A Lot of Pages...

Review: Iliana Xander's 'Love Mom'

2025-09-07T12:11:00.000+05:30

Iliana Xander is making waves globally in the crime fiction genre, and much like Freida Mcfadden and Coolen Hoover (though she is more into Romance Fiction) her once self-published books are now getting a conventional paper back re-issue. So, when I came to know that her debut Novel ‘Love, Mom’ has just got released in India through Penguin, I couldn’t resist buying a copy of it. Though a bit lengthy , at about 390+ pages, I finished reading this book in two days and I must say that the critics haven’t been wrong about this thriller. Xander is definitely a name to watch out for in the Psychological thriller/ Crime-Fiction genre!

Elizabeth Casper was a best selling author. She has recently died in a freak accident. Her Daughter Mackenzie, has always lived in the shadows of her Celebrity mother. Though she has never been that close to her Mom, she is still mourning the loss and is yet to come in terms with the void left behind. But Mackenzie is left with more than she bargains for when investigators start asking questions. Then, a mysterious mail arrives , containing pages from her mother’s diary. What Mackenzie reads leaves her in shock. Then arrives the next letter… Mackenzie is soon left with more questions than answers and that leaves her with no other choice than to unravel the mysteries clouding her very own existence. What was that ‘secret’ which her famous Mom was hiding all through her life?

There are only a handful of characters in this novel besides the protagonist Mackanzie, Elizabeth and her Husband, Ben Casper. EJ ,Mackanzie’s boy friend appears through out in the Novel and I must say that at times I found the banter between Mackanzie and him to be a bit irritating. The Grandma character , though appears only towards the latter half of the book is particularly worth mentioning. The Novel also reminded me of Coolen Hoover’s ‘Verity’ , though plot wise both these works have nothing in common between them.

As I mentioned before, this one has a really fast past narrative which makes good for the multiple logical issues in the core plot. There are a couple of decent twists happening in the novel and I liked the way the author tied up all the loose ends towards the end (though a bit too convenient, and far fetched ), but I honestly believe that she could have done away with that excessive 'spoon feeding' in the tail-end portions.

(Mild Spoiler Alert)

Some of the narrative tropes which the author has relied on to give that 'shock element' are hardly innovative and i must say that some of the recent thrillers have used the exact same (Riley Sager-The only one left, Freida Mcfadden- The tenant) 'twist', albeit a bit more succesfully.

If you are a thriller fan who is on a staple reading pile of modern day western thrillers(Freida Mcfadden, Riley Sager et al) I would say that 'the pivotal twist ' which is happening towards the end of the first half (the first pov) of the book might come across as a bit mediocre one for you.

On the whole, Love Mom doesn't break any new grounds in terms of craft or story telling in the psychological thriller genre. Agreed, it's racy and twisty and has never a dull moment in it's narrative. But, if you are a crime fiction afficionado, in probability you will find some of these twists and turns, way too familiar thereby relegating this to an okay thriller experience!

-nikhimenon

Jason Rekulak's Hidden Pictures

2025-08-08T00:39:00.003+05:30

Even though I had never heard about this Author before, I still gave this one a try as the online reviews were largely positive. I am so glad that I picked this one up , as it turned out to be a genuinely good read. The scares did work big time and so were the twists which landed really well!

So, we have the Protagonist in Mallory , an ex-junkie who is just out of her rehab and all set to work as the Nanny for the Maxwell Family . Ted Maxwell and Carolene Maxwell are a successful couple who have just relocated to their new upmarket neighbourhood in Spring Brook. Their five year old Son, Ted , though keeps largely to himself is a lovable Kid and has an uncanny ability to drawing.

Though at the core of it, this one uses a time tested template, it’s the use of the innovative tropes (like the Pictures drawn by little ‘teddy’) which makes this one a stand out work. The pictures are so nicely done, feels authentic and comes along really well to mood and tone of the Book. I really didn’t see that twist coming. I really liked how the author tied all the loose ends and made this one a coherent reading experience towards the end. I also particularly liked the fact that the author smartly incorporated those super-natural elements into the narrative without really going over board. The climax, though a bit predictable also delivers big time!

On the whole, this one is a good psychological thriller! I am giving it a 3.5 out of 5!

(Hidden Pictures is the Author’s second Novel and is an International Best Seller)

-nikhimenon

Book Review: The Tenant by Freida Mcfadden

2025-07-13T08:25:00.002+05:30

I am a great fan of Freida Mcfadden and I have read almost everything written by her till date (including her kindle works). Though known for fast paced reads, I must confess that her last few works didn't impress me much. Crash was a crashing bore and the boy friend was an average fare. So I had kept my expectations on check when I picked up this one.

The Tenant is the story of a financially broke couple , Blake and Kate. To make good for their dire financial status, they decide to take in a paying guest. But pretty soon, they start to realise that their new 'Tenant' , might not be the person whom they initially thought to be and might have sinister plans behind her. The book is fast paced and has a fresh premise . Undoubtedly this one is Freida's recent best.

On the whole, this one is an above average read. One twist (which appears towards the end of the second half of the book ) is really good but the climax twist and the tail end ones are pretty unconvincing.

-nikhimenon

Book Review: Do Not Disturb by Freida Mcfadden

2025-06-29T12:29:00.001+05:30

It’s another Sunday and I am back with Yet another Freida Mcfadden. ‘Do Not Distrub’ is one of the earlier works of Freida which has got a Paperback version recently and I couldn’t help picking this one up as soon as it got released. This one is more of a fast paced Domestic Thriller which you can devour in one sitting and has that typical Freida Mcfadden signature all over it .

This one starts off with a Bang. Quinn Alexander has just killed her super-rich husband and she is on the run. But an unexpected snow storm forces her to take refuge at a broken down inn, the isolated Baxter hotel located in the outskirts of the City. But pretty sure, she figures out that the Baxter’s Motel might not be that safe place to be in and the handsome and kindly owner of the place, Nick Baxter might have sinister plans for her!

Told from Multiple Perspectives, (besides Quinn, we have Rosalie-the hotelier’s wife, Claudia (Quinn’s Sister), Rob (Claudia’s husband) narrating the story at different points), ‘Do Not Disturb’ is a real page – turner. Though Freida has used this same narrative trope (of a young woman getting stranded in an isolated Home/Hotel due to poor weather) years later in ‘Crash’ , this one still feels fresh as some of the twists are really good (that twist involving Claudia was really good) and the narrative really fast paced .

On the down side, I felt that a few of the climax reveals were a bit of a let down (especially the one involving ,Greta’) and some of the characters are not really worth sympathising for. Neverthless,these minor flaws aside, this one delivers as a really enjoyable pop-corn read!

-nikhimenon

ചുവന്ന കല്ലറ (റോബിൻ റോയ് )

2025-06-24T14:42:00.004+05:30

മലയാളത്തിൽ ക്രൈം ഫിക്ഷൻ എഴുതാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നയാളെന്ന നിലയിൽ ശ്രദ്ധയിൽപ്പെടുന്ന , പല ഭാഷകളിലായുള്ള ക്രൈം ഫിക്ഷൻ രചനകൾ തേടിപ്പിടിച്ച് വായിക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കാറുണ്ട് . ഇൻസ്റ്റാ റീലുകൾ കണ്ട് ശ്രദ്ധിച്ച , നവാഗതനായ റോബിൻ റോയ് എഴുതിയ 'ചുവന്ന കല്ലറ ' എന്ന നോവൽ വായനയ്ക്കായി എത്തപ്പെട്ടത് അങ്ങനെയാണ് .

പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ കവർ ചിത്രവും ടൈറ്റിലും സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് പോലെ ഇതൊരു പൾപ്പ് നോവലാണ് .('ജനപ്രിയം ' വായനയ്ക്കായി എടുത്തിട്ട് ഇതിൽ 'സാഹിത്യത്വം ' ഇല്ലേ എന്ന് പരിഭവം തോന്നാനിടയുള്ളവർക്കായി മുൻകൂട്ടി സൂചിപ്പിച്ചു എന്നേയുള്ളൂ ). ഒന്ന് കൂടി വ്യക്തമായി പറഞ്ഞാൽ തൊണ്ണൂറുകളിലും , രണ്ടായിരങ്ങളുടെ ആദ്യ പാദങ്ങൾ വരേയും ജനപ്രിയ വാരികകളിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ചു പോന്നിരുന്ന പൾപ്പ് നോവലുകളുടെ 'വൈബ് ' പിന്തുടരുന്ന നോവലാണ് ഇത് .

