The City of Delhi was quite freezing when I reached the Indian Habitat Center with a sling bag filled with a couple of books, a pen, and a notebook. I was almost an hour early for the session and for the very first time I saw this gentleman, a little shorter than me, walking with a bunch of kids around him, asking for autographs or photographs. I won't lie to you. I was numb for a moment. My mind couldn't differentiate between reality and my imagination.
I met Mr. Ashwin Sanghi after his talk at Times Literature Fest back in 2016. I will share that experience in a coming post of mine. For this post, let's talk about his second installment of the Private series, co-authored by James Patterson. It's called Private Delhi.
Story
I received the book in December 2016, but I got the chance to read it in the current lockdown only.
The book begins with a gruesome murder, committed by this mysterious man, wearing all black. And soon after that, a dozen rotting bodies found in the basement of a shattered house, which is said to be government property. The case didn't get much attention from police or media, but the chief minister of Delhi, Mr. Jaswal hired Private, the well-known investigating agency, whose Indian operations are headed by Santosh Wagh.
The basic motto of Jaswal's interest, in that case, involved dirty politics. He wanted to know the involvement of the lieutenant governor of Delhi, Mr. Ravi Chopra.
But the case is messier than it seems. With the involvement of various big players, this case is a big challenge for Santosh and his team. Will he able to crack it?
Review
I have noticed that many a time a story deviates if it is written from different characters' points of view. This world has a different definition for each one of us. And to write the same story from different characters' points of view is a task in itself. And Ashwin Sanghi and Mr. Patterson did a commendable job. Every characters' background, detail, and the aim is very well written. Each chapter starts with a different characters' vision and ends on a thrilling note. One gets so much involved in that chapter that one expects a continuation in the next chapter. But the next chapter is somewhat different from the previous one. And the beauty of writing this book in such a way is, it keeps the reader so much involved and on his toes. The thrill element, style, details make this an amazing cocktail, which can be termed as fast-paced fiction - a page-turner.
Being an ardent reader of Sanghi's work, I picked up this book. And I have no issue in accepting that it's difficult to mark a border between his work and Patterson's work.
What I liked about the book
I have a special space for fast-paced thrillers in my heart. When I say fast-paced, it should include appropriate detailing, research, and storyline. All these parameters are taken care of while writing the book.
A lot of intellectuals can give you a hell lot of pointers on how a mystery/thriller should be written. I believe in only one thing - if I can crack the mystery before the author discloses it, it's not a very pleasing thriller.
You won't believe me but I sat with a pencil in my hand to write the details of the characters to crack who is the murderer. After chewing my pencil for two days, I have no problem accepting that I failed miserably.
What I dislike about the Book
If I don't compare this with the books I liked or disliked, I find this book perfect in itself. If you are a reader who reads books for leisure or peace of mind, this book is not for you.
So here's my take on this book. If you wish to buy this book, you can click HERE and grab your copy.
Thank you
HRN
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