Hooked, Lined & Single by Rashmi Kumar

• Book: Hooked, Lined and Single
• Author: Rashmi Kumar
• Publishing House: Srishti Publishers
• Category: Fiction
• Rating: 4/5

Story-in-Short:

If you are a woman in your 30s, and are yet unmarried or deserted or divorced, living in India will make you belong to a category which finds extremely hard to find the right man to just be with. Such women will be labelled as cynical, and acquire disastrously special statuses such as unreasonable or demanding or chronically single or bossy! In this title, one such woman is pleading with God, asking the same question that might be resonating inside the minds of the rest of her kind – “where have I gone wrong?” Alafia Singh is on a similar journey, as she has set out to find a life partner for herself, but by following traditional methods. Will she be successful in her attempts?

In my view:

More than a unison of two lovers, marriage in India has become a social obligation. There are some who tie knots only to please the society and stay away from the taunts that it throws at them and their family members. And those unmarried, witness, questions being raised on their character, exasperating labels put on their personality, etc. But it is appropriate to get married to a person with whom you don’t really get along very well? Author Rashmi Kumar’s story is about a one such woman and her struggle to find a husband! 

Hooked, Lined and Single, revolves around Alafia Singh, the protagonist in her early 30’s and her efforts in finding a suitable husband. Singh’s previous marriage couldn’t last long, as she and her former husband couldn’t get along very well, ensuing in their divorce. A strong and confident Alafia then sets herself to find a perfect groom for herself. In this course, with highfalutin expectations, she comes across a lot of men, falls for them and thinks they are perfect. However, something goes wrong each time and they part ways. Eventually, she feels low about it and begins to wonder whether something is wrong with her. But, what is in store for Alafia? Is she destined to mingle or stay single? Well, read the book to find more! 

Through this fascinating anecdote, the author attempts to bring in limelight the dilemma and feelings most experience while passing through this phase. 

The cover of the book is simple, yet suitable for the story. The narration is engrossing and the narrative is enthralling. The story is set in Delhi and there are not many characters for a confusion to ensue. The story is appropriately edited and nowhere there are editorial errors to create irksome. In fact, the author has well dealt with and balanced the characters in her story. 

However, boredom and monotony invade the story for a while, before it gets back on the track. Apart from that nowhere does the book go down and a reader is bound to enjoy the tale!

Everyone out there, looking forward to read something refreshing with a realistic touch, should go ahead for this! 

Considering everything, I am rating the book with 4/5. Congrats and best wishes to the author for her second novel! I am looking forward to reading more from her! 

NOTE: A review copy of the book was sent by the author. 

•  You can purchase Hooked, Lined and Single via: Infibeam,   Crossword, Uread, Flipkart, Rediff.

The Deliberate Sinner by Bhaavna Arora.

• Book: The Deliberate Sinner.
• Author: Bhaavna Arora.
• Publication House: Srishti Publishers.
• Category: Fiction.
• Rating: 4/5.

Story-in-Short:

Is there an acid test to gauge the success of a relationship?

Is it right to carry on in an unhealthy relationship with no conjugal bliss, or look for an alternate path?

Rihana is an adventurous and free-spirited girl, until she marries Veer, an eligible bachelor who comes from a wealthy family. While they appear 'happily married', their strong personalities are at odds. Veer, for the most part, is insensitive to Rihana's physical and emotional needs, straining the relationship and leaving her feeling incomplete.

Caught between the devil and the deep sea, Rihana has to now decide whether to walk out of her marriage and be a victim of society's ridicule, or compromise on her physical needs, which for her are the foundation for a healthy marital bond.

Can they work out their differences? Will Veer give her what she desires, or push her to do something desperate and scandalous?

