Book Review #38 400 days by Chetan Bhagat

400 days

Author : Chetan Bhagat

Genre : Suspense Thriller

Language : English

Publisher : Westland

About the book

12-year-old Siya has been missing nine months. It’s a cold case, but Keshav wants to help her mother, Alia, who refuses to give up. Welcome to 400 Days―a mystery and romance story like no other.

‘My daughter Siya was kidnapped. Nine months ago,’ Alia said.

The police had given up. They called it a cold case. Even the rest of her family had stopped searching.

Alia wouldn’t stop looking, though. She wanted to know if I could help her.

Hi, I am Keshav Rajpurohit and I am a disappointment to everyone around me. I live with my parents, who keep telling me how I should a) get married, b) focus on my IPS exams, c) meet more people and d) close my detective agency.

But Alia Arora, neighbour and ex-model, wanted my help. And I couldn’t take my eyes off her face … I mean, her case.

Welcome to 400 Days. A mystery and romance story like none other. An unputdownable tale of suspense, human relationships, love, friendship, the crazy world we live in and, above all, a mother’s determination to never give up.

About the author 

Chetan Bhagat is the author of ten bestselling novels, which have sold over twelve million copies and have been translated into over twenty languages worldwide.

The New York Times has called him ‘the biggest selling author in India’s history’. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Fast Company USA named him one of the 100 most creative people in business worldwide.

Many of Chetan’s books have been adapted into films and were major Bollywood blockbusters. He is also a Filmfare award-winning screenplay writer.

Chetan writes columns for The Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar, which are among India’s most influential and widely read newspapers. He is also one of the country’s leading motivational speakers. He is active on various social media platforms, where his combined following runs into crores. Chetan went to college at IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, after which he worked in investment banking for a decade before quitting his job to become a full-time writer.

My take:

400 days is a suspense story of a young girl Siya who has been missing for more than nine months. Keshav Rajpurohit and Saurabh Maheshwari, the duo who run a detective agency in their free time is approached by Alia Arora, Siya's mother, to look into the case that the police have stopped looking into.

Despite reluctance from Alia's in-laws, Alia hires Keshav and Saurabh for the job. Soon Keshav and Saurabh dive head long into the case to understand all the minor nuances. As they get to know, they realise that everything is not as simple as it appears, and there are more layers to uncover.

The story is slightly slow but gripping. The suspense is held well till the end. The book also touches many areas such as the differences in socioeconomic strata, the police attitude, the dynamics of media circus. Sensitive topics such as child abuse are also touched, and handled with sensitivity. 

The characters are nicely sketched, and the subplots make the story even more interesting. Thrilling scenes have been described in such a way that they will definitely make your heart beat faster. By the end of the book, the reader is praying that Siya be found safe and sound. The ending is equally unexpected, and I would have appreciated a trigger warning.

The language, as with all CB novels, is simple and lucid. As with all of his books, the descriptions of food made my mouth water everytime I read on empty stomach.

The characters Keshav and Saurabh are continued in this third consecutive thriller by CB, and they both stay true to their characters.

The book cover is nicely designed. I was wondering why the book was titled 400 days and not something alluring like Finding Siya. But once I read the book, I found out why 400 days is apt.

I rate it four stars.

Book review #37 The neighbours

The Neighbours

Author : Daniel Hurst

Language : English

Genre : Suspense Thriller

Pages : 380

About the book:

It seemed like the perfect house on the perfect street. Until they met the neighbours...

Happily married couple Katie and Sean have plenty to look forward to as they move into their new home and plan for the future. But then they meet two of their new neighbours and everything on their quiet street suddenly doesn't seem as desirable as it did before. 

Having been warned about the other neighbours, and their adulterous and criminal ways, Katie and Sean realise that they are going to have to be on their guard if they want to make their time here a happy one. 

But the other neighbours seem so nice and that's why they choose to ignore the warning and get friendly with the rest of the people on the street. And that is why their marriage will never be the same again...

Four houses. Six neighbours. And one shocking twist. 

About the author

Daniel Hurst is the author of the number 1 bestselling psychological thriller 'The Passenger', as well as several other popular thrillers including 'Til Death Do Us Part' and 'The Wrong Woman'.

He is also the creator of The 20 Minute Series, the series of psychological books which readers have called “original” and “addictive” and 'like a soap opera in book form."

