THE OTHER SIDE: thriller

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Movie Review : FAN

FAN released on 15th April 2016 is an Indian thriller movie starring Shahrukh Khan in the lead role. He is playing a double role of a superstar Aryan Khanna and his doppelganger Gaurav Chandna who was his Fan. Others staring in the film are Waluscha de Souza (Gauri Khanna-Aryan's wife), Sayani Gupta (Aryan's PA), Shriya Pilgaonkar (Neha - Gaurav's love interest), etc. The film is directed by Band Baja Baraat fame Maneesh Sharma who said that making this film was his only dream. It is produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films.

Pre-Production and Marketing : News of film's release was in public domain from more than a year. Its release was delayed several times for VFX and special effects requirements. Promotion was handled mainly by SRK as he always did for his films and was visible everywhere before and after film release. From motion poster, to title designing to Fan Anthem to movie release , SRK's fan were involved on social media platforms which helped in creating buzz around the movie.

Music: You will be surprised to know that this SRK movie has no songs except the JABRA FAN song which was used for promotional purposes but is not featured in the film. Usually SRK movies' music set the stage for big release however this time it was done by a single song which was translated and sung in 11 different languages by famous singers of that language. You can say that a single song created as much publicity as the entire album.

Plot: Gaurav Chandna is a die hard Fan of superstar Aryan Khanna. He is known as Junior Aryan Khanna in his locality for his appearance and mannerism. He his mad about Aryan and can do anything to meet him. When he won trophy and prize money of Rs 20,000 at his colony's Dussehra function by performing an act based on Aryan Khanna's movies, he decided to show his trophy to Aryan after meeting him personally on his birthday in Mumbai. He reached Mumbai where he found himself standing among thousands of Aryan Khanna fan who wanted to meet him but have to satisfy with just his glimpse. Gaurav is not a ordinary fan so he did something which forced Aryan Khanna to meet him. This meeting turned Gaurav from a fan to enemy of Aryan Khanna. What he do after that incident? How Aryan deal with his obsessed fan? A thrilling story answers this questions and take you to a memorable climax.

Hits: We all know Shahrukh Khan is a great actor but director exploits his star image more than his acting prowess. This film yet again highlights his acting potentials. He has done a marvelous job in making Gaurav believable to the audiences. Director Maneesh Sharma has proved his worth in thriller genre as well after successfully directing rom-coms. You don't miss the songs while watching this movie and not even the SRK you know till know. I also like the action chase sequences.

Miss: I think some emotional scenes between Gaurav and his family or with his love interest would make this film more sensitive. Aryan Khanna's character is not much highlighted which bereft the audience of his psyche.

Verdict: This not just for SRK fans but for all those who has loved a star selflessly. Its a tribute to all Fans. Go and watch it now.

Rating : I would give it 4/5.

Book Review : And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None is the best thriller novel of all time. It was written by none other than the queen of thriller Agatha Christie. This Harper Collins published book is a suspense novel in which you remain puzzled till the end about identity of the killer.

Cover : The cover of the paperback which I have read was ordinary and didn't excite me at all but I have also seen some other edition's cover which were more interesting and intriguing.

Content : Ten people from different places belonging to different backgrounds and who were totally strangers to each other were lured to come on Soldiers Island on invitation from Mrs and Mr U.N.Owen. Each one ranging from a judge to a doctor from a police constable to a military general, a governess and others were tempted on island on promise of either summer holidays or meeting old friends, a job and things like that. These eight people along with two servants were unaware of whereabouts of their hosts Mrs. and Mr. Owen. On reaching this island they received a message through a gramophone player about some crimes related to their pasts. Each one of them was accused with murders of someone and the voice in the gramophone warned them of dire consequences. They all get frightened to hear this gramophone record and it was a then first death happened. As the time passed each one of them died according to an old nursery rhyme 'Ten Little Soldiers'. After four deaths when they found that they were the only inhabitant of this island they realized that one of them was a killer, they started doubting each other but killings didn't stop and one by one they all died till there were none.

Comment : First of all I must stand up and clap for conceptualize this story. It was difficult to write such a book and Agatha Christie herself regarded this book as her difficult book ever. The suspense starts right from the first page with the mention of story about the ownership of the Soldiers Island later the plot thickens and tightly took you into its grip and then you left with only one option to finish it quickly. There was no single dull moment in this book. Some may find it difficult to understand for interwoven plots but with the flow of the narration all things seems clear and understandable. I finished reading it in two nights (3 hours each night). The killer is not guessable till the last page. A letter in the epilogue open the lid of suspense from the plot which bold over your imagination. A superb thriller with suspense story, gripping narration and an out of the box revelation.

Verdict : If you loves thriller then what are you waiting for? Go grab your copy today.

Rating : I would give it 5/5.

Book Review : Checkmate

Checkmate is written by Hrishikesh Joshi who is an engineering student living in Pune, Maharashtra. This book is published by Frog Books of Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. This book received from author is a crime based thriller fiction.

Cover : It is an ordinary cover design, the title and the cover doesn't go well together. The picture of terrorist with gun do gives a hint of story's relation with a terrorist but I was looking for something else on the cover (like a chessboard with players as terrorist on one side and Indian intelligence people on the other or something else more related to the story).

