Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 30

The Curse of Anuganga by Harini Srinivasan- Review

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK FROM AMAZON

A thriller in a historical background - While the premise gives the advantage of not having much technical advance at that era, it is equally challenging to match the timeline as well as lifestyle, character craft, and language.

"Shaunaka finds himself at the heart of the mystery and his logic and keen observation skills land him the duty of assisting he head of the police to solve this murder."

The Curse of Anuganga is a blood chilling thriller that is equally intriguing as well as entertaining. Circa 403 C.E. is the era when the whole plot takes place. The protagonist Shaunaka, a gold smith's son is asked to join his father's business but Shaunaka doesn't have any talent or interest in the craft. Since his father is assigned to make the jewellery for the Princess's wedding, Shaunaka is asked to take charge of the work of the bridal jewellery of a rich and influential trader Vinayashura's daughter.  While he is not a master in the craft, his ability to handle situations and convince people are not lost on anyone. No-one expected to witness a gruesome murder instead of the opulent wedding. Vinyashura's cold blooded murder shakes the foundation of the whole area. Speculations and investigations are going on. Considering his capabilities, Shaunaka along with his brother Ashwini are asked to join the investigations. Further unfolds the thrilling blood chilling cliffhanger.

"She was looking at her husband, Arya Vinayahsura who was on the bed, with his eyes oepn, throat slit, utterly and completely dead"

The plot as a package holds a lot of possibilities. Several micro plots are merged throughout that all come together to form a wholesome reading experience. The characters could have given more space to develop. Introduction of Mahakavi Kalidasa is a refreshing twist that piques the intrigue of the reader. The part where one of the plays of Mahakavi seems to provide the turning point, the author gives a glimpse of Dan Brown but the same is not developed much to the consternation of the readers.

The author gives the glimpse of Dan Brown.

As requisite for any thriller the suspense has scored in the whole plot. Several suspicious characters and incidents are introduced seamlessly and hence leaves the reader clueless as to what they should expect. The dialogues were more or less new generation types and hence could not keep up with the authenticity of the the historical fiction. Overall the book is a wonderful reading experience barring the climax.

Cover Reveal Your Truth Or Mine by Trisha Sakhlecha

YOUR TRUTH OR MINE ?

Trisha Saklecha

9789389109115 | Rs 499 ǀ Paperback ǀ August 15, 2019  

             

 

 

‘A deliciously dark and original debut about love, loss and lies, with an ending that is impossible to predict’ Alice Feeney, author of Sometimes I Lie

 

‘Original and evocative, I was completely hooked by the longing, love and envy simmering sometimes unseen, yet ever-present. With an ending I couldn't predict, this debut is one to savour’ Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend

 

‘Well written, with plenty of twists and an excellent sense of place’ Guardian

 

‘Your Truth or Mine? is a book that you'll want to read again as soon as you've finished it, to look for clues, wondering how you'd missed them the first time around. I thought I had it all figured out, so was 'Wait . . .What?' when the reveal came. The sucker punch came from nowhere and lifted me off my feet - the sign of a great book’ Sandie Jones, author of The Other Woman

 

Your Truth or Mine? is about the dark secrets couples keep from one another and how a marriage unravels, perfect for fans of Lauren North's The Perfect Betrayal and Lisa Jewell'sThen She Was Gone.

 

 

At their wedding Mia and Roy Kapoor promised to love and cherish each other. Whilst not perfect, their marriage is sacred and their commitment absolute.

But a knock at the door changes everything when Roy is questioned over the disappearance of a young woman. As Roy and Mia’s life unravels, they must question everything they know about each other if their marriage is to survive. 

 

But what if the real truth is not what they, or you, think?

 

 

AUTHOR BIO

Trisha Sakhlecha grew up in New Delhi and now lives in London. She works in fashion and is a graduate of the acclaimed Faber Academy writing course. In the past, Trisha has worked as a designer, trend forecaster, and lecturer. Your Truth or Mine? is her first novel.