ഫെലിക്സ് എന്ന റിട്ടയേർഡ് പോലീസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥൻ ഒരു സർവീസ് സ്റ്റോറി എഴുതാൻ തീരുമാനിക്കുന്നു . അതിനായി അയാളെ സമീപിക്കുന്ന രാമചന്ദ്രൻ എന്ന (പത്രപ്രവർത്തകൻ ) എഴുത്തുകാരനുമായി തന്റെ സർവീസ് ജീവിതത്തിൽ, തന്നെ ഏറ്റവുമധികം വേട്ടയാടിയ 'ബെന്നറ്റ് ' എന്ന സഹപ്രവർത്തകന്റെ ദുരൂഹ മരണത്തെക്കുറിച്ചും അതുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട് താൻ നടത്തിയ അന്വേഷണങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചും അയാൾ പങ്കു വെക്കുന്നു . തുടർന്ന് രാമചന്ദ്രൻ , പ്രസ്തുത അന്വേഷണത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് വിശദമായി എഴുതുന്നു . വർഷങ്ങൾക്ക് മുൻപ് നടന്ന ആ അന്വേഷണവും , രാമചന്ദ്രൻ ആ പുസ്തകത്തിൽ എഴുതാതെ വിട്ടു കളഞ്ഞ ഭാഗങ്ങളുമാണ് 'ചുവന്ന കല്ലറ ' എന്ന ഈ ചെറു ത്രില്ലർ നോവലിന്റെ ഇതിവൃത്തം.

ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ഒരു നോവലിന് ഏറ്റവും വേണ്ട 'റീഡബിലിറ്റി ' എന്ന ഘടകം ഈ നോവലിന് നന്നായി ഉണ്ടെന്നത് തന്നെയാണ് ഇതിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ മേന്മയായി എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത് . കൃത്യമായ ഇടവേളകളിൽ സംഭവിക്കുന്ന ട്വിസ്റ്റുകളും , അനാവശ്യ ഉപകഥകളിലേക്ക് പോകാതെയുള്ള ചടുലമായ അവതരണവും genre fiction വായിക്കുവാൻ താല്പര്യമുള്ള വായനക്കാർക്ക് ഈ നോവൽ മോശമല്ലാത്ത ഒരു വായനാനുഭവം സമ്മാനിക്കും എന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് എനിക്ക് തോന്നുന്നത് . ഒരു സാധാരണ ക്രൈം നോവൽ ആയി മാറിപ്പോയേക്കാമായിരുന്ന ഈ കഥയെ മറ്റൊരു തലത്തിലേക്ക് ഉയർത്തുന്നത് , ഇതിന്റെ അവസാന ഭാഗങ്ങളാണ് (ഫെലിക്സ് -രാമചന്ദ്രൻ final revelation ).

ഇത്തരത്തിലൊരു നോവൽ ആയത് കൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ഭാഷാപരമായി പുതുമകൾ തേടുന്നതിൽ അർത്ഥമില്ലെങ്കിലും അങ്ങിങ്ങായി കടന്നു വരുന്ന ചില നറേഷൻ പിശകുകളും (ചിലയിടങ്ങളിൽ ഫസ്റ്റ് പേഴ്സൺ ആഖ്യാനത്തിൽ നിന്നും തേർഡ് പേഴ്സൺ ആഖ്യാനത്തിലേക്ക് jump shift സംഭവിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ആദ്യ ഭാഗങ്ങളിലെ ഡയറി പോർഷൻസ് ഒക്കെയും ഇക്കാരണത്താൽ ആശയക്കുഴപ്പം ഉളവാക്കുന്നുണ്ട്), അക്ഷര തെറ്റുകളും ഒഴിവാക്കാമായിരുന്നു എന്ന് തോന്നി . പോസ്റ്റ് മോർട്ടം രംഗങ്ങളിലെ ചില സാങ്കേതികപ്പിഴവുകളും മറ്റും (രാത്രി പോസ്റ്റ് മോർട്ടം ചെയ്യുന്ന ഡോക്ടർ / ചില്ലു ഭരണികളിലെ തലച്ചോറുകൾ / ടേബിളിലെ viscera തുറന്നു വെച്ച മൃത ശരീരങ്ങൾ ) പഴയ കാല പൾപ്പ് നോവലുകളെ അനുസ്മരിപ്പിക്കുന്നുണ്ട് . നോവലിൽ ഉടനീളം ട്വിസ്റ്റുകൾ ഉണ്ടെങ്കിലും , അല്പം കൂടി വികസിപ്പിച്ചിരുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ അവയ്‌ക്കൊക്കെയും അല്പം കൂടി ഇമ്പാക്ട് സാധ്യമാവുമായിരുന്നു എന്ന് തോന്നി (skeleton identity , ancy portions ). കഥ വേഗം പറഞ്ഞു തീർക്കാനുള്ള വ്യഗ്രത കൊണ്ടാവണം ചിലയിടങ്ങളിലെങ്കിലും ഒരു amateur feel ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നുണ്ട് നോവൽ ( ഫെലിക്സിന്റെ character establishment , sunny -ancy episode ) ഫെലിക്സ് എന്ന കേന്ദ്ര കഥാപാത്ര നിർമ്മിതിയിലും ഒരൽപ്പം ക്ളീഷേ ഫീൽ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു . എങ്കിലും എഴുത്തുകാരന്റെ ആദ്യ നോവൽ എന്ന നിലയിൽ ഇവയെല്ലാം ഒരു പരിധി വരെ അവഗണിക്കാം എന്ന് തോന്നുന്നു . ലക്ഷണമൊത്ത ആദ്യ നോവൽ എഴുതുവാൻ ആർക്കാണ് സാധിക്കുക ?

നോവലിന്റെ ജനുസ്സ് മനസ്സിലാക്കിയാൽ വലിയ കല്ലുകടികൾ ഇല്ലാതെ, ഉദ്വെഗം ചോരാതെ വളരെ വേഗത്തിൽ വായിച്ചു പൂർത്തിയാക്കാൻ പറ്റുന്ന ഒന്നാണ് 'ചുവന്ന കല്ലറ '.

റോബിൻ റോയ് എന്ന എഴുത്തുകാരന് ഇനിയും മികച്ച രചനകൾ സാധ്യമാവും എന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് വിശ്വാസം , ആശംസകളോടെ

- നിഖിലേഷ്‌ മേനോൻ

Book Review: ഫ്രൈഡേ ഫോറെൻസിക് ക്ലബ് (രജത് ആർ)

2025-06-22T11:31:00.001+05:30

ഡോ രജത് ആർ എഴുതി ഇതിനോടകം തന്നെ വായനക്കാരുടെ പ്രിയപ്പെട്ടതായി തീർന്ന പുസ്തകമാണ് ‘ഫ്രൈഡേ ഫോറെൻസിക് ക്ലബ്’ . എഴുത്തുകാരന്റെ ആദ്യ നോവലായ ഒന്നാം ഫോറെൻസിക്ക് അദ്ധ്യായത്തിലെ പ്രധാന കഥാപാത്രമായ ഡോ അരുൺ ബാലൻ ഐ പി എസ് വീണ്ടും വരുന്ന നോവൽ എന്ന വിശേഷണവുമായി എത്തിയ നോവൽ മൂന്ന് ഫോറെൻസിക്ക് കേസ്സുകൾ കൃത്യമായി കോർത്തിണക്കിയ ഒരു 'കേസ് സീരീസ് ' നോവലാണ് .