Plot : The story starts with Lashkar e Taiba's (a terrorist organisation) head Muhammad Zia ul Afridi planning something to release his three terrorists from Indian jail. They use Bombay High Court chief justice Ramakrishna Shastry since high court judges are from list of VIP's free from security check at the airport to help them in their plan to send arms to the terrorist in Air India plane. Terrorists hijacked the plane and their partner Taliban hijacked Karachi airport to land that plane. RAW chief Vikram Roy on the other hand came in action to save the hostages from terrorists hand. His search to track the plane revealed something which shocked him to the core. What would happen to the hostages? Would government kneel down to the terrorists' demands? The story took interesting twists and turns to give a high action climax.

Thriller : The setup of the story is nice and the author has cleverly blended the facts with the fiction to make this story believable. Story progresses step by step with short chapters without confusing the readers with unnecessary details. The pace and action of the narrative is maintained throughout making it an interesting read.

Spoiler : The plane hijack remained a subject of many Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Although the plan to hijack plane was different in this book the climax looked similar to a Nagarjuna movie. It is difficult to find a connection to any character thus detaching the reader emotionally from the narrative.

Verdict : A fine time read suitable for those looking for a an action packed thriller.

Rating : I would give it 2.5/5.

You can buy this book online from : Landmark, Flipkart, Infibeam , Amazon.in , Amazon.com , Uread , Crossword .

Book Review : Curse of The Red Soil

Curse of The Red Soil is written by Durgesh Shastri who is a Computer Networks Engineer, currently working as an Asst. Professor in GNDEC, Bidar, Karnataka which is also the place where all actions are happening in this book. I have received this book being the winner at Blog-A-Ton for my post It Was Just A Dream. This book is published by Red Ink Publishers and belongs to the thriller genre.

Cover : Cover shows a newspaper page with the book title as headline and a story about missing Bidar Statue with image of that statue. I will not rate it as a brilliant sort of cover as it fails to ignite the curiosity about the story inside but yes it mystifies the things inside.

Plot : Aradhyaa and Suhasini returns to their hometown Bidar in Karnataka after completing their engineering in Bangalore. Before the end of the last year in college Aradhaya has also confessed her love for Sachit who thus accompanied her to the railway station with his best friend Ritesh when she was going to Bidar. Aradhaya was disturbed with a dream about her maid Manorama whom she hasn't seen in last four years. In order to inquire about her she visits her family where she knew about her father's linkup with Manorama, Pratap, Manorama's brother also believed that her father Vaikunth Patil has killed her and stopped them to registered any case with use of her power. Sachit and Ritesh also came to Bidar to investigate his fathers involvement in all this. This investigation not only strengthen love bond between Sachit and Aradhaya but also brought Ritesh and Sachit to Jail. Aradhaya's love, her trust on her father whom he also find involved in smuggling of antics from Bidar fort, her friendship, her past all is at stake in this express ride.

Thriller : I like the way author has used flashbacks, the description of previous scenes in thoughts of the character have maintained thrill and excitement in the narrative. Detail information about Bidar's history, geography, archaeological sites, etc creates involvement of reader in the narrative. You keep guessing what's coming next which is a good thing for this genre. Although the book is a thriller , romantic scenes are also narrated appropriately. Simple language adds a cherry to the cake.

Spoiler : I don't have much complains about this book except the end. The revelations in the end is a surprise element which is fine but the climax before that lacks emotional value looking at the relationships of the character involved in that scene. That could be done differently and could be much better.

Verdict : A fast paced thriller with emotional backing and a fantastic narration is a must read for everyone.

Rating : I would give it 4.5/5.

Book Review : Shatru Kronikles Book - 1

Shatru Kronikles Book - 1 is written by Bommadevara Sai Chandravadhan ( Vadhan ) and is published by Frog Books of Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. I have received this book as a part of Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. It is a fantasy fiction set in modern day Gurgaon, a city near New Delhi - India where author also lives with his wife.

Cover : A big green monstrous eye looks nice on the cover, though it does not give the idea about the story but surely gives hints about the character of protagonist Shatru - the Asura Half Breed. That cover image with dark back ground takes the reader in that dark unknown world.

Plot : Shatru - the Hunter or an investigating agent of the unknown world found and killed a Rakshahs charged with murder of innocent Half Breeds. The Guardians who maintain balance between the Devas and the Asuras gave him another task of finding killer of Kaushalya who was working on their biggest project i.e the Unison of Light and the project Union. Shatru in his journey of finding the truth put his father, his dog , his assistant and even his own life in danger. The evil forces were spreading around on the earth to destroy the humankind and only Shatru can stop them by finding Kaushalya's killer and solving the mystery of the New Born. Will he able to do so or will he lose everything in this biggest battle?

Thriller : The narration make you to believe this fantasy world to be true. The characterization , the fight sequences and the mythological citation are thoroughly explored and depicted in the story. The language is not very simple but easily understandable. The pace of narrative in maintaining the mystery and suspense makes it engrossing and an amazing read. It sometimes reminded me of secret world of Men In Black.

Spoiler : There is not much as a spoiler in this book as far as thriller genre is concerned. But yes the mythological detail makes it complicated at points but when you understands these references it also becomes easier to understand. Some strong dialogues would have made it better.

Verdict : A must read for thriller and fantasy lovers. You should also read to have the taste of our mythology.

Rating : I would give it 4/5.

"This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com"

The Masked Killer - Part 2

For first part : Click Here

A pizza delivery boy reported the incident to the police. Sangita was unconscious with wounds on her forehead when they brought her to hospital. Girish meanwhile telephoned her husband about the incident who immediately drove to return. He also interrogated her about the incident.

