throne and put his life in peril, it is he who is sought out from his self-imposed sanyas to return and protect the King and the Kingdom. However, the mute question is…Is he still the crafty spymaster? Will he be able to live up to the Emperor’s expectation? Will he be able to solve the mystery of the Khandapati and Nirmukh?

Lucid language and powerful imagery combined with a perfectly crafted plot make “The Return of the Brahmin’ a book worth reading and possessing. Replete with twists and turns the book is a roller coaster ride down dark alleys and mysterious minds exploring motives and fighting a faceless enemy. The style, the language, and the pace add to the thrill that the plot envisages in the reader making it a perfect read for the one who loves tickling the brain to solve a maze intriguing.

While the narrative is riveting enough to keep the reader on the edge, the imagery is so powerful that one can actually ‘witness’ the scenes, the actions, and the characters right before one’s eyes. The characters many of them as mysterious and intriguing as the spymaster, are well-developed and dexterously woven into the fabric of the story.

 
Key Takeaways From The Story

 A bruised snake is akin to a ticking time bomb. You don’t know when or where and in which form he will strike.

 Even the best of chess masters can make a tactical error that has the ability to destroy well-laid out plans.

 

 
VERDICT

A thriller par excellence peppered with the right amount of mystery and action.  

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Disclaimer

This review is a part of the Writersmelon Book Reviewing Programme . The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner

Book Review ~ Along Came A Spyder by Apeksha Rao

 
 

 

Paperback : 266 pages
Publisher : TreeShade Books
ISBN-10 : 9389237122
ISBN-13 : 978-9389237122
 

 
 

It’s in her blood… yet can she be one? Meet seventeen-year-old Samira a bubbly teen who has just one dream…to be a spy. She’s a natural-born spy, has been trained since she was a kid in the nuances of the game, yet suddenly she finds her dreams encounter rough weather. Will she make it to the spy ring? Will she be welcomed into the secret sisterhood – The Spyders?….Don’t hesitate, pick up this thrilling read, a read that’s bound to see you smile all the way.

Action-packed and racy, ‘Along Came A Spyder’ is a virtual tour of the spy world, a world that is both dangerous and rewarding at the same time, a world that sees wits clash with emotions, and where only the best can survive.

Evocative and engaging, ‘Along came a Spyder’ is not only high on suspense but is also laced with some good moments of humour which is a plus point in that it offers the reader a relaxed yet addictive read. While the characters are fleshed out well, the pace is racy as one would expect an espionage thriller to be. There is neither a moment of lull in the narrative nor is there an iota of doubt that the book has been crafted after thorough research. Each little detail has been taken care of, and there are no loose ends.

Waiting for the next in the series…for I’m sure the author already has one in mind.
 

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Disclaimer

This review is a part of

The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner

Book Review: Murder In The Chowdhury Palace By Sharmishtha Shenoy

 
 

 
 

Format: Kindle Edition
ISBN: B086L7MYD9
 

 
 

When love blossoms in Durga’s heart it paves the way for the fulfillment of a dream long cherished. A difficult childhood and the accompanying sense of insecurity become things of the past that is until widowhood overshadows her joy. Trying to come to terms with the bitter truth of Deb’s demise, Durga finds herself surrounded by a maze of intrigue, a maze that pulls her deep into a vortex from which only one person can help her emerge unscathed. Yet, can she trust Nag?…………Only a read of this latest offering from the desk of Sharmishtha Shenoy will let you into the answer.

A thriller that weaves within its fabric umpteen twists and turns including some paranormal sightings, ‘Murder in the Chowdhury Palace’ has an array of characters each an enigma. To unravel them, their quirkiness and ultimately the mystery that is woven into the story is a task that will leave you baffled.

The climax?

Icing on the cake. 🙂 I as a reader generally see the Sherlock Holmes in me sit upright when I read a murder mystery/ thriller and take out my lens, filter through evidence that comes my way and often unravel the mystery before the end. However here I must admit I failed. Not only that , some of the revelations towards the end were indeed startling, revelations regarding which top secrecy has been maintained all along.

