Cold Justice

by Vish Dhamija

‘India’s John Grisham’ Glimpse

'Vish Dhamija has set the sky as the limit’ New Indian Express

A motiveless murder. A corrupt politician. A judge on trial.

Five years ago, when Akash Hingorani won a trial in court for his friends Priti and Vansh Diwan, he lost his heart to the presiding judge, Shilpa Singh. But the passionate start to their relationship would meet a swift end. And then, nine months after the affair is over, Akash gets a call for help from Judge Shilpa Singh. Arrested in situ – at the scene of the crime – with a knife in her hand, she has been charged with first-degree murder. To make matters worse, the police seem determined to ignore all other evidence that points towards a corrupt politician who had threatened Shilpa while she presided over an ongoing trial against him. The murder charge against Shilpa could easily derail his trial.

Two of India’s best defence lawyers, Akash and Vansh jointly take up the case, but they soon realize they are pitted against one of the sharpest prosecuting brains in the country, Ravi Nanda, who is always a step ahead of them both, and pulls the carpet from under their firm feet. Twice.

In this heart-stopping new thriller from India’s bestselling crime writer, the law itself is baffled and a verdict seems impossible ...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

279 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vish_Dh...
FB: https://www.facebook.com/VishDhamija/...
Twitter: @vishdhamija
Amazon India: http://tiny.cc/vishdhamija

Books:
Nothing Lasts Forever
Bhendi Bazaar
Deja Karma
Doosra
Nothing Else Matters

Reviews

[Prashant Mujagond · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಕತೆ ಶುರುವಾಗುವ ರೀತಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಫಿಲ್ಮಿ ಸ್ಟೈಲ್ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಬಹುದು, ಕತೆ ಓದಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋದಾಗ ಕುತೂಹಲ ಮೂಡಿಸುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಮಾತಿಲ್ಲ. ಕತೆಯ ಮದ್ಯೆ ಬಂದಾಗ "12 Angry Men" ಎಂಬ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಚಿತ್ರ ಅಥವಾ ಅದೇ ಚಿತ್ರದ ರಿಮೇಕ್ ಆದ ಕನ್ನಡದ "ದಶಮುಖ" ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ investigation style ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬಳಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅಂತ ಅನಿಸುತ್ತೆ ಆದರೆ ಅದು ನಿಜವಲ್ಲ. ಮದ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಕಡೆ ಇಷ್ಟು ಸಲೀಸಾಗಿ ಕೋರ್ಟಿನಿಂದ ತೀರ್ಮಾನ ಬರುತ್ತಾ ಅಂತ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು ಆದರೆ ಕತೆಯ ಕೊನೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ.

[Afreen Khalil Inscribed Inklings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold justice was a clinical, fast, interesting legal thriller that I couldn't put down once I started. I finished the book in 2 days and I had time to really process things. The writing style was witty and articulate. It can also be read by beginner readers of legal thrillers as everything was explained very clearly. The language was adequate and simple. The tone of the book was climatic and emphatic.

The book was fast paced and the narration had multiple point of views written in third person. Within the same chapter, different POVs and scenes were depicted which were a bit confusing at time. The actual plot was unique and exciting. A case of a judge being on trial for murder was scandalous and definitely fodder for media. The judge also being an ex of her own defense lawyer just added to the feeding frenzy.

Judge Shilpa was a very calculative and intelligent character whereas Akash, the lawyer was eloquent and edgy. As I've read a huge amount of thrillers, I could guess many of the twists in the book. I really enjoyed the verbal battle that happened in the court, it got my adrenaline pumping. Overall, I definitely recommend Cold justice to all thriller fans.

[Niel (Thelectorem) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always fascinated by the intricacies of courtroom drama whenever I read legal thrillers. There's something about such books where advocates go head to head against each other to prove their point and put all their might to pull the case in their favor. ‘Cold Justice’ by @vish_dhamija is one such decent courtroom drama thriller that I recently read and liked.

In a nutshell, Judge Shilpa Singh is on the trial of an alleged murder where she was found on a crime scene with weapon in her hand with all the evidences mounted against her. The plot follows the joint efforts of Akash, Vansh and their team to prove Shilpa Singh's innocence while going against Ravi Nanda, an intimidating lawyer to prove her guilty.

In the process, we experience an engaging plot and a fast-paced storyline with a tense atmosphere. I had my guards up when the authors provided us with the history of Shilpa Singh and Vansh's affair because having an extended romance in a thriller is something I never want to read, but I loved the fact that it was covered indeed very briefly to show the consequences of it in the current case and the helplessness it brings.