"See Inspector I am not getting what you are saying about robbery.I planned to visit the nearby town to surprise my husband working there on Valentine's eve when I noticed an abandoned car. There were blood spots at its back seats, a masked man with blood stained knife attacked me and when I became conscious I found myself on this hospital bed. I am sure someone was murdered by that masked man and you are saying that some robbers attacked me in my house." Girish and Victor looked at each other in disbelief after hearing her because a patrolling police unit have found a similar car described by Sangita but no dead body was recovered from the spot.

As they finished Aarav entered the room, met with officers and consulted doctors to take her home. Girish decided to meet them in the evening after investigating the spot she found the abandoned car.

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"Victor what do you think? " Girish asked while sipping tea in his cabin after returning from that site of abandoned car. " We haven't found any dead body as Sangita believes but there was truth in her statement about the car." Victor was moving in the cabin with worried expressions. As a crime reporter he has reported and worked on many such incidences but that was a real mystery.

A constable interfere their conversation by giving them report of the blood spots they found in the car and informed about the owner of the car. " The car belongs to some Vandana Chaudhary and ..." His eyes was wide open to see her address. She was Sangita and Aarav's neighbor. " I need a complete history of Aarav, Sangita and Vandana immediately and also the details of their phone records." Girish ordered the constable.

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" How are you feeling now my dear ? " Aarav asked Sangita when she woke up. " I am fine now." She repeated the incident of last night to Aarav. " Baby, this must be your dream. How can you present at two spots at the same time." That thing was also bothering her but she was sure that it wasn't a dream.

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Inspector Girish reached Aarav's home and asked Sangita about Vandana. Aarav was more surprised to hear that name than Sangita. " Yes! She came to our home yesterday and introduced me as our neighbor. She wanted to meet Aarav but you know he was not there yesterday." Their attention turned to Aarav who started speaking before they asked anything.

" Vandana is my friend and our only neighbor but Sangita doesn't know her because she left India before our marriage but why are you asking about her." Do you know some Jatin." " No I don't know him." Girish told them that Jatin was Vandana's husband and she was here to complete the process of her divorce. Aarav told them that he didn't know that she was married. She was missing and that blood spots matched her blood group and police believed that Jatin has killed her.

At this point Victor reached and said something in Girish's ear. " Mr. Aarav where were you last night." " I am in another city for some work but why you are asking this to me Mr. Victor." Victor showed him the copy of his mobile bill record which shows his location at home. He was the one who ordered the pizza and perhaps he was the killer of Vandana.

" What rubbish are you talking Mr Victor, inspector why don't you told him that Jatin is the killer." Aarav was sweating in the AC room. " I am also saying that Jatin is the killer and Mr Aarav you are Jatin," Victor threw some papers on the bad in front of Sangita. Sangita read those papers and started crying she looked angrily towards Aarav which broke him down.

" I am sorry Sangita but I did everything for your love and because I don't want to lose you." Sangita spoke nothing , he continued." Vandana was my first wife whom I married as Jatin for her money. I even succeeded in transferring some of her property to my name. But she discovered my treachery and charged me for forgery & also filed for divorce. She shifted to America after that incident while her lawyers fighting her case and I came here to this lonely place without knowing that the adjacent house belongs to Vandana. She informed me about her arrival and it was than I planned her murder so that Sangita remain unaware about her. It was only a chance that she met Sangita."

"But Sangita's surprise spoiled your plan. She spotted you in mask with a knife.You hit at her forehead, bring her home in her car, call for pizza and set the story of a robbery so puzzle her." Girish finished the story and hand cuffed him."

" Mr Aarav if you truly love Sangita you have told her the truth. We usually forget that love is not in days we spend to earn happiness for each other but in days we spend together with each other." Police recovered Vandana's body from her swimming pool and informed her aunt in America about her death. Sangita still struggling to come out of this shock.

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Part 1 + Part 2 Word Count = 1488

This post is part of The Ultimate Story Writing Competition s organised by - My World... My Words by Ashwin Kumar and A Rat's Nibble by Meera.

The Masked Killer - Part 1

It was Valentine's eve and she was driving in an isolated road. She found it odd to see an abandoned car parked there with doors open. A distant cry triggered her to stop her car to check if things are alright. She peeked into the car's back door and found fresh blood spots at the back seats. That's when she witnessed a masked man approaching the abandoned car. She tried to hide herself but it was all in vain he noticed her car and knew that someone was intruding his privacy to complete his task of killing. Her futile running ended when he gripped her wrist and turned her to face him. A long blood dripping knife in his hand was enough to tell her his motive. She fainted when he brought the knife closer to her neck.

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Sangita was not happy with Aarav sudden departure to nearby city for some work when Valentine's Day was knocking at the door which would also be their first wedding anniversary. " Can't you postpone this trip? I was waiting for that day from a long time and it was our first anniversary." She said dejectedly. " I know baby I have also planned for that day but I have to go this is urgent." He said to coax her. She packed his bags and accompanied him to the car. They hugged each other and he drove away to his destination.

Sangita and Aarav were married for almost a year. There love story was not lesser than a roller coaster ride. They were good friends in college and loved each other but both of them never expressed their feelings. They parted their ways after completing college and met in a college reunion after four years. Aarav thought it was some heavenly sign that they both were single even after these years and a right opportunity to confess his love to her. He proposed her to marry him which she readily accepted and they tied knots on Valentine's day.