So is there something that made me say, ‘Oops!’
Yes just one thing and that was this feeling that the story was a bit drawn out. I personally felt that it could have been wound up with a few pages less. The length would be less but the impact would have been more.

VERDICT

An engrossing read that.

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Book Review ~ The Patriots’ Legacy: Forbidden Treasure by Apurva Bhuta

 
 

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Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Apurva Bhuta
ISBN-10: 9389058147
ISBN-13: 978-9389058147

 
 
Riveting to the core, ‘Forbidden Treasure’ is unique in that

(1) the plot sees not a motley group of ordinary treasure hunters with personal reasons set out to secure a treasure said to be buried somewhere, but a secret group of architects and archaeologists drawn from the four corners of the world, and with a history that connects them to the Kingdom of Allegiance, set out on this daunting task with the sole aim of securing it from the evil eyes.
(2) The hunt sees them take the help of some highly sophisticated gadgets to decode the clues, which I’m sure have not been developed t0 date. 🙂

Packed with suspense and a lot of twists and turns, the story sees the Patriots struggle with a lot of anxious moments, deceit, and unforgettable adventure that have the ability to see the reader sit on the edge. As one travels from one end of the world to the other with the Patriots, one also gets a glimpse into the history of that particular region. This aspect combined with the element of suspense makes the book a worthy read not only in terms of entertainment but also from the perspective of knowledge sharing.

Crisp and lucid, the narration is flawless and leaves the reader craving for more such gems from the author.

VERDICT

A cleverly crafted story that weaves history into its fabric with ease. 🙂

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Book Review ~ Lipstick by Vish Dhamija

 
 
 
 

 

Lipstick by Vish Dhamija

 

Paperback
ISBN-10: 9353572835
ISBN-13: 978-9353572839
Kindle Edition
ASIN: B07ZS9S7W4
Publisher
HarperCollins India
 

A Rita Ferreira thriller ‘Lipstick’ is the story of a psychotic serial killer, one with a dual personality. Meticulous to the core, ‘The Lipstick Killer’ as he is named by the media, sees the best of Mumbai Police sweat it out to nab him. Always one step ahead of them, he is proud of his exploits till……. To know more you will have to pick up the book.

When three murders identical in nature take place, Rita Ferriera the super cop finds herself faced with a dilemma of sorts. The MO is identical, but while the first two victims share an identical background, the third one is from an entirely different one. Added to this is the fact that the killer shares no definite pattern regarding the interval between two hits and / or location. It all seems random. To compound the problem we have an overactive media that is out to conduct a public trial of sorts, dish out hypothetical theories and come to a conclusion even before the culprit is identified, just for the sake of TRP. Lipstick sees a clash of identities and reasoning but makes sure that emotions don’t run high. One is introduced to the killer right from the word ‘go’, and finds it easy to understand the motivation behind his crimes. Then what is it that makes the book a thriller, and adds an element of suspense to a plot that reveals the criminal? …….It is the identity of the perverted mind behind the gory deaths. Gory? Yes, gory are the scenes of crime, and gorier is the modus operandi of the killer. One can feel goosebumps and also a shade of disgust build up when one envisages it from the narration, such is the skill of the author in creating the scene of the crime. If there is anything that proved as a dampener then it is the investigation part. Felt as though it was lacking in that element that is known as a twist and turns. There was nothing out of the ordinary there. The end too appeared to be rushed through.

VERDICT

A psychological thriller that gives an insight into how childhood scars tend to shape one’s personality, Lipstick scores a three on a scale of five.