You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'

My take:

Katie and Sean arrive in a new neighbourhood as they shift to their dream house, one of the four located at a cul-de-sac. They plan to stay here forever and raise a family.

But someone has other plans for them. As they begin getting to know their neighbours, they start realizing that the warnings they had received about the other neighbours, from one of the neighbours, might be true after all. 

Will Katie and Sean also end up with the same fate as the previous owners of the house?

Just like any other Daniel Hurst novel, this one too keeps the reader hooked right from the beginning. The drama unfolds in such a manner that every page is hooking and you just can't keep it down.

The story is narrated from the alternating POVs of Katie and Sean, and the subtle thought processes of both of them that lead them to act in certain ways is beautifully described. The domino effect a simple thoughtless action can have, and how simple emotions like jealousy and anger can begin to erode even the strongest relationships is nicely described.

All characters besides the protagonists, Albert, Eileen, Ian, Jackson, Chris have been described in such a way that the reader can form a mental image for each one of them.

The suspense is good, though I had guessed it beforehand. And the twisted end was definitely a surprise.

The cover is beautifully designed and captures the essence of the story.

I rate it five stars.

Book Review #36 Silent fires

Silent fires

Author : Poojitha Prasad

Language : English

Genre : Suspense Thriller

Publisher : Notionpress

About the book

Inspector Ashish Bharadwaj is arrogant and hot-tempered, but he’s usually right about things. His brother, Manav, is quiet and intuitive. He is also brilliant at solving cases. 

When Shravya Chandra, wife of Arun Chandra the film star, goes missing – Ashish and Manav have their own hunches. Ashish is out to prove Arun Chandra’s guilt. But Manav wants to know more about Shravya’s old friend, Anchal because he’s certain that she is hiding something big. 

They both can’t be right, of course.

Ashish doesn’t want to be wrong; he’s never wrong. And Manav would give anything to snatch a victory from under his brother’s nose. 

Who’s right? And at what cost are they going to win? 

Since everyone’s looking only for what they want to see, will they ever actually find out what happened to Shravya Chandra?

And so begins the battle of egos, the endless search for a killer and the unravelling of secrets…

My take

Silent fires is an amalgamation of suspense, thrill, murder mystery, love, betrayal, complicated relationships, all in the perfect dose to form a rock solid narrative.

Shravya Chandra, the wife of superhit movie star Arun Chandra, disappears one fine day from amidst the crowd that has gathered to celebrate the stars birthday. She has returned from a girls trip with four of her best friends. Being a high profile case which soon turns from disappearance to murder, inspector Ashish Bharadwaj is pressurized from all sides to solve it. Being straight forward and no-nonsense kind, Ashish develops a cold war with Arun. Ashish's brother Manav, who is a photographer by profession and gets involved with crime documentaries, also gets deeply involved in the case. Ashish and Manav are chalk and cheese, and both work in ways totally different from each other. What happens next?

The narration is nice with a lucid flow. The story seems slow initially but picks up pace fast enough. The suspense is twisted and well developed and leaves the reader wanting to keep reading till the very end. Character development is flawless and every character stays true to itself.

The book cover is nicely designed but is too simple, could have been more effective had it been a bit murkier. 

I rate it 4.5 stars.

Book review #35: I am sorry, my love

I am sorry...my love

Author : Prashant Kaul

Genre : Romantic suspense

Language : English

Publisher : Author's ink publication

About the book

Raghav Malhotra has everything a guy could ask for – talent, influence, money. All that’s missing is companionship. In walks Siya Srivastav, a gorgeous BJMC student from Varanasi. One look at her and it’s love at first sight. But not all love stories are headed towards a ‘happily ever after’. The problem? It’s not love, it’s obsession. Raghav is besotted with her to a point where he can do anything to own her. His maniacal pursuit of unrequited love turns him into a stalker... and then a monster, shaking the very foundation of trust and friendship. How far will he go to quench his thirst of possession? Will he succeed in his endeavour, or will he succumb to the vagaries of destiny? Read I am sorry… my love to find out..

My take

Raghav Malhotra is an engineering student, who has all materialistic pleasures in life, and yet, is lonely. He craves for love and companionship. When he sees Siya, it's love at first sight for him. He feels he will walk into the sunset with her. But things are not what they seem to be. Siya is close to a guy, Akash.

