Book Review: ഫ്രൈഡേ ഫോറെൻസിക് ക്ലബ് (രജത് ആർ)

 ഡോ രജത് ആർ എഴുതി ഇതിനോടകം തന്നെ വായനക്കാരുടെ പ്രിയപ്പെട്ടതായി തീർന്ന പുസ്തകമാണ് ‘ഫ്രൈഡേ ഫോറെൻസിക് ക്ലബ്’ . എഴുത്തുകാരന്റെ ആദ്യ നോവലായ ഒന്നാം ഫോറെൻസിക്ക് അദ്ധ്യായത്തിലെ പ്രധാന കഥാപാത്രമായ ഡോ അരുൺ ബാലൻ ഐ പി എസ് വീണ്ടും വരുന്ന നോവൽ എന്ന വിശേഷണവുമായി എത്തിയ നോവൽ മൂന്ന് ഫോറെൻസിക്ക് കേസ്സുകൾ കൃത്യമായി കോർത്തിണക്കിയ ഒരു 'കേസ് സീരീസ് ' നോവലാണ് .

ഒരുപാട് മെഡിക്കൽ / ടെക്‌നിക്കൽ കാര്യങ്ങൾ കടന്ന് വരുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിലും അവയെല്ലാം വളരെ ലളിതമായി, മടുപ്പിക്കാത്ത രീതിയിൽ, മികച്ച ഭാഷയിൽ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുവാൻ സാധിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് എന്നതാണ് ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ മേന്മയായി എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത് . നോവലിൽ കടന്ന് വരുന്ന മൂന്ന് കേസുകളും ആവർത്തന വിരസത തോന്നിക്കാത്തവയാണെന്നതും , കഥകളിലോ നോവലുകളിലോ അധികം കണ്ട് /കേട്ട് ശീലിച്ചിട്ടില്ലാത്ത മെഡിക്കൽ സാങ്കേതികത്വങ്ങൾ കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യുന്നവയാണെന്നതും പുസ്തകത്തെ ഒരു മികച്ച വായനാനുഭവം ആക്കിത്തീർക്കുന്നുണ്ട് .

X ജംക്ഷൻ , Z ജനറേഷൻ , Y ജീൻ എന്നിങ്ങനെ മൂന്ന് കേസുകളും പിന്നെ പാതിയിൽ പറഞ്ഞവസാനിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ‘നിലാവലി കേസ്’ എന്നിങ്ങനെ നാല് കേസുകളാണ് ഈ നോവലിൽ ഉള്ളത് . (ഫോറെൻസിക്ക് ക്ലബ് എന്ന രചനാ സങ്കേതത്തിലൂടെ ഈ കേസുകളെ കൂട്ടിയിണക്കി നോവലിന്റെ രൂപത്തിലാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട് എഴുത്തുകാരൻ ).

ടോക്സിക്കോളജിയിലേയും മോഡേൺ മെഡിസിനിലേയും നിരവധി വിവരങ്ങൾ രചനാ സങ്കേതങ്ങളായി ഉപയോഗിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിലും നരേറ്റീവ് ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്ന നാടകീയതയും ,ക്ലിഫ് ഹാങ്ങർ എൻഡിങ്ങുകളും നോവലിൽ ഉൾക്കൊള്ളിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളത് genre ആരാധകരെ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തും എന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത് . രണ്ടാം കേസ്സിലെ സ്നേഹയുടെ മരണവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടുള്ള ചോദ്യത്തിന് "കാലന്റെ വാഹനത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള വിഷം " എന്ന മറുപടി നൽകുന്നതൊക്കെ ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ശ്രമങ്ങളായാണ് തോന്നിയത് .

കൃത്യമായ തുടക്കവും , ഒടുക്കവുമുള്ള ഈ മൂന്ന് കേസ്സുകളിൽ ഏറ്റവും ഫ്രഷ് ആയിട്ടുള്ള ക്ലൈമാക്സ് റിവീൽ ഉള്ളത് ഒരു പക്ഷെ ഒടുവിലെ കഥയായ 'Y' ജീൻ നാവും .ഒരു ആശുപത്രിയുടെ ക്രിട്ടിക്കൽ ഐ സി യൂവിൽ പ്രവേശിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന പഴയ കാല സിനിമാ താരത്തിന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിലെ ദുരൂഹതകളിൽ നിന്ന് തുടങ്ങി , disputed paternity സംഘർഷങ്ങളിലൂടെ സഞ്ചരിച്ച് അപ്രതീക്ഷിതമായ ക്ളൈമാക്സിൽ അവസാനിക്കുന്ന ഈ കേസ് തീർച്ചയായും മലയാള കുറ്റാന്വേഷണ നോവൽ ശ്രമങ്ങളിലെ ധീരമായ പരീക്ഷണം തന്നെയാണ് .