View all my reviews

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Disclaimer

A copy of the book was provided via Writersmelon in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner

Book Review: The Billionaire’s Funeral by Elijah Brahms

 
 

 

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9353570115
ISBN-13: 978-9353570118

 
 

A nameless and faceless stalker out to get at you can spell more trouble than a foe you know. While you know the motive of the known one, and can plan your strategy to take on the same, you find yourself helpless before the nameless/ faceless one. Identifying him/ her and understanding the motive is like searching in murky waters. Billionaire investor Chad Cohen our protagonist, suddenly one day finds himself confronted with one such foe. With all except one credit card being declined, his personal stocks being sold without his knowledge, and the Company he painstakingly built suddenly take a thorough thrashing at the stock markets, Chad who has always complimented himself for being in control of any situation, finds himself at his wits end. Added to this he suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the law without any reason or rhyme. More shock awaits him in the form of a red corner Interpol look out notice and the realization that his passport is forged. His sanity and reputation at stake, Chad turns to the one man who can salvage him from the mess, his friend and business partner Michael Cole. But then is Mike trustworthy? Doesn’t he have a motive to drive Chad out of business? Well to know more about this, and the trials and tribulations that Chad faces in a matter of around a week, you will have to pick up this intense, racy thriller by Elijah Brahms.

Gripping to the core, The Billionaire’s Funeral is a warning of sorts to all out there of the dangers lurking in the dark corners of the digital world. With the world swiftly moving over to a paperless regime and plastic money replacing more and more transactions, just a click by the one out to destroy you, can make you sweat as never before. More than losing your money what else can worry you-an identity crisis, right? Well that’s what The Billionaire’s Funeral is all about. Just one genius is needed to ‘wipe’ you off the face of the earth and make life hell for you.

Laced with some insights into Chad Cohen’s early life in the form of short chapters interspersed here and there, The Billionaire’s Funeral also sees a transformation of sorts taking place, it sees how life’s vagaries can bring upon self- realization, open eyes knowingly kept closed/ diverted and bring the prodigal son home to reality.

Wonderfully narrated and with characters deeply etched giving no room for complaint, The Billionaire’s Funeral is a thriller-par-excellence that did not allow me to put it off even for a second, till the last word was read.

The book definitely scores a perfect five.
 
 

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Disclaimer

Received a copy of the book from WritersMelon as part of their Book Review Programme, in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed here are therefore, my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner.

Book Review: The Heist Artist by Vish Dhamija

 
 

 
 
• Format: Paperback/ Kindle
• Publisher: HarperCollins India; 1 edition (5 February 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9353026024
• ISBN-13: 978-9353026028

 
 

A life fraught with risks yet rewarding, is what Vagh Pratap Singh aka The Captain, is leading. A conman to the world, the protagonist of ‘The Heist Artist’ is a man of multiple talents endowed with both intelligence and acumen required to outwit his opponents. A master disguiser, he takes his job seriously and thus plans meticulously before executing the work he is commissioned for. Now in the fortieth year of his life, he looks forward to taking retirement but not before making sufficient money to enable him sail through rest of his life smoothly. That’s when he strikes the jackpot….or is it just another dream, a dream that may never see the light of day?…..’The Heist Artist’ has the answers.

Slow at first, the book picks up pace somewhere near the middle and then races on at breakneck speed only to stop to deliver a climax that will leave the reader whistling with amazement. One of the highlights of a good thriller is the ability of the author to dish out a phenomenal climax, one that his/ her readers don’t see coming. On this point Vish Dhamija scores a perfect five.

The plot is interesting and intriguing and has plenty of cat and mouse game going on that helps to keep the reader on the edge. The twists, the turns and the hurdles in between don’t allow you to keep it down. Characters are well articulated and play their role to perfection in taking the story forward.

A tinge of romance, plenty of action and adequate measure of suspense is how I’ll sum up Vish Dhamija’s ‘The Heist Artist’.

While the plot was excellent, characterization good and pace okay, the area of editing calls for a relook. I’m sure that a fresh round of editing will take care of the minor glitches that come to light at places like an irregular pace and repetition of sentences and paragraphs here and there which in fact could be the result of faulty proofreading at the printing stage.
 
