Book Review(Regional): Akhila Loka Aadu Company by Majeed Syed

 

Majeed Sayeed is one writer with that uncanny ability to derive humor from innocuous situations. Like his previous work, ‘Chembilammini Kolacase,’ Akhila Loka Adu Company is a humorous take on the state and the society we are living in. Part social satire, part allegory, and social commentary, ‘Akhila Loka..’ is a novel that sees the world we live in through the eyes of Pokkar, a twice ‘converted’  male goat.

The novel almost reads like the life story of the Rajasthan-born, Kerala-raised “Pokkar Aadu,” but I must say that this one is indeed a well-written social satire. The world that Majeed creates is so vivid and lively that once you start reading it, you can’t put this down until you finish reading it. The author has no qualms in making fun of most present-day quandaries.

The characters are a good mix of humans and animals, but often the line gets blurred, and one feels that the animals are far more civilized than their human counterparts. The novel has a wide array of characters: Baby, Balkis, Chekkutty, Lilly, and Pratap Singh. The writer has also poked fun at the Malayalee Psyche of ‘treating anything as holy’ at the slightest instigation of half-truths and part-boiled facts. The ‘Lilly-Holy Goat’ episodes are a hoot. At just about 70 pages, this one is a fast-paced read! For Majeed, the goat and the setting are just a prop to drive home some pertinent statements. There are no holy cows in the world that he creates. To the writer’s credit, he has successfully weaved in the themes of Casteism, regionalism, and communal undercurrents in the narrative in a very subtle but effective manner.

Through the mind of the Pokkar, the author also reminds us of some essential life lessons. So when he laments that “we are far better than humans who get rid of their parents when they fall ill” or when he quips that “it is better to end up at the dinner table rather than continuing living in the world dominated by humans,” one can’t agree more!

On the whole, this one is a thought-provoking read! If satire is your cup of tea, go grab a copy now!

-nikhimenon

 

Book Review(Regional): Mini P.C's Devil Tattoo

 

Malayalam Crime Fiction is going through a golden period now. Gone are the days when crime Fiction writing was looked down by mainstream critics and publishers. More young writers and publishers are not only coming up with their titles; the better works among them are also getting lapped up by the readers. Mini P.C's Devil Tattoo from Mathrubhumi Books is a crime thriller novel set in the backdrop of West Kochi and the thriving tattoo artists residing there.

Kasim is the personal Chef of Ronaldo Douglas, the dreaded Don of South Goa. The latter is hugely fond of Kasim's Naadan dishes, and as the adage goes, he has found his way into Don's inner circle through the excellent meals he cooks for him. But things go wrong when his sons go missing, and the Don has every reason to believe that Kasim is in some way connected to their disappearance. Left with no other choice, Kasim runs off to West Kochi and finds his hideout in West Kochi with the help of his old friend Vincent. In West Kochi, Kasim finds company in Pranchi, Veroni, Ann Lucy, and life slowly settling down for him, but soon a series of mysterious deaths get reported from the town. Grossly disfigured bodies get piling up, and the local Inspector Ravi starts investigating the case. With Kasim and the events surrounding him and the seeming act of a serial-killer happening in what appears as two parallel tracks in the beginning, as the story progresses, twists are thrown in at regular intervals making the reader question the real identity of each character. Who is Kasim? Who is the 'serial killer on the loose? Why are the victim's bodies mutilated with mysterious tattoos on their torso?

Unlike some of the recent Contemporary crime thrillers in Malayalam, which only focus on delivering instant shocks and surprises, Devil Tattoo has a solid story of revenge and redemption to narrate. The language though pretty simple, has a literary flavor and might appeal to those who are also looking for some degree of academic quality. The world and the characters that Mini P.C builds in are so lively and set on a vast canvas. The dark underbelly of the Tatoo Industry has been touched upon, though a bit topically, in this Novel. The characters, be it Paulettan, Veroni, or Hena, are tangible yet believable. The culture and life at West Kochi also become an integral part of the narrative. Though the book's cover page indicates that this one is a "crime thriller," which it certainly is, I must say that it is much more than that. Devil Tattoo is the story of a few hapless people, their troubles past, and their efforts to seek redemption.

