The Madras Affair
by Sundari Venkatraman
Genre: Romance/Mystery


Sangita runs an NGO for downtrodden women in Madras. What motivated her to start one? When she is interviewed, the story is narrated in flashback. As we read on, we realise we really don't know Sangita or her family and are taken on a journey of her life. Enter Gautam Sinclair, who is an Indian-American, a Hindu-Christian - the man with hyphenated identities and handsome man who falls for Sangita and speaks Tamil and English with an American accent. If you expect her to be swept off her feet, it is more like he falls flat for her. There is a problem - Sangita refuses to marry him because she is absolutely scared of sex. What is the trauma that makes her flee from a physical relationship with Gautam Sinclair whom she adores and kisses madly but freezes if he tries to take it to the next level? Will they get married at all?

The author allows us a peak into the conservative culture of Madras, the music, the sounds, the people who  dream silently but live differently, the chaotic patriarchal system where the girl is a goddess and a victim to neighbour gossip, the relatives who use connections, etc.  The culture is familiar - everything from aiyo to thayir sadam that it makes you grin. If you are a reader who is looking for a romance with a dash of suspense to curl up with, I would recommend this book.

Move over Daniel Steele and Nora Roberts, we have our own Sundari Venkatraman.

You can buy the book here

The Rigveda Code - book review

The Rigveda Code
by Rashmi Chendvankar
Genre: Historical Fiction

 Rikshavi is a talented young girl. An intuitive archer, she is the princess of the ancient and powerful kingdom of Vrij. She grows to be a strategist while she gives up being a princess. What has this got to do with the Rigveda Code and what is it anyway?  Chendvankar manages to keep the reader interested with twists and turns and finally ending it with a surprise which the reader never expects.  

Her writing style is crisp and clear. The pace is unexpected and one wonders why even now, we are unable to follow the system so clearly laid out in the first republic - the Licchavi Republic which according to the ASI dates back to the 6th century BC in Bihar.

It is also a political commentary on issues we face today - justice for the common people and the inequality of power among states-now - the increased centralization of power as states are fast losing their individuality and continuous erosion of powers of states. While India was conceived as a country based on "unity in diversity" and decentralization of power much like the ancient Lichavvi Republic but we are heading towards "One country, one culture."much like the kingdoms that preceded it.  But what has this got to do with the Rigveda Code? Read the book to find out. 

 

You can buy it here

 

Tell A Thousand Lies - book review

Tell a Thousand Lies
by Rasana Atreya
Genre: Fiction

A widowed grandmother is saddled with three grand daughters -  older one named Malli and her twin sisters -Pullamma and Lata. Her daughter dies giving birth to the twins while her son-in-law runs away from the responsibility of being a father in search of  God to the Himalayas. The strong spirited grandmother raises her grand daughters. There is a problem however. Malli and Lata are the pretty ones but Pullamma is dark skinned like her dead grand father.So according to the grandmother's friends getting Malli and Lata married off won't be tough but what to do with Pullamma ? Some suggest it is just as well she was born dark that she can take care of the grandmother when she grows old as marriage is next to impossible.

Though twins, Pullamma and Lata are completely different. Pullamma is a tall, gawky teenager who doesn't mind being teased though she makes a promise to herself that when she has children,she would give her children, beautiful names. She has no great ambitions but is well aware of her grandmother's hardships and tries her best to help out by doing most of the chores. Her twin, Lata on the other hand is pretty, wants a career and doesn't want to be married or do chores. Malli's bride viewing is to take place. Enter Kondal Rao, a politician and husband of the grandmother's best friend and Pullamma's life is turned upside down.

From a small village in Andra Pradesh to Hyderabad, from Bangalore to all over the place, the story of Pullamma is the story of  many women in India. It is also a story about how Indian women despite all the crap piled on them overcome adversity and remain strong.I noticed many reviewers had stated this could happen only in rural India. Hanh! This happens all over India  even today - in cities, towns and villages. Except they have been given new names - dowry has become gifts, skin colour is now glow/complexion. Sure, girls have made strides in education beating the boys and literacy rate has gone up but they do both work and "homework". As for politics and politicians, to this day it happens in India and across the world - manipulation of people's lives without their knowing it.

This book made me laugh and cry, something no book has done in a long time. It reminded me of so many women who I used to know as a kid and as a teen, made me pause to think what they all might have gone through despite living in villages, towns and cities. At that time, I used to think they were being rude  to someone I knew but considering how a widow had to become a man overnight to take care of the family and even now is not allowed to participate in so called auspicious rituals, the book made me understand why some women behave the way they do  even though they were extremely progressive in their views.

The writing is clear, focused and the turns unexpected. It is one heck of an emotional ride - realistic, warm, sad, shocking, loving and logical. That is a hard feat to pull off. I look forward to the author's next books in 2021.