ഒരുപാട് മെഡിക്കൽ / ടെക്‌നിക്കൽ കാര്യങ്ങൾ കടന്ന് വരുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിലും അവയെല്ലാം വളരെ ലളിതമായി, മടുപ്പിക്കാത്ത രീതിയിൽ, മികച്ച ഭാഷയിൽ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുവാൻ സാധിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് എന്നതാണ് ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ മേന്മയായി എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത് . നോവലിൽ കടന്ന് വരുന്ന മൂന്ന് കേസുകളും ആവർത്തന വിരസത തോന്നിക്കാത്തവയാണെന്നതും , കഥകളിലോ നോവലുകളിലോ അധികം കണ്ട് /കേട്ട് ശീലിച്ചിട്ടില്ലാത്ത മെഡിക്കൽ സാങ്കേതികത്വങ്ങൾ കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യുന്നവയാണെന്നതും പുസ്തകത്തെ ഒരു മികച്ച വായനാനുഭവം ആക്കിത്തീർക്കുന്നുണ്ട് .

X ജംക്ഷൻ , Z ജനറേഷൻ , Y ജീൻ എന്നിങ്ങനെ മൂന്ന് കേസുകളും പിന്നെ പാതിയിൽ പറഞ്ഞവസാനിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ‘നിലാവലി കേസ്’ എന്നിങ്ങനെ നാല് കേസുകളാണ് ഈ നോവലിൽ ഉള്ളത് . (ഫോറെൻസിക്ക് ക്ലബ് എന്ന രചനാ സങ്കേതത്തിലൂടെ ഈ കേസുകളെ കൂട്ടിയിണക്കി നോവലിന്റെ രൂപത്തിലാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട് എഴുത്തുകാരൻ ).

ടോക്സിക്കോളജിയിലേയും മോഡേൺ മെഡിസിനിലേയും നിരവധി വിവരങ്ങൾ രചനാ സങ്കേതങ്ങളായി ഉപയോഗിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിലും നരേറ്റീവ് ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്ന നാടകീയതയും ,ക്ലിഫ് ഹാങ്ങർ എൻഡിങ്ങുകളും നോവലിൽ ഉൾക്കൊള്ളിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളത് genre ആരാധകരെ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തും എന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത് . രണ്ടാം കേസ്സിലെ സ്നേഹയുടെ മരണവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടുള്ള ചോദ്യത്തിന് "കാലന്റെ വാഹനത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള വിഷം " എന്ന മറുപടി നൽകുന്നതൊക്കെ ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ശ്രമങ്ങളായാണ് തോന്നിയത് .

കൃത്യമായ തുടക്കവും , ഒടുക്കവുമുള്ള ഈ മൂന്ന് കേസ്സുകളിൽ ഏറ്റവും ഫ്രഷ് ആയിട്ടുള്ള ക്ലൈമാക്സ് റിവീൽ ഉള്ളത് ഒരു പക്ഷെ ഒടുവിലെ കഥയായ 'Y' ജീൻ നാവും .ഒരു ആശുപത്രിയുടെ ക്രിട്ടിക്കൽ ഐ സി യൂവിൽ പ്രവേശിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന പഴയ കാല സിനിമാ താരത്തിന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിലെ ദുരൂഹതകളിൽ നിന്ന് തുടങ്ങി , disputed paternity സംഘർഷങ്ങളിലൂടെ സഞ്ചരിച്ച് അപ്രതീക്ഷിതമായ ക്ളൈമാക്സിൽ അവസാനിക്കുന്ന ഈ കേസ് തീർച്ചയായും മലയാള കുറ്റാന്വേഷണ നോവൽ ശ്രമങ്ങളിലെ ധീരമായ പരീക്ഷണം തന്നെയാണ് .

ഫോറൻസിക് ക്ലബിന്റെ ആരംഭത്തിൽ പരാമർശിക്കുന്ന നിലാവലി കേസുമായി അരുൺ ബാലൻ തിരിച്ചെത്തും എന്ന് പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചു കൊണ്ട് ..

-നിഖിലേഷ്‌ മേനോൻ

Book Review: Do You Remember ? By Freida Mcfadden

2025-06-22T00:13:00.001+05:30

'Do You Remember ?' is yet another generic thriller by Freida Mcfadden and after reading this one I can confidently say that there aren't many like Freida who can consistently deliver fast paced pop- corn reads even from the most derivative plot lines!

Do You Remember is also one of the earlier kindle works of Freida which has got a paperback version recently.The core idea is almost similar to Gillian McAllister's 'Wrong Place Wrong Time' (which came a couple of years later to this book), 'Fifty First Dates' and 'Before I go to Sleep' where the main protagonist is having memory issues. Tess Strebel, our heroine is having short term memory loss and she can retain her recent memory only for a single day. So every day, she is waking up, next to her husband Gragam with no memory of the previous day and she has to solely rely on the letters which he has written for herself to make good for the patches in her memory. Her memory is stuck seven years back at a time she was about to get engaged to her long term boy friend, Harry Finch.

If You have read 'Wrong Place Wrong Time' or seen any of the Movies which i have mentioned earlier, I hope you will get a hang of what i have tried to say and that exactly is how this fast paced thriller pan out.

This one (though pretty generic and has predictable tropes at it's disposal) moves at break-neck speed and I am pretty sure that if You have started reading this one , you won't keep it down without finishing it. This one has got one of the most stupid and implausible endings which you can ever imagine, but I kind of liked the 'newness' of it, it was so-bad-that-it was good- kind of twist, I must say!

On the whole, this one is a cheesy pop corn read which never takes itself too seriously!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: The Perfect Son By Freida Mcfadden

2025-06-21T22:37:00.002+05:30

The Perfect Son is a generic thriller from Freida Mcfadden.

The book was originally released in kindle a few years back and is out on paperback now.

A mother trying to save her son who is accused for a murder is a pretty much generic thriller trope. Though a couple of recent best- sellers from T. M logan and Gillian Mc Allister T. M Logan have had the same theme, I still picked this one up as I am a die-hard fan of the author and I will read literally anything published by the author.

Erika Cass and Jason are living a quiet happy life with their teenage son, Liam and daughter Hannah. Liam is having some childhood issues and one day he is accused of murdering his girl friend Olivia, who has suddenly gone missing. What happens next is what this thriller is all about.

The basic problem with this thriller is that nothing much really happens for a larger part of the narrative. The false red herrings dont have much of an impact and that half baked back story about Erika's father only serves to add to the length of the book. The characters are hard to sympathise with and the big climax revelation also comes across as rushed and unconvincing.

The narrative is fast paced as any other Mcfadden thriller.

On the whole, this one is pretty average stuff!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: Reels By Berly Thomas

2025-06-21T22:35:00.000+05:30

രണ്ടായിരങ്ങളുടെ ആദ്യ പാദം മുതലുള്ള ഒന്നര ദശാബ്ദത്തോളം കാലം ബ്ലോഗുലകത്തിലെ സൂപ്പർ സ്റ്റാറായിരുന്നു ബെർളി തോമസ്. പിൽകാലത്ത് അദ്ദേഹം ബ്ലോഗ് എഴുത്തു നിർത്തിയെങ്കിലും പത്ര പ്രവർത്തകൻ എന്ന നിലയിലും, നോവലിസ്റ്റ് എന്ന നിലയിലും അദ്ദേഹം സജീവമായിരുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നാലാമത്തെയോ അഞ്ചാമത്തെയോ നോവലാണെങ്കിലും ഞാൻ ആദ്യമായി വായിക്കുന്ന നോവലാണ് മനോരമ ബുക്ക്സ് പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ച റീൽസ്.