 

 

Praise from Real Readers

 

‘Excellent debut thriller’

 

‘I loved this book! What a ride’

 

‘Totally gripping from start to finish’

 

‘Loved, loved, loved it’

 

‘Fantastic dark thriller’

 

‘This is an amazing book’

 

‘I loved the suspense and the plot twists throughout'

 

‘Classic domestic noir with a colourful British Indian Slant. Loved it’

Silent Night by Danielle Steel - Review

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

We won't understand the gravity of a situation unless we ourselves have gone through it. We all hear about people who survived accidents but seldom think about how difficult it would be to cope up with it.

Silent night tells us how Emma who had a frontal lobe injury after an accident that took her mother Paige's life, comes back to normal life. The initial paralysis and slow gaining of snippets of her memory, followed by a word or two- Danielle Steel has mastered the art of realistic narration. Each reader would live the struggle of Emma.

As the Blurb rightfully says, Danielle Steel's latest novel is a deeply moving story of resilience, hope and the importance of family.

Emma is supported by her aunt Whitney who despises the fact that her sister deprived Emma of her childhood by making her a daliy sop actress. She thinks that Paige is responsible for the accident.

The deep emotional turmoil of Emma and Whitney are depicted palpably. Author had managed to touch a cord with the readers that connect them with the characters. The plot as such is monodimensional but the moments of agony are too real that a twisted or rich plot would seem irrelevant.

"She was all about duty and responsibility, her work and her sister's child.

Of late Danielle Steel has switched her style and the same is a refreshing change to the damsels in distress characters. Even though Emma is in need of help, it doesn't look like she is the same craft as other steel women. This makes the book standout from the rest. The climax was a bit disappointing.

TURNING POINT BY DANIELLE STEEL- REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

Four specialised doctors. All experienced and proven their expertise in trauma management. They handle a traumatic situation so well that they are given an assignment in France where the doctors handled the terrorist attack and succeeded in curbing the chaos and thereby reducing the death toll.
The book is quite different from the Danielle Steel books we used to read. We don't have helpless, miss goody two shoes female protagonists and that in itself is a positive change for the readers. 

Turning Point is a highly-charged, emotional tale about how suddenly life can change for all of us, and that we might find what we're looking for in the most unlikely of places . . .

Keeping an opposite gender counterpart for each doctor who visits France seemed tad bit far fetched. Wendy's stand in the end literally gives the readers a sigh of relief. The climax of Stephanie's life is the best in the book . The whole plot make the readers uneasy throughout and judgemental too about Stephanie but how she takes the right decision at the right time makes the climax worth the time of the readers.

They were meant to be here, and this gruelling agonising job was what they were born to do, even if it broke their hearts

The characters are crafted in such a way that there is a nuance in the shade of the character that makes it stand out from the rest of the characters. The close view of the lives in the hospitals especially in trauma care gives the readers a new view about doctors and hospitals.

The book is one of the unique creations by the author. It doesn't have the quintessential steel touch but the same makes it refreshing.

ACCIDENTAL HEROES BY DANIELLE STEEL

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

We never know what will happen to us the next moment and yet we keep grudges. Sometimes what we think is immaterial might be the life changer for many. Accidental heroes is all about what we underestimate and look down upon.

Accidental Heroes  is a heart-stopping thriller about ordinary men and women who embark on  a journey they will never forget.

Bernice Adams is a law student but she is also a part time worker in the security section in the JFK airport. She stumbles upon a postcard which peripherally looks like nothing but a hunch forces her to report it despite the disagreement from her supervisor. Further a group of unknown and ordinary people join hands to find out who is behind the post card and what is the threat, if any.

She didn't even think about what might have happened, if she'd listened to the supervisor and hadn't called.

What happens next is the most thrilling reading experience. Each second is brimful of suspense. The nail-biting experience is scintillating. How the plot is built and how the suspense develops shows the brilliance of the author. 
Helen who is the captain of the flight where the suspected chaos is about to happen, is someone whom every woman would love to look upto but her character is monodimensional. The different shades of the character are missing. The same goes with Jason's character too in a negative way.
However the climax failed to grow up to the benchmark set by the rest of the plot. It was way too obvious may be because it is all about how the characters became heroes accidentally and not about the suspense.

