Monday, September 8, 2014

Private India - Book review

When one of the greatest authors in the world comes together with one of the best Indian authors, you expect not just a great book, but a book that will change your lives. I am talking about James Patterson, author of the riveting "Alex Cross" and "Women's Murder Club" series and Ashwin Sanghi, author of mythological thrillers like "The Krishna Key" and "Chanakya's Chant" . The book in question is "Private India" and is a part of James Patterson's "Private" series.



The book is about a serial killer committing non-stop murders in Mumbai. His targets are successful independent women and his murders are ritualistic in terms of their nature. "Private India" is the detective agency assigned to catch the killer and it is headed by Santosh Wagh - a man with a very troubled past. He is ably supported by Nisha Gandhe, an ex-CID officer. The rest of his team includes Mubeen, a forensic investigator and Hari, a computer wizard. There is also ACP Rupesh Desai, who used to be Santosh's best friend at one time. Now they have fallen apart and don’t even like to talk to each other. However, the reason behind their fall-out is revealed later in the book and it is quite the surprise. 

The plot is quite similar to a Bollywood movie which starred a “serial kisser” actor in the lead and came out a few years ago. It can be easily guessed which movie I am talking about. However in spite of the similarities, the book keeps you on the hook. You just want to keep on reading and reading till you get to know who the killer is.

While the book runs at a breakneck speed and you are not just able put it down, there is something which is still missing. There is a terrorism sub-plot running which you hardly care for. The only things you want to know are 1) who is the killer and 2)why is he killing. Anything else is just a hurdle which you have to quickly jump through. The twist before the climax is truly a shocking one and readers might need a minute or two to take in the identity of the killer.


Other than the main characters, the book also includes a corrupt god-man, greedy government officials and NGO workers, a little bit of bollywood and even an underworld don. All in all, the book is like a “masala” hindi movie with all the right ingredients. It surely won’t be a surprise if this movie is turned into a movie soon! 

A big plus point of the book is that the identity of the killer is a huge surprise and is bound to take the readers by shock. Private India can be classified as "pure entertainment" and the loopholes are meant to be ignored. This is no literary fiction because it is not meant to be. This book is highly recommended for people who are looking for a fast-paced read or are in love with mystery and suspense novels. 

Rating - 3.5/5


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