On the downside, I felt that at 240+ pages, the book is a tad too long for a crime thriller. Towards the beginning, the writer seems to spend too much time narrating the backstories of every character who comes into the picture. Some of it could have been quickly done away with. Also, the investigation part is underwhelming, with the principal investigator, Ravi, not adding much to the story. The climax also felt a bit clunky, with too many things happening in a pretty short period.

On the whole, Devil Tatoo is an engaging read.You won’t regret buying this one!

-nikhi menon

The Books I loved in 2021: Part II

 In this second part of the year-ender post, I will be crowing about the five other books that got me swooned over in the year gone by.

6. Neuro Area (Sivan Edamana, DC Books):

Writing a Paisa Vasool Crime Thriller that doesn't belittle your sensibilities is no mean task. Sivan Edamana's 'Neuro Area' is a delectable mix of medical mumbo jumbo, modern-day tech wizardry, and page-turning fun.

Set in a futuristic corporate hospital, Neuro Area begins with Dr. Rahul Sivasankar, the C.EO of the hospital, getting into a coma after getting critically injured in a road accident. The doctor is shifted to a highly protected state-of-the-art Neuro ICU of the hospital (Neuro Area), which Robots entirely man. In a bizarre turn of events, a junior doctor of the hospital, Dr. Meenakshy, gets assigned as the duty doctor in the entry restricted Neuro Area, but little did she realize what was in store for her!

Though it has its share of minor flaws, this one is a super fun read!

7. Guest List (Lucy Foley, Harper Collins)

This creepy, claustrophobic whodunit is an intelligent blend of old-school Agatha Christie and modern psychological Suspense. Set on a remote island somewhere off the coast of  Ireland, Lucy Foley's follow-up to her highly successful 'Hunting Party' tells the story of the wedding of a superstar couple (a rising TV star and an ambitious digital magazine publisher). Friends and relatives have been invited, and the stage is set for the grand gala wedding. But soon, bodies start piling up, and nothing is what it seems.

With an ambit of characters and narrated through multiple perspectives,  Guest List is a slow-burning, character-driven thriller worth your time and money!

8. Adiyor Mishiha Enna Novel (Vinoy Thomas, D.C.Books):

I picked up this book, thinking it to be a novel but was pleasantly surprised to find it to be an anthology of short stories. I must confess that I am not a great fan of Malayalam short stories as often; I find them too abstract to my liking. But Vinoy Thomas proved me wrong with his delectable collection, which is witty, dark, and poignant. This collection is an absolute winner, replete with sarcasm, satire, and black humor!

9. Maidens (Alex Michaelides, W&N ):

Maidens is the author's follow-up work to his international bestseller, 'The Silent Patient.' I must say that the love I felt towards this book is as much as I hate it. Maidens is the story of a group therapist named Marianna, mourning the loss of her beloved husband, Sebastian. She gets to know that her niece, Zoe, a student at Cambridge, has just lost her best friend. Without wasting time, she leaves for Cambridge only to find that the police have arrested someone she thinks is innocent. Will Marianna manage to find out the truth? The book essentially tries to unravel this mystery.

 While 'The Silent Patient' had a novel premise, 'The Maidens' is a generic thriller, at best. The writer has tried to put some novelty in the narrative by throwing Greek mythology in between(which also saves this one from being a complete downer!). I liked the way Alex ended the book by bringing in characters from his previous work. I wish the rest of the book were also that much fun!

 10. Indian Poocha (Sunu A.V, D.C. Books), Onnaam Forensic Adhyaayam (Rajad R, Green Books) Njaana Bharam (E.Santhosh Kumar, Mathrubhumi Books):

While the former is a collection of short stories which got me enthralled sometime in early 2021, the latter is the book that has kept me hooked currently. In Indian Poocha, Sunu manages to weave stories around real people, the kind we meet in real life. That's perhaps the reason why Imran, with a dark past, and Aboobakker, who has intelligent observations about life, are still fresh in my mind. This one is a genuinely readable collection with its heart in the right place. Sunu A.V's stories do transcend boundaries, just like the cat who doesn't bother crossing the same!

Onnaam Forensic Adhyaayam by Rajad R, though marketed as a crime thriller, is much more than your average generic template thriller. One of the best literary crime novels to have come out of Malayalam in recent years, Onnnaam Forensic narrates the story of a missing politician and the investigation with pursues. The author's progressive ideas about life and death give a philosophical tone to the narrative. I must say that I didn't see the climax twist coming! This one is a  genuinely enjoyable read!