Soon Raghav begins to obsess over Siya. The thin line between love and obsession begins to blur. He begins looking at Siya as an object to be possessed. And all hell breaks loose.

What happens next?

The Story is interesting. It is not the typical girl meets boy, boy meets girl and love happens kind of story. There is a touch of reality somewhere. How far can one go to get their means? What is the value of emotions? What is the value of friendships?

The author has beautifully caught the different emotions people go through when faced with adverse situations. The characters are strong and stay true to their nature. The language is easy to read.

The book cover is captivating.

Overall, an intriguing story of love and obsession. I rate it four stars.

Book review #34 Suicide med

Book name : Suicide med

Author name : Freida Macfadden

Language : English

Genre : Psychological thriller

About the book

“I don’t want to die like this. Not here, not now—in the anatomy lab on a Saturday night. I know I’ve done some bad things in my life, but I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve this…”

One suicide.  Every year.

Nobody wants to go to a school nicknamed Suicide Med.

Heather McKinley has always dreamed of becoming a doctor.  She doesn’t even care about her medical school’s grisly history of suicides—it can’t happen to her. But after Heather’s longtime boyfriend dumps her and she finds herself failing anatomy, her world starts to crumble.

The pressure is intense.  People crack.

Thank goodness for Dr. Conlon, her quirky but beloved anatomy professor.  He’ll do anything to help his students succeed.  But is it a coincidence that the bespectacled professor joined the staff the same year the suicides began?

Or are they suicides at all?

All Heather knows is that one student will die this year.

And that student could be her.

About the author:

McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

My take:

The book is a psychological thriller about the first year students from a medical school which has earned the ominous nickname 'Suicide Med', as since the past six years, one student invariably commits suicide every year. And all of this began when the eminent, intelligent and highly respected Dr Conlon, joined the college as a professor of Anatomy.

Heather is a girl with dreams to be a good doctor, but lacks the spark. She has to really work hard and push herself to get her brain wrapped around what is being taught.

Abe, who looks like a hulk, a huge yet humourous guy, is one of her first friends. 

Ginny, the small, quiet little girl hardly speaks, but is good at what she studies.

Heather's roommate Rachel is least bothered about her own failures. But she does turn heads wherever she goes.

Mason, the guy who makes Heather go weak in her knees, an irritating know-it-all and a wannabe plastic surgeon, has secrets of his own.

And each one has a secret.

The story keeps shifting POV between these students and their professor, Dr Conlon.

The story is interesting. It is different from what I was expecting. Yet it was a nice change to read the story especially since it had rotating POVs. The character development is smooth. The sequence of events is well planned and organized by the author. 

I had once read about the Roshomon style of writing. Rashomon-style narrative allows the audience to see a single story through multiple lenses and get a multi-dimensional sense of characters based on the way their version of events unfolds. This felt something like that, and made it interesting.

The language flows easily, and though there is no shocking twist that you never saw coming, the book is full of small twists and turns that make us want to keep reading to know what happens next.

The cover page could have been better, with a hint of what to expect.

I rate it 4 stars.

Book Review #33 Mythical Creatures and Magical Beasts

Mythical Creatures and Magical Beasts

Author name - Zayden Stone

Language - English

Pages - 202

Genre - Mythology and culture

About the book

What made Athena furious with a local weaver that she transformed her into Greek mythology’s first spider woman, Arachne?

What is the tall tale behind Filipino folklore’s sea serpent Bakunawa, who flies through the night skies devouring moons?

What is the symbolism behind French folktale’s infamous night rider, Cheval Mallet?

We have all been exposed to a mythological beast in one form or another. Whether it is the three headed guard dog Fluffy in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, or even the story of Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth in The Hobbit; all these pop culture mythical creatures have a deep connection to the mythologies and folktales of ancient cultures.

Where did they come from? What relevance do they serve in mythology? Why are some so obscure, while others become pop-culture enigmas? Get the answer to these questions, and learn about beasts from different world cultures.

Folklorist Zayden Stone dives deep into the stories of these magical beasts and provides

• a fictional anecdote,

• a retelling of the original myths,

• an analysis of the symbolism and relevance of the creatures,

• and then pairs it with some beautiful black and white illustrations reimagined by artist Herdhian.