UPON A BURNING THRONE by ASHOK.K.BANKER

To write a mythological fiction is difficult as the mythology is strongly set in the mind of the readers and it is difficult to bring a change to the same. Tougher is to develop a fantasy around the mythology. Ashok.K.Banter , a master in mythological fantasy has brought to the readers a thrilling adrenaline pump of fantasy clubbed with the epic Mahabharata.

Adri and Shvate are not the sole heirs to the empire, there is another with a claim to power, another who also survives.

The characters are analogical to that of the characters in Mahabharata. Adri and Shvate, analogical to Dhritarashtra and Pandu are kids in the first book of the trilogy. The plot is about a girl the daughter of Jarsun, who proves herself to be the rightful heir of the throne by passing the test of fire on the Burning Throne. Jarsun declares war on the kingdom of Krushan when his daughter is denied the kingdom. It's enchanting to watch how the author develops a whole world of fantasy around the mythology.

Smoke, thick and white as fog, then dissipated with frustrating slownessrevealing atlast, with tantalizing coyness, the result of the test of fire.

The test of fire is a commendable factor in the book. It shoots the graph of the plot in the first pages itself.  The characters are mostly the same as in Mahabharata but the idiosyncrasies of the characters are the author's imaginations. Once the war starts the plot gets interesting and author's imaginations are sky high. Nonetheless the genre is a double edged sword as manipulating the mythology.

Lost and Found by Danielle Steel- Review

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

Life is not always what we expect it to be. Sometimes take the right decision but sometimes we fail. Some other times the whole sacrifices you make seem like nothing as the ones for whom we do it doesn't acknowledge it.

Marrying the men she had fallen in love with has never seemed like the right thing for her children

Madison Allen is a single mother. After the divorce and later the death of her ex husband, she dedicates her life for her kids. Starting off as an assistant to a photographer, she finally realizes her calling and becomes a fashion photographer. At sixty with her children settled in her life, she is lonely. None of her children even think of spending quality time with her. Much worse her oldest daughter pushes the idea of being old in her head and she finally decides to embark on a journey to find the three men who were a part of her life, after her husband.

They were old love letters and photographs of three men in her life, the three most important ones since her marriage.

Her encounters with them and the lessons she take back home calls for an endearing read. The characters are given only one shade like that in many of the Steele book. The miss goody two shoes protagonist and the evil family that uses her is just another quintessential Steel cliche but what happens once she sets on her quest makes the book stand out.

The book will force the readers to view life in a different perspective. The book is simultaneously contemporary and philosophical.

COVER REVEAL- THE EXTRA ORDINARY LIFE AND DEATH OF SUNANDA PUSHKAR

Pan Macmillan India to publish definitiveSUNANDA PUSHKAR biography
[image error]Macmillan ǀ Rs 599 ǀ Hardback | July 26, 2019

The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar, written by journalist andPushkar’s former schoolmate Sunanda Mehta, will be released on 26 July 2019.A culmination of material drawn from personal archives, numerous interviewsand investigation across continents, this riveting biography traces SunandaPushkar’s life from her early days in cantonment towns, to her first twomarriages, a largely unknown stint in Canada, her rise as a Dubaibusinesswoman, and finally her much-publicized years with Shashi Tharooruntil her controversial death shocked the nation. The untold account ofPushkar’s phenomenal life and its turbulent end.
About the authorSunanda Mehta is a senior journalist with over twenty-five years of experience. Beginning her career with magazines such as Femina, Savvy and Society, she went on to become the founding editor of the Pune magazine Citadel. She moved to the Indian Express next and worked there for over two decades. From 2010 to 2017, she was Resident Editor of the newspaper’s Pune edition. A former Chevening fellow, she has also been a visiting lecturer at the Savitribai Phule Pune University. Sunanda presently divides her time between Pune and Mumbai. The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar is her first book.  
*To pre-order the book, please use these links:Amazon: https://buff.ly/2IKOl5LFlipkart: https://buff.ly/2XwGIZ4

Love Story of a Commando by Swapnil Pandey- REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

Love stories are often about the wonderful times spent with each other and the memories that linger along. Some stories are about the pain of loss. Rarely there are stories that are about the deep anguish on an uncertain relation where the lovers don't know each other much but get connected to each other so much so that they stop living.