വിക്ടറും സുഹൃത്തും ഒരു പുതിയ യൂട്യൂബ് ചാനൽ തുടങ്ങുന്നു. സിനിമാ സംബന്ധിയായ ഒരു ചാനൽ ആയത് കൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ചാനലിന്റെ റീച്ച് കൂട്ടുവാൻ വേണ്ടി ഒന്ന് രണ്ട് ചെറുകിട സിനിമാ നടന്മാരെയും നടിമാരെയും അഭിമുഖം ചെയ്‌താൽ നല്ലതാകുമെന്ന് വിക്ടറും സുഹൃത്തും തീരുമാനിക്കുകയും അവർ പ്രിയങ്ക എന്ന പുതുമുഖ നടിയിലേക്ക് എത്തുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. പ്രിയങ്ക സിനിമയിൽ എത്തണം എന്ന അതിയായ ആഗ്രഹത്തോടെ തന്റെ ആദ്യ സിനിമയിൽ അവസരം ലഭിച്ച സന്തോഷത്തിലാണ്. എന്നാൽ അവിചാരിതമായി അവൾക്ക് ഒരുപാട് പ്രതിസന്ധികൾ നേരിടേണ്ടി വരുന്നു. കുടുംബത്തിൽ നിന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് തന്റെ പ്രധാന ശത്രു എന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കുന്ന അവളുടെ രക്ഷകനായി അപരിചിതനായ വിക്ടർ മാറുന്നതും തുടർന്നുണ്ടാകുന്ന സംഭവവികാസങ്ങളുമാണ് നോവലിന്റെ കാതൽ.

ജനപ്രിയമെന്നും, പൈങ്കിളി യെന്നുമെല്ലാം കൺവെൻഷനലി വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ജനുസ്സിൽപെട്ട നോവലാണ് റീൽസ് എന്ന് പറയുമ്പോഴും ഇപ്പോൾ ഇൻസ്റ്റാ ഫീഡുകളിൽ ട്രെൻഡിംഗ് ആയി ഓടിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന പലതിനേക്കാളും readability ഉള്ള നോവലാണിത് എന്നാണ് വ്യക്തിപരമായ അഭിപ്രായം. കഥാന്ത്യത്തോടുക്കുമ്പോൾ ക്‌ളീഷേകളുടെ കുത്തൊഴുക്കാണെങ്കിലും, എഴുപതുകൾ മുതൽ തന്നെ സിനിമയിലുള്ള കാസ്റ്റിങ് കൌച്ച് ഇപ്പോഴും നിർബാധം തുടരുന്നു എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞുവെക്കുന്നുണ്ട് ഈ നോവൽ.റീൽസ് എന്നാണ് ടൈറ്റിൽ എങ്കിലും ഒരു യൂട്യൂബ് ചാനൽ കടന്നു വരുന്നു ണ്ടെങ്കിലും ടൈറ്റിലുമായി വലിയ ബന്ധമൊന്നും നോവലിനില്ല.

ആകെത്തുകയിൽ ശരാശരി വായനാനുഭവം.

-നിഖിലേഷ് മേനോൻ.

Book Review: ഛായാ മരണം

2025-06-21T22:33:00.001+05:30

നാലഞ്ച് വർഷങ്ങൾക്ക് മുൻപ് പുറത്തിറങ്ങുകയും പരിമിതമായ വായന ലഭിക്കുകയും ചെയ്ത ലിറ്ററെറി മിസ്റ്ററി നോവലാണ് ഛായാ മരണം.

ഒരു ഐ ടി കമ്പനിയിൽ സംഭവിക്കുന്ന ഒരു തിരോധനം /മരണവും അതിനെ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയുള്ള അന്വേഷണവും ഒക്കെയാണ് പ്രധാന കഥാതന്തുവെങ്കിലും പ്രധാന കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളായ സിദ്ധാർത്ഥൻ, അരുണിമ, സിസിലി എന്നിവരുടെ relationship dynamics കൂടി പ്രധാന കഥയോളം തന്നെ പ്രാധാന്യത്തോടെ ഈ നോവലിൽ കടന്ന് വരുന്നുണ്ട്. ഗണിത ശാസ്ത്ര പ്രശ്നം /mathematical puzzle സോൾവ് ചെയ്യുന്നത് പോലുള്ള കുറ്റാന്വേഷണം ആണ് പുസ്തകത്തിലെങ്കിലും ഇതിലെ ഇൻവെസ്റ്റികഷൻ ഭാഗങ്ങളെക്കാളും എനിക്കിഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടത് ഈ നോവലിൻറെ ഭാഷയും ഇതിലെ character study യുമാണ്. The investigation portions and the climax revelations were a bit of a let down in my opinion.

മലയാളത്തിൽ 'literariness' ഉള്ള കുറ്റാന്വേഷണ നോവലുകൾ ഇറങ്ങുന്നില്ല /മലയാള സാഹുത്യത്തത്തെ പോപ്പുലർ ഫിക്ഷൻ കാർ എന്തോ ബലാൽ കാരം ചെയ്യുന്നു/ മലയാള ക്രൈം ഫിക്ഷൻ മുഴുവൻ വിദേശ കൃതികളുടെ അനുകരണം ആണ് എന്നൊക്കെ പരിഭവമുള്ളവർക്ക് തീർച്ചയായും വായിച്ചു നോക്കാവുന്ന പുസ്തകം.

-നിഖിലേഷ് മേനോൻ

All reactions:

The best Crime Fiction Reads of 2024

2024-12-31T22:49:00.001+05:30

It's that time of the year where we reminisce about the best and the worst of the year gone by. This is my year ended list of the year's best thriller reads of the year gone by .(Some of the books in this list released in the previous years, it's just that I managed to read them only in 2024). So, here goes the list of thrillers which really impressed me in 2024.

1) Home before Dark (Riley Sager)- This genre bender mixes elements of mystery, crime and Horror in a Victorian setting. Like most of Riley Sager's previous works, this one is a real page turner. Told in two perspectives ( the past- Ewan Holt's 'House of Horrors ' bookand the present- Maggie's present day), this one builds up intrigue and tension and comes up with a twist that is sure to blow up your perceptions until then. Some of the jump scare moments are also nicely done.So , if you are looking for a page turning mystery with a little bit of horror elements thrown in, pick this one up!

2.The Teacher (Freida Mcfadden)- is an edge-of-the-seat popcorn thriller. Eve Bennett is the Maths teacher at the local high school, Caseham High. She has a beautiful house, a fulfilling career and a super handsome husband, Nathaniel Bennett. All is as it should be. But it’s then Caseham high is rocked by a scandal involving a student teacher affair, with one student, Addie Severson , at it’s centre. The teacher involved in the scandal is disgraced and leaves the school and Addie joins the class tutored by Eve. But Eve’s real problem starts when she realizes that the troubled kid is also assigned to her husband, Nat for teaching English.

Devoid of too many characters , ‘The Teacher’ is a really engaging thriller.

The twists are hard to predict and just as you believe that you have figured out the ending , Frieda pulls the rug out from under your feet with a really surprising plot twist making this one a really addictive thriller.

3) The Final Curtain (Kiego Higashino) -is a highly entertaining read. The typical Higashino style is unmissable in the plotting, twists and the slow unravel of the mystery. Though there are quite a number of characters , this one is primarily the story of Hiromi, a former actress and Director. Her exchanges with Detective Kaga are the high points of this book (this title is also incidentally the last one in Kigashino’s Detective Kaga series).The author’s attention to detail is pretty evident in most of the crucial scenes of the book and though there are multiple story arcs in the third act, the smooth narrative makes sure that there is no unnecessary cluttering playing the spoilsport for the unassuming reader. Japan’s nuclear history also has been deftly woven into the narrative and contributes as an important plot point.

Higashino is a master of suspense.This one is a solid police procedural which blends psychological realism and hitchcockian mystery.

4) Butter (Azako Yuzuki)- Perhaps, the odd one out in this list, Butter is not your conventional pop- corn thriller, but still it finds a place in this list for it's imaginative plotting and it's rich cultural flavour. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii is convicted of the serial murders of rich businessmen who she is said to have seduced through her culinary skills. The case captures the nation's imagination and journalists are queuing up to get an interview of her but she refuses to speak to any of them till the smart Rika Machida writes a letter to her asking for her recipe for beef stew which she can't resist to write. What follows is a strange connection between the two . More of a story about hunger, food and hunger than a thriller, this one is an interesting take on the complexities of human mind and behaviour .