I am just halfway through E Santhosh Kumar's Njaanabhaaram, but I must confess that I have already fallen in love with this poignant tale. I must write a detailed review once I am done with this one!)

A delicious read indeed!

-nikhimenon

 (The first part of this post can be read here)

Regional: Flashback By Sudeesh Peringottukara

         Flashback by Sudeesh Peringottukara aspires to be a crime thriller. The story is about the mysterious death of a lady doctor .Dr Grace  is found dead in her in-law's house and though the death is initially dubbed as a case of suicide, pretty soon,it becomes evident that it's a case of Murder.The case is initially investigated by the local police team and when they fail to find out the truth, our protagonist enters and the real culprit is finally brought to the books.

       On the surface level, though this is a pretty interesting thought( a bit dated one though!), the execution and writing is quite lacklustre, making this one a pretty average work.The characters feel a bit half-baked and the reader doesn't get much time to invest himself to the proceedings.This book feels like those crime thrillers which used to come out in the late eightees and early ninetees.

On the whole, I'm giving a 2.5 out of 5 for this book.

-nikhimenon 

Regional: Twinkle Rosum 12 Kaamukanmarum by G.R.Indugopan

               

                   G.R.Indugopan has become the poster boy of present day's Malayalam Popular Fiction by now.His books are raw, rustic and has a very simple kanguage which the masses can relate to.I absolutely love reading his books and Twinkle Rosum 12 Kaamukanmarum is his latest, released by D.C Books.
             The book basically has three Novellas.The title one tells the story of an idyllic 'Punyaalan Dweepu'(island) somewhere in the outskirts of Kollam. Twinkle Rose is recently married to that Thuruthu,but it's soon revealed that she has an old connection with the island in Harro,who is our hero Terry's best friend.What happens when Anurag, her ex-lover comes to the island with his wretched 'plan' is what the story is all about.Coming to the positives, I liked the way Indigopan has created the setting and it's lively characters.The writer has always been known for the real,believable characters which he creates within a rural,atmospheric setting.Here also, he doesn't disappoint a bit.Coming to the negatives, I think the theme could have been developed a bit more and towards the end, the story doesn't entirely do justice to it's characters and their setting.Neverthless, this one is an enjoyable read!
             The second one, 'Pushpavallyum Yakshi Vasanthayum' is undoubtedly the pick of the lot.In this one, Indugopan returns to his favourite territory-the world inhabited by small time goondas and local underworld.We have two local Dons,Pushpavally and Vasantha and this story is all about their gang rivalry and upmanship.I don't know how many of you remember the hooch tragedy which shook Kollam district almost two decades back.It's quite obvious that the 'Pushpavally' of this story is more or less modelled on the female king pin of that notorious crime which shook the state sometime in the late ninetees.The climactic twist is indeed unexpected and has come out really well.If you loved 'Shankhumukhi',in all probability you will relish reading this novella.
              The third one, 'Aaralvaimozhiyile Pathi Ventha Manushyar' has elements of horror and also deals with some pertinent social issues and exploitation.This one is also a brilliantly executed tale.

On the whole,I'm giving a 3.75 out of 5 for this book.You won't regret buying this one!