 
Interested? Take a look at the blurb HERE
 
 

VERDICT

Overall an easy read, one that you can take up on a lazy afternoon to reinvigorate you this one scores a three on a scale of five.

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Disclaimer

Received a copy of the book from Writersmelon as part of their Book Review Programme, in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed here are therefore, my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner.

Book Review: The Bodyguard by Ruchi Singh

 
 

 
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B07BD2D9J3

 
 
BLURB

Someone wants Vikramaditya Seth Jr. dead.
He refuses the Z+ security option offered by the government. With too many variables trust is hard to come by…

Esha Sinha prepares for her first assignment outside of active army service, oblivious to the fact that she has to baby-sit a man who has no respect for rules or protocol—a man who is headstrong, workaholic and a tenacious flirt. As the attraction between Vikram and Esha simmers and sizzles, another attempt is made on his life.

The killer is resourceful and determined.
The motive is unclear and perplexing.

Will they be able to nab the assassin before he gets to Vikram?

MY TAKE

A tale of suspense with a twinge of romance, ‘The Bodyguard’ is an example of fine writing, one that has the ability to not only keep the reader hooked but also get involved in trying to sort a mystery, an identity. Cleverly crafted, this is one book you may want to read again after a few days.

Fast paced, the book makes you fall in love with the character of the bodyguard Major Esha Singh a woman of grit and determination who though a lonely soul herself tries to resist the charm of her boss a tenacious flirt.

Written in simple, lucid and crisp language, the story does throw up some surprises in the form of unusual twists. However isn’t that what good thrillers are all about, catching their reader unaware?

Overall a truly enjoyable read with the power to keep you on the edge of your seat, ‘The Bodyguard’ does justice to both the plot and the characters.

WARNING!

Don’t pick it up to read at night. No there’s nothing in there that will scare you out of your wits. It’s just that once you pick it up you may not want to keep it down till you read the last word. Now this could translate into a read deep into the night and being caught sleeping in your work place or over the kitchen counter the next day. 😉 I’m sure you don’t want that. 🙂

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THE AUTHOR

RUCHI SINGH

View her profile and get a sneak-peak into her writings HERE at Goodreads

#BOOK REVIEW: SHADOW IN THE MIRROR

TITLE: Shadow In The Mirror: A Thrilling Quest for Redemption
AUTHOR: Deepti Menon
PUBLISHER: Readomania
GENRE: Fiction ( Thriller)

THE BOOK

 

BLURB

It all begins with a death. Nita, a pregnant woman falling from her balcony becomes the string that unravels the plot. Her death casts a shadow over many lives; her heartbroken father, her husband and Vinny, a young journalist, drawn in by the whiff of foul play and murder.

What follows are stories within stories, eras and worlds colliding with each other, leaving behind splintered relationships and mesmerizing slices of lives that appear to be drawn together and driven apart by the whimsical threads of destiny.

As events cast their shadows ahead to link the stories of Vinny, Kavita, Roma, Krish and Nita in an unrelenting knot, a journey starts to uncover the truth. What is the secret that links Nita’s death to the other characters? Will Vinny be able to unravel the mystery of Nita’s death?

From intimate diary entries and letters, to bantering over a meal and sharing memories while spring cleaning, this novel de-familiarizes the ordinary, presenting a kaleidoscope of our own pasts, broken edges and pulsating hearts.

MY TAKE

PLOT/ STORY-LINE: Words fail me. A thriller with a unique twist, this one had me engrossed from the word go. Throughout the story I was looking for the shadow in the mirror and when I did get a glimpse of it I could not help marvelling at the cleverness of the author. She does know how to build up the suspense.

The plot has all the elements of a thriller. There is love, hatred, suspicion, empathy, suspense and of course twists and turns. The climax is one to watch out for.

CHARACTERIZATION: The characters are well-developed with all their imperfections. However, the importance given to Vinny’s friend Roma left me puzzled.