ഫോറൻസിക് ക്ലബിന്റെ ആരംഭത്തിൽ പരാമർശിക്കുന്ന നിലാവലി കേസുമായി അരുൺ ബാലൻ തിരിച്ചെത്തും എന്ന് പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചു കൊണ്ട് ..

-നിഖിലേഷ്‌ മേനോൻ

Book Review: Do You Remember ? By Freida Mcfadden

 'Do You Remember ?' is yet another generic thriller by Freida Mcfadden and after reading this one I can confidently say that there aren't many like Freida  who can consistently deliver fast paced pop- corn reads even from the most derivative plot lines!

Do You Remember is also one of the earlier kindle works of Freida which has got a paperback version recently.The core idea is almost similar to Gillian McAllister's 'Wrong Place Wrong Time' (which came a couple of years later to this book), 'Fifty First Dates' and 'Before I go to Sleep' where the main protagonist is having memory issues. Tess Strebel, our heroine is having short term memory loss and she can retain her recent memory only for a single day. So every day, she is waking up, next to her husband Gragam with no memory of the previous day and she has to solely rely on the letters which he has written for herself to make good for the patches in her memory. Her memory is stuck seven years back at a time she was about to get engaged to her long term boy friend, Harry Finch. 

If You have read 'Wrong Place Wrong Time' or seen any of the Movies which i have mentioned earlier, I hope you will get a hang of what i have tried to say and that exactly is how this fast paced thriller pan out.

This one (though pretty generic and has predictable tropes at it's disposal) moves at break-neck speed and I am pretty sure that if You have started reading this one , you won't keep it down without finishing it. This one has got one of the most stupid and implausible endings which you can ever imagine, but I kind of liked the 'newness' of it, it was so-bad-that-it was good- kind of twist, I must say!

On the whole, this one is a cheesy pop corn read which never takes itself too seriously!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: The Perfect Son By Freida Mcfadden

 The Perfect Son is a generic thriller from Freida Mcfadden.

The book was originally released in kindle a few years back and is out on paperback now.

A mother trying to save her son who is accused for a murder is a pretty much generic thriller trope. Though a couple of recent best- sellers from T. M logan and Gillian Mc Allister T. M Logan have had the same theme, I still picked this one up as I am a die-hard fan of the author and I will read literally anything published by the author.

Erika Cass and Jason are living a quiet happy life with their teenage son, Liam and daughter Hannah. Liam is having some childhood issues and one day he is accused of murdering his girl friend Olivia, who has suddenly gone missing. What happens next is what this thriller is all about.

The basic problem with this thriller is that nothing much really happens for a larger part of the narrative. The false red herrings dont have much of an impact and that half baked back story about Erika's father only serves to add to the length of the book. The characters are hard to sympathise with and the big climax revelation also comes across as rushed and unconvincing.

The narrative is fast paced as any other Mcfadden thriller.

On the whole, this one is pretty average stuff!

-nikhimenon

Book Review: Reels By Berly Thomas

 രണ്ടായിരങ്ങളുടെ ആദ്യ പാദം മുതലുള്ള ഒന്നര ദശാബ്ദത്തോളം കാലം ബ്ലോഗുലകത്തിലെ സൂപ്പർ സ്റ്റാറായിരുന്നു ബെർളി തോമസ്. പിൽകാലത്ത് അദ്ദേഹം ബ്ലോഗ് എഴുത്തു നിർത്തിയെങ്കിലും പത്ര പ്രവർത്തകൻ എന്ന നിലയിലും, നോവലിസ്റ്റ് എന്ന നിലയിലും അദ്ദേഹം സജീവമായിരുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നാലാമത്തെയോ അഞ്ചാമത്തെയോ നോവലാണെങ്കിലും ഞാൻ ആദ്യമായി വായിക്കുന്ന നോവലാണ് മനോരമ ബുക്ക്സ് പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ച റീൽസ്.