In the Mythical Creatures and Mythological Beasts book, the illustrated guide takes you through six themes that have been specifically chosen since they are consistent across cultures. The categories include:

• arthropods for insects, crustaceans, and arachnids;
• avian for birds;
• canines for wolves and dogs;
• serpents for snakes and dragons;
• ungulates for hooved animals like horses and cows; and
• aquatic for water dwelling beasts.

Presenting the creatures in categories makes it easier to see what the beasts have in common. You will find some overlapping themes across ancient cultures that point to universal ideas in how humans perceive the world.

If you wonder where your favorite creature is, you will probably find them within these pages, even if they do not have their own chapter. For example, the ever-popular Pegasus can be found in the tale of the Gorgon sisters. He also had a half-brother, Arion, who features in the ungulates section. There is also a brilliant white-winged horse from Islamic tradition which may sound very familiar to Pegasus as well.

If you have a love for the myths and want to learn about the unique beasts that dwell within them, this book is a great way to do it. Not only will you learn about ones you may have never heard of, but you will also be able to draw parallels between cultures and see how they interpreted their surroundings through stories of mythical creatures and magical beasts.

My take

In the introduction, the author states - at the heart of every myth, folktale or legend is excellent story telling. This is something that I completely agree with. The reason a reader is fascinated with mythology is not just about the characters or their supernatural elements, but the way they are all moulded into an interesting story.

The author further elaborates the basic difference between Myths, legends and folklore, with appropriate examples.

In the book, the author has compiled the stories of all myths, legends and folklore from all cultures and traditions across the globe. He has described the stories as told by the common folk tales and also the different versions of the same story. He has tried the describe the essence of the stories with an explanation as to why that particular story has been told or what moral it gives. The book is very well researched, and gives an in depth analysis of different forms of these mythological creatures, their divine or humane connections and the supernatural powers they supposedly possess. The author has also pointed out some overlap in the creatures across different cultures or origins.

The book is divided into six broad sections - Arthropoda, Ancient Aviary, cryptic canines, the eternal hiss, the unusual ungulates and aquatic beast - each depicting a separate category of animals and creatures and the stories relating to those. The stories cover everything, all the interesting tales from Greek mythology, Hindu mythology, Islamic culture, Inuit mythology, Japanese legends and so on and so forth.

My favourite was the story of Arachne and Athena, and how, to teach Arachne a lesson in modesty and humility, Athena challenges her to an all encompassing weaving competition. 

The language is nice and simple. The book is captivating and leaves the reader fascinated as well as satiated.

The illustrations are well thought of and beautifully created. The cover page is attractive.

I rate it 5 stars

Book Review #32 Do not disturb

Do not disturb

Author - Freida McFadden

Genre - Psychological thriller

Publisher - Hollywood Upstairs   

                     Publishing

Language - English

About the book - 

Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime.

To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it.  She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she’s done.

But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night.

Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick's ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.

In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She'll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom.

But first, she must survive the night.

About the author

McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

My take

Quinn Alexander runs away after committing a heinous crime. She knows what her life would be like if she ever gets caught. However, since she starts running away without much of a plan ready at hand, she is stuck in a snow storm before she can even leave the state.

She feels bad to be leaving her elder sister Claudia, who has been her only closest relative since they lost their parents at a young age. 

As Quinn takes refuge at a dilapidated Baxter motel, she finds comfort in the hospitable owner, Nick. Soon she gets to know that his wife Rosalie, who is physically incapacitated, stays in the building next to the motel. Quinn finds Rosalie staring at her through the second floor window of that building and feels eerie. With no phone with her as she gets rid of hers to mislead the police, Quinn has no way to find out more about this motel.

Quinn soon gets to know about the haunted past of the motel and that makes her restless to the core.

An ancient looking woman staying in the room next to hers, a self proclaimed clairvoyant, makes some horrifying prophecies, and Quinn can't wait to get out of the motel and on her way.

The story is narrated from POVs of first Quinn, then Claudia, and then Rosalie.

The plot unfolds over the span of just half of a day, but the flow is beautiful, and we are left wondering what exactly happened, and why.

The end, as is expected with Freida's books, is unexpected. The language is easy and captivating. The characters are well developed, and relatable. We understand the emotions behind the actions of each character.

The cover is nicely designed, intriguing enough to pique interest.