In my view:

Women have to go through several difficult circumstances, and yet are expected to adjust with them. Our society has witnessed several instances where in a married woman is traumatized and brutalized. Sometimes marriages just fail, but women are expected to face distress, inorder to shield the respect of their families. Even now, choices of women do not matter much to some misogynists. This need to be broken and remaining silent on such issues should surely not be an option. Here, Bhavana Arora through her book The Deliberate Sinner gets the story of one such girl whose life changes after her marriage. 

Rihana the protagonist of this story belongs to a rich and well-to-do family from Jaipur. A pampered girl, Rihaana is the only sister amongst her brothers. Even when her friends back out, she goes ahead with her plan of visiting Thailand. This is where she first meets Raj and Veer. Raj turns out to be an associate and her friendship with Veer deepens. They get close to each other so much that their families decide to tie their knots. But at a party after their engagement, she comes across a completely different conduct of Veer. She realizes that their strings are different. Will she still marry Veer? What will her married life be like? Well, the story is extremely interesting and one needs to grab their copies inorder to explore it in depth. 

The book gets a brilliantly written anecdote on life of a woman, before and after her marriage. The story depicts the struggle that the woman faces in the aftermath of her marriage. The story gives out a strong and insightful message to the masses, encouraging women to take their decisions independently. It’s not just an erotica but there’s a lot more in it. 

The cover page is awesome and so is the title. Both these factors will please readers and the book will be proximately selected by them. The blurb too, will stimulate readers to go ahead with the book. The narration is really appreciable and the narrative instantly grabs attention. Yes, I must confess that the story gets predictable, but that doesn’t distract readers as chronicle plays wonders. Also, there are a few grammatical errors in the book which could have been eliminated by proper editing.

The author has dealt with the story excellently, and I must say, it stands successful in holding readers attention. I personally did feel the story getting a bit dull at times, but the impression that it created in the beginning kept me hooked to it.

I am sure readers are going to enjoy reading this book. In my personal opinion, the story deserves a chance and readers must surely give it a shot.

Considering everything, I would rate the book with 4/5. Congratulations to Bhaavna Arora for her debut novel, and I hope she comes up with more stories. 

NOTE: A review copy of the book was provided by the author.

• You can get The Deliberate Sinner in leading bookstores. 
• You can also avail a copy online via: Infibeam,  Crossword, Amazon,  Rediff Books, Landmark,  Flipkart.

An Affair To Remember! By Harkeerat Anand.

• Book: An Affair To Remember! 
• Author: Harkeerat Anand.
• Publication House: Srishti Publishers.
• Category: Fiction
• Rating: 2.5/5.

 

Story-in-Short:

Filled with cheesy motivational posters, computer workstations crammed side by side, dumb bosses/ blondes and bored employees looking for a career change - ABCDEF Corp., a software giant, rankles with a sameness of a suffocating software giant's existence. Until one man and his best friend take things into their hands. What follows is a series of misadventures, flushing both men down apink-caked urinal of self-destruction. Set in a city that once was, in an IT giant that once was, the two men journey through a cobweb of friendship,ambition, embezzlement, crime, and most importantly, love.Will they survive ABCDEF Corp.? More so, will ABCDEF Corp. survivethem? Peppy, wild and bitterly sarcastic, An Affair to Remember! is a modern-day retelling of a decades-old classic.

In my view:

Debut author Harkeerat Anand has come out with a perky tale of an affair to remember. And before I proceed ahead, let me tell you that, this isn’t any romantic anecdote but an enigmatic tale with a cloudy plot. 

The story is about the protagonist who gets jaded of his ordinary job at a software company. He gets exasperated on seeing his juniors achieving top posts and designations, with high salary and lifestyle, while he continues to remain on the same post since some years. Nevertheless, he finds a solution to deal with this and along with another person (his friend) he leaves the company. But how does he manage his life after that? And what does he do to shape his life the way he wants? This is what you need to find from the book. 

The book gets readers a tale with the touch of mystery and humour. It’s an intelligently framed story which often changes its path of intelligence and gets down to monotony. The story highlights professional jealously and reactions of people to those situations that they generally detest. 