വിക്ടറും സുഹൃത്തും ഒരു പുതിയ യൂട്യൂബ് ചാനൽ തുടങ്ങുന്നു. സിനിമാ സംബന്ധിയായ ഒരു ചാനൽ ആയത് കൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ചാനലിന്റെ റീച്ച് കൂട്ടുവാൻ വേണ്ടി ഒന്ന് രണ്ട് ചെറുകിട സിനിമാ നടന്മാരെയും നടിമാരെയും അഭിമുഖം ചെയ്‌താൽ നല്ലതാകുമെന്ന് വിക്ടറും സുഹൃത്തും തീരുമാനിക്കുകയും അവർ പ്രിയങ്ക എന്ന പുതുമുഖ നടിയിലേക്ക് എത്തുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. പ്രിയങ്ക സിനിമയിൽ എത്തണം എന്ന അതിയായ ആഗ്രഹത്തോടെ തന്റെ ആദ്യ സിനിമയിൽ അവസരം ലഭിച്ച സന്തോഷത്തിലാണ്. എന്നാൽ അവിചാരിതമായി അവൾക്ക് ഒരുപാട് പ്രതിസന്ധികൾ നേരിടേണ്ടി വരുന്നു. കുടുംബത്തിൽ നിന്ന് തന്നെയാണ് തന്റെ പ്രധാന ശത്രു എന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കുന്ന അവളുടെ രക്ഷകനായി അപരിചിതനായ വിക്ടർ മാറുന്നതും തുടർന്നുണ്ടാകുന്ന സംഭവവികാസങ്ങളുമാണ് നോവലിന്റെ കാതൽ.

ജനപ്രിയമെന്നും, പൈങ്കിളി യെന്നുമെല്ലാം കൺവെൻഷനലി വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ജനുസ്സിൽപെട്ട നോവലാണ് റീൽസ് എന്ന് പറയുമ്പോഴും ഇപ്പോൾ ഇൻസ്റ്റാ ഫീഡുകളിൽ ട്രെൻഡിംഗ് ആയി ഓടിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന പലതിനേക്കാളും readability ഉള്ള നോവലാണിത് എന്നാണ് വ്യക്തിപരമായ അഭിപ്രായം. കഥാന്ത്യത്തോടുക്കുമ്പോൾ ക്‌ളീഷേകളുടെ കുത്തൊഴുക്കാണെങ്കിലും, എഴുപതുകൾ മുതൽ തന്നെ സിനിമയിലുള്ള കാസ്റ്റിങ് കൌച്ച് ഇപ്പോഴും നിർബാധം തുടരുന്നു എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞുവെക്കുന്നുണ്ട് ഈ നോവൽ.റീൽസ് എന്നാണ് ടൈറ്റിൽ എങ്കിലും ഒരു യൂട്യൂബ് ചാനൽ കടന്നു വരുന്നു ണ്ടെങ്കിലും ടൈറ്റിലുമായി വലിയ ബന്ധമൊന്നും നോവലിനില്ല.

ആകെത്തുകയിൽ ശരാശരി വായനാനുഭവം.

-നിഖിലേഷ് മേനോൻ.

Book Review: ഛായാ മരണം

 നാലഞ്ച് വർഷങ്ങൾക്ക് മുൻപ് പുറത്തിറങ്ങുകയും പരിമിതമായ വായന ലഭിക്കുകയും ചെയ്ത ലിറ്ററെറി മിസ്റ്ററി നോവലാണ് ഛായാ മരണം.

ഒരു ഐ ടി കമ്പനിയിൽ സംഭവിക്കുന്ന ഒരു തിരോധനം /മരണവും അതിനെ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയുള്ള അന്വേഷണവും ഒക്കെയാണ് പ്രധാന കഥാതന്തുവെങ്കിലും പ്രധാന കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളായ സിദ്ധാർത്ഥൻ, അരുണിമ, സിസിലി എന്നിവരുടെ relationship dynamics കൂടി പ്രധാന കഥയോളം തന്നെ പ്രാധാന്യത്തോടെ ഈ നോവലിൽ കടന്ന് വരുന്നുണ്ട്. ഗണിത ശാസ്ത്ര പ്രശ്നം /mathematical puzzle സോൾവ് ചെയ്യുന്നത് പോലുള്ള കുറ്റാന്വേഷണം ആണ് പുസ്തകത്തിലെങ്കിലും ഇതിലെ ഇൻവെസ്റ്റികഷൻ ഭാഗങ്ങളെക്കാളും എനിക്കിഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടത് ഈ നോവലിൻറെ ഭാഷയും ഇതിലെ character study യുമാണ്. The investigation portions and the climax revelations were a bit of a let down in my opinion.