I rate it 4.5 stars.

Book review #31 Life in a snippet

LIFE IN A SNIPPET - a collection of nanotales

Author - Anjali Hinger

Publisher - Half Baked Beans

Language - English

Genre - Fiction

About the book

Life in a snippet is a collection of carefully framed nano-tales on the most simple yet complex wonder called LIFE.

This book comprises miniscule stories of love and betrayal, of happiness and sorrow, of friends and strangers, of smooth sails and tough times, of hope and despair, of breakups and moving on, of family and solitude, of woes and little joys, and of the quirky and the conventional.

My take

I am not a fan of micro-tales so I had no idea what to expect from this book. But once I started reading, it was hard to stop. It was difficult to let go of the wonderful stories that popped up page after page.

So in essence, this book is a compilation of 150 nano-tales, a story told in a few words. To be truthful, depicting an entire story, along with a wide spectrum of emotions, in such limited number of words, is extremely difficult. So kudos to the author for the great job she has done.

Every tale is a different world within itself. Each story is relatable, some stories are straight forward while others are more metaphoric. The author beautifully covers various topics ranging from the philosophy of life, the beauty of love, the aftermath of a breakup, the impact of social taboos, the attainment of inner peace, conversations with self, abandoning complexes, the beauty of nature, the sacrifices of a mother and a lot more. Every story tugs at the heart strings, makes us think and reminisce and analyse events, incidences and relationships in our own lives.

The language is simple yet enriched. The flow of words is effortless. There are no editing errors or grammar typos, which otherwise are a turn off for the reader.

The book cover is beautifully designed.

I rate it five stars. 

Book Review #30 From Distress to De-stress : finding Peace within

About the book

What is stress?
Why do we feel stressed? Can we voluntarily relax our own body and mind?
Can we do anything to soothe our soul?
What is the stress response system?
What is the Autogenic training for reducing anxiety?
What exactly is meditation?
How can a beginner begin a basic meditation practice?
What is Mindfulness?
What is the Polyvagal theory?
What is CBT?

If you need the simplified answers to any or all of these questions, you are at the right place.

With his more than 30 years of experience as an endocrinologist, Dr Patwardhan realized how stress is one of the most important factors causing a plethora of diseases such as Diabetes, Metabolic syndrome, Ischaemic heart disease etc, and at the same time he became aware of the ignorance and lack of knowledge about the same. Since then, through various platforms, he has been trying to bring awareness amongst the general population regarding their own health and stress management. This book is one such endeavour.

"This is a book to understand chronic stress in your life and what you can do to reduce its side-effects on your mind and body"

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you are sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
Keep awareness that you are witnessing consciousness anchored to your breathing and that's all!
That's it, really! Keep letting go of any thoughts that may pop into your mind. The quiet spaces between thoughts will become longer and more frequent the longer you practice.
You are on the road of meditation!
Accept, and you will allow the flow of life, expect & you create resistance, blockages to life.
Accept & embrace.

My take

A must read book!

This is one of the books that feel as if the author is speaking to you, and guiding you as you take your baby steps into the huge world of meditation.

The author has nicely explained how stress is the root cause of so many somatic problems and diseases, and how one can relax their own mind and lead an emotionally, mentally and spiritually peaceful life.

Rather than propogating meditation as something religious, this book explains the science and logic behind it in a simple language.

For beginners, different types of meditations - exactly how they are done - has been step wise explained. 

Concepts like what mindfulness meditation is, what is transcendental meditation and how exactly cognitive behavioral therapy works have all been beautifully written.

Simple breathing exercises have been described in a very easy flowing way, such that the reader is motivated to try them.

I would recommend this book to each and every person out there. Not just someone who is stressed. Like the author says, meditation is about  being aware about being aware.

I rate this book 5 stars.

Book review #29 Local woman missing by Mary Kubica

Local woman missing

About the book

You’ll never find her. Don’t even try.

When a local mother and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, suddenly vanish, their close-knit suburban community is rocked by fear and suspicion. How could such a terrible thing have happened in their small town?

Then, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly reappears. Everyone wants to know what really happened to her. But there are secrets hidden deep in the past – and when the truth about those missing years begins to surface, no one is prepared for what they’re about to find out.

