Book Review: Panda Investigates- Two and a Half Murders by Rohit Panda

PANDA INVESTIGATES- TWO and a HALF MURDERS

Author: Rohit Panda

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing (Frog Books)

Rating: 2.5/5

‘As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering.’

-Rusty Eric

It is impossible to argue the toss with people who say what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable. With time, the dark side of human nature has evolved much and has given rise to barefaced liars. Panda investigates is a murder mystery that portrays the emotional detachments within a family. The book is full of characters that are crooked as a dog’s hind leg.

Sharadi and Aditya have married against the wishes of the parents. A doting, yet possessive wife is what Sharadi is known as. But Aditya is not less; his love for his wife cannot be measured. Khushboo and Veena are Sharadi’s siblings. What otherwise should have been a happy story, turns out to be a story full of malice, avarice and deceit. Two murders take place- one of Bankim (Sharadi’s father) and the second one of Sharadi herself. The criminal leaves behind no tracks. Ronsher (the detective) is sure of one thing that the mastermind behind both the murders could not have succeeded without being in cahoots with someone else. But is finding the murderer that easy? Well, for Ronsher it is because the’ Nail Polish’ colour is what determines who is guilty (sarcasm).

The characters of Sharadi and Aditya have been portrayed finely but more details about Kalpana, Khushboo and Veena could have been better. I despised the title; it spoils the mystery. If ‘Two and a half murders’ was printed in BOLD in the center, it would have served the purpose. The punchline best suits the title when it is placed correctly. But alas! The cover, too, completely failed to excite the curious mind.

Secondly, I did not like the organization of the plot. Since the author disclosed the whole mystery in Chapter number 21, I felt stuck in the time wrap, having thrown away my time for practically nothing. A good mystery is when the secrets/ twists are peeled off layer- by- layer, not together but when least expected.

Another drawback is the frequent use of incomplete sentences; this breaks the flow. The author, no doubt, has a thinking mind and can do wonders, but had a little attention been paid on the order of events in the story, the tale would have been a blockbuster.

Overall, ‘Panda investigates’ is a book that can be picked up when in mood to read simple language and light mystery.

Best Wishes!

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Amazon

Review copy: courtesy Leadstart Publishing

Book Review: Three Wise Monkeys by Jeet Gian

THREE WISE MONKEYS

Author: Jeet Gian

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing (Frog Books)

Rating: 3/5

“Easy street is a blind alley”. Isn’t this true? But our ability of clear headed thinking has been disabled by the fool’s paradise we are living in. ‘Three wise monkeys’ is a light yet relatable read that is sure to send the readers on a journey filled with bouts of laughter and realization. This tale is about love, friendship and the witty brains that can (or may be cannot) have an upper hand over others.

The three wise monkeys (pun intended) are Amar, Akbar and Anthony, who believe in the rising of the phoenix and live a carefree life. With humorously witty logics, these three protagonists walk on the path of love only to find more troubles. Some might say that these three get their comeuppance, some might even empathize and some might just enjoy them as characters.

Elementary and uncomplicated narration and redundancy in the description was something I despised in the book. But just like every coin has two sides, the good side or the stronger side of the book is the plot, the dialogues and the theme. It is like a motion picture playing right before your eyes. Another plus point is the suitability of the title; it has pun in it. Since the protagonists pay no heed to the three basics of good life- see no evil, speak no evil & hear no evil, the pun in the title is too good. The blurb is just apt to disclose minute details about what is in store for the readers.

The author has done a commendable job in portraying the characters of the story. The cover of the book is catchy. However, the proofreading could have been done better.

Overall the story is entertaining and book is a light read.

Best wishes!

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Amazon

Review copy: courtesy Author Paradise

Book Review: Ashvamedha by Aparna Sinha

ASHVAMEDHA

Author: Aparna Sinha

Publisher: Srishti Publishers

Rating: 3.5/ 5

All men must choose between two paths. Good is the path of honour, heroism, and nobility. Evil... well, it's just cooler.

-Megamind (2010)

Remember this dialogue from the movie ‘Megamind(2010)’? No? Well, Google it. This animated film was not only enjoyable, but also engaging. The very first quoted lines in the blurb of ‘Ashvamedha’ reminded me of this movie. Keeping in mind the mint condition of the movie, I hoped the same for this book. And yes, my wish was fulfilled when I started reading the very first chapter.

Ashvamedha is a strong word that signifies horse sacrificing ritual. Hence, the title is reasonable. The story is about a pawn- Ashwin Jamwal, who is played upon by betrayers. His life is owned by evils until he finally decides to call quits and join the ugly and jeopardized game of Politics. He succeeds but at the cost of something. With some really thought-provoking incidents and realistic descriptions of the scenes, the story is relatable. But on top of everything, the climax made me feel like the cat that got the cream.

The plot reeks of avarice, perjury, amour, politics and rancor. With all these emotions, the story is definitely a blockbuster. Short and crisp dialogues are the strength of this book. The author has taken care to avoid lengthy monologues which can often turn out to be stodgy in such genre of books.

However, this book has a major drawback in printing and spacing. There are some errors in the language too, but are not that notable. The font is different for some of the chapters and also the page numbering has not been done in a standard format.

Overall, the story is more like a motion picture and is alluring and compelling. A good read.

Best wishes to the author!

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Amazon

Review copy: courtesy Author Paradise