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

Book Review: Rise of the grey prince (The Saga of Agni) Book #2

Book: Rise of the Grey Prince (Saga of Agni)

Author: Arka Chakrabarti

Publisher: Srishti Publishers

Genre: Fantasy/Fiction

Pages: 213

Price: 150 INR

Blurb: That cursed night at Nisarga had revealed the true reason behind his father's sacrifice and his own dark past. Each revelation now draws Agni into the sublime world of secrets. With Vrish and Guru Sidak by his side, fighting the daggers from the past and winning over the opponents of the present, somewhere deep down, he knows that his journey has just begun. 

The other scarred prince walks the ashes of his reality. Haunted by the glimpses of truth the same night, Yani had but one choice to survive. His unknowing steps, trapped in cruel games of ancient powers had led him to a truth, a truth which shall mould a good man in the clay of misfortune, hate and lust. 

Such is the world of Gaya and thus shall be the Rise of the Grey Prince the one torn between the darkness of evil and a lone ray of hope.

My Rating: 3.75/5

My Review: 

The Saga of Agni has totally managed to captivate me, the moment I started reading the 1st book of the series "The Secrets of the Dark". The earlier book ended at a very interesting juncture where Agni got to know about the dark secrets of his life.

Read my review of The Secrets of the Dark here

"The Rise of the Grey Prince" is the second book of the series, which started from the place the 1st book ended. Therefore, to read this book, people must read the 1st book else the incidents will fail to make an impact in the reader's mind.

"The Rise of the Grey Prince" is a dark, bewitching thriller with frequent twists and turns. The author has woven the story of Agni with such panache and skill that reading the two books back to back can almost transport you to the fictitious world of Gaya which is full of secrets, prophecies and mysteries. Every single character in this book has a dark mystery within him or her.

Agni, the son of King Arkansas finally reaches the kingdom of Leu located in the Land of the Setting Sun to fulfill his destiny. He meets Lysandra, the Princess of Leu. From there on, the flashback starts and we are taken to the juncture where the first book ended.

The book is all about how Agni manages to reach the Land of the Setting Sun from the Land of the Rising Sun along with his best friend, Vrish and Guru Sidak. The journey is full of adventure and thrills that keeps the reader hooked to the book for example, the place in the book where Guru Sidak cleverly killed Girish and put the blame on Marut.  

Parallel to Agni's journey, we also get to know about how Yani's life unfolds after Agni and he parted ways. Yani, the Prince of Himadri and Agni's childhood friend gets to know about the things that were kept concealed from him. Feeling bruised and battered, he embarks on a fresh, new journey, but unfortunately gets trapped in some ugly games. 

The book ends at a very interesting juncture after Agni met Lysandra. I really cannot wait to read the next book of the series, which I am sure would be more spine chilling and engrossing. 

The only drawback of the book is the several characters included in it, which can confuse the readers. I had to look at the last page of the book which had the character summary many times in the course of reading the book. Apart from this, there is no such flaw in the book. 

The narration is wonderful and the flow of the story is very interesting. The author has done a great job in the 1st 2 books of Saga of Agni and I am looking forward to read the next book of the series.

I recommend the Saga of Agni to all the fantasy thriller lovers. 

Buy the book here

Book Review: The Secrets of the Dark (The Saga of Agni)

Book: The Secrets of the Dark (The Saga of Agni)

Author: Arka Chakrabarti

Publisher: Srishti Publishers

Genre: Fantasy/ Fiction

Pages: 342

Price: 195 INR

Blurb: Is one born with his destiny or does he forge it?

 In the mystical land of Gaya, two prophecies bind the fate of men and empires alike. The Destroyer born from the royal seed on the Land of the Setting Sun shall bring the empires down, or so has been foretold. 

In between the Destroyer and the world stand the Seven Guardians of Gaya, guarding the realm of man. A king, a father, defies the Seven and fate itself to save the last drop of his blood and prince Agni grows in the Land of the Rising Sun, exiled from his own people, unaware of his past. 

Losing the woman he loved most to the shadows in the dark, Agni is thrown into a whirlpool of events that he neither knows, nor understands. His quest for vengeance brings him to the doorstep of a secret that will shatter the very foundation of beliefs of a world. 

Can Agni avert his destiny? Can he uncover the truth about the Seven and the prophecies, now hidden behind a veil of ignorance? 

