Book Review: A Minute to Death

Book: A Minute to Death

Author: Ganga Bharani

Publisher: Half Baked Beans Publishing

Pages:116

Price: 175 INR

Blurb: Murder most foul or an open-and-shut case of routine suicide?

Young, vivacious and an aspiring writer, Riya wants nothing more from her longtime crush/boyfriend than to let her in on one of his exciting investigations. After all, what better source material for a book than a real life tragedy?

No-nonsense veteran cop, Rohan picks a case of probable suicide to satisfy Riya’s needs. Little does he know that there is more to this case than meets the eye.

What made the victim hang herself at the break of dawn? What is the secret that her group of friends is hiding? Will Riya be able to salvage a workable plot for her upcoming novel out of this case of seemingly simple suicide?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review:

It is not too easy to write a power packed mystery novel in just 116 pages with enough twists and turns, but author Ganga has skillfully done so. From the very 1st chapter, you would be hooked to the book as like Rohan and Riya, you would also be keen to know whether it's a tragic suicide or a cold-blooded murder. 

The police finds a watch stopped at dot 5am and a Kindle that is put in charge from the suicide spot. The Facebook profile of the victim says that she was all happy and hearty till 11.30 am the last night. Then, why would she commit suicide? As Rohan, a sincere cop tried to find out the reason behind the victim's suicide, another suicide occurs in the exact same pattern which intensifies Rohan's belief that it is a case of murder.

Suspects are plenty, but the result always narrows down to zero, resulting in Rohan's frustration. It's a thrill to accompany Rohan and Riya in the journey where they try to figure out the suicide/murder case. It is Rohan's duty as a cop to do so, whereas Riya, an aspiring writer wants to be a part of the case as it would help her in penning a great crime fiction which would make her a successful author. Both of them try hard to connect the dots between the 2 suicide cases until another suicide occurs. 

The character sketches of Riya and Rohan are done extremely well, especially the character of Riya,  which would surely entertain, amaze and flabbergast the readers. The narration is equally good, which makes the book a page-turner. The length of the book is definitely its plus point as it would compel the reader to finish it in one sitting. 

The best thing about any thriller is definitely its climax or revelation and this is where the author scores a perfect 10 from my side. The way the author has joined the dots and presented it to the reader is mind blowing. 

On the flip side, there are quite a few typos in the book. However, the pace of the book is so fast that it compels you to ignore them. 

If you want to read a short and crisp thriller, if you want to rack your brains a bit in solving a suicide/murder case, if you want to find how obsessive a person can be with his/her passion, then pick "A Minute to Death" right away.  

Recommended highly to all thriller lovers!

Buy the book here

Book Review: Simple plane Love

Book: Simple Plane Love

Author: Priyanka Luthra

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Genre: Fiction, Romance

Pages: 186

Price: 195 INR

Blurb: A perfect landing is a mirage, the more you chase it, the more it eludes you…' 

Meet Captain Meera Khanna. As a first officer on an Aeroflot Aviation plane, with a luxurious apartment in the beautiful city of Manila, she seems to have it all. 

Flying to exotic destinations, navigating turbulent flights through typhoons and handling engine failure are all in a day's work. Even when a leg injury forces Meera to take time off her busy schedule, she has the perfect solution - an exciting vacation to Subic Bay with her glamorous best friend Diana, aka Dee. And nothing could have been a better idea, what with the unexpected arrival of her childhood friend, the suave Aditya. 

But when Aditya seems to want more than friendship, it throws Meera off-kilter. Will Meera's perfect life come to an abrupt landing? Or will she find her happily-ever-after? In Simple Plane Love, join Captain Meera on a rollicking adventure, where navigating an aeroplane seems simpler than negotiating the many twists and turns of love.

My Rating: 3.5/5

My Review: 

Simple Plane Love is a simple story of love and friendship. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and so it is in the case of this book. Although you will find nothing new in the plot of the book, the characters of the book will surely charm you to the core and the author's lucid writing will make you want to read page after page.

It is the story of Captain Meera Khanna, who loves flying more than anything else. She is confident, independent, endearing and fun loving. Her world comprises of her mother and her two best friends, Diana and Aditya. After a leg injury, Meera plans a vacation with her best friend, Diana. Diana meets Aryaman, a navy officer there and Aditya joins the vacation to surprise Meera. From there on, a roller coaster ride of emotions start which ends on a very saccharine note, leaving the readers happy.

It is quite fascinating to read about the life of a female pilot. It won't take long to guess that the book is inspired from the author's own life as the author is a trained commercial pilot. The characters of Diana, Aditya, Aryaman and Mother India (Meera's mom) are very well sketched. The characters are so relatable that you would feel that you have met someone like them in your own life. ( For example, the conversations between Meera and Diana reminded me of my best friend and I couldn't help but smile while reading them). 

Despite the simple and non-complicated plot of the book, you will turn page after page for the characters in the book. Also, the author's narrating style is praiseworthy. 

"I looked up at the sky and saw the moon staring back at me. We had done this often! It was as if I was a part of a love affair between the earth and the moon; the moonlight kissed the earth, making her arch in pleasure, as she melted into the moon's arms, as if this was the only chance they had."

Simple plane love is a simple story that celebrates friendship and love, It once again, makes us nod to the universal statement: Love is Friendship.

If you are looking for a feel good read that is devoid of complexities, then you can pick the book right away, Also, it's not everyday that you come across a lady pilot as the protagonist of a novel.

Buy the book here