-nikhimenon

Regional: Postman by Benyamin

            Benyamin is a highly inconsistent writer in my personal opinion.While I loved reading his 'Aadujeevitham' and had an okay feeling about his 'Manjaveyil Maranangal',his 'AkkaPorinte Irupathu Nasrani Varshangal' and 'Shareera Shastram' kind of disappointed me.So I picked up his 'Postman', an anthology of eight stories dealing with helplessness and longing, to read with mixed feelings.But to my pleasant surprise, I liked this book a lot.The stories are genuine, contemporary and succeeds to a very large extend in portraying the emotions which the author has tried to convey.
            As I mentioned already, the book has got eight stories and the pick of the lot is undoubtedly the one titled Postman, which talks about a dedicated Postman in a small village who was reverred by almost everyone in the locality.After his passing away, his son discovers some secrets about him and how he deals with it is what the story is about.The story explores various themes like morality, the perception of right and wrong and also about 'untold' love.
           In Solapur,Benyamin narrates the sad tale of Shobhi and her husband who have been taken for a ride by the Kidney racket and the porn mafia.A genuinely moving tale about poverty and exploitation,this one is! Perhaps the weakest one of this lot is ,'Pusthakkada' in which the author has tried to show his contempt towards best sellers and what it's doing to the avid literature lover. I have multiple issues with this story.First of all, this story is a bit of a stretch and I genuinely do believe that 'popular fiction' also has a very big role in making non-readers to readers. C'mmon, each one of us were introduced to the world of books through these light stuff ,isn't it? But for what he has faltered in 'Pusthakkada',Benyamin more than makes up for it in 'Neeleswaram Baby' which is a genuinely satirical and interesting take on the modern day writers and the double standards they practice.'Markes',another enjoyable tale in this collection has it's protagonist in 'Gregory Mathews', a wannabe writer and the parallels with the Srinivasan character in 'Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala' is unmissable.'Alice In Wonderland' kind of reminded me of P.Padmarajan's 'Lola',but neverthless this one is also an okay read.

On the whole,I'm going with a 3.75 out of 5 for this collection.

-nikhimenon

Regional: Manuvinte Lokam by Krishnakumar K.J

             Manuvinte Lokam by Krishna Kumar K.J is the story of a young boy who is in search of his parents and sibling who went missing years ago after an air mishap. Manu is our protagonist who is living in the U.S and ventures out to find out the truth behind his dear one's mysterious disappearance.
           The book,written in a very simple language is at best an okay read which might work well for the very young readers.Apart from the lead character, there aren't many characters which are well developed.At times, the book reminded me of the many adventure stories which I used to relish reading during my childhood.That exactly is it's strength as well as weakness. At times, you get the feeling that you are reading some sort of children's literature.

On the whole, I'm giving this one a 2.5 out of 5

-nikhimenon

Regional: Nizhalukal by Priya Vijayan

                   Nizhalukal is the debut work of Priya Vijayan. The book is about the journey of Meera, who is wrongly convicted for a crime which she hasn't committed. Joining her in her truth finding mission is the private investigator, Abhimanyu.The story which opens with Meera's life in prison, soon changes track and gets into a full blown investigation mode.
                  The main issue which I have with this book is it's amateurish feel.The characters are grossly under developed and the book largely reads like a rough first draft.The 'Who', 'Why' and 'What' were largely unconvincing.There are also abundant loop holes in the narrative and the Agatha Christie- esque climax didn't actually work for me.

On the whole,I 'm going with a 2.5 out of 5 for this work.

-nikhimenon

Regional: Dubai Days by Sajeev Edathadan

                      

Image-Indulekha

                           Sajeev Edathadan’s ‘Sampoorna Kodakarapuranam’ was a book which I enjoyed a lot. So, I picked up his follow up work, ‘Dubai Days’ with quite high expectations. But to be very frank, ‘Dubai Days’ left me with mixed feelings.

                           Like his previous work, in ‘Dubai Days’ also Vishalamanaskan uses his trade mark humour to take the narrative forward. Edathadan is also brutally honest and doesn’t have any qualms in reminiscing about his noble up bringing. But the basic issue with this book is that many of the ‘stories’( incidents) included in this compilation don’t have enough meat in them to have any re-call value. The pick of the lot is undoubtedly the one in which Vishalamanaskan talks about his mother and how she ensured her children a successful future overcoming all the hardships. 

On the whole, ‘Dubai Days’ is a time pass read. I’m giving it a 2.75 out of 5

PS- I hope Edathadan will let go his fetish with ‘However’ atleast by the next book.

-nikhimenon

Regional: G.R. Indugopan's 'Beeja Bankile Penkutty'

'Beeja Bankile Penkutty' is the collection of two Novellas by G.R. Indugopan. The first one ,'Paasham' tries to explore the after effects of a 'mischief' done in the prime of youth and also goes on to delve into themes like fighting one's own 'inner demons', while the second story, 'Beeja Bankile Penkutty' is about the unusual relationship between a meritorious student and a girl who works in a Sperm Bank.

Like Indugopan's previous works, 'Paasham' explores the lives of people who live in the lower strata of the society and has almost the same tone as the stories featured in 'Padinjare Kaalam Chorakakkalam','Ammini Pillai Veettu Case' and so on.I think, by now, the author has become a master of this sub-genre.The characters are raw, rustic and are mostly believable.'Beeja Bankile...' has more of an urban setting and is also a largely enjoyable tale, but one gets the feeling that the theme could have been explored further.