I believe the characterization could have been better, because even though it was a simple and fast-paced read, I found myself distant almost from all characters. When I was done reading it, no characters stuck around my mind. Except the end that I didn't see coming or even crossed my mind. It ends with a very astonishing twist, and that's what makes it worth reading.

Moreover, I want to thank the author for his clever writing and keeping it simple and precise to read. It had no unnecessary side plots and the case has given the utmost importance and focus to deliver an edgy courtroom drama experience. It's recommended to people who like medium sized books with simple writing.

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Headline:
Exciting and entertaining!

What to expect?
Expect a legal thriller with lots of interesting sequences
Expect a story that has emotions and action.
Expect a story that shows the ugly side of politics.
Expect a story that has all elements to entertain the readers.

Who can read?
This is a perfect book for those readers who love Courtroom dramas. Author Vish Dhamija is a master storyteller, and his books are absolute entertainers. A person new to reading can happily pick up any of Vish's books to have a taste of good writing. Thus, this book Cold Justice is a must-read!

My Thoughts
Author Vish Dhamija, Our John Grisham is back with a new courtroom story! 'Cold Justice' is the story of Akash Hingorani, a famed defence lawyer who fell instantly for Judge Shilpa Singh during a trial in court. After a while, their relationship that was going smooth ends abruptly with Shilpa's confession. The novel starts nine months after their break-up when Akash receives several missed calls from Shilpa. And an enquiry with his friend Vansh reveals that Judge Shilpa has been arrested on a murder charge. Akash takes the first step to prove Shilpa innocent and how he does is the story!

As a fan of courtroom stories, this book is super good. I will recommend the book!

Grammar & Vocabulary
Author Vish Dhamija's books always have content-rich stories with rich vocabulary and perfect language. His stories are not only just for reading but for learning too! His books, especially this book, have some most acceptable words that make the book look ultra-rich!

Writing Style
Visha Dhamija has a unique style of writing. His stories open with an exciting encounter between the characters. Each character in his story has enough space. Now, in this book, Cold Justice, the main characters Akash, Shilpa, Priti, Vansh and other characters like the MLA or the cab drivers in the initial chapters, everyone is given ample space and strength to be inclusive in the story. The details and the pace of the story complement each other. Every page in the story thrills the readers. In the chapter, when Judge Shilpa gets arrested, the Author, through Akash, explains to his readers the actual concept of crime. And some phrases like C'est la vie or phenomenon like Baader-Meinhof are beautiful to read. Thus, the book is informative too!

What did I like
1. The plot
2. The writing
3. The engaging narration
4. The characters

What could have been better?
The book is a perfect ala-carte for the readers!

Entertainment quotient
An absolute entertainer in terms of story, writing and narration.

[Pavitra (For The Love of Fictional Worlds) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: A physical copy was provided via the Publisher and the Author om exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.

Vish Dhamija’s books tare engrossing and fun to read on a lazy afternoon; and I wasn’t expecting anything else from his newest legal thriller - Cold Justice 😍
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Fast paced and exactly what a legal thriller should be - Cold Justice is all about a Judge, Shilpa Singh being accused of murder. And all she can do is call up her ex, Akash to defend her in the court of law.
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Written like a film screenplay - in fact this would have been a brilliant script for web series - the book is absolutely fun to read.
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With characters that you don’t know if you have to root for; the book itself is a law procedural that’s I’ll keep you on your toes and the ending is one that, I promise you won’t see coming. I know I did my.
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Trust me, I would recommend this book just for that ending! But if you love reading fast paced thrillers with dubious and intriguing plotline, then this book is definitely for you!



For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
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[Prince Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twists and the suspense in the story keep a reader intrigued about what will happen next and for me, this book has been a page-turner whenever I started reading I felt I am reading faster than I usually read.

The story will always be striking in my mind and I felt immensely touched by how the author has made the story in a way that also praises the Indian army and the law of India and shows powerful stuff about judges and the advocates.

I loved the way the author has presented this story and it is worth a read if you are a thrilling person then this story will give you some and the ending is justified and the book story is worthwhile to read and the language of the book is lucid and I will recommend this book to every reader who wants something good to read on weekend and want to refresh their mind with some thrilling jolt.

The story of the book could be made as a web series because it has lots of twists, suspense, and comedy that is worthwhile to watch. It would be amazing to watch the story as a series.

I loved the debates between the Advocates and the judge sometimes it was very intense and sometimes it had some sense of humor.

Glimpse in a blink

Akash Hingorani is a respected Advocate and has won many cases with distinction and he is the fire when comes to defend his clients, if he stands for someone then it is hard to won over him.