I suggest all Indians, especially Indian women buy and read it.

To buy the book, click here

Leave the World Behind - book review

 

 

 

Leave The World Behind
By Rumaan Alam
Harper Collins, 2020

Amanda and Clay and their two teenage kids head out from their busy, cramped lives in New York to a lazy, roomy holiday in Long Island. They are delighted with the house they are renting and the quietness of their surroundings. They are happy to leave the world behind as they cannot be reached even by their mobile phones. The kids are reading and swimming. Amanda and Clay manage to find each other. After a couple of days, they hear a knock at midnight that scares the couple. They open to find that it is the owner of the house and his wife - an elderly black couple who wish to stay the night in their own home. Amanda is suspicious and all her racist thoughts come to the fore before she realizes they are the owners. Then all things go crazy. The TV has no signal and all of them hear a loud noise. The two families are scared out of their wits and do not know what is going on. The teens are unaffected even though they do get scared when seven flamingos land in their pool. How do the two families get on? Do they get on? How do the kids react if they react at all forms the rest of the story.

This book reminded me of eating something delicious. In the beginning, you lick your fingers at the tasty frosting/topping and the insightful way the author describes the world of Amanda and Clay, especially their car. You can easily visualize Amanda, Clay and their children Archie and Rose. Then when G.H. Washington and Ruth make an appearance, you are made to wonder what is happening in the world. Can we really leave the world behind? There are several humourous moments but the suspense keeps dragging on. Then the bottom dropped out or rather I realised the book was over but the suspense was not explained away. It was disappointing that all I had left were crumbs while the questions remained. What was the noise? Why did the Archie's teeth just fall off and why was he bleeding after they all heard the noise? Is he okay? Are Ruth's grandsons okay? Does the noise affect only boys or was it completely unconnected with it all? Does Rose get back home? What did she know that the rest of the characters including the reader doesn't?

The writing style is crisp keeping the story suspenseful.Alam doesn't end the story in the traditional way which leaves you unsatisfied as you want all stories to have a beginning, middle and end. Reading it during the pandemic which one doesn't know how it is going to end, maybe this sort of ending makes sense. Leaves you philosophical but angry at ourselves. Why are humans not like trees? Why do we claim so much of the living earth and kill everything in the process of our small journey here called life? Is this how it is going to end for all of us as we keep ignoring facts about climate change and the temporary nature of lives? In the blimp that we call life, why do we hate, kill, support conflict, terrorise the earth and each other? Why do we live as if we are here forever when we know we will be gone in a blimp?

If you would like to buy the book, go click on the link here

A great weekend read

The Paatala Prophecy Son of Bhrigu
by Christopher C. Doyle
Genre : Fiction

This is the first book of the Paatala Prophecy series. Son of Bhrigu refers to Shukracharya - the Guru of Asuras. I had put this aside because of the title.Two days ago, I decided to read it finally as I had not read Doyle for a long time. And what a ride!

Arjun and Maya are two fifteen year old school kids who find their life turned upside down when their history teacher is murdered. While all including police are stumped, another murder takes place which is even more gruesome.  Why are people being murdered? It is not a serial killer but carefully selected targets. Just when the pattern seems to be emerging, the police are at a loss as it all stops. Maya's father asks her to take his diary and escape which she does. What does the diary contain? Why does Arjun's Uncle drive non-stop from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh? What secret are they hiding and who are they fleeing from?

From Egyptian pyramids to Allahabad escapade, murders in Delhi to hidden Gurukul in Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Doyle has outdone himself. This has various references from the Mahabharata which is normal to me as I have read his other books. I was a little ticked off though when he says Parikshit is the son of Arjuna but actually the grandson. Other than that, it is a page turner and is thoroughly enjoyable.

The writing is clear and if you like the parallel universe theory and portals, do pick it up to read it over the weekend.

 

You can buy it here 

One Arranged Murder - book review

 

One Arranged Murder
by Chetan Bhagat
Genre: Mystery/Crime


Saurabh and Prerna are engaged to be married. Both families are happy. Everything seems to be ending in a "happily ever after" but suddenly Prerna Malholtra falls from the terrace and dies. Saurabh and his childhood friend Keshav are cyber security experts and run a detective agency on the side. They are unable to accept Prerna was dizzy and her death was an accident. The more they dig into the Malhotra clan, the secrets they uncover makes them determined that Prerna's death was no accident but a murder. But who is the killer and what is the motive?

Read the book to find out. The writing is fast paced in the beginning and the author kind of slows down to a trot and then picks up pace in the end. Too many points of view. The one arranged murder seems too messy like an arranged marriage - too many characters, too many flashbacks, too many back stories.