മലയാളത്തിൽ 'literariness' ഉള്ള കുറ്റാന്വേഷണ നോവലുകൾ ഇറങ്ങുന്നില്ല /മലയാള സാഹുത്യത്തത്തെ പോപ്പുലർ ഫിക്ഷൻ കാർ എന്തോ ബലാൽ കാരം ചെയ്യുന്നു/ മലയാള ക്രൈം ഫിക്ഷൻ മുഴുവൻ വിദേശ കൃതികളുടെ അനുകരണം ആണ് എന്നൊക്കെ പരിഭവമുള്ളവർക്ക് തീർച്ചയായും വായിച്ചു നോക്കാവുന്ന പുസ്തകം.

-നിഖിലേഷ് മേനോൻ

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The best Crime Fiction Reads of 2024

 It's that time of the year where we reminisce about the best and the worst of the  year gone by. This is my year ended list of the year's best thriller reads of the year gone by .(Some of the books in this list released in the previous years, it's just that I managed to read them only in 2024). So, here goes the list of thrillers which really impressed me in 2024.

1) Home before Dark (Riley Sager)- This genre bender mixes elements of mystery, crime and Horror in a Victorian setting. Like most of Riley Sager's previous works, this one is a real page turner. Told in two perspectives ( the past- Ewan Holt's 'House of Horrors ' bookand the present- Maggie's present day), this one builds up intrigue and tension and comes up with a twist that is sure to blow up your perceptions until then. Some of the jump scare moments are also nicely done.So , if you are looking for a page turning mystery with a little bit of horror elements thrown in, pick this one up!

2.The Teacher (Freida Mcfadden)-  is an edge-of-the-seat popcorn thriller. Eve Bennett is the Maths teacher at the local high school, Caseham High. She has a beautiful house, a fulfilling career and a super handsome husband, Nathaniel Bennett. All is as it should be. But it’s then  Caseham high is rocked by a scandal involving a student teacher affair, with one student, Addie Severson , at it’s centre. The teacher involved in the scandal is disgraced and leaves the school and Addie joins the class tutored by Eve. But Eve’s real problem starts when she realizes that the troubled kid is also assigned to her husband, Nat for teaching English.

Devoid of too many characters , ‘The Teacher’ is a really engaging thriller.

The twists are hard to predict and just as you believe that you have figured out the ending , Frieda pulls the rug out from under your feet with a really surprising plot twist making this one a really addictive thriller.

3) The Final Curtain (Kiego Higashino) -is a highly entertaining read. The typical Higashino style is unmissable in the plotting, twists and the slow unravel of the mystery. Though there are quite a number of characters , this one is primarily the story of Hiromi, a former actress and Director. Her exchanges with Detective Kaga are the high points of this book (this title is also incidentally the last one in Kigashino’s Detective Kaga series).The author’s attention to detail is pretty evident in most of the crucial scenes of the book and though there are multiple story arcs in the third act, the smooth narrative makes sure that there is no unnecessary cluttering playing the spoilsport for the unassuming reader. Japan’s nuclear history also has been deftly woven into the narrative and contributes as an important plot point.

Higashino is a master of suspense.This one is a solid police procedural which blends psychological realism and hitchcockian mystery.

4) Butter (Azako Yuzuki)- Perhaps, the odd one out in this list, Butter is not your conventional pop-  corn thriller, but still it finds a place in this list for it's imaginative plotting and it's rich cultural flavour. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii is convicted of the serial murders of rich businessmen who she is said to have seduced through her culinary skills. The case captures the nation's imagination and journalists are queuing up to get an interview of her but she refuses to speak to any of them till the smart Rika Machida writes a letter to her asking for her recipe for beef stew which she can't resist to write. What follows is a strange connection between the two . More of a story about hunger, food and hunger than a thriller, this one is an interesting take on the  complexities of human mind and behaviour .

5)Yellow Face (  R.F Kuang)- Yet another unconventional entrant in this list, this one is a satire which reads like a thriller in the backdrop of the publishing industry.Juniper Song(June Hayward), a white author  steals and rewrites an unpublished Novel by her deceased Asian- American Author friend , to become a global best selling author.