He is travelling to London for some conference and is on flight and when he see his mobile there is lots of missed call and voice mail from a Judge Shilpa Singh which was her ex girlfriend too and it's been nine months of the breakup and now she had called him and asked for his help and for that he takes his flight back to India.

Judge Shilpa Singh has been arrested and has been accused of murder which she stated is misconduct and untrue, she has been caught in broad day light with a knife in her hand with a blood of dead man, there is no witness who can say she had killed that man but some people says that they saw her holding a knife in her hand.

This is a high profile case and Akash and his friend vansh diwan has taken this case on their respective hands to defend the Judge Shilpa Singh.

[Siddhant Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Justice picks up the characters from his earlier book Unlawful Justice and while the premise of Akash and Shilpa’s romantic liaison is derived from that book, this book stands on its own merits. The plot of the book has been crafted in detail and there are minute details in the book that make it an amazing read. Right from stating case laws to a perfect example of a hostile witness, each scene in the book has been researched well. The storytelling is quite masterful and I loved how Vish keeps it close to the genre and the courtroom scenes have been so wonderfully described that visualizing them happen is quite easy. The idea of a sitting judge on a trial for murder is quite interesting and I liked how Vish treats this situation to set up the plot of the book. As is with Vish’s stories, the witty repartees and the humor that adds a wonderful flavor to this story. Another thing I would like to highlight the way the story has been structured, and as we go through the crime, the trial and the verdict, you realise that you just lived through a flavorful case. The climax, however is something that is the cherry atop the cake. The way the tables turn and the things that come to light will leave you astounded and with a wide grin on your face.

Coming to the characters, Cold Justice is a story that is propelled by its characters. I liked the fact that due focus has been given to develop them into powerful ones. Starting with Akash, I liked how she humanizes him and right from page 1, we see the side of him that legal thrillers usually avoid. Another interesting character is that of Pentium, and I liked the way Vish structures him and while he appears on and off, I loved the way his role drives the story. Nanda’s character is a perfect prosecutor to Vansh’s defence and the way he structures his arguments and the line of questioning is something that keeps you turning the pages.

[Debabrata Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

👉𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊:-
📚ⓉⒾⓉⓁⒺ:- Cold Justice
🖋️ⒶⓊⓉⒽⓄⓇ:- Vish Dhamija
🗞️ⓅⓊⒷⓁⒾⓈⒽⒺⓇ:- Pan India
🔤ⓁⒶⓃⒼⓊⒶⒼⒺ:- English
📖ⒻⓄⓇⓂⒶⓉ:- Paperback
👉𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:-
This is the story of a renowned judge Shilpa Singh. She was arrested by the police from a crime scene red handedly with the murder weapon in her hands.
.
But there is a catch. Shilpa is presiding a case against a politician who continuously threatening her for a favorable decision & to her ill luck the investigating officer ignored all the evidences against the politician.
.
Two of the best defence lawyer of the country decided to fight the case together & they are Akash Hingorani & Vansh Diwan.
.
But they didn't know that they are going to stand against the best prosecutor Ravi Nanda.
.
To know more about it grab the book & give it a try.
👉𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 :-
🙂 Cover of the book is apt. It is vibrant in colour with a theme completely matched to the plotline.
🙂 Writing style of the book is nice. Author just created the whole court room in his imagination & perfectly penned down in the book.
🙂 Language used in the book is simple & easily understandable.
🙂 All the characters in the book developed perfectly with some important & dedicated roles assigned which they delivered in a precise manner.
🙂 The court room scenarios are just mind blowing & the incidents between the chapters gives a crisp reading experience
🙂 The way the murder & investigation proceedings narrated in the book it gives you an edge of the sit thrilling experience.
🙂 The build up of the storyline is just magnificent. It engrossed you with the book from the very first page.
🙂 Book is moderately paced & not a small nor a very lengthy one. It's more than 260 pages read & author just focusing on so much detailing which is not required in some parts.
🙂 Overall it's a decently written book with an extraordinary courtroom description.
𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑:-🌟🌟🌟🌟

[litwithneha ( Neha Modi ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

SYNOPSIS
Judge Shilpa Singh is accused of a murder. She is found near the corpse with the murder weapon in her hand. She pleads 'not guilty' and now it's up to Akash Hingorani and Vansh Diwan to prove her innocence

#bookhoarderreview
The best thing about the book was that the author did not waste time in a lot of background building towards the beginning. All the background details kept coming throughout the story in snippets running parallel to the main plot. This helped build and maintain the perfect pace for a thriller.

The minute details of the law and court etiquette were interesting to read and know. The entire courtroom conversations between the lawyers, judge and the witnesses came about very well. The procedural formalities in a court of law were made an inherent part of the story in an interesting manner.