5)Yellow Face ( R.F Kuang)- Yet another unconventional entrant in this list, this one is a satire which reads like a thriller in the backdrop of the publishing industry.Juniper Song(June Hayward), a white author steals and rewrites an unpublished Novel by her deceased Asian- American Author friend , to become a global best selling author.

The biggest strength of Yellow Face is that it manages to hook the reader from srtart to finish. There aren’t many characters in this Novel and the story is largely told from June’s point of view. Still,there is never a dull moment in the narrative. H.Kang offers an insider’s view on the publishing industry and also manages to be a social commentary on racial stereotyping. The anxieties and insecurities of new age authors and the futility of social media discourses are also well etched out. Though the book reads like a thriller , I prefer calling this one a satire- (a ruthless and a savage one at that!) .From June’s attempts at sounding ‘more Asian’( her ‘rechristening’ as Juniper Song) to the altercation scene at the Asian writer’s workshop , the critique is unmissable, but at the same time, not all over the place.

So, this my list of the best thrillers of the year gone by.

-Nikhilesh Menon R

Book Review: The Teacher by Freida Mcfadden

2024-05-13T10:45:00.000+05:30

It’s Sunday again and I picked up yet another Freida Mcfadden.

‘The Teacher’ is the author’s first release of the year and like her previous works , this one is also an edge-of-the-seat popcorn thriller. Eve Bennett is the Maths teacher at the local high school, Caseham High. She has a beautiful house, a fulfilling career and a super handsome husband, Nathaniel Bennett. All is as it should be. But it’s then Caseham high is rocked by a scandal involving a student teacher affair, with one student, Addie Severson , at it’s centre. The teacher involved in the scandal is disgraced and leaves the school and Addie joins the class tutored by Eve. But Eve’s real problem starts when she realizes that the troubled kid is also assigned to her husband, Nat for teaching English.

Devoid of too many characters and too many perspectives over crowding and confusing the narrative , ‘The Teacher’ is a really engaging thriller. Besides Eve, Nat and Addie, there are only a handful of characters- (the school bully – Kenzie and her boy friend, Hudson being the most significant of the lot) and this works to it’s advantage as the readers are hooked to the lives of Eve and Addie for the most part.

Though this pop corn read doesn’t break any new grounds in terms of suspense, full credits to the writer for smartly using even the most conventional narrative tropes to her advantage. For instance, there is a brief portion in the book where the character of Eve, goes missing and at this point, the book could have easily fallen into the regular run-of-the-mill thriller zone, but Mcfadden doesn’t take the easier route there and the readers are rewarded with one brilliant twist after the other from there on. There is a double twist happening towards the end and though I liked the first one (the one involving Eve’s past), I didn’t like the epilogue one (the age time lines confused me there) and I believe Freida could have easily done away with the latter.

On the whole, ‘The Teacher’ is a paisa vasool pop-corn thriller and I am pretty sure that someone will make a film adaptation of this one soon!

-nikhimenon

Regional: 1980 by Anver Abdulla

2023-01-12T12:02:00.002+05:30

Though Anver Abdulla is an accomplished name in Malayalam Detective fiction (he has given us some genuinely memorable detective Novels like Compartment and Onnaam Saakshi Sethuramaiyyer), not many know that he is also a screenwriter and Director. The writer’s fascination for the film industry has been evident in some of his past work (Operation Blue Star, Republic, Camera- the Novella in ‘Kappal Chethathinte Raathry’). But it is in 1980 (his latest work and the fourth installment in the Detective Perumaal franchise), his knowledge and mastery over the visual medium has come out in full glory.

One night, an old acquaintance turns up in Detective Perumal’s house with a rather odd request- re-investigate the accidental death of the yesteryear Super Star Jagan! Jagan died almost 40 years back in the sets of a film named Padayorukkam during its Helicopter climax fight sequence shooting, which had received widespread media attention. So, when the Detective is confronted with this rather strange request, he is taken aback by the sheer absurdity of this request and he immediately dismisses it.But a rather strange turn of events forces him to go back on this decision and pretty soon Perumal finds himself in the middle of the most challenging murder investigation of his career. Will he be successful in bringing out the mystery behind one of the most ‘notorious accidents’ from the past? 1980 is the story (but not limited to ) of this latest investigation by Detective Perumal.

1980 is a work never confines within the limited realms of crime fiction .This can also be called as a a work of speculative and altered historical fiction. With almost all the characters modelled on real-life personalities and real-life events, and the author’s perspective and imagination spicing up the proceedings, it often becomes impossible to distinguish the thin line between fact and fiction. Even the enigma around the late actor Jayan’s unreleased film (Panchapaandavar, incidentally set in Bombay) which had a stellar cast of Jayan, Raghavan, Poojappura Ravi and two others gets the author’s take in 1980. The Novel also serves as an ode to the Malayalam Cinema of the 70 s and 80 s. The story also has genuine heart warming moments. The episode involving the yesteryear stunt master , and his final moments were delicately done. It is also pretty evident that the writer has also been inspired by some of the youtube interviews of yester year technicians of Malayalam and Tamil Cinema. It is remarkable that Anver Abdulla could come up with a gripping tale around an incident that shook not only the Film industry , but the whole of Indian Film Industry in the 80 s. The incident also paved the way for serious debates about the safety in the film shooting sets.

On the downside, the book also has it’s own share of cheesy moments. Some of the wild guesses of Perumal, including the speculative theory about Jagan living a secret life in America turned out to be unintentionally funny. Like wise, the portions pertaining to M.V.R’s crush with Saumini was also stretched a bit too far. Also at times, the reader finds it extremely difficult to differentaiate the real life personality from the fictional character. You also feel like Kamalhassan, Prem Nazir, MG.R, Latha , Balan K Nair, I.V Sasi, Seema et al are reprising their real life roles as fictional characters in the Novel which was some sort of dampener for the reader in me.The climax was also a bit convenient.

On the whole, these minor flaws aside, 1980 is a brilliantly written work by one of the finest writers of Detective Fiction in Malayalam.

-nikhimenon

Regional: Sakhaavu By T.Padmanabhan

2023-01-04T10:15:00.004+05:30

Prakaasham Parathunna Penkutty was one of the first short stories in Malayalam I read in my lifetime. If my memory is correct, the story was there in the Malayalam curriculum of Kerala State Syllabus in sixth or seventh grade.

T Padmanaabhan’s Sakhaavu, published by Mathrubhumi Books, is the compilation of his ten latest short stories. The book also features an interview with the author by Pradeep Perashanoor. Though most of the stories in this anthology were published in the leading weeklies of Malayalam in the past year or so, I hadn’t read any of them. So I didn’t hesitate much before buying this latest compilation.

Critics often lament in Public Forums and Social Media Platforms that stalwarts like T Padmanabhan and M.T. have lost their mojo and have, in turn, lost connection with the present-day realities. But after reading this latest work by T. Padmanabhan, I can confidently say that none of these so-called critics hasn’t probably read any of the recent works by T.P.

In most of the stories in this anthology, the author is the narrator/principal character. The black humour and wit in some of them are spot on. Be it the episode around the wannabe NRI writer in ‘ Aadyathe Novel’ or the hullabaloo ensuing in the event of a famous officer’s superannuation in ‘Manoharam’; the sarcasm is unmissable. The title story, ‘Sakhaavu,’ tries to be a commentary on present-day politics and partially succeeds in its attempt. Peerumettilekkulla Vazhi is a memory lane trip that deals with themes like immigration and self-discovery. Snehathinte Vila is about kindness and humanity, whereas Ennittu delves with second chances. Though some stories have ambiguous endings, it doesn’t make them monotonous reads.

The book is edited well and has a good production design. The cover design and the beautiful illustrations (Devaprakash) interspersed between stories also deserve special mention. The interview with the author is also genuinely exciting and manages to illuminate the writer’s perspective on the current socio-political scenario.

On the whole, ‘Sakhaavu’ is an enjoyable anthology.