On the whole, this compilation is worth your time.I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

Regional Book Reviews: Mystic Mountain, 307.47

               Malayalam Pulp Fiction is going through a golden phase now. More and more youngsters are bringing out their works and mainstream publishers are picking them up without any inhibitions (there used to be a phase when A-List Malayalam publishers kept a 'safe' distance from 'popular/pulp' writers and wanted 'nothing' to do with their 'works') .They are not only vocal about their works in the online platforms but also aggressively cross promote each other's works. It won't be an overstatement to say that Malayalam popular fiction is witnessing what desi writing in English experienced in the 'Chetan Bhagat' phase (ofcourse, Chetan Bhagat is still hanging around, but the many pale imitations have slowly faded out,by now!).This week, we are reviewing two books which are making waves in the social media- Mystic Mountain by Sree Parvathy and 307.47 by Ashish Ben Ajay. In more ways than one, both these works have a couple of things in common.
               Mystic Mountain is a novel which tries to explore Devil worship, Lesbian Love and adventure travel. Thara and Agnes are a lesbian couple who are madly in love with each other and desperately want to start a life together.To tide over her personal crisis, Agnes decides to go for an adventure trip to Mount Aleena with her friends but there she chances upon a mysterious church (church of insanity) and decides to go after the secret behind this abandoned Church. But little did she know that the place had been taken over by dark forces. 
            On a concept level, this theme/one-line might sound exciting.But the plain narrative and below par treatment makes this one a not-so-pleasant reading experience.
             Plagued by poor character development, a back story heavily borrowed from a Malayalam Comedy Film (the track from 'Romans'), illogical plot twists and loopholes in the narrative (the entry of Devasi Achan, the 'conveniently placed' mobile phone in the climax , the 'keys' appearing from nowhere, to name a few),'Mystic Mountain' ends up as a royal mess. The scenes depicting the Devil worship are so unimaginatively written that they end up being cringe worthy and outright boring.

On the whole, I'm giving it a 2 out of 5.

           Asish Ben Ajay's 307.47 is a work which tries to blend different genres. It has elements of horror, travelogue and mystery.The plot goes something like this-Abhisekh is a young banker who has recently got transferred to Kochi. There , he chances upon a book written by someone named Asish Ben Ajay which basically is an account of the travel which Asish and his friends had made to Munnar (Chinnacanal).Not very much later, Abhisekh and his friends also decide to go on for a pleasure trip to Munnar (Chinnacanal). In the course of the journey, Abhi soon realises that they are also going through the same experiences, as described in the book, one by one!
          Coming to the positives, this book is undoubtedly a light and easy read.For the most part, 307.47 works well as an atmospheric ,suspenseful read.
The illustrations accompanying the text deserve special mention.It did help in elevating the reading experience to a great extend.
          On the downside, the book is not devoid of flaws either.A travelogue becomes more enjoyable when it describes places we haven't been quite acquainted with.But when it's about familiar places, you don't 'feel' much about it.In that sense, it didn't quite work for me.The mystery about the 'Thamizhathy' was also quite predictable.The climax and tail end portions could have been better thought out, though!

I'm giving it a 2.7 out of 5. Asish Ben Ajay is a promising talent as far as Malayalam Pulp Fiction is concerned!

 -nikhimenon

Book Reviews (Regional) : Kodakarapuranam, Amminipillai Vettu Case, Ozhivudivasthe Kali

             Sajeev Edathadan is a known name in Malayalam Blogosphere. Infact his 'Kodakarapuranam' is one of the blogs (the other one being Berly Thomas's 'Berlytharangal') which led to the blogging revolution in Kerala in the late 2000s. While most of the 'superstar' malayalam bloggers have quit blogging since then ,Vishalamanaskan is still active in the malayalam blogging arena. Though his works have got published earlier also, I have never had a chance to read any of his works till date. So when I got an opportunity to read his complete works , I literally grabbed it!