LANGUAGE & STYLE: Perfect.

EDITING: Full marks.

VERDICT

If you love suspense and if you have just an hour to spare do pick up this one. It is short yet powerful. I’ll give this one a 4/5.

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BUYING LINKS

amazon.in II amazon.com II amazon.co.uk

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DEEPTI MENON – THE WRITER

An M.A., B.Ed. in English, Deepti Menon started writing at the tender age of ten.

In 2002, her light hearted book, ‘Arms and the Woman’, depicting life as seen through the eyes of an Army wife, was published by Rupa Publishers, Delhi. This was written mainly to reveal the warmth and camaraderie within the great institution.

You can connect with her on facebook I twitter I blog

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#BOOK REVIEW: THE MONK

TITLE: The Monk
AUTHOR: Akshay Shroff
PUBLISHER: Gargi Publishers
GENRE: Thriller

THE BOOK

BLURB

Ten-year old Lakshya Gaitonde dreams of following a career in cricket like his idol, Sunil Gavaskar. But destiny has other plans for him.

He loses his father, Police sub-inspector Rajaram Gaitonde in the Mumbai terror attack of March 1993. He decides to follow his father’s footsteps and becomes a police officer.

In the July 2006 serial train blasts on the Mumbai suburban network, he loses his mother and fiancee. In consultation with the Commissioner of Police, he devises a diabolical plan to crush the menace of terrorism at its roots.

Does he succeed? How does he manage to avenge the killing of his parents and his beloved? Why does he finally don saffron robes?

MY TAKE

WOWs!!

Plot/ Story-line: An interesting one, the author taking inspiration from the terror attacks unleashed on Mumbai over a period of time weaves a story. During the course of the same he takes the reader on a journey of the terror attacks in chronological order and at the same time gives us an insight into its psychological impact on the protagonist Lakshya Gaitonde.

The story sees the metamorphosis of a cricket loving kid to a responsible police officer and is filled with the agony that one goes through on losing a beloved one to mindless terror attack. At the same time it emphasis the fact that the ultimate sufferers are not the big-wigs but the ordinary citizens whose only crime is that they are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The book is a bag of emotions. While on the one hand you get to experience romance on the other hand you also see how that very romance can kill something inside. There is violence and there is empathy too. There is honesty and a sense of duty on the one hand and greed and on the other hand. In fact one comes across the myriad shades of life in 217 pages.

There are some interesting twists and turns and there is suspense in the air after the first half. But it is the climax that is truly worth looking out for.

Characterization: The characters are well-developed with all their imperfections. One can easily relate to them, their emotions, their actions and reactions.

Language: Simple and easily to understand. No hard nuts to crack in the form of jargon.

OOPs!!

Though an interesting read, the book is heavily loaded with facts that are woven within the fabric of the story and these act as stumbling blocks. For those who are not aware of the terror attacks on Mumbai this will work as a wonderful reference book. However I personally feel that the author could have taken care of this problem by putting the details of the attacks that Mumbai has been a witness to till date, in a separate chapter at the end of the book or as a foreword. It would have helped the reader sail through the story smoothly.

VERDICT

An engaging read, you can take this one up on a lazy afternoon. I’ll give it a 3/5.

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BUYING LINKS

amazon.in II pustakmandi

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AKSHAY SHROFF – THE NOVELIST

A successful advertising sales consultant of domestic and international media, spanning over three decades Akshay Shroff has been associated with voluntary organizations like the Lions and the Junior Chamber International in senior positions and also with trade bodies like the Delhi Advertising Club and the Press Club of India.

A man with a passion for travel, trekking, reading and writing Akshay Shroff is a green panther and a cynophilist . The Monk is his debut novel.

Want to connect? It’s easy.

Twitter id : @akshaythemonk

Facebook : Author Akshay Shroff

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It’s always a pleasure to know others views books and reviews. Do leave your views on the book and this review in the comment box below.