A young police officer, Satyadeb Halder, is tasked with the job of solving two murders in the neighbourhood he has grown up in. One of the daughters of the wealthy Mitra household has been killed, garroted viciously in her bed. A few days later, the family's maid meets with the same fate. As he dives deeper into the investigation, Satyadeb discovers many unexplained deaths and a link between his own family and that of the dead women. The police officer must journey back into the past to join the dots and find the killer.
Murders in Kolkata 26 by Anisha Bhaduri, available on the Juggernaut Books app and Amazon Kindle, is an interesting, short read. What I really really liked about the novella are the descriptions of a part of Kolkata I am familiar with. The author takes readers through the lanes and by lanes of Bhowanipore drawing vivid word pictures of the lifestyles of the rich and the not-so-rich with their quirks and oddities.
A few typos aside, the language has a lyrical quality about it. While the climax felt a bit rushed (I’d have liked more of a suspense build-up and a better understanding of the characters’ motives and backstories), there was just the right amount of surprise thrown in. There was a lot in the novella that I could personally relate to – so full marks for convincing characterization and creation of atmosphere.
Will look forward to your book reviews. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Dipti! I'm sorry for the late response but for some reason, the browser was not letting me post a reply. Had to change the browser.
DeleteSounds like an interesting read. Love the cover, so intriguing and captivating. Feel like painting.
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting read Tarang. You should paint it. I am sure you will do a fabulous job :)
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