Ps- In the author’s bio, it is mentioned that he had refused Odakkuzhal Award, Kerala Sahithya Academy Award and Kendra Sahithya Academy Award. I found it rather amusing. I am unaware of the circumstances for him declining the award, but if he found himself accepting those awards not worthy of his stature, why is he proclaiming the same in his bio as if refusing it is a great badge of honour?! Pathetic, to say the least!

-nikhimenon

The Ten Notable Books of 2022: Part 1

2023-01-01T19:07:00.002+05:30

It's that time of the year when everyone is scribbling down their year-ender lists, and not wanting to be left too far behind, out of the 80-odd books read in the past year, I also managed to compile my list of the best of the year gone by. (Opinions, strictly personal and based on the books read last year)

Rock Paper Scissors (Alice Feeney, HQ)

Alice Feeney's Rock Paper Scissors is one of the few genuine thrillers I have read for a long time. Adam and Amelia are spending the weekend in the Scottish Highlands. Adam is a successful screenwriter, and Amelia is his wife. The remote location is perfect for what they have planned. But can they trust each other? Twisty and engaging with a bit of horror element thrown in, this one is definitely worth your time and money!

1980 (Anver Abdulla, Mathrubhumi)

1980 is a work which can be safely bracketed as a work of speculative fiction. Inspired by the real-life accident of yester year Super Star Jayan, 1980 marked the return of Detective Perumal. An engaging mystery and an ode to the Malayalam Cinema of the 80 s, this work by Anver Abdulla can be regarded as one of the best works in the franchise. With Characters modelled on real-life personalities, the Novel also has some genuinely heartwarming moments, which makes this one much more than your typical detective story.

3. The Tattoo Murder (Akimitsu Takagi, Pushkin Vertigo)

2022 was also a year where I found a taste for vintage Japanese Crime fiction. Set in Post War Tokyo, this vintage locked room Japanese mystery is the story of three cursed tattoos and the series of murders connected with them. Though the core story might have gotten dated a bit, the backdrop of Seedy Tokyo, dive bars and Yakuza Gangs makes this one a worthy read.

Aanandha Bhaaram (Jisa Jose, Mathrubhumi)

In a year which saw a slew of below-par works which tried to compensate for their hollowness with fake female centricity, Aanandhabhaaram, stood out for its genuine writing and believable characters. Rathnamekhala and Parimalam were real, and their miseries were relatable. The Novel also had many heartwarming moments, and the ending was quite satisfying. Mudritha indeed got its worthy successor in AanandhaBhaaram.

The Trees (Percival Everett, Influx press)

Perhaps the bluntest and the most provocative books of this lot, this black comedy was short-listed in this year's Man Booker Prize. A series of murders are happening in a small town in Mississippi, and two State Detectives are brought in to investigate the same. This page-turning potent Satire of U.S. racism is a challenging yet racy read. Though this one is packaged as a regular Murder Mystery, its themes are pertinent and thought-provoking.

(The Second Part of this post will be post will be published tomorrow)

-nikhimenon

The Third Wife By Lisa jewell

2022-12-10T13:30:00.004+05:30

The Third Wife is one of the earlier works by Lisa Jewell and came out in 2014, i.e., much before she made it big with psychological and domestic crime fiction. This one almost reads like a cross-over work and cannot be categorized into one genre, per se. It's a domestic drama with some crime and psychological thriller elements.

The protagonist, Adrian, lost his third wife (Maya) to an accident. He is still coping with the tragedy, but then he stumbles upon another woman, Jane, who mysteriously leaves behind her phone in his house and suddenly disappears. But pretty soon, it becomes clear that she might have had something to do with Maya's death and how Adrian, with the help of his 'extended family and Children, tries to solve the secret behind the mystery girl is what The Third Wife is all about.

With a rather implausible and unbelievable plot, The Third Wife could have quickly become a work that could top anyone's DNF (did not finish) list, but thanks to Jewell's impeccable skills, this one ends up as a page-turner.

Adrian is one of the most unlikeable characters I have come across recently, and the premise around his extended family feels like a bit of a stretch. The book explores Adrian's transformation from a selfish, self-centered man to a more mature and considerate human being and could have quickly become a boring read. Still, the mystery around Jane and Maya keeps the proceedings interesting. The final reveal might be a bit underwhelming, but by the time the reader has figured out what is happening, the Novel reaches its climax, and full marks to Lisa for maintaining the suspense intact. The author has handled the core themes of stalking, cyberbullying, and shared responsibilities maturely and sensitively.

Coming to the negatives, as I mentioned earlier, this one is essentially a family drama. The climax portions involving Adrian's children and their secret letters try desperately to manipulate the readers emotionally and end up as cringe-worthy stuff. There are very few characters in the story who are relatable and believable. The mystery around Jane and her stalking Adrian comes a cropper, and by the time you get to know the real reason 'behind' her acts, you can't help thinking about the silliness of it all! There is also too much 'feel-goodness' in the middle portions of the Novel, which makes some of the final revelations in the climax predictable stuff.

On the whole, The Third Wife is an okay read. It's not your typical psychological thriller. If a passable domestic drama with a little bit of mystery is your kind of read, then do give this one a try!

-nikhimenon

Adulting by Neharika Gupta

2022-12-04T22:28:00.005+05:30

There was a time when I used to relish escapist urban chick lit works by Indian Authors. The likes of Advaita Kala, Ahmed Faiyas, and Durjoy Dutta came to my rescue whenever I used to suffer from reader's block. For that matter, I had even enjoyed the then-teen sensation Kavya Vishwanathan's How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, got wild, and got a life (which incidentally was pulled off the shelves due to plagiarism charges).

I picked up Adulting by Neharika Guptha, expecting it to be an entertaining young urban chick lit. The cover was somewhat attractive, and the blurb promised a 'Bold, unapologetic story of love and self-discovery, heartache, and book launches. Harper Collins had put faith in a debutant Indian author was another bait for picking up this one. Also, it's cool to get indulged in reading about rich people's problems once in a while, right?

The principal characters are Aisha, a famous blogger; Ruhi, a publishing consultant and Tejas, a budding author. The snail-paced plot tries to trace their lives, ambitions, and love life.

With bland, unlikeable characters, tedious scenes, and an unimaginative setting, Adulting suffers from pacing issues and a flimsy plot. The writer herself seems confused about the core theme of the book, and the narrative drags aimlessly, trying to fit in so many themes topically, parenting, the cut-throat world of trade publishing, urban love, and body issues with none managing to leave any kind of impression with the hapless reader. Pages and Pages of boring text ensue, and even the love triangle involving Ruhi-Tejas-Aisha comes a cropper. The insipid journal entries by Aisha only serve to add to the boredom. The track involving the writer, Litracy Publishing House and the writer's block also comes across as half baked and monotonous and the reader never gets to sympathise with the predicaments of Tejas.

On the whole, I picked up this one expecting to read a fun, Indian Chick-lit after a long time. Sad that I couldn't even finish this one published by Harper Collins.Also, I don't think I will pick up an Indian Chick-lit any time in the near future, again!

Ps- Why the title, by the way?

-nikhimenon

Sesishi Yokomizo's The Inugami Curse

2022-12-01T16:47:00.000+05:30

Thanks to the overnight success of the English Translations of kiego Higashino, many forgotten classics from Japanese Mystery have started finding their way to global readers. The efforts of Pushkin Vertigo in reviving many of the forgotten Japanese classic murder mysteries and presenting them to bibliophiles worldwide are also worth mentioning.

Since this one is a mystery, and I don't wish to spoil the fun for those who are yet to read it, I am not going much into the plot details. But if you ask me to brief a bit, here it is- The story is set in the 40 s, the wealthy head of the Inugami clan has just died, and his family is eagerly waiting for the reading of his will. But a series of bizarre, graphic murders ensue, and how these all are connected with Inugami's will and his past is what the Novel is about.