Despite the book having a heavy subject, one pertaining to murder, political influence and courtroom drama, the author did not refrain from adding humour to it. Amidst all the thrill, it gave various laugh worthy moments woven in the story.

If you have read my review till now, you know I highly recommend this book 😃.

[Priya Gole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by this author, and his brilliance in this genre surpasses others in the field. If you enjoy courtroom thrillers in the style of John Grisham, Vish Dhamija is the right author to explore from the perspective of the Indian legal system, which, as we know, is rife with its own share of courtroom drama.

Judge Shilpa Singh finds herself arrested, and circumstantial evidence points to her involvement in a first-degree homicide. She seeks the services of Akash Hingorani, a prominent defence advocate with whom she had a brief affair in the past, to represent her. The judge had been presiding over a case involving a corrupt politician, and it appears that this very politician might have trapped her.

The most significant piece missing from this puzzle is the identity of the deceased individual.

What follows is a roller coaster of emotions as the author takes us through the tumultuous journey of the lawyers' efforts to secure Shilpa Singh's acquittal.

The most astonishing revelation, however, occurs at the end, leaving the reader thoroughly astounded.

Overall, it is beautifully written with a superb narrative.

[Livre_monde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vish Dhamija isn't called the master of crime and courtroom drama for nothing. This was my first book from him and I enjoyed reading every bit of it.

Cold Justice contains some of the brilliant characters that readers from earlier works of the author might be familiar with. Each character has a personality that readers can easily visualize. The narration is fluid throughout. There is drama, thrill, and a lot of humor. While the story starts as an open and shut case with no suspense at all, there is an unexpected twist in the end that will blow the readers. Though I do wish that the portion containing courtroom proceedings would have been a little longer, I would highly love it for the humorous dialogues. 

From a story flow perspective, during the first half, the author has built the premise at length for the trial of a judge who has been caught red-handed with a murder weapon in broad daylight in a public park with several eyewitnesses. The next half is the courtroom drama with the trial proceeding. There is a lot of humor in this section. The final portion is the climax where the author has added something unexpected which is no less than a thriller movie. 

Overall, I loved reading this book and would surely recommend it to those readers who love courtroom drama. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

[Saumya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by the author and I loved it, the courtroom drama is penned so perfectly that I think I was watching this case actually live in a court.



Judge Shilpa Singh is on a murder trial, she was found near the corpse with the murder weapon in her hand and no one has come forward to claim the body. It was an open and shut case from the start but it's now her defence lawyer Akash and Vnash's responsibility to prove her innocent.



Cold justice is a kind of book which is engrossing as well as helps the reader to pull out of the slump (like I was hooked from the very first page) I love how part 1 of this book sets the plot and introduce the characters and make us know all the behind the scene and story where the second part of the book was the courtroom drama, with the judge and the witness. The language is fluid throughout, I never felt the story is too rushed up or too stretched, it moves at its perfect pace.



I will recommend this book to everyone out there who loves a fast pace book, with great Indian courtroom drama.

Rating 4.5/5

[Nitin Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely entertaining. Akash not playing the role of the defence advocate might really have helped balance the 2 sides. However, the prosecution side could have had more things going for them, making it difficult for Vansh and Sonia to counter them. Still, it seemed much more realistic and that is how a legal thriller is supposed to be.

The twist in the end is the icing on the cake. I did not see that coming at any point in the story. And that is hard for any novelist or screenwriter to do. I love being surprised but consuming so many novels and movies has made it really hard for me to experience that emotion.

I hope Akash loses his backing amongst criminals and politicians. That would make him much more interesting character in future novels.

[Anil Dhingra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast paced legal thriller, the fourth written by the author.
A judge is accused of cold blooded murder and her friend, a high profile defense lawyer based in Delhi Akash Singh is requested by her to fight her case.
Judge Shilpa Singh is a middle aged widow with a teenage son, judge in district court.
There are some good trial methods and the court scenes and arguments are absorbing.
I recommend this book but have rated 3 stars only because I find it a bit too far fetched.

[Ranajoy Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written thriller and a perfect weekend read. Only one problem is about why certain information was even passed to Shilpa Singh for which I reduced one star. Otherwise it is very enjoyable read. Hope to read the next installment very soon.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legal thriller with fast pace.

[Kashish Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indian John Grisham. Similar style of writing like his last books kind of half guessed the twist in the end, quick gripping fast paced simple read.

[Deepti Srivatsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a clever legal thriller. Initially it was a bit slow but once the courtroom drama began, it was super fast paced. Congratulations to the author for this well-crafted book.

[Poorna Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best by Vish Dhamija 3.5 stars