           Contrary to it's title Kodakarapuranam, is not a history of the place called 'Kodakara', the small idyllic place somewhere in Kerala.It's about the small incidents (real and fictional) that have apparently happened in Edathadan's life as a 'kodakarakkaran' .Sajeevan's Kodakara is inhabited by people who are funny, innocent,honest and believable, yet with their own sense of small world 'crookedness' and 'street smartness'. Be it the over enthusiastic Giri who ventures to make 'Kerala Porotta' though he has absolutely no clue about the 'mechanics' behind it's making or the BBC chettan of Kodakara who honestly believes that it's his moral duty to 'spread the word'! At 350 + pages, 'kodakarapuranam' is a sheer joy to read and I bet you will laugh out loud atleast for half of it's stories! 

               AmminiPillai Vettu Case is an anthology by G.R.Indugopan .The stories are realistic and deeply rooted in human values and explores themes like love,longing and revenge.However there is a strong satirical tone to most of the stories and is pretty much prominent in the title story.Don't get deceived by the title though, this one is not a murder mystery by any stretch of imagination!

              Perhaps the most famous work of this lot, 'Ozhivudivasathe Kali' is a collection of short stories by Unni R.The title story has been adapted to a stage drama as well as a Malayalam Feature Film. Like Unni's previous works, the stories in this collection are also quite contemporary and deals with socially relevant themes. My pick of the lot is the opening story which is aptly titled 'Alice inte Albutha Lokam' which deals with a very serious theme of child abuse, albeit in a very subtle yet effective manner. 'Neela Chitram' is another gem which explores the theme of exploitation in two different contexts.'Ozhivu Divasathe Kali' is all about the intoxicating effect of 'Power'! "Pathu Kalpanakalkkidayil Randu Per' and 'Prani Lokam' are the other two stories in this collection. This one is definitely a must read book!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: Coffee House by Lajo Jose

                   

                 
                   Lajo Jose’s Coffee House is a work which aspires to be a new-age crime novel but unfortunately is  heavily influenced by the S.N. Swamy –K Madhu movies of the 90s. (Infact the basic thread itself - of the convicted killer opening up about his innocence a few days before his execution, reminded me of the third film in the CBI series)

                  Benjamin is convicted for multiple homicides and is awaiting execution. A few days before his execution he expresses desire to meet the journalist (Esther) who has been instrumental in his conviction and wants to convince the world of his innocence. Esther who works with a leading Malayalam Magazine, 'Kuleena' (modelled on 'Vanitha' and the Malayala Manorama group) half- heartedly accepts the invite and decides to 're-investigate' the case. How she manages to solve the puzzle and clear Benjamin's name of the murder/murders is what 'CH' is all about.Also aiding her in her journey are Peter Achan ,Sub Inspector Chris and Aparna, the scribe's colleague and best-friend.

                First things first.This debut novel is undoubtedly a quick and easy read (no long, boring prose or pretentious metaphors thrown in just for the sake of it).Even an occassional/newbie reader can finish it off in a couple of hours. Quality work of crime fiction is a rare thing as far as new age Malayalam writing is concerned and hats off to Lijo for trying to revive a long lost genre! As mentioned before, the writing is straight forward, the language used being simple and easy to comprehend even for the lay reader. Lajo also makes some interesting remarks about Kottayam town and pretty much succeeds in making this central Kerala town also a part of the narrative. 

              However the book is not devoid of flaws either. For an ambitious new-age crime thriller, Coffee House is tad too slow and the identity of the true killer is predictable quite early on. A lot of time (and 'pages') are spent on the pointless (and often cringe worthy) banter between Esther and her close buddy Aparna. Believe me, Aparna's ('Amma package') is definitely one of the most annoying characters I have come across (read) in recent times.  

              The characters are too shallow and none of them have been well etched out. There is a passing mention about Benjamin’s family but the author hasn’t really bothered to elaborate on his back story. As a result, the reader never gets to empathise for him. The same lack of detail is evident in the case of Esther’s characterization. Okay, we get to know that she has a liking for a pretty upmarket café in kottayam town (Tonico Café), but apart from that, what does she like actually? And what about her family? The less said about the shaky characterization of Chris (the cop), the better-  the guy seems to be in a very bad mood when we are first introduced to him (and seems to be only interested in settling scores with his bête noire , Esther )  but pretty soon , he is seeing hobnobbing with her and helping with the investigation!- His transformation and change of heart (remember the scribe had caused great humiliation to him in the past with even a molestation case filed against him!) pretty unconvincing and whatever meek justification rendered to it too weak and hard to swallow!