Warriors like me don't have the luxury of leading a normal life filled with bliss and everlasting peace.

Riya, the protagonist of the story, is a complex character. Several shades could be seen for the character as such. A helpless lover girl, a committed yet detached daughter, a workaholic IT professional, a fun loving college girl, a nature loving reclusive school teacher- the character itself is a story.

How wrong I was to think that I could dodge from the woman who had me inside her womb for nine months!

The book could not be counted as a love story. Riya's life in Kashmir opens the door to the unparalleled yet unfathomable life in the paradise on Earth. The irony of the picturesque Kashmir smeared with blood of innocent civilians is the most heartbreaking part of the book.

The pain of losing him just like that was excruciating

The depth of the passion between Riya and Virat is not lost on the readers. The way they look at each other and how they emote is endearing to read. Author has conveyed the relationship without an iota of cheesiness. The only part that seemed exaggerated or indigestible was what happened in Taj during the attack. It mildly takes away the credibility of Virat as a Commando.

Author also gives a glimpse on the inside stories of the commandos who dealt with 26/11 before and after the attack, which left the readers wanting more. The book suddenly sucks you into the whirlpool of emotional paranoia which centrifuges out to the shocking repulsive life in Kashmir which, when without the militant attacks and uncertainty is blissful paradise.

SPOTLIGHT- LOVE STORY OF A COMMANDO BY SWAPNIL PANDEY

CLICK TO BUY THE REVISED EDITION OF THE BOOK

WHAT TO EXPECT Do we really have control over how we feel for somebody? Can we stop ourselves from falling for someone, even if we know he’s just not right and means only trouble?Riya is a millennial who watches Splitsvilla, worships David Guetta, sways to Ed Sheeran tunes … She knows nothing of passion, agony, gallantry, sacrifice and love—until the day she meets Captain Virat. Captain Virat is a Black Cat commando with the NSG, India’s elite counter-insurgency Special Forces unit. He is swift, sharp, lethal and dark. He has trained across the globe and wrangled with many a dangerous situation. There’s nothing he cannot handle—except his own demons.When Riya meets Virat at an art exhibition in Delhi, sparks fly, but he then just disappears, leaving her broken-hearted. Riya moves to Mumbai to start afresh, but a different kind of danger stalks her here. Under the burning dome of the Taj Palace hotel, Riya and Virat’s lives intersect once again. Then he leaves … again. Crushed, Riya decides to leave it all behind for the remoteness of a village in Kashmir. But peace is short-lived. The prime minister’s visit to the Valley brings violence, and gunfire, back into her life. As they find themselves behind the enemy lines in PoK, can Virat snatch her away from the jaws of death this time too? Can there be a happily ever after for Riya and Virat?Love Story of a Commando brings together the mystique and perils of the uniform with an epic romance that must brave the fragility of these present times.

CLICK TO BUY THE REVISED EDITION OF THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An alumni of Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Swapnil Pandey has worked in many places and held several positions, which is the trademark of any Army Wife. She has worked in Wipro, HDFC, taught at Lovely Professional University and the Army Public School, to name a few. She is also an active AWWA member.Swapnil is a fitness freak, and a green tea addict who loves shoes and perfumes. She wears her ‘silent rank badges’ proudly, and loves compiling stories about life in the Indian Army on her blog. The extraordinary Army life has given her a vast canvas of stories, and helped her gain an insight into human emotions and struggles. The courageous veer naris, the extroverted Army brats, charming Army wives and the gallant soldiers whose lives are filled with joy, sorrow, adventure, and even horror, have inspired her to be a storyteller. She believes people should not only know about a soldier’s valour, but also about his hidden emotions. Love Story of a Commando is her second novel after the bestselling Soldier’s Girl: Love Story of a Para-Commando.Facebook : Swapnil PandeyTwitter: @swapy6Instagram: @girlandworldsBlog: girlandworld.comEmail: teamgirlandworld@gmail.com