If you have time to while away like I did waiting for Cyclone Nivar to pass, this would be a good read. Otherwise, it is not worth it.


You can buy it here                                                                          

 

Nightside - A Good Halloween Read

This collection of stories by different authors are supposed to be dark and bizarre. It cuts across genres and is rarely dull.

The first one is by Holly Rae Garcia. I am so used to reading serious, chilly fiction that it never occurred to me you can write a funny story and make the murder almost pleasant. Garcia surprises you with her writing style and the humorous take with her story “The Many Indiscretions of Agent 592.”

“Drunk on the Moon” by Paul Brazill. The ending is predictable as the title but the narration is funny and almost the rhyming way the protagonist speaks with lovely descriptive language. The title is a dead giveaway

"Lance Hardwick Mysteries" by Viktor Aurelius and Jeff Niles – the authors are no more but they were voice actors on radio shows and this story was therefore in the radio show format. I enjoyed reading it aloud though my family gave me strange looks which is only to be expected. It is too longish if you try to read it like a short story and so pretend you are doing a radio show.

 “Skin Flicks” by Jesse Rawlins is filled with unexpected turns and ends well.  “Death Answers” by Kimberly Godwin is interesting and suspenseful to the end. There is no way you can guess anything and both the stories have some truly insightful lines apart from the mystery element.

"Butcher Baby" by Jason Norton is a story that starts dull, picks up pace and ends up like a horror movie. I would say it is a cross between Dan Brown novels and Slasher movies rolled into a short story. I was truly surprised.

“Company Man” by Tom Pitts was the best one I read as the end caught me completely by surprise though the term is not serial killer but hitman.

“Light at the End of the Tunnel” is by Mark Slade who appears to have compiled and edited the collection. We are now in proper, old fashioned private detective territory and the end is too realistic that it almost disappoints.

Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing by Michael Martin Garret. I was surprised to learn the author is a female and what a clever way to narrate a story.

“Paint it Black” by Jim Shaffer is almost poetic and the characters are interesting. There is a line in the story, “All clues don't lead to solution you can live with” which is so insightful. It is about a group of friends who one day get to know that their friend has been murdered and go about trying to solve the case.

“Final Theory” by  G.Wayne Miller is in the screenplay format which hooks at the beginning but not very satisfying. Felt incomplete to me.

"Dracula: Private Eye and the demon skull of Badakari" by Andy Raush is an absolute gem of a story. Dracula is a private detective and is asked to look into a robbery, discovers a cult, what more can you ask for?

"Teddy Bear! Kill! Kill!" by Phil Thomas made me think “eh, what the hell to damn this can happen.” It is well written and fast paced.

“The Kind of Woman who doesn’t make men happy” by T. Fox Dunham is about a narcoleptic woman who is suspicious of her husband because of her condition and has a detective investigate him. Seems too straightforward right? That is just when all things unexpected begin to happen.

“Voyeur” by Kimberley Godwin was a huge surprise though you know it is about a couple’s supernatural sexual problem. The author surprises you when you least expect it and narrates it fantastically.

The collection is both insightful and delightful and will make a good read as it cuts across genres and formats, the authors ensure the story is interesting – Halloween or no Halloween.

If you wish to buy it, you can buy it here

 

 

 

 

The Treasure of Kafur -book review

The Treasure of Kafur
by Aroon Raman
Genre: Historical Fantasy

This is another one of those books that I finally decided to read during the lock down.

      

Malik Kafur is a legendary figure. He was the one responsible for the success of Aladdin Khilji and the destruction of  many kingdoms. He made the Delhi Sultanate famous in South India, not Khilji. Kafur is well known in the South for his victories..He was turned back at my hometown way down South. But little is known about the man or how he died.

His life itself was mysterious and the stuff of legends. He was a slave who became a general and a general who killed with a ruthlessness that most of India was conquered. He must have commanded extreme loyalty, something even his king in Delhi didn't. Strangely enough, historians are not able to agree on what exactly happened to him or to his plunder. All that is known is that we do not know what happened to him or his treasure.

Raman spins an extraordinary story about the hidden treasure of Kafur and how 250 years later during the Mughal era, a part of it was revealed to Akbar.