She was in her thoughts when door bell rang. " Hi ! I am Vandana your neighbor. Is Aarav home? " A young girl in her late twenties dressed in modern attire surprised Sangita since there was only one vacant home adjacent to their. " I guess you are Aarav's wife." Sangita was still puzzled." Oh ! Actually this is my home but I lived in America. I am back in India for some unfinished work and am just arrived. Aarav is my only friend here so I thought to meet him first." Sangita welcomed her inside and told her about Aarav's absence. " You wait here I bring something for you." " No it's OK, I need some rest now catch you later, bye." Sangita was happy that she was not alone in this locality.

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"Hi ! I am inspector Girish from the crime branch and he is Victor Bannerjee senior crime reporter from famous fortnightly magazine The Arbitrator and also my good friend."

"Am I alive?" Girish smiled at this question , "Yes madam you are alive and I think you are now fine enough to answer our questions. Did you see who robbed your house?"

" My house robbed ? Who robbed my house? She didn't understand what Inspector said to her as she was at the roadside of a deserted road.

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This post is part of The Ultimate Story Writing Competition s organised by - My World... My Words by Ashwin Kumar and A Rat's Nibble by Meera.

Book Review : Project S.A.I

Project S.A.I is written by Srinivas Gopal is a small book of 86 pages which is published by Frog Books of Leadstart Publishing Pvt.Ltd. Srinivasa Gopal completed his B.Tech from IIT-Madras & then went on to do his M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Regina, Canada, for which he even received the prestigious Governor General of Canada’s academic medal in 1992. Since then, he has worked for several leading multinational firms in India and in the U.A.E. I have received this book as part of Readers Cosmos Book Review program.

Cover : The faded image gives an impression of spirit or something supernatural which looks good. The small teddy bear at right hand corner somehow implies that this supernatural experience is related to this toy which seems different when we explore the book.

Plot : Sarangan and Lakshman lived with their wives in Namakkal. Lakshman left their village to study and work in the city leaving the family tradition behind. After years when his children grew up he realized that how he forget his rituals and traditions in the city life and even after successful life he couldn't rest as his duties for his children were not fulfilled. When he met his brother again after years they decided to repeat their family's Dipawali pilgrimage tradition which they haven't performed in years, Lakshman and his wife were unable to visit so they send their sons instead. Something happens on this journey which made Ananth the elder son of Lakshman to suggest Inspector Muthu to use the Ghost Machine he had developed with Raghav , this leads to Project S.A.I.

Thriller : The book is not lengthy and uses easy language which make it a quick read. Comparison between Sarangan and his family's village life to Lakshman and his family's city life is nicely gives the contrast between both the places and people.

Spoiler : Their are more bad things about this book than the good ones. The story lacks any motive except to fit his fantasy of Ghost Machine in the narrative without any solid purpose for it. The beginning of the story gives a different conception about the story than what it would end. The Project S.A.I which is the title of the story is not thoroughly explored. The story would be interesting and appealing if it would have started with discussions of Project S.A.I in the beginning and then revealing why it was discussed. I have also found many grammatical errors in the book.

Verdict : If you don't have something interesting to read or wants to finish a book in a day it is a good book. Otherwise it lacks directions and a proper story.

Rating : I would give it 1.5/5.

"This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com"

Book Review : The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Curse is a political thriller about National ID Numbers, power and greed which is written by Dee Walker who is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and published by Srishti Publishers and Distributors. I have received this author signed copy from Reader's Cosmos.

Cover : Cover lacks intriguing quality. Though the picture of a metro city and some hint of computer language points out at the involvement of technology and engineering which is clarified by the tag line ' A political thriller about national ID numbers, power and greed'. The voyage of secrets,betrayal,trust and crime you are going to experience in the book is not revealed with the cover.

Plot : The story is mainly revolves around Harsh Mittal a multi billionaire businessman enjoying patronage of the Master of the Popular Party Zoon Draboo. The Master wants to control the politics of India and regain majority in the coming elections with the help of Harsh who was an orphan whose destiny allowed him to study and conquer the IIT. Harsh is ready to do anything for his Master without asking anything in return and he did so with help of some old friends and foes. But the Master has some other plans to acquire his Guru Dakshina from Harsh.. What is he planning for Harsh? How Harsh fulfill his master's dream? Business rivalries, old friendships, money, power, ideals and conscience all are at stake in this thriller.

Thriller : Introductions of characters is superbly done in this book with pointing at commandments out of Ten Commandments suitable for that particular character. First a hint of the character and then description of the background in a separate chapter have made these characters realistic and for readers it becomes easier to understand their psyche. The power game in business and politics showed beautifully. Reading abusing Hindi language felt bad but again it was important for character building in some scenes.

Spoiler : The climax. Nothing hurts more than loose climax. The story which was taking turbulent turns with each passing page fell to a low in climax. It wasn't in haste but in laziness. I was expecting public uproar, News Now debating about heroism of few characters, nationwide demand for hanging the culprit,etc. Their are also some possibilities of love angles which was ignored in it.

Verdict : Read to know how governments can exploit us by infringing our privacy and to affirm that Truth always triumphs.

Rating : I would recommend it as one time read and would give 3/5.

"This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com"

Book Review - The Madras Mangler

The Madras Mangler is the debut novel of Usha Narayan who is a gold medalist with a Master's degree in English Literature. It was published by Jufic Books an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. I have received this book as a gift from BlogAdda for participating in Game of Blogs a unique initiative where different blogger connected in penning a story. There were thirty teams of ten members each. One winning team has a chance to publish their story. Although our team Inspirati's story wasn't selected for final round we all enjoyed connecting,arguing,discussing and writing for this initiative.