The cover page of the story is good but it could have been better. Speaking about the title, I think the author should have come up with an interesting title. The blurb increases the level of excitement which the story fails to satisfy. I thought it would be a thrilling tale but it just went on and on casually, leaving me disappointed in the end. The plot and the story lack that calibre to attract readers and keep them hooked.

The humour that the author has instilled, tries its best to charm readers, which is worth appreciable. While the story lacks a good start, humour plays wonders and reduces the level of tedium. But how longer can one factor work? The story at times becomes extremely stodgy and ends predictably.

The author should have focused on the plot. She should not have allotted only humour to charm readers. One factor cannot help readers to proceed for a longer time. Agreed she has a good writing style, but a 'strong story' was a necessity. The plot could have been really good and the story highlighted potentials in between, but the author hasn't worked upon it properly.

I think the author needs to contemplate on the whole story. But for the moment, I am appreciating the efforts of the author to write down the story. Writing is not everybody’s cup of tea and it takes a lot to frame down a book. I am sure that her next work will be impressive enough. 

Considering everything, I would rate the book with 2.5/5. I hope she contemplates on these aspects, works on them and comes up with an interesting work in future. By best wishes for the author! 

NOTE: A review copy of the book was provided by the author.

• An Affair To Remember is available in leading bookstores. 
• You can also avail a copy online via: Amazon,  Flipkart, Infibeam, Rediff Books, Crossword.

Operation Fox Hunt by Siddhartha Thorat.

• Book: Operation Fox Hunt.
• Author: Siddhartha Thorat.
• Publication House: Srishti Publishers and Distributors.
• Category: Fiction/Thriller.
• Rating: 4.5/5

Story-in-Short:

The Pakistani army, mauled by the Abbottabad raid, decides to create and execute an operation that will get the Pakistani public opinion firmly behindthem. Major Shezad Khan, a much decorated officer from the Pakistani army'selite Special Service Group (SSG) embarks on a mission to attack a strategictarget in India. His comrades-in-arms are five ferocious Lashakar-e-Taiba militants.

Though he crosses into India through Kashmir, there is one man who has been tasked with the job of ensuring that they don't reach their target. RAW's Senior Field Agent Sanjay Khanna teams up with Military Intelligence and NSG to thwart the attack.

The narrative sweeps across the vast expanses of Tajikistan, the malarial jungles of Bengal, through conflict zones in Baluchistan, and the Vale of Kashmir as the two men and their teams race against time. A thrilling finale awaits in the maximum city - Mumbai.

Will the 'Fox-Hunt' succeed?

In my view:

We all have witnessed Indo-Pak conflicts and Terrorism. Terrorism has brutalized Indian soils and has terrified citizens. Fear engulfs us, even today, when we hear about terror attacks. But we are lucky to have our brave soldiers and security officials, who courageously tackle every difficult situation inorder to maintain peace and harmony in the country. Away from romantic stories, I picked up Operation ‘Fox Hunt’ – the debut novel of author Siddhartha Thorat to read. 

This book brings a thrilling story, related to India and Pakistan. In Pakistan there, Shezad Khan, a military officer with Pakistani military foils a plan. This vicious plan consists of an attack on India. Through meetings and discussions, a full proof strategy is set up and assistance is sought from a militant group. But even as this plan takes root, Indian intelligence agencies that are on alert try to get inputs about this plan. They allot a person only to see that this plan is somehow foiled. 

On a hand where Shezad Khan prepares for an attack, on another hand Sanjay Khanna prepares himself to foil this plan. He secures information of their arrival on Indian soils. He immediately gets into action and contacts security agencies. The story revolves around several locations in the subcontinent, including Mumbai. The security agencies put in their best as always. 

But will they be able to foil this plan? Who will succeed – the terrorists or Indian Security Forces? This is what you need to find out from the book. 