The biggest strength of Yellow Face is that it manages to hook the reader from srtart to finish. There aren’t many characters in this Novel and the story is largely told from June’s point of view. Still,there is never a dull moment in the narrative. H.Kang offers an insider’s view on the publishing industry and also manages to be a social commentary on racial stereotyping. The anxieties and insecurities of new age authors and the futility of social media discourses are also well etched out. Though the book reads like a thriller , I prefer calling this one a satire- (a ruthless and a savage one at that!) .From June’s attempts at sounding ‘more Asian’( her ‘rechristening’ as Juniper Song) to the altercation scene at the Asian writer’s workshop , the critique is unmissable, but at the same time, not all over the place.

So, this my list of the best thrillers of the year gone by.

-Nikhilesh Menon R

Book Review: The Teacher by Freida Mcfadden

 

It’s Sunday again and I picked up yet another Freida Mcfadden.

‘The Teacher’ is the author’s first release of the year and like her previous works , this one is also an edge-of-the-seat popcorn thriller. Eve Bennett is the Maths teacher at the local high school, Caseham High. She has a beautiful house, a fulfilling career and a super handsome husband, Nathaniel Bennett. All is as it should be. But it’s then  Caseham high is rocked by a scandal involving a student teacher affair, with one student, Addie Severson , at it’s centre. The teacher involved in the scandal is disgraced and leaves the school and Addie joins the class tutored by Eve. But Eve’s real problem starts when she realizes that the troubled kid is also assigned to her husband, Nat for teaching English.

Devoid of too many characters and too many perspectives over crowding and confusing the narrative , ‘The Teacher’ is a really engaging thriller. Besides Eve, Nat and Addie, there are only a handful of characters- (the school bully – Kenzie and her boy friend, Hudson being the most significant of the lot) and this works to it’s advantage as the readers are hooked to the lives of Eve and Addie for the most part.

The twists are hard to predict and just as you believe that you have figured out the ending , Frieda pulls the rug out from under your feet with a really surprising plot twist making this one a really addictive thriller.

Though this pop corn read doesn’t break any new grounds in terms of suspense, full credits to the writer for smartly using even the most conventional narrative tropes to her advantage. For instance, there is a brief portion in the book where the character of Eve, goes missing and at this point, the book could have easily fallen into the regular run-of-the-mill thriller zone, but Mcfadden doesn’t take the easier route there and the readers are rewarded with one brilliant twist after the other from there on. There is a double twist happening towards the end and though I liked the first one (the one involving Eve’s past), I didn’t like the epilogue one (the age time lines confused me there) and I believe Freida could have easily done away with the latter.

On the whole, ‘The Teacher’ is a paisa vasool  pop-corn thriller and I am pretty sure that someone will make a film adaptation of this one soon!

-nikhimenon

Regional: 1980 by Anver Abdulla

 Though Anver Abdulla is an accomplished name in Malayalam Detective fiction (he has given us some genuinely memorable detective Novels like Compartment and Onnaam Saakshi Sethuramaiyyer), not many know that he is also a screenwriter and Director. The writer’s fascination for the film industry has been evident in some of his past work (Operation Blue Star, Republic, Camera- the Novella in ‘Kappal Chethathinte Raathry’). But it is in 1980 (his latest work and the fourth installment in the Detective Perumaal franchise), his knowledge and mastery over the visual medium has come out in full glory.

One  night, an old acquaintance turns up in Detective Perumal’s house with a rather odd request- re-investigate the accidental death of the yesteryear Super Star Jagan! Jagan died almost 40 years back in the sets of a film named Padayorukkam during its Helicopter climax fight sequence shooting, which had received widespread media attention. So, when the Detective is confronted with this rather strange request, he is taken aback by the sheer absurdity of this request and he  immediately dismisses it.But a rather strange turn of events forces him to go back on this decision and pretty soon Perumal finds himself in the middle of the most challenging murder investigation of his career. Will he be successful in bringing out the mystery behind one of the most ‘notorious accidents’ from the past? 1980 is the story (but not limited to ) of this latest investigation by Detective Perumal.  