Cover : Cover to me is unimpressive and not eye catching. The face of a dead girl with hair strands all over it looks as if someone is seeking peace in the mess which means a more philosophical type of novel and not a thriller suspense which it is.

Plot : The story revolves around five college girls from different parts of the country studying in Chennai. All with their own stories ,own heroes and own villains were enjoying their college life until the city came in grip of a psychopath killer who was killing girls and dumping their bodies in the rivers. Bishnu who leads the special investigation team to solve difficult case called Vir Pradhyuman a criminologist from New York to help him in this case. Vir having his own past related to such incident took personal interest in solving the mystery which ends in a nail biting climax where Vir put his life in danger to save the girls in clutches of the criminal. Who was killing the girls? Why was the killer doing these killings ? Answer to such questions made this thriller unputdownable .

Thriller : The suspense keep you hooked as the needle of suspicion moves from one suspect to another without revealing the real culprit. Nice detailing of various places and incidents making reader indulge in the narrative more as it felt you have seen them or experiencing them in reality. Story of each girl is different yet similar in the sense they all points at the common problem of demeaning status of women in Indian society.

Spoiler : I guessed the killer even before it was revealed due to the predictability of events as they unfolded. Some details are unnecessary and slowing the pace of the narrative.

Rating : A one time read , I would rate it 2.5/5.

Book Review - Fraudster

Fraudster is a suspense thriller set in the world of corporate finance written by R.V. Raman who was the former head of KPMG's consulting and the co-head of their Risk Advisory Services. He was also partnered with A.T. Kearney and Arthur Andersen, and boasts an experience of over three decades and covering four continents. Currently a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management, Trichy, he teaches Business Strategy. He is based in Chennai and this is his first book. This book is published by Hachette India and I have received this book from reader's cosmos as part of their book review program.

Cover : The cover reminded of Aamir Khan in the poster of Dhoom - 3 but there is no such connection in it. But yes the connection with bank is common in the story but in different way. The man's shadow here at the cover is signifying a fraudster looking at Mumbai as his target. The gun in his hand indicates his intentions of killing anybody who came in between his goals and ambitions to make money.

Plot : A girl named Shruti Mathur who was fired by her bank after she deposes before a commission investigating large - scale financial fraud and found guilty of negligence in duty. Before police gets some clues about her death, one of the member of commission investigating the fraud Mr. Visht also died. Detective Inspector Ranade of Mumbai Police investigates the case as some more deaths, assaults, attacks, bomb explosions were waiting for him. The people related to Visht and his secrets faced danger of their lives as Ranade further investigates to finally grab the fraudster and reveals his plan. A fast paced thriller about illicit finance take you to the world of corporate finance full of money, deceit, corruption, fraud and the fraudster where you will keep on guessing the culprit behind all these scams and murders.

Thriller : Being his first book , R V Raman has kept it simple without confusing the plot with sub plots within the main story. Yet he remained hooked to the thrill and suspense till the end and a reader has so many suspects to doubt before the real revelations. His knowledge of banks and financial corporations gave a touch of reality to the plot. He didn't tried to bring lust and sex unnecessarily in the narrative as most of thriller genre writer practice these days. Also I liked that story is inspired by real frauds happened in political and financial circles recently which make it real and acceptable for the readers.

Spoiler : The financial angle is bit confusing, common reader finds it hard to grasp it in one read. I think details of that level are not necessary for the narrative. There are so many men and women but no romantic angle, no relationships, this lack of love angle appears missing to me.

Rating: This is a real thriller strictly dealing with suspense which you must read. I will give 3/5 to it.

"This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books log on tothereaderscosmos.blogspot.com"

Book Review - God Is A Gamer

God Is A Gamer is written by Ravi Subramanian and is published by Penguin Books. I have received author signed copy of this book from BlogAdda as a part of book review program. Before going to the book I must admit that I haven't read previous fiction works of Ravi Subramanian namely If God Was A Banker, Devil In Pinstripes, The Incredible Banker, The Bankster and The Bankerupt and neither his non-fiction I Bought The Monk's Ferrari and after reading God Is A Gamer I regretted not being aware of his writing before. Ravi Subramanian is a banker by profession writing thrillers related to banks and bankers and this one is also one of them and promoted as world's first bitcoin related thriller.

Cover : The bitcoin symbol in the title hints at its involvement in the plot. The shape of man looking at white house and the tag line ' Is Revenge A Crime?' relates story to the USA and to the white house. The shape of the man is looking confident enough to take his revenge but with whom is the matter of reading. The cover reveals that a narrative of intrigue is waiting for you which happens with the prologue in which so many things were happening but how and why is unknown.

Plot: Gillian Tan a senator and close pal to the president of United States was killed in a car explosion. This case was handed over to Adrian Scott a special agent of FBI on urgent basis. The story revolves around Scott's investigation of this case ,its link to the ATM heist of millions in New York city and with the new virtual currency Bitcoin. His findings about Indian involvement in the heist and Tan's assassination. How he finds its connection with Malvika's suicide a banker in India in his search? What's the role of leading gaming company of India in all these things? The fast paced roller coaster narrative cross gamer,banker,politician and terrorist shocking and surprising the reader at each turn. How Scott solve each puzzle to reach the real culprit is heart pounding. A case which moves from US to India and from India to US via many twists,turns and encounters with technicians, corrupt bankers,CBI, drug peddlers and many more.