Over-all: By looking at the cover page itself, one gets to know that it is a thriller. The cover page represents a terrorist, holding a gun in his hand and a picture of Mumbai is in the background. The cover page is really enthralling and so is the title. The narration of the story is amazing. While going through the book, I felt as if certain scenes were happening right in front of me. It is that intriguing a story. Towards the end of the initial part, the story feels slightly exaggerated. But the desire to find more about this operation will take readers ahead on a flawless, interesting and thrilling tale. 

I would call it a thrilling novel that mesmerizes a reader. I am surely recommending this book to my readers. 

Considering everything, I would rate the book with 4.5/5. Congratulations to the author for this amazing book and hope he keeps writing in future as well. 

NOTE: A review copy was provided by the author. 

• Operation Fox Hunt is available in leading bookstores.
• You can avail your copy online via: Amazon, Flipkart, Infibeam, Uread, Crossword, Homeshop18.

Happily Murdered… by Rasleen Syal

• Book: Happily Murdered...
• Author: Rasleen Syal. 
• Publication House: Srishti Publishers
• Category: Fiction.
• Rating: 4.25/5.

Story-in-Short:

 

Gulab Sarin has been murdered. The new daughter-in-law of the we

althy and influential Mehta family, she is found dead the day after her wedding. The police know for certain that it’s an insider. Anyone could be the murderer, from the adulterous husband to the plotting in-laws. Or it could be the jealous friend or the love struck ex-fiance. All of them wish to save their own skins and incriminate others, so they begin a crusade to hunt for the truth as amateur detectives. Can they bring out the truth or will Gulab’s murderer vanish, leaving the truth dead just like her?

In My View:

Agatha Christie is a known and respected crime novelist and I have personally followed her. I remember reading her books - Black Coffee, Death on the Nile, the Unexpected Guest, etc. from my school library. A brilliant novelist she is! 

Murder is a crime and no one is happy to be murdered. But Rasleen’s book is titled as Happily Murdered. Well, how can one be happily murdered? 

Here I am done reading this fantastic crime novel by debut authoress Rasleen Syal. 

A murder is reported from the Ratnagiri Palace of Uttaranchal. A wedding takes place in the Mehta family, known to be one of the reputed and rich families. But unfortunately an incident takes place on the wedding night that shakes the family and raises some concerns. Gulab Sarin, the newly wed bride of Sid Mehta is found murdered the next morning. 

Police Inspectors reach the spot and proceed with their investigations. They make a note of all the things, a case report is prepared and the police suspect an insider to be the accused in this murder. In the aftermath of the murder, suspicion raises on the family members as some of them have various reasons to murder Gulab Sarin. 

One after another, things come to picture and suspicion revolves over Mehta family but finally when the truth dawns, a reader is left aghast and stunned. And once I was done reading the book, ‘Awesome’ was the word that happily spurted out of my mouth. 

Over-all: The cover of the book is simple yet suitable. And the title pleads a reader’s consideration. The narration of story is absolutely enthralling and contains power to hold a reader’s attention. I would personally like to compliment Rasleen for her writing style which is again stimulating. The plot, storylines and scenes too are perfect. The story has appropriate features required to make it an appealing one. 

The second chapter of the book has the case report of Gulab Sarin’s murder and has explicit information about Gulab’s relatives. I really loved this – for two reasons - one, it gives a fair idea about each and every relative of Gulab to the readers, and second, it prevents incomprehensibility in further portion of the book. Readers, basically do not find difficulty in relating the characters. Speaking about the drawbacks, I did find certain mistakes in the book which obviously could have been avoided.

But to be frank, I could feel an impression of Mrs. Christie’s style in this book. Undoubtedly, I am recommending this book to all my readers. This is surely a best crime novel I have read till date.

Congratulating Rasleen for her work, I am rating her book with 4.25/5. Hope she comes up with more such interesting novels! 

NOTE: A review copy of the book was provided by the author. 

• The book is available in the bookstores. 
• You can also get it online via: Flipkart, Amazon, Infibeam, HomeShop 18.