1980 is a work never confines within the limited realms of crime fiction .This can also be called as a  a work of speculative and altered historical fiction. With almost all the characters modelled on real-life personalities and real-life events, and the author’s perspective and imagination spicing up the proceedings, it often becomes impossible to distinguish the thin line between fact and fiction. Even the enigma around the late actor Jayan’s unreleased film (Panchapaandavar, incidentally set in Bombay) which had a stellar cast of Jayan, Raghavan, Poojappura Ravi and two others gets the author’s take in 1980. The Novel also serves as an ode to the Malayalam Cinema of the 70 s and 80 s. The story also has genuine heart warming moments. The episode involving the yesteryear stunt master  , and his final moments were delicately done. It is also pretty evident that the writer has also been inspired by some of the youtube interviews of yester year technicians of Malayalam and Tamil Cinema. It is remarkable that Anver Abdulla could come up with a gripping tale around an incident that shook not only the Film industry , but the whole of Indian Film Industry in the 80 s. The incident also paved the way for serious debates about the safety in the film shooting sets.

On the downside, the book also has it’s own share of cheesy moments. Some of the wild guesses of Perumal, including the speculative theory about Jagan living a secret life in America turned out to be unintentionally funny. Like wise, the portions pertaining to M.V.R’s crush with Saumini was also stretched a bit too far. Also at times, the reader finds it extremely difficult to differentaiate the real life personality from the fictional character. You also feel like Kamalhassan, Prem Nazir, MG.R, Latha , Balan K Nair, I.V Sasi, Seema et al are reprising their real life roles as fictional characters in the Novel which was some sort of dampener for the reader in me.The climax was also a bit convenient.

On the whole, these minor flaws aside, 1980 is a brilliantly written work by one of the finest writers of Detective Fiction in Malayalam.

-nikhimenon

Regional: Sakhaavu By T.Padmanabhan

 Prakaasham Parathunna Penkutty was one of the first short stories in Malayalam I read in my lifetime. If my memory is correct, the story was there in the Malayalam curriculum of Kerala State Syllabus in sixth or seventh grade.

T Padmanaabhan’s Sakhaavu, published by Mathrubhumi Books, is the compilation of his ten latest short stories. The book also features an interview with the author by Pradeep Perashanoor. Though most of the stories in this anthology were published in the leading weeklies of Malayalam in the past year or so, I hadn’t read any of them. So I didn’t hesitate much before buying this latest compilation.

Critics often lament in Public Forums and Social Media Platforms that stalwarts like T Padmanabhan and M.T. have lost their mojo and have, in turn, lost connection with the present-day realities. But after reading this latest work by T. Padmanabhan, I can confidently say that none of these so-called critics hasn’t probably read any of the recent works by T.P.

In most of the stories in this anthology, the author is the narrator/principal character. The black humour and wit in some of them are spot on. Be it the episode around the wannabe NRI writer in ‘ Aadyathe Novel’ or the hullabaloo ensuing in the event of a famous officer’s superannuation in ‘Manoharam’; the sarcasm is unmissable. The title story, ‘Sakhaavu,’ tries to be a commentary on present-day politics and partially succeeds in its attempt. Peerumettilekkulla Vazhi is a memory lane trip that deals with themes like immigration and self-discovery. Snehathinte Vila is about kindness and humanity, whereas Ennittu delves with second chances. Though some stories have ambiguous endings, it doesn’t make them monotonous reads.

The book is edited well and has a good production design. The cover design and the beautiful illustrations (Devaprakash) interspersed between stories also deserve special mention. The interview with the author is also genuinely exciting and manages to illuminate the writer’s perspective on the current socio-political scenario.

On the whole, ‘Sakhaavu’ is an enjoyable anthology.

Ps- In the author’s bio, it is mentioned that he had refused Odakkuzhal Award, Kerala Sahithya Academy Award and Kendra Sahithya Academy Award. I found it rather amusing. I am unaware of the circumstances for him declining  the award, but if he found himself accepting those awards not worthy of his stature, why is he proclaiming the same in his bio as if refusing it is a great badge of honour?! Pathetic, to say the least!

-nikhimenon

The Ten Notable Books of 2022: Part 1

 It's that time of the year when everyone is scribbling down their year-ender lists, and not wanting to be left too far behind, out of the 80-odd books read in the past year, I also managed to compile my list of the best of the year gone by. (Opinions, strictly personal and based on the books read last year)

 Rock Paper Scissors (Alice Feeney, HQ)

Alice Feeney's Rock Paper Scissors is one of the few genuine thrillers I have read for a long time. Adam and Amelia are spending the weekend in the Scottish Highlands. Adam is a successful screenwriter, and Amelia is his wife. The remote location is perfect for what they have planned. But can they trust each other? Twisty and engaging with a bit of horror element thrown in, this one is definitely worth your time and money!