Thriller : The tight plot keep you hooked and you try to go through the complete story as soon as possible to know who was pulling strings. The narrative is as quick as the story, the things were coming rapidly leaving you awestruck and surprised. The climax was superb and wasn't in haste. The end is like a some Hollywood thriller movie but is justified looking at the situations. I also liked the detailing of some technical and financial terms. Quick switching of scenes from different places to different people in the end makes you restless and more curious which I think is a right approach to such thrillers.

Spoiler : Complex plot and introducing a new character in every chapter in the start may look bit confusing to some readers. Use of some financial and technological terminology distance it from common readers who are not into thriller genre. Also I think the Bollywood connection is missing in the plot,when so much money,traps,betrayal are happening actors involvement is a must.

Rating : Must read for thriller lovers and a must try for everyone. I will give 3.9/5 to this book.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

The Maze

Team Inspirati's Episode 16 : The Maze

Read the previous part of the story here

Shekhar realized that Aryan knew something about Roohi. His awkward behavior when he visited their home, Tawde's mentioning of his name , all these things were connecting him somewhere to the kidnapping of Roohi. His belief in Tawde was almost zero after Kamla escaped from his hand with Roohi even when he was so close to them. It was time to take the situation in his hands. As Tara fell asleep after her continuous crying , he decided to confront Aryan.

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Life plays different games with us nobody knows why but winning or loosing this game matters most to decide the course of our life. When Jennifer didn't want him to speak he was chasing her from Kochi to Delhi to Mumbai but now when she had so many questions in her mind and wanted him to answer them all he was silent struggling for his life in coma. She remembered that Cyrus was behaving weirdly from sometime, his sudden disappearance from Skype chats, forgetting things while speaking and answering oddly to her messages were creating doubts in her mind. She believed that he was disturbed due to problems in their relationship but after looking at his mails it appeared something else, something suspicious.

" But why he would help in kidnapping a girl from Mumbai whom he didn't know?" " What role was Aryan Ahuja playing?"" How they both knew each other?" Whenever she thought in that way it came to her as a conspiracy against Cyrus." Why a law student will do such a silly thing to spoil his career. Aryan Ahuja knows much more than what he shows." Only Cyrus held the answers to these burning questions. Vijay's absence from hospital was giving time to Jennifer to feel her love for him. She started understanding how much she cared for him. The mere thought of separating from Cyrus was pining her. She prayed for Cyrus's recovery by holding cross in her hand which she wore only for fashion being an atheistic for years. It was also the first time that she hadn't smoked any cigarette for three hours, she promised god to quit smoking as soon as Cyrus became conscious. But god was silent and so was Cyrus perhaps this was the test of her love.

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'Sajan re jhoot mat bolo khuda ke paas jana hai na hathi hai na ghoda hai wahan paidal hi jana hai', Aryan was listening old Hindi songs to forget kidnapping of Roohi and divert himself from the situation he was in and to assure that he knew nothing but the song itself was enough to make him uncomfortable. 'Ding dong...ding dong...' the sound of the doorbell brought him out of the trance. He switched off the song and opened the door.

"Hi...hi....Shekhar" he stammered to see him. " May I come in Aryan." " Oh ! Yes...yes of course." For few moments they stared each other while sitting on sofa as if waiting for other to speak.

" Do you want to say something about Roohi's kidnapping. Mr Aryan," Shekhar broke his silence with a direct question.

"Roohi! How do I know about her. Now you also think that I have to do something with her kidnapping like your wife," he was not directly looking at his eyes confirming that he was telling a lie.

"Mr. Aryan you know that Tara and I always quarrel, my indifference towards my career and her dominating nature are creating a rift between us day by day..."

Aryan interrupted him, "Shekhar why are you telling me all this. Its your family matter I have nothing to do with it."

"I am telling you because Roohi is the only best part of our relationship. She is the bond which holds us together and now when she is not with us we are breaking with each passing second. I know Mr Ahuja that you are also very fond of her. Our distances with her have increased her closeness to you and I believe that you will not like to see her in any trouble."His eyes filled with tears because he knew that she was in trouble.

"She is like my daughter Shekhar," he took a pause and then continued, " I also want her safety but believe me, I don't know anything." He himself was not sure of what he was saying. The course of events after Kamla's escape with Roohi from Ganesh Visarjan were not at all pointing towards the well-being of Roohi. He stood up and asked Shekhar to leave.

" Shekhar I understand your emotions but I have to go now. I have to meet someone. Believe me I can't think of hurting her even in my dreams."

Shekhar had no other option but to leave and went to that home which was silent like a graveyard without Roohi. Aryan on the other hand was adamant about what to do next. For burden of Tawde's favors he couldn't put Roohi's life in danger.

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" Are you sure that girl was not sold to traffickers with other girls." Vijay asked his underworld source. " That means child trafficking racket was not behind her kidnapping and she perhaps was in Mumbai." Vijay was excited with this news. He was sure to impress Jennifer with his progress in the case." If he was kidnapped by some gang then there must be demand for ransom but there wasn't any, that kidnapping is not as simple as it appears. It holds some other secrets. Vijay for years have worked with criminals and police officers. His experience with them have created a detective out of a crime reporter.He called Jennifer and shared his findings with her.

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The Mystery Continues...

The Mystery Continues...( Part 4 of team Inspirati)

“Read the previous part of the story here

"Madam! Is there any news about Roohi baby," asked Kamla as Tara and Shekhar returned from the police station. Kamla came to their house as a maid six months back when the husband of their old maid died in her village. She recommended Kamla in her place because she would remain in village with her children thereafter.

