A(NU) Thought

A Fatal Distraction by Samyukta Bhowmick, published by Juggernaut , is an engaging crime thriller centered around a series of murders. The title itself, meaning "a situation where someone is killed due to a distraction," perfectly summarizes the essence of the story. The plot kicks off with the murder of Dhritiman Bhattacharya, a beloved editor of a tabloid with seemingly no enemies. As the investigation unfolds, Mridula and Monami, two journalists, take the lead, only to encounter another shocking murder—that of Anika, who assumingly had several enemies. What stands out is the dynamic partnership between the two women—Mridula, middle-aged and wise, and Monami, youthful and energetic. Their collaboration brilliantly showcases how Millennials and Gen Z can combine their strengths to achieve great results. Their journey through the investigation is captivating and adds depth to the narrative.

Book : A Useful Death Author : Sriram Chellapilla Publication: Westland Books A Useful Death – sounds like an intriguing title, isn’t it?   The plot is indeed as captivating as the title appears to be.   Authored by Sriram Chellapilla, A Useful Death, published by Westland Books, is a murder mystery set in Hyderabad. A young girl commits suicide and there are several people from an influential family who would have driven her into it. The protagonist, Partha is up to find the truth, but when he and his team digs deeper, they realise there’s a lot more than just what appears on the surface. The journey to deciphering the truth is interesting.  

Book : In Love with Simran Author : Kulpreet Yadav Publication: Srishti Publishers & Distributors In Love with Simran is supposed to be a romantic thriller, authored by Kulpreet Yadav. It starts with Simran, protagonist – Sanjana’s best friend being murdered. Sanjana decides to bring the murderer to justice; and in that quest she quits her academics, hires a detective and does a whole lot of jassosi  and ends up falling in love with the supposed culprit Nik Sethi.  Meanwhile two more murders take place with the same weapon. There are a few characters in the book to be considered under suspicion - Ruby, Nik, Nik’s mother Rajbala.

Pic Credit:  Varun N Rao Book : Sniper’s Eye Author : Mainak Dhar Publication: 4 Hour Press “Are you sure the one whom you trust the most is worthy of it?” In midst of umpteen thrillers based on terrorism, Indo-Pak issue etc. Sniper’s Eye is a fast-paced, high on adrenaline, short and a refreshing action thriller.   I have always been a fan of this genre and never feel like putting a book down at the end of the day.   The adrenaline rush it pumps is worth missing out on your sleep for few hours. Well known writers such as Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum etc. fuelled my thirst for fast-paced, action thrillers before and Mainak Dhar is topping my list with Sniper’s Eye.

Book: Tree Bears Witness Author: Sharath Komarraju Publication: Westland Books Wise is the one who doesn’t get influenced by anything…even by the truth Tree Bears Witness (TBW), the name says it all. This Birbal mystery by Sharath Komarraju is an engaging suspense book. The building of the plot in interesting it keeps; as a reader you are compelled to get your grey cells to work. Usually while reading a suspense book, we tend to get involved, we tend to get into this invisible race, to solve the mystery before we reach the conclusion. When you are unable to do that, accurately, you know that you have invested your time in a good book. The surprise element!!

Book: Fragments - A Collection of Short Stories Author: Janaki Nagaraj Publication: Self Published Life is made up of big and small moments, rather memories that stay with us for a very long time. A collection of short stories is more or less similar to that. Different memories, different thoughts all woven in a string, together. Fragments is the debut book of the author Janaki Nagaraj, it is a collection of 13 short stories that covers different aspects of life. The first story ‘The Ritual’ – a murder mystery is indeed a psychotic thriller. It has unexpected twists and is the best among the lot. The next story ‘The Homecoming’ is about a father - son relationship, it is soft-hearted story. It could have been more elaborate on the state of mind of the father, who is a soldier back from war field.

The Mahabharata Murders: Dark & Fast Paced Murder Mystery Book: The Mahabharata Murders   Author: Arnab Ray Publisher: Juggernaut The beauty of a murder mystery is that it keeps the reader engaged and thinking in parallel, as the story proceeds. The Mahabharata Murders (TMM) by Arnab Ray is no different, at least not in this sense. Like a good thriller, it keeps the reader thinking about the mystery killer, his choice of modus operandi and potential motives. The narration and the plot are the heroes here. A definite a page – turner!