Though this work is almost 82+ years old, it has to be noted that it hasn't become outdated. The twists and turns feel fresh, and not even during the narrative can the reader feel that the whole story is happening in an era where mobile phones and modern gizmos were unheard of. It is also recalled that even though this work was written a long time ago, that hasn't given way to any jarring plotholes in the narrative. Though I have had this book with me for almost a year now, I had so far refrained from picking it up to read as I had anticipated this one to be a confusing mystery. Still, I am glad this one ended up as a pretty straightforward, engaging Mystery for me. Special thanks to the Publishers for including the character list upfront so those who might find it difficult to follow the character names can use this as a ready reckoner. The translation is quite good, and special mention the efforts taken by Yumiko Yamazaki for making this an enjoyable read for present-day readers. The backdrop of the War and Japanese tradition also comes across nicely in the Novel.

On the downside, I found the climax revelation slightly underwhelming. Agreed, all the loose ends have been tied up, but still, the villain's identity didn't come as a shocker to me.

Overall, The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo, Published by Pushkin Vertigo, is engaging. If you love Mystery thrillers, you should try this one.

-nikhimenon

Regional: A.K by Amith Kumar

2022-11-18T07:06:00.006+05:30

Despite Financial Thrillers being a sensation globally, not many authors from India have tried this exciting sub-genre. Though Ravi Subramanian and Ashwin Sanghi are notable exceptions, it is ironic that not many present-day authors have attempted anything related to financial fraud. This becomes more startling, considering that some of the present-day best-selling authors have a professional background in the Banking field. Ashish Ben Ajay's first two Novels had a banker as their protagonist, but I believe it is unfair to call them financial thrillers as corporate/financial frauds were not precisely the core plot points in either of them.

A.K, written by Amith Kumar and published by Logos books, aspires to be a legitimate banking thriller and depicts two significant episodes in the life of A.K and his deputy H.M. They work in the financial fraud investigation division of a Corporate Bank. A large-scale Gold Loan fraud has happened in one of the branches of the Bank, and the duo is sent there to investigate the matter and find a solution so that the Bank doesn't have to solicit the services of the Police. How they go about it and whether they manage to pin down the fraudsters is what the Novel is all about.

Coming to the positives, as mentioned before, this one is perhaps the most legitimate financial thriller to have come out in Malayalam in recent times. The narrative is smooth and gripping, and the writer has smartly avoided most cliches usually associated with the genre. This is no murder investigation to begin with (though something is happening towards the fag end of the story), and this alone adds to the freshness in the story. The setting feels fresh and relatable, and Amith Kumar has successfully included many interesting tidbits about the banking sector in the story. Twists and turns happen at regular intervals, and the book's tone also suits the genre. Though a significant portion of the book occurs in a closed setting with serial interrogations and the accompanying leads, the writer has managed to make the proceedings racy to a large extent. A.K. and H.M. come across as Holmes & Watson clones in a corporate bank setting. The occasional banter they indulge in (mainly concerning food and a few fellow characters) tries to make the proceedings light.

On the downside, one major issue I found with the book is the bland language and the overuse of local slang in the main text (nondialogue portions). Typos, grammatical errors, and incorrect usage of words are plenty and some of the dialogues that are supposed to sound 'heroic' end up cringe-worthy! The occasional attempts at humor and world play (including the one involving the protagonist's name, quite early on in the story) also fall flat and feel unnecessary. Also, I thought the dialogue mouthed by the principal characters could have been significantly improved. Though the writer has smartly tried to justify A.K.'s inability to speak in 'sanitised Malayalam' towards the Novel's closing pages, the inconsistent slang and the pointless cuss words he used don't gel well with the intended characterization of the protagonist. The introductory scene meant to establish A.K.'s intelligence and cunningness also fails to achieve the desired effect, as a large portion of the 'solution' seems to have happened by chance!

On the whole, A.K does have its flaws, but it is genuinely a decent read and deserves mention for trying out a sub-genre that hasn't been explored that much in the recent Malayalam Popular Fiction space in recent times!

-nikhimenon

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

2022-10-12T14:00:00.001+05:30

Though this one had been on my wishlist for quite a long time, I had almost refrained from picking it up as I had almost thought this one was a parody novel. The title sounded quite similar to another International Best Seller (The Family Upstairs- Lisa Jewell), and the author also seemed like the namesake of another Best Selling Author (Paula Hawkins). But a little bit of googling told me that the author is already a known name in young adult paranormal romance, and it’s just that this particular title is her debut work in adult fiction.

Set in Birmingham, Alabama, and narrated from multiple perspectives, The Wife Upstairs is the story of Jane, a broke, small-town girl with a past who is now a dog walker in an upscale neighborhood. She chances upon Eddie, the rich widowed millionaire, and love blossoms between the two, and Jane cannot believe her luck when she proposes to her. Bea, Eddie’s first wife, had died in a tragic boat accident with her best friend Blanche a couple of months ago while they were on a girl’s out during the weekend. But pretty soon, Jane realizes that it had all been a farce and Eddie might have had something to do with their death. So, is she in real danger?

Besides Jane, Eddie and Bea, there are only a few characters in this 250+ pages Novel. We have Tripp, Blanche’s drunkard husband; Emelie and Co- the posh, rich, gossipy wives in the neighborhood whom Jane befriends; John, Jane’s former tenant and who is nothing but a creep and the Detective who turns up with strange questions just before each significant plot twist. None of the characters are likable, and ironically, I could feel a little bit of sympathy for Trip Ingram, who is portrayed as a drunkard and a perpetual nuisance in the neighborhood.

Though pretty generic, the book is well-paced, and the multiple narrative technique has come out quite well. Hawkins has managed to retain the suspense for a larger part of the narrative with limited characters. The twists though a few, are done decently, but I must confess that I had figured out the final reveal (which was also a bit underwhelming) before the author intended it. Though the writer has tried to portray Jane as someone with a dark past, by the time this supposedly ‘dark past’ is revealed, you can’t stop asking what the big deal was about it all, though! But having said that, I liked how Hawkins drew parallels between Bea and Jane. The climax also felt abrupt, and the author seemed unconvinced to take sides.

On the whole, The Wife Upstairs is an average thriller. It’s nothing extraordinary, but not bad, either!

-nikhimenon

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

2022-10-08T09:19:00.003+05:30

Alice Feeney's Rock Paper Scissors is one of the few genuine thrillers I have read for a long time.

Adam and Amelia are spending the weekend in the Scottish Highlands. Adam is a successful screenwriter, and Amelia is his wife. The remote location is perfect for what they have planned. But can they trust each other?

Though none of the protagonists, be it Adam or Amelia, are likable characters, I think the author is justified as he has made up for it with the twists which happen towards the climax and explains why they are written the way they are.

As mentioned earlier, though there are only a handful of characters in this 300+ page-long thriller, the author gets full marks for making this one genuinely entertaining with the suspense intact. There are a couple of killer twists she has reserved for the climax, and the moment you think that you have figured it out, Feeney pulls the rug under your feet with yet another killer twist. The tail end portion with a tinge of horror is also dealt with nicely.

Coming to the characters, though there are only a few, it's the character of Henry Winter, the best-selling writer, who gets the reader's sympathy. Though in the initial portions, he appears to be a self-centered man who is full of himself, how the character gets revealed towards the climatic parts of the book blew me away. I think Robin, the hermit, also evokes similar feelings in the mind of the readers. Though she comes across as a lady with evil intentions, initially, you start rooting for her once the mystery about her is revealed. Though some of her actions are genuinely questionable, it doesn't matter as the author has managed to make her convincing to a more significant part of the narrative. The writing is fast-paced and is peppered with twists at regular intervals. Full credit goes to the writer for getting the atmosphere right. The Scottish Highlands, the converted Chapel, and the setting have come across well and set the Novel's mood right from the beginning.

On the downside, some of the great reveals were a bit contrived. The mystery around the disappearance of an internationally acclaimed best-selling author like Henry Winter was pretty hard to digest. Though Feeney has tried to make it sound convincing by making him an introvert and hermit, the supposedly shocking twist surrounding him became a cropper just because it appeared silly and illogical.

On the whole, this one is an entertaining read.