About the author

Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL and PRETTY BABY. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

My take

The story begins with a disturbing narration of a girl and a boy imprisoned in someone's basement, and how the girl escapes to freedom.

The story then spans back and forth over a period of eleven years, when Delilah, a six year old girl disappeared along with her mother, Meredith.

The small town is shocked by their disturbance, especially after a recent incidence of disappearance of another woman, Shelby. Meredith's husband Josh, tries everything possible to try and find his wife and daughter, even as his four year old son Leo struggles to come to terms with the reality. Their next door neighbours and good friends, Kate and Bea, join in the search, and Kate begins her own private sleuthing as she begins uncovering more and more secrets.

The story is narrated across different timelines and through multiple POVs. So we read the story from the POV of Delilah - the girl who escapes the basement, Meredith - eleven years back, before her disappearance, Kate - eleven years back, after Meredith's disappearance and Leo - present day, after Delilah's return.

There are lots of twists and turns. The emotions of each and every individual are well picturized. The agony of a husband who loses his wife and daughter in the blink of an eye, the son who feels neglected by his father who has himself drowned in the sorrow of his tragedy, a woman compassionate enough to step in the shoes of another one and feel her pain, the emotional and psychological trauma faced by a child who is abused.

The flow of the story is good. The build up of the suspense is also nice. However, the ending is a bit disappointing and seems slightly unrealistic and far-fetched. It feels like too many coincidences forcefully clubbed to create the confusion.

But overall, I enjoyed the read. I rate it 4 stars.

Book Review #28 The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

The Locked Door

Author : Freida McFadden

Language : English

Publisher: Hollywood Upstairs Press

Genre : Crime, thriller, mystery

About the book

Some doors are locked for a reason…

While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.

Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

Decades later, Nora’s father is spending his life behind bars, and Nora is a successful surgeon with a quiet, solitary existence. Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. And she intends to keep it that way.

Then Nora discovers one of her young female patients has been murdered. In the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims.

Somebody knows who Nora is. Somebody wants her to take the fall for this unthinkable crime. But she’s not a killer like her father. The police can’t pin anything on her.

As long as they don’t look in her basement

About the author

McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

My take

Nora Davis is a surgeon. She hides a very big secret.

Her father is a serial killer, who killed more than seventeen young women, and was Nick named 'the handyman' because he used to severe off their hands as a souvenir. The workshop where he supposedly worked on making wooden items - the basement in their house - was the place he committed these heinous crimes in. When Nora was ten years old, her father got arrested and went to jail for life. Her mother, who was arrested and imprisoned as an accomplice, committed suicide in prison.

 Nora grew up with her grand-mom, changed her name, and now she just hopes no one would find out who she really is.

No one, neither her partner at the hospital, Dr Philip, nor her assistant Harper know about her past. Nora has decided not to have a relationship in her life, ever, but as she meets Brady, her boyfriend from an eternity before, who now works as a bartender, she begins getting attracted towards him.

But someone is out there who knows everything about Nora, and they are hellbent on destroying her.

First, Nora feels like someone is keeping a watch on her, trailing her car, stalking her. Next, her car is sabotaged with, her home is broken into, and she finds blood in her basement.

Simultaneously, young girls, who have been patients of Nora, start disappearing and getting murdered in exactly the same way as the handyman, Nora's dad committed his signature murders. The police began connecting the dots and start asking questions. 

The story is intriguing and keeps us guessing till the end. I love the writing style of this author. She adds the right amounts of drama, romance, suspense and thrill, without exaggerating either of these.

The story is entirely from the POV of Nora, but it shuttles between the past (ten year old Nora) and the present, making the plot all the more interesting.The suspense is well developed and doesn't disappoint the reader. The book cover is nicely designed. 

I rate it 4.5 stars.

Book Review #27 Want to know a secret by Freida McFadden

Want to know a secret 

Author : Freida Mcfadden

Language : English

Genre : Crime, mystery thriller

About the book

Everyone has secrets.

YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April.  Secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.

Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house?  What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows?

And what’s buried in her backyard?

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others.

April’s secrets are enough to destroy her. 

I’ll make sure of that.

About the author

Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

My take

This story takes place in a simple, close knit residential block, reminding me of desperate housewives, with women trying to show off their own talents and assets, mom's obsessed and sometimes overly involved in the school activities of their off springs, wives prying on others' husband's and poking nose in others business, a dominating, judgemental woman who decides that she is the authority, and formulates her own rules and regulations, as other women try to swoon around her and compete with each other to win over her heart.