Ambu, one of the guardians who can telepathically communicate with animals lives with her grandson Datta in a small hut when she has a vision of the local king Baig plotting with others (from Afghanistan to the Deccan) to encircle the Mughal empire of Akbar. She is abducted when Baig realises she knows the location of the treasure. Afterall, how can a war between differing kingdoms  despite a common enemy be fought without money? However, she ensures Datta is set off towards what proves to be an adventure to warn Akbar of the impending doom and also the location of the treasure before she is abducted. Datta accompanied by a tortoise, a bunch of ravens and a cow makes his way past the Tapti river. Does Datta manage to reach Akbar on time to save Ambu and the Mughal Empire?  Who are the legendary figures he meets during this adventure? Is the truth of the treasure of Kafur completely revealed or does it still lie somewhere in some godforsaken place in India? Raman asks and answers these questions in his book, "A Treasure of Kafur"

From the banks of the Tapti to the Agra Fort, from the ravines of  Aravalli to the Deccan plateau, Raman weaves a story of intrigue, scheming and grandiose that keeps you engaged. This book is t action packed and it will keep you in suspense till the very end when you will finally know if Datta succeeded in saving the empire and his grandmother. Emperor Akbar's mightiness as well as his humane nature is  well conveyed in The Treasure of Kafur.

A must read  for all Indians who are not taught much about Kafur or the society of guardians.

To buy the book

Click  here

வீரயுக நாயகன் வேள்பாரி - book review

Veerayuga Nayagan Velpaari  ( வீரயுக நாயகன் வேள்பாரி)
by
Su.Venkatesan
Genre: Historical fiction
Language : தமிழ் (Tamizh/Tamil)

                                               

       

Did the Tamil civilization become great because of three river valley civilizations and the three great kingdoms - Chera, Chola and Pandiyan or because of the hill-forest kingdoms who took in the clans or communities that were violently displaced in the name of building great kingdoms? Who was Paari and why is he so famous in Sangam literature which was written in the plains even though he never belonged to any of the three kingdoms? Why was he praised even in these kingdoms by ordinary people even though they had never seen him? Why was he known even to the Greeks who traded with the three kingdoms? What was about Paari that drew poets and nomadic singers to him?  Su.Venkatesan asks and answers these questions in his fantastic novel,"Veerayuga Nayagan Velpaari "

Being a huge Kalki fan, I started reading this novel after the rave reviews that it is equivalent to or better than Kalki's historical epic Ponniyin Selvan. The other factor is that Pachamalai aka Green Hills where the action takes place is very close to where I grew up. So I was curious and had my reservations at the same time much like the poet Kapilar who sets out on a journey to find the truth about the famed Vallal Paari.

The book takes you on a journey through the history of the three great kingdoms - Chera, Chola and Pandya, their politics and  their trade with the Greeks. But it doesn't stop there. It introduces you to the hill people of Tamilnadu, the people of Parambu Nadu, the kingdom of Paari, their science of counting time, medicine, healing, especially their botany and zoology. It also includes their history.The hill kingdoms were the ones who took in people who were displaced by conquests of the three kings and made them their own. It was amazing to read about the number of displaced and hunted communities, each of whom carried with them their knowledge of discoveries, medicine, unique strength and strategy, botany and zoology apart from metal and alloy making, weaponry, etc. But they were all taken in but not used to fight wars. All were able to live peaceful lives in the forests in the hills and pass on the knowledge to the next generation apart from gaining new knowledge.The people of the hills were happy to live amidst nature but at the same time knew how to protect themselves from nature's fury.  More importantly, they never traded and stuck to the barter system to acquire salt which they couldn't acquire as they weren't near the sea. They were peace loving people in a society where both women and men practiced equality and not patriarchy. Even their king was not above the collective wisdom of the elders.

When the three kings of ancient Tamil land became jealous of the fame of Paari, they all attacked his kingdom separately and  they couldn't win. Despite their suspicion and hatred for each other, they combined forces and attacked the small kingdom again, just out of spite for the famous Paari who they had only heard of but never seen. He defeated the combined forces too. No other king had to face the combined forces of all three powerful Tamil kingdoms together and this bit of history makes the book even more interesting.

It isn't often one comes across a truly marvelous novel . The word to be used for this one is epic as it changes you. This is more of a page turner than Ponniyin Selvan because that was mainly about the Cholas and particularly about Rajaraja Cholan. But this one covers all four kingdoms but mostly the hill kingdom of Paari and life there in greater detail where loyalty and love was commanded and never demanded. From”முல்லைக்கு தேர் கொடுத்தான் பாரி”(The man who gave his chariot to a vine ) or ” (கடையெழு வள்ளல்கள் பாரி)” (One of seven philanthropists)  he becomes அறம் காத்த பாரி(the king who protected morality), no wonder people of ancient land praised him in their records of literature and history.

The writing is crisp and the pace is like being on a racing horse. There are so many characters but they are very memorable and the reader's knowledge of plants and animals grow. The characterization is slightly different that one never hates the antagonists but actually feels sorry for them. There is a lot of sadness when the book ends as the reader is entwined with the protagonists, especially Paari with whom one falls in love with that you never want the book to end.

If you wish to buy the book, click on one of the links below.

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