-nikhimenon

Harlan Coben's Win

2022-10-05T16:39:00.001+05:30

Harlan Coben's runaway success was with the Myron Bolitar Series, which first came out in the mid-nineties. Myron Bolitar, the handsome former Basket Ball Player and superstar sports agent, is now 11 books old. Bolitar's partner and accomplice, Windsor Horne Lockwood III, the eccentric, philandering Millionaire, gets his first stand-alone Novel in Win.

On Newyork's Upper West Side, a hermit is found murdered. The investigating officers have yet to find his identity,but Windor Horne Lockwood (Win) is called to the crime scene, as some of the articles the victim left behind seem to have a personal connection with him. Pretty soon, Win figures out that the crime has a connection with not only him but also his cousin, Patricia. With so much at stake, including his family's reputation and personal fortune, Win decides to solve the mystery in this fast-paced thriller.

True to his style, Coben has delivered a solid thriller with Win. The plot twists keep coming at regular intervals, and there is never a dull moment in this 400+ page long Novel. The fans of the Myron Bolitar series will definitely enjoy reading more about their favorite sidekick's adventures. Those who regularly follow the series might recall that Windsor Lockwood III has always been an anti-hero who doesn't hesitate to give a punch, even at the cost of being politically incorrect. Full credit goes to the writer for not diluting his character trait to make him a bit more likable, as he is the protagonist here. You get Win, as he is! In the intro sequence (with that terrific scene at Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium), Coben establishes his protagonist and his ways with great success.

As mentioned before, this one is a genuine page-turner, and as the secrets of the Windsor Family are revealed one by one, the reader is also aghast along with Win. The climax is also brilliantly done with all the loose ends getting tied up. The supporting characters in the Novel are also etched out well.

On the downside, the pace slackens towards the middle of the story, and some cliffhangers didn't work that well for me.

On the whole, this one is a paisa vasool thriller which is racy and entertaining.

-nikhimenon

Ultrashort Book Review: Death of the Eyes by Pallichal Rajamohanan

2022-10-04T15:43:00.004+05:30

This one is a classic case of gimmicks spoiling the readability of a book. This is a thriller about a girl getting abducted , the investigation that ensues, and what happens eventually. But with a bland narrative, plastic characters, and a gimmicky find your clue at the end of each chapter trope which seriously hampers the readability and relegates the whole proceedings as a childish attempt, this supposed crime thriller ends up as an epic misfire. The cheesy title, which apparently refers to the villain's evil intentions, refers to Eyes and not Ice! (In fact, I figured this out only when I had a second look at the tagline after finishing with the book)

I had a hard time finishing this one; maybe you might enjoy this one if your idea of a crime thriller is cracking a ‘ Sheruvinu Vazhikaattuka’ kind of activity at the end of each chapter!

Skip this one!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

2022-10-03T22:02:00.005+05:30

When your previous work is a Global Best Seller, you are likely to get confused when you are about to start with your follow-up Novel. On the one hand, there will be tremendous pressure to churn out something similar to your previous work so that Your fans don’t get disappointed. At the same time, the creator in you might constantly be nudging you to try out something drastically different. This constant tussle can put you into a tricky conundrum. Lucy Foley, the author of last year’s global hit, ‘Guest List,’ is back with her follow-up work,’ The Paris Apartment.’ When I picked up this Novel, I had kept my expectations considerably low as the previous experience with another follow-up Novel was still fresh in my mind (The Maidens).

So, has Foley given us a decent enough thriller after her global success? Though this blog post is going to be strictly about that, for those readers out there with limited patience to go through this long post, here is my take- the author has succeeded in finding the right balance between retaining the flavor of her previous smash hit and, bestowing a distinct identity, for her follow-up work in ‘The Paris Apartment.’

Told from multiple perspectives, ‘The Paris Apartment’ might not be entirely fresh, but it is undoubtedly an entertaining read. As the title suggests, the setting is an upmarket Apartment in Paris. We are introduced to Jess, who came to Paris from London for a fresh start. She is half-sister of Ben, who had recently moved in here on the persuasion of his childhood friend, Nick. Jess has had some run-ins with the law in her home country, and she has moved to Paris to start a new life here with the help of her half-brother. But when she reaches her brother’s rented Apartment, she is aghast to find that he has suddenly gone missing but not before leaving clues in the form of a WhatsApp voice message. The other inhabitants of the swanky Apartment, except for Ben’s old friend Nick, seem unwelcomed by her presence, and pretty soon, she discovers that each one of them is hiding skeletons in their closet. What happened to Ben and how Jess manages to solve the mystery is all this Novel is about. Old Love, Family Secrets, and a Past Crime catch up in this page-turner.

The plot structure and the narrative style of Paris Apartment are pretty much similar to Guest List. We have a host of characters in a closed setting, and the story is told from multiple perspectives. Right from the beginning, the reader feels that something sinister has happened somewhere but just as in ‘Guest List’ till the Novel reaches its third act, the author cleverly conceals the ‘who’ and ‘what’ of the central suspense. The chapters are short, but the detailing is apt, with the reader getting a vivid description of Paris and the posh Apartment where the story unravels. I liked how each incident is narrated from different perspectives and how the author has tried to build anticipation. Agreed, some of the cliffhanger endings fall flat, and the reader rightly feels cheated when the ‘other side is unfolded in the very next chapter.

One major issue I have with the book is that the core suspense in the tale is not that fresh, and if you are a genuine fan of this genre, there is a high chance that you figured it out much before the author intended it! Also, some of the attempts by the author to pull off thrills fall flat. Most initial chapters had (silly) red herrings, which were annoying after a point. Common, what is the point in creating so much drama in each chapter when you already know that nothing much is going to happen in the very next chapter? Ben, Jess, Concierge, Sophie, Antonie, and Mimi are some of the other characters in the story, and none of them, including the protagonist, are likable, to be honest. Infact Jess also behaves in a pretty idiotic manner at times. Also, towards the climax, the author seems confused about the choice of ‘villains’ in her story!

Overall, The Paris Apartment is a fast-paced but passeable thriller. It’s not bad, but not that great either!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: Nameless Malayalam Cinematic Thriller by a Debutant Author

2022-08-29T10:49:00.005+05:30

(I am masking the name of the book and the author as I don’t want to hurt the sentiments of any)

The other day, I had the misfortune of reading this so-called thriller by a debutant author. The plot is somewhat like this- random men across the state are being targeted by a mysterious lady who seems to be someone settled abroad. The lady has got a strange modus operandi – she fakes love and, in the pretext of having a rendezvous, gets these men to board a car and reach her place of stay. The bodies start piling up pretty soon, and the investigation team is on the run to find the Killer.

With a pretty generic plot setting up the tone for this supposedly cinematic mystery thriller, the least you expect are a couple of exciting twists and turns which can hook you onto the proceedings. But writing with absolutely zero conviction and subpar narrative coherence, this one turns out to be one epic mess and ends up a complete waste of your time and money.

Now, picture this. This one is a mystery thriller, and the principal investigating officer mouths this gem of dialogue towards the last page of this novel (when he is asked by another character how he managed to catch the Killer)-

“ഇതൊക്കെ എങ്ങനെ കണ്ടെത്തി ______? (how did you manage to capture the Killer?)

“അതൊന്നും എനിക്കും അറിയില്ല സർ . എങ്ങനെയോ കണ്ടെത്തി എന്ന് വേണം പറയാൻ !” (I don’t know sir, I found out somehow!)

The characters in this wannabe thriller are equally dumb and outright stupid. The supposedly evil men are so dumb that they are even willing to get into the car and proceed to some unknown destination on the persuasion of some random males with the sole hope of hooking up with their secret lover! The lesser said about the basic plot, the better it is. The entire revelation and the backstory preceding it would have made for a blockbuster had it come out a good 50 years back!

At 112 pages, this one is an epic misfire! Replete with grammatical, typesetting, formatting, and punctuation errors and giving scant regard to the time and money spent by the average reader, books like this serve no one. And, I honestly don’t believe we are doing a favor to the language or the habit of reading in general by encouraging efforts like this!

Pathetic, to say the least!

-nikhimenon