             Also, the romantic track between Benjamin and Jinu has not been worked out well. As a result, like one of the characters himself states at one instance in the book, Benjamin only comes across as a typical stalker for the average reader.

            To give due credit to Lajo, I liked the character of ‘Solly Jacob’ and how her character and her magazine were modeled on 'Vanitha' , but again it’s a shame that she has very little (and quite insignificant) presence in the narrative and in this 220 + page long crime novel.

Towards the end, the author seems to be in a hurry to wrap up the proceedings and before we realize, the climax is up leaving behind room for a possible sequel (and even for a new series featuring Esther!)

So the logical issues which I had with this 'thriller' are listed below-

• If the case was such an open and shut case right from the beginning, what was that made Esther & co wage a prolonged media battle to implicate and arrest Benjamin?

• Esther could easily crack the mystery behind the multiple homicides within a span of two days, just based on her intuitions, the 'killer's statements  and a few incidental findings which cropped up during her '3-4 day long' investigation but then, why did the initial investigating officers so easily overlook these same facts during the course of their investigation?Noone seemed to have bothered to even cross check the veracity of the true ‘killer’s initial statements to the police!(they could have atleast verified 'the cell-phone range' thing!)

Looks like the author is keen on making this into the series and also having a film adaptation for this work (as  indicated in the closing chapter) but I genuinely wish he enhances the original source material at hand and make it more taut and racy by adding some more meat into the (future) feature film script.

Verdict: On the whole, Lajo jose’s Coffee House is a decent start for a first time author, but doesn’t qualify as a truly engaging mystery thriller. I sincerely hope that his follow up to this debut work will be much better. I’m giving it a 2.5 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

Mini Book Review: Manjaveyil Maranangal(Malayalam)

Title: Manjaveyil Maranangal(Deaths in Yellow lights)
 Author: Benyamin(Benny Daniel)
 Originally published in Malayalam(2011)
 Publisher: D.C. Books
 Pages: 356
 Price:   INR 226/-
 Homeshop 18,DC Books
                          First Things first.I am not a great fan of Benyamin.Though I loved ‘Aadujeevitham’( Kerala Sahitya Academy Award 2009),his ‘Akkaporinte Irupathu Nasrani Varshangal’ made me mad.So I was a bit sceptical when I picked up his latest best seller,’Manjaveyil Maranangal’.The book turned out to be a half baked thriller and left me terribly disappointed.Manjaveyil Maranangal starts off (well) as a murder mystery,tries to be a historical fiction in the middle and ends up being none as it fizzles out with it’s weak/pathetic climax. 

                        Set In the small island of Diego Garcia,the book is basically the story of Christie Anthraper;the youngest descendant of the Anthraper clan.One day he witnesses a murder(in broad day light) only to realise later that the guy who got killed was none other than Senthil,his old school mate.Pretty soon he finds out that the authorities are trying to cover up the murder and trying to pass it off as a natural death.Meanwhile Christie’s girl friend also dies in an accident and he decides to go to her hometown(Udayamperoor) and meet her mourning parents. But little did he know what was in store for him!

                    What happened to Christie Anthraper?Who was Senthil and why was he killed?Why were the authorities trying to pass it off as a death due to 'Cardiac arrest'?Was Mervin’s death really an accident?The book tries to find out answers for all this but believe me,you are not going to get solutions for most of these even after  you have finished reading it.Agreed,the book is racy,has an interesting premise and gives a vivid description of life at Diego Garcia.But what is the point in wasting your time in a Crime thriller which leaves you with half a dozen un-answered questions in the end?
Rating: I am giving 2.25/5 for this half baked thriller.The climax disappoints big time!

PS: In a pre-climactic scene Christies’ dad is arrested and their house raided for planning a coup.But in the epilogue Anthraper family is seen reviving their plantation business in Etiopia.From where did the (already bankrupt) family get the funds for it,Mr Benyamin? 
PSPS: The book reminded me of T.D Ramakrishnan’s ‘FrancisItty Cora’ at times.The ‘Mariyam Seva’,’Raniyayi Vazhikkal’ scenes’ had a ‘korakku kodukkal’(Francis Itty Cora) hangover to it.

-nikhimenon