Kamla although new in their house took over the charge of the house as if working for years in that house. She easily mingled with Roohi with her friendly and caring nature impressing Tara who needs someone better than her husband to look after her to concentrate more on her career, she completely handed over Roohi's charge to her. Kamla was not like usual maids she had basic education, knew driving, understood nutritional requirement of children and was soft spoken. She remained properly dressed in a Saree ,her hairs oiled and set with center partition, applied fairness cream to lighten her complexion ,wears lots of bangles in both hands and had special handmade slippers gifted by someone.She looked more like a government school teacher than a maid.

Shekhar could concentrate more on her writing having her with Roohi which was the reason he remained mostly in his study room after she took the charge. Kamla was equally worried since the absence of Roohi. " We have complained to the police, they are searching for her and they will come here to record your statement. O! Roohi...." Tara resort to crying again. Shekhar hugged and console her. Tara never experienced such warmth in his embrace from almost a decade actually he never embraced her in all these years. We often come closer if our pains are same and both of them were in a same position.

Later in the evening a constable came and recorded Kamla's statement, " When did you noticed that Roohi was missing? asked the constable in firm voice. " I... I ... noticed when madam become unconscious," she answered hurriedly. " OK ! Listen don't go anywhere until baby was recovered," he turned towards Shekhar," Sir! inform us if you receive any call for ransom don't try to negotiate yourself it could be dangerous for her life." He left the house increasing their worries. Crimes against children are increasing day by day all bad thoughts started coming in their minds.

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' Love tortures more than law books,' Cyrus said to himself while sitting in his room with packed backs. "Should I go to her when she is happy with Vijay a handsome crime reporter, why the hell he only wants her to be his companion ? Don't he know that crime reporting is a dangerous job and girls are at risk at such crime scenes. But I know Jennifer herself would have chosen him. Her liking for adventure would kill me one day with worry. She is not picking her phone should I go or should I not." He was sandwiched between his heart and mind. Heart wanted to be with her while mind advising him to forget her as she loved Vijay.

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" Jennifer I think you are not all right. I should drop you at your home and go alone for this assignment," Vijay's voice showed that he was concerned about her. " No... no... I am all right, this is a big investigative reporting I was craving for such an assignment for a long time.I will definitely go to Mumbai." She wiped off her tears and lit a cigarette coincidentally radio played ' Mein zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya har fiqr ko Duaen mein utada chala gaya' from the movie Hum Dono when she blew a cloud of smoke.They were going to Mumbai to investigate about the cases of child trafficking in Mumbai. Vijay had some leads from his sources that children between 8 to 12 years were being kidnapped and sold to gulf countries. The gang planted their members as security guards,maids,housekeeper,laundryman,etc, in houses with children. These members kidnapped the child whenever they got the chance without coming under police scanner. Some believes that police was also had hand in gloves relationship with this racket.

Vijay and Jennifer's itinerary included meeting with inspector Tawde, parents of some victims and his sources in police and underworld as he doubts hands of some politicians. This was a big story the biggest in Jennifer's career and it has the kind of thrill she always wanted. She befriended Vijay for the same reason to get the name and fame she deserved.

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After losing battle with his heart Cyrus decided to go to Kochi and sort out differences between them. He called her room partner as she was not picking the phone. Her room partner told him that she was headed to Mumbai with Vijay in evening flight. " Destiny have always snatched what I liked but this time I will not let Vijay to grab my love." This was first time he admitted that he loved her. He took the next flight to Mumbai for confessing his love.

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"Where is mummy and papa? " She asked as she woke up from sleep. He gave her milk mixed with sedatives as ordered by her. When she fell asleep, he received a phone from boss. Boss telephoned him for some instructions, "the time to deliver this 'Samaan' has not came yet be extra cautious police is searching hard for her," " Aap bhool gaye kya police to apni jeb mein hai?( Have you forgotten the police is in our pockets)" he said confidently and disconnected the phone.

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The Last Call ( Part - 2)

The Last Call ( Part - 2 )

Read Part 1 : Here

He went to the old mill compound to meet Ishaan in spite Ragini's resistance, "you should not meet him." " But why Ragini ? He owe me the answer of his behavior. Where was he during my trials ? Why this sudden love of friendship? " " I don't know Arpit but I only know that he is not a good man not worthy of your friendship."

The old mill was closed for a very long time. This was the place from where they used to operate during their early days but now Ishaan has a good reputation in that bad business. He did everything from kidnappings to smuggling to murders to extortion, etc. He was the undisputed leader of the underworld. When Arpit reached there, Ishaan was already waiting for him with his men who were holding guns.

"What do you want from me now?" He was expecting the word 'apology' from Ishaan but on the contrary he said," Ragini." Arpit was shocked to hear her name." Yes! Ragini! I conspire against you because Ragini loved you. I want you to be out of our way but she loved you and refused me." Ishaan 's eyes turned red in anger but Arpit listened him quietly, " She fought for you and married you after release and it was then I decided to kill you. You always came in our way, after killing you my hurdle will be clear, she would be mine only." His laughter echoed in the mill compound. He praised himself for his crimes and described everything he did in all these years. He told him stories of his ferociousness to frighten him. " I know you were the same fool you used to be seven years back that's why I trapped you emotionally this time."

Sound and smoke of bullets filled the compound followed by the pin drop silence which broke with footsteps of police. Ishaan was puzzled with sudden change of events as police entered with Ragini. " She told me everything about how you forced her to marry you during my absence." He hugged Ragini," It was then I realized that you are trying to trap me again because if you would have suffering from cancer maintaining it's secrecy would be a daunting task looking at your reputation in media. I met Inspector Abhijit last night who was also betrayed by you." Inspector Abhijit smiled looking towards Ishaan at the mentioning of his name." He required proofs to nab you which he recorded from that window when you were boosting of your deeds and a chance to take his revenge. I forgive you as a friend because you deserve more than my life in friendship but now as an enemy since friends don't repeat such behavior I wants to kill you for what you did as a friend."

