Book Review- Blood in the Paradise

Blood in the Paradise

Murder mysteries are extremely pulsating to read. The suspense in the climax is what makes it a memorable read. Some authors get it right and some don’t. I love it when Indian authors attempt this genre. That is why I was very curious to know whether Madhav gets this right!

Madhumita Nandan is exasperated with her life. She has determined to commit suicide. In the turn of events her husband- Vikas Nandan dies. The DCP on duty- Vishwaroop accuses Madhumita for the well planned murder of Vikas Nandan. Has Madhumita really planned her husband’s murder? Is the DCP able to provide evidence to support his accusations? Or was it an accident and this is just a way to malign Madhumita? For answers to these questions you have to read Blood in the Paradise.

The narrative starts off with the entire suicide/murder happening. The minute DCP Vishwaroop comes on board the entire story unravels and the reader is somewhat aware of the storyline. This is where the author’s job starts. Inspite of being aware, the author manages to create a stir. As a reader, one is interested in reading further and not putting the book down.  The author maintains this till the very end and that is the USP of Blood in the Paradise. The characters are crafted immaculately. This also helps in taking the novel up by a couple of notches. All the characters do their jobs efficiently. I always get intrigued with supporting characters. Their efficiency makes the journey of the main characters interesting to read. In Blood in the Paradise, the supporting character of Anupriya is written to perfection. Anupriya is elegant, sassy and extremely intelligent. I am in awe of Anupriya. But  it is the climax  that takes away the cherry. It is surprising and unexpected. The climax helps in realising that the author has drifted from the obvious and it’s a well thought and rehearsed subject to write on.

The cover page is done well but does not have any relevance to the narrative. I wish it would have been designed as an appropriate window to the storyline. Being an ardent Sydney Sheldon fan I would have loved more twists and turns, but definitely there is nothing taking away from the efforts of Madhav Mahidhar.  The discussions and debates on news channel that the author has attempted is not needed and breaks the pace of the storyline. Yes towards the end it does help in unraveling the mystery but that could have been attempted in a different way. One just scapes through it.

Pick this one up not only for the brilliant attempt by Madhav but for the brilliance in the character portrayed by Anupriya. Strong characterisation makes this one a memorable one. Will definitely look forward to more of your work-Madhav !!

Stars- 3.75/5

I won a review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.