2. 

1980 (Anver Abdulla, Mathrubhumi)

1980 is a work which can be safely bracketed as a work of speculative fiction. Inspired by the real-life accident of yester year Super Star Jayan, 1980 marked the return of Detective Perumal. An engaging mystery and an ode to the Malayalam Cinema of the 80 s, this work by Anver Abdulla can be regarded as one of the best works in the franchise. With Characters modelled on real-life personalities, the Novel also has some genuinely heartwarming moments, which makes this one much more than your typical detective story.

3.      The Tattoo Murder (Akimitsu Takagi, Pushkin Vertigo)

2022 was also a year where I found a taste for vintage Japanese Crime fiction. Set in Post War Tokyo, this vintage locked room Japanese mystery is the story of three cursed tattoos and the series of murders connected with them. Though the core story might have gotten dated a bit, the backdrop of Seedy Tokyo, dive bars and Yakuza Gangs makes this one a worthy read.

4. 

Aanandha Bhaaram (Jisa Jose, Mathrubhumi)

In a year which saw a slew of below-par works which tried to compensate for their hollowness with fake female centricity,  Aanandhabhaaram, stood out for its genuine writing and believable characters. Rathnamekhala and Parimalam were real, and their miseries were relatable. The Novel also had many heartwarming moments, and the ending was quite satisfying. Mudritha indeed got its worthy successor in AanandhaBhaaram.

5.   

The Trees (Percival Everett, Influx press)

Perhaps the bluntest and the most provocative books of this lot, this black comedy was short-listed in this year's Man Booker Prize. A series of murders are happening in a small town in Mississippi, and two State Detectives are brought in to investigate the same. This page-turning potent Satire of U.S. racism is a challenging yet racy read. Though this one is packaged as a regular Murder Mystery, its themes are pertinent and thought-provoking.

 (The Second Part of this post will be post will be published tomorrow)

-nikhimenon

The Third Wife By Lisa jewell

The Third Wife is one of the earlier works by Lisa Jewell and came out in 2014, i.e., much before she made it big with psychological and domestic crime fiction. This one almost reads like a cross-over work and cannot be categorized into one genre, per se. It's a domestic drama with some crime and psychological thriller elements.

The protagonist, Adrian, lost his third wife (Maya) to an accident. He is still coping with the tragedy, but then he stumbles upon another woman, Jane, who mysteriously leaves behind her phone in his house and suddenly disappears. But pretty soon, it becomes clear that she might have had something to do with Maya's death and how Adrian, with the help of his 'extended family and Children, tries to solve the secret behind the mystery girl is what The Third Wife is all about.

With a rather implausible and unbelievable plot, The Third Wife could have quickly become a work that could top anyone's DNF (did not finish) list, but thanks to Jewell's impeccable skills, this one ends up as a page-turner.

Adrian is one of the most unlikeable characters I have come across recently, and the premise around his extended family feels like a bit of a stretch. The book explores Adrian's transformation from a selfish, self-centered man to a more mature and considerate human being and could have quickly become a boring read. Still, the mystery around Jane and Maya keeps the proceedings interesting. The final reveal might be a bit underwhelming, but by the time the reader has figured out what is happening, the Novel reaches its climax, and full marks to Lisa for maintaining the suspense intact. The author has handled the core themes of stalking, cyberbullying, and shared responsibilities maturely and sensitively.

Coming to the negatives, as I mentioned earlier, this one is essentially a family drama. The climax portions involving Adrian's children and their secret letters try desperately to manipulate the readers emotionally and end up as cringe-worthy stuff. There are very few characters in the story who are relatable and believable. The mystery around Jane and her stalking Adrian comes a cropper, and by the time you get to know the real reason 'behind' her acts, you can't help thinking about the silliness of it all! There is also too much 'feel-goodness' in the middle portions of the Novel, which makes some of the final revelations in the climax predictable stuff.

On the whole, The Third Wife is an okay read. It's not your typical psychological thriller. If a passable domestic drama with a little bit of mystery is your kind of read, then do give this one a try!

-nikhimenon