He took Abhijit's pistol and shot him at middle of his forehead and as planned by him and inspector it was declared as an encounter. The last call made by him helped police to close his file for always.

Book Review - Private India

Private India written by Ashwin Sanghi and James Patterson is a continuation of James Patterson's world famous Private series( I haven't read any Private series yet ). It is published by Arrow books and I have received this Ashwin Sanghi signed copy as a part of BlogAdda's Book Review program. They both are bestseller writers although I haven't read any of their books as of now but aware of their works such as Chanakya's Chant, The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi and Alex Cross series of James Patterson.

Cover : From the front cover itself one can deduce that it is a thriller based in Mumbai and a race against time for the protagonist looking at the running man in the picture. It tells reader about the intrigue and the mystery they are going to experience.Pictures of Taj Palace Hotel, Gateway of India and Bandra -Worli sea link contemplate your interest. As you read the prologue you got the idea that it has something to do with the terrorist attacks on Mumbai but as you started reading chapter one you realized that many twist and turns are waiting to come your way.

Plot : The story revolves around the head of Private India Santosh Wagh and his team consisting an ex-lady cop, a technology expert and master of forensics. All of them having their stories of past adding interest and suspense to the narrative. They got the charge to investigate and solve the case of killings of women unconnected to each other. They were strangled in a chilling ritual and with strange objects carefully arranged with the corpses. Who was the killer? What's the motive of killing ? Why were these women killed ? What were these rituals ? How many more murders? Will they able to stop the killer ? How the Private India is connected to the killings ? What role does head of Private play in the case?Answers to all these questions made them face their dark pasts,broke their trusts,and took them to much bigger conspiracy which staggered the foundation of their organization.

Thriller :A power packed pacy layered plot is the highlight of this book. Each chapter reveals a layer further increasing the suspense and curiosity of the reader. Short chapters maintained the pace, quickly turning pages creates involvement in the story. Each character's entry brings a new twist. There are all flavors of Mumbai in it having covered almost all of Mumbai in it's narrative from Chowpaty to Kamathipura to Churchgate,etc. Excellent portrayal of psychic of each character, reader gets aware what was running in particular character's mind. Fully packed with thrill,action and suspense like a Bollywood movie. It's a kind of book you would like to finish in one go.

Spoiler : I think revelation of killer was in haste. Scene shifting at an important point was sometimes confusing. More closer to a film script than to reality.

Rating : I will give 3.5/5 and would definitely recommend to someone who enjoyed the suspense/thriller genre.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

The Last Call

"Hello Arpit,...my old friend." Ishaan said hesitantly. He was not sure whether Arpit would answer him or not after so many years keeping in minds the things that happened then. Arpit disconnected the phone as expected by Ishaan but he had gathered that courage to talk to him after a long time and didn't want that opportunity to go without saying his hearty out. Moreover this might be his last call to him.

"Hello Arpit,.." he called him again. "Please don't disconnect this time," he said clearing his throat. " Just listen for the sake of friendship we once had." A long silent followed indicating him that Arpit was ready to listen. " I am suffering from cancer and I don't know how much time left with me in this life. I don't know I will get the chance to talk to you again or not." Tears rolled down his eyes," I want to amend what I did seven years back to ease burden on my soul. If you want that I die peacefully please meet me only once on that same old spot we spend most of our childhood." This time Ishaan disconnected the phone leaving Arpit in thoughts of their old friendship and the new turn came in it.

Both of them were friends since they started understanding about friendship. Born in slum area , they both had big dreams but being orphan no body to support them in fulfilling those dreams. They fell pray in hands of Mathur who was the local don. He trained them, used them in his criminal activities and as they grew up they became his most trusted allies. But Arpit didn't like the way Mathur treated them in spite being strong associates of him so he and Ishaan planned to kill him and control all his black business. Ishaan on the other hand wanted to rule not only a small area controlled by Mathur but the whole city. He double crossed Arpit by conspiring with Inspector Abhijit to kill both Mathur and Charan another leading mafia don of the city and to trap Arpit by blaming him for their murder.

After those murders Abhijit arrested Arpit and Ishaan became the undisputed mafia don of the city. Though Arpit was released after five years of court trials with the efforts of Ragini a lawyer from the slum where he lived. She loved him from childhood and married him after his release from the jail. He started working as a security guard in a private firm after marriage forgetting his past life. He never understood why Ishaan betrayed him. His phone call to meet at that time would balm all what he had suffered because of Ishaan.

Concluding part...

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Wait Over

The train was approaching towards the station and John was still missing from her sight,"will he come" , Martha's sparse mind questioned impulsively.

They met last month near downtown church and became the ointment of each other's morose hearts as they
were entangled in estranged marriages.

They decided to divorce their spouses to be with each other but John was hesitant about this decision because he felt that her wife still loved him.

Martha assured him to talk to his wife and made her understand about their relationship after which they would leave this town.

As she was waiting for him at the railway station sorting out things with his wife, he came accompanied by police force to arrest her for killing his wife and storing her body pieces in the wooden box she was carrying.

This post is written for Three Word Wednesday ( sparse,impulsive,morose ) and Five Sentence Fiction ( waiting)