The secrets of the dark are sometimes so terrible that they are better left unsaid.

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: 

The Secrets of the Dark is the first book in The Saga of Agni series and as eminent from the title, the book deals with innumerable secrets, prophecies, mysteries that would provide you with frequent doses of thrills from page to page.

A great thriller is the one which manages to keep you on your toes and author, Arka Chakrabarti has penned an extremely successful book in this regard. As you turn the pages of the book, the story becomes more and more gripping and you find yourself lost in the fictional land of Gaya, which is divided into two continents: The Land of the Rising Sun and The Land of the Setting Sun. 

The story begins with Agni's birth, the hero of our story who is born in the Land of the Setting Sun in a kingdom called Athena to King Arkansas. According to tradition, a son is never allowed to born in the Land of the Setting Sun as according to a prophecy, the Destroyer would be born in the Land of the Setting Sun and would grow up in the Land of the Rising Sun. Due to this prophecy, no prince is permitted to live as the Abode of the Seven lives in the fear of the emergence of the Destroyer. As you can guess, Agni is that Destroyer, who survives as his father, King Arkansas sacrifices his life to protect Agni from the Abode of Seven. 

This prophecy would surely remind readers of the life of Lord Krishna who was born in one place and allowed to grow up in another, due to a similar prophecy. It can be clearly understood that the author has been highly inspired from mythology and folklore which helped him to weave this intriguing tale. 

Coming back to this tale, Agni grows up in Himadri, which is located in the Land of the Rising Sun under King Adhirath and Briksha, the merchant. Agni's best friend is Vrish, Briksha's son and the love of his life is Malini, Briksha's daughter. His life is filled with bliss and serenity until the day a tragedy occurs, taking away the lives of Briksha and Malini in a flash. Just before Malini closes her eyes forever, she gives a hint to Agni about her killer. And thus, Agni embarks on a difficult journey to find the murderer of Malini and Briksha. 

There are several twists and turns in the book which would leave you speechless. Especially the last few pages of the book are nail biting. The best part of the book is undoubtedly the climax, which leaves the reader thrilled, satisfied and happy. The second best thing are the characters in the book which would stay with you, even after you finish reading the book. The characters of Agni, Vrish, Yani, Lysandra and Prince Drake are brilliantly sketched. The language is lucid and the flow of the story is smooth.

On the flip side, there are times when the pace of the book gets a little slow, especially in the first half of the book but nevertheless the book gains its momentum as it progresses. 

Here are some quotes from the book which I found very impressive:

There is a thin line between right and wrong and sometimes it is blurred. That leaves the one in a predicament.

"When you are facing one enemy, how many are you facing and whom do you need to defeat first?" the voice was ringing in his ears.

"Two, and firstly I must defeat the fear in my heart." whispered Agni to himself and there was a smile on his face.

If you love fantasy and if you are fond of thriller, then this is a perfect book to laze around in the monsoons with a steaming cup of coffee.

Buy the book here

P.S. I just started with the next book in the Saga of Agni series, Rise of the Grey Prince. Will post the review soon.

Book Review: Emotions Unplugged

Book: Emotions Unplugged

Author: Vishal Anand

Publisher: Moments Publication

Pages: 157

Price: 88 INR (Paperback) 49 INR (Kindle)

Blurb: Emotions Unplugged is a collection of 15 short stories based on different genres. Diksha travels through the roads of Mumbai a day prior to her divorce with her husband, Virain; Gauri steals the money from her master’s locker and runs to her village; Rizwan works as a laborer in construction sites at Dubai in spite of being the son of a rich man from Bangladesh; Samar gets last gift of love from his grandmother after her death; Patrick believes after visiting a state that he has visited a country, he still had to visit 27 more countries in India; Rajat spends the night in different bars with a friend to meet a lady, Palak; an old lady who believes in her religion and hates Muslims finds an indigestible truth when she visits her daughter’s home; Vinit falls in love with a veiled girl while travelling in Delhi metro to reach his office everyday and a lot more.

Numerous emotions pluck in to bring a thought provoking cocktail. Indeed pen is mightier than sword, and words have potential to bring the change. And surprisingly you never know when it does… 

 

My Rating: 3.5/5

 

My Review:  

Emotions Unplugged is an anthology of 15 short stories and every single story is fed highly with emotions. Sometimes, the emotions produce a beautiful symphony of words, whereas at some other times, it fails to produce the perfect melody.