April Masterson is one such mom, the wife of a super busy lawyer who doesn't have time for his wife or seven year old son Bobby. But April has made her own identity, by hosting a baking show on YouTube, which is slowly becoming an internet sensation.

Her best friend Julie Bressler is the self declared boss whom April keeps trying to please, by attending the book clubs she hosts, albeit never reading the concerned book, and by volunteering for anything that Julie asks from her as the president of parent teacher association, be it a bake sale or a silent auction.

A new neighbour, Maria, arrives next door and she has a son the same age as April's and Julie's. April now hopes the kids will be best friends and so will be the mom's. But there's one more thing. Maria has a super handsome hot husband Sean, and he seems to be falling for April's baked goods.

But things don't happen as planned. April begins receiving messages from a blocked number - messages that threaten to expose her reality. Things for which there is no explanation begin to happen and soon April's life begins spiralling out of control. And April has no idea who is doing this. And why.

The story is very well written. Even though the plot sounds cliche, it still makes an interesting read. Most part of the story is narrated from the POV of April and the rest is from the POV of the perpetrator. 

The flow of the story is nice and the incidents that happen keep us hooked on to know what exactly is going on, what exactly is happening and what is it that April is trying so hard to hide.

The ending is twisted and I never saw it coming. The characters are well sketched, and I have started appreciating unreliable narrators as well.

I am absolutely loving this author - the way she can twist even the simplest of plots in such a way that a normal story becomes a nail biting thriller.

The cover page is attractive, and I rate this one 4 stars.

Book review #26 The perfect marriage by Jeneva Rose

The Perfect Marriage 

Author : Jeneva Rose

Publisher : Bloodhound Books

Language : English

Genre : Psychological suspense thriller

About the book

Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He’s a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working. 

Out in the secluded woods, at the couple’s lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress. 

About the author

Jeneva Rose is a lover of reading, cooking, board games, and wine. She also writes under the pen name J. R. Adler. Originally from Wisconsin, she spent a couple of years in Ithaca, New York, and now calls Charlotte, North Carolina home.

My Take

The perfect marriage is the story of the the marriage between Sarah Morgan, a super successful criminal attorney and her husband Adam Morgan, a struggling author. Almost ten years into their marriage, Adam finds himself struggling to get the attention and time of his high strung career-oriented wife while he himself struggles to make it big in the literary world. They love each other, but like every marriage, there are problems. Sarah doesn't want kids, Adam wants them. Sarah is busy with her work, Adam isn't. Adam wants to spend quality time with Sarah, but Sarah can't. And the inevitable happens. Adam begins a clandestine affair with a married woman, Kelly Summers, at their lake house that doubles up as his writing space.

One fine day, when Adam juggles between spending the evening with his mistress at the lakehouse and the night next to his wife in their bed at his home two hours apart, Kelly is brutally murdered, and Adam becomes the prime suspect.

Despite being hurt by the betrayal and angry at her husband, Sarah, being the best criminal attorney her husband can ever afford, takes on his case. 

Many characters add different angles to the story - Kelly's abusive husband Scott, whom Adam suspects to be the murderer, Adam's mother Eleanor,  who holds Sarah responsible for everything that's happened, including Adam's affair, Sarah's boss Kent, her professional rival Bob, her assistant  Anne, her friend Matthew. As the story unfolds, newer aspects of the story reveal, new characters are unveiled and the suspense grippens.

The story is narrated in alternating points of view between Sarah and Adam. The flow of story is good and catches pace, making it intriguing.

However, the biggest let down is the cliched ending. The ending is a total let down and takes away all the build up of suspense. It takes away the credibility of the narrator, and at the same time makes it unrealistic. There are many loose ends which are never explained, such as what really happened to Kelly's first husband, if Scott wasn't abusive, why was Kelly lying and how was the third person involved in all of this, etc. There is no explanation for the way things end and that leaves us without a satisfactory closure.

The cover page is catching and I was drawn towards the book because of the cover.

So even though I enjoyed reading the story, even though it held my interest and piqued my curiosity throughout, the ending didn't make justice to the plot and was a disappointment.

I rate it 3 / 5 stars.