Nevertheless, there are some stories in Emotions Unplugged that are so beautiful, heart touching and profound that they will surely leave an imprint in your heart. 

The first story of the anthology “A day before my divorce” is definitely one of the best stories of the book. The emotions of the to-be-divorced couple Diksha and Virain are beautifully captured in the story. I couldn’t help but admire at the story telling skills of the author when I read this story.

“Let’s turn oldies” is a story that would teach you a deep lesson and make you smile. “Granny’s last gift of love” would fill you up with affection or nostalgia for your loving grandparents. “The first love” beautifully captures all the emotions when our heart starts beating for a stranger. “A country with 27 other countries” carries a very true message that we often fail to see. 

“Theft” is another golden story of this anthology. It tells the story of a poor little girl who falls in a quandary while saving her ailing father. The narration is beautiful.

“Karma returns” is the last story of the anthology that stresses on the saying What goes around, comes around.

The remaining stories of the anthology were mediocre and failed to impress me because the narration was somewhat weak. Though the theme or moral of the stories were good, the impact was somewhat lacking.

However, Emotions Unplugged is a book that everyone will relate to as we all are enslaved by emotions...aren't we? Therefore, if you want to read a couple of short and sweet stories filled with emotions, pick up this book right away.

You can buy the book here

Book Review: Murdered To Moksha

Book Name: Murdered to Moksha

Author: Rohit Shetty

Publisher: First Step Publishing

Pages: 190

Price: 180 INR

Blurb: 
Wife's Murderer or a Victim of fate". This headline flooded the news channels. A 35 yr old guy killing his wife at City Hospital and then trying to jump off the same building. A selfish, ruthless murderer who took away a 10 yr old girls mother and then attempted a suicide. Why? Financial problems?... NO. Disputes with wife?... NO. Mentally unstable?... NO. Then, WHY? Only person who had an answer to this question.. He, himself. His silence even at the court sessions added to the twists of the case. He said nothing in his defense neither hired a lawyer. He seemed heartless, cold blooded killer, a murderer, a maniac, mentally unstable to the world. Every medium spoke bad for him but no one really cared to know the reason why he killed his wife. He was a Murderer until ... 

My Rating: 4/5

My Review:

 

“Murdered to Moksha” is a heart wrenching love story. If you are an emotional person, it will surely move you to tears. And, I guess the success of the book lies in the fact that it has the ability to emotionally move any sane person reading the book. 

The story starts on a gripping note where Aarav Rathode is sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his ailing wife. The start of the story would definitely catch the attention of all readers. The story proceeds with Aarav reminiscing about the integral events of his life which finally led to the catastrophe.

The story is divided into two sections: the first section is joyful whereas the second half is somber. In the first section, you would get to read about the beautiful love story of Aarav and Esha. The way Esha supported Aarav to be a successful businessman when the world turned against him would definitely draw a smile to your face. The first section of the book is beautifully pleasant whereas the second half of the book can prick your heart again and again.

The winds change the moment when Esha gets diagnosed with a life threatening disease. The way Aarav takes care of Esha sacrificing everything that he has, the way their little daughter Ira goes through a troubling time as her mother tries to detach herself from her and the way Esha fights with death for days would surely move you to tears. 

There are plenty of moments in the book when I felt like crying. It is the way the author has narrated the incidents that you would feel that not only the protagonists of the book, but you are also suffering from the setbacks and the testing times.

The climax of the book made a lump form in my throat and I kept on contemplating about the story for hours even after closing the book. On the flip side, the narration of the first half of the book was not as strong as the second half of the book. 

 

Nevertheless, Murdered to Moksha is a book that will stay with you for long, even after you have finish reading the book. But yes, the tragedy and pathos of the book will definitely break your heart.

The poem that is included in the last chapter of the book is profound and heart-touching. Some of the lines of the poem are:

Neither does life love me,

Nor does it let me free.

It has caught me tight,

Forbidding me from walking to that bright light.

In its barbed wire fence

I’m trapped, bleeding in pain from its thorns, so dense.

Recommended to people who prefer to read love stories with a hint of tragedy. 

You can buy the book here