Book review #45 The Housemaid

The Housemaid

Author : Freida McFadden

Publisher : Bookouture

Language : English

Genre : psychological thriller

About the book:

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

About the author:

#1 Amazon bestselling 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:

What a book! 

This book begins with a simple story of Millie seeking the job of a housemaid at the residence of the filthy rich Winchester family.

Millie has a dark past and secrets of her own, and she hopes she gets a new beginning in her life with this new job.

But as she begins working for the Winchester's, she begins unravelling the secrets of the family. Nina Winchester isn't the perfect woman she portrays to be. Her moods swing like a swing, and one moment she is the caring host, and the other, she is a tormenting master. Her daughter Cece is equally tough to handle. The way they both always wear stark white clothes, especially Cece's unnaturally frilly frocks seem weird.

The landscaper Enzo doesn't seem to speak English, but is he faking it? Because he keeps warning Millie that she is in danger. 

What is the mystery of the Windchester household. Does Millie get away unscathed?

This book had me gripping it through the night as it revealed twists after twists. Some parts of the book are dark and disturbing, but the story, as usual, is terrific and something totally unexpected.

The book is mostly from the POV of Millie, the POV of Nina Winchester appears later in the story, and while we get to know what each protagonist thinks, we are still left wondering what happens next.

I love this author. She is a physician who writes terrific stories with amazing twists. The book never lets you get bored, and you want to finish it in one go. 

The book cover was okay, and could have been made more mysterious.

Overall, I rate it 4.5.

Movie review - Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithal

Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithal

I don't speak Tamil, and yet somehow the name attracted me. I tried to find the meaning of this phrase. It meant 'stolen glances'.

Wondering what kind of movie it might be, I started watching. 

I generally don't like to watch or even read for that matter, pure romance. I need a dash of suspense or thrill along with it.

Well, this movie turned out to be the perfect cocktail of romance, drama and thrill.

The movie begins with Sid and Kaalis (stylized version of his real name Kaaliswarammoorthy) living a life full of parties and fun. 

Sid is smitten with a simple girl, Meera, whom he has been following for the past two months, and one fine day, he gathers the courage to speak to her. Meera is a beautician, and stays with her friend Shreya, a chef. 

Meera accepts Sid's proposal and the four of them soon become good friends. 

That is the point when it is revealed what Sid and Kaalis actually do for enjoying such a lavish lifestyle. Under the guise of online animator and IT professionals, they take on various projects of conducting online scams and looting people of lakhs of rupees. So running out of money, they do what they are best at - executing the online fraud.

Unfortunately, one dedicated police officer, DCP Pratap, is one of the victims of their scams and he starts his pursuit of finding these guys responsible for the same.

In a calculated move, knowing where exactly the police will be looking for them, Sid and Kaalis perform another scam, albeit offline this time.

The DCP is hot on their trail.

However, one incident makes Sid and Kaalis realise what kind of dangerous lives they are living, and that they stand to lose the love of their lives. And they decide to turn over a new leaf, relocate to Goa, start a restaurant with the money they have, and live an honest life with the two girls.

The girls also help them by selling off their bike and they all head to Goa.

The DCP is no less. He reaches Goa soon enough. 

But the most interesting part is, what happens next. There is no way I can reveal what happens without giving spoilers. All I can say is, it is mind-blowing!

So what is the hidden agenda of the DCP? And what do the boys do next?

Do watch this movie to find out. I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

The four actors are well cast and they do justice to their respective characters. The actor performing the role of the DCP has also been perfectly cast and is very convincing in his act. So are the other characters that support the plot.

The cinematography is beautiful. The background score for Sid and Meera's love story is catching, and keeps running in our mind long after the movie is over.

This movie gives you twists and turns when you are least expecting, and keeps you on the edge, wanting to know what happens next till the very end.

I can easily say this was one of the best movies I have watched in recent times!

Movie Review - Kayamai Kadakka

Kayamai Kadakka

I dived into Kollywood once more and ended up watching another Tamil masterpiece, Kayamai Kadakka, which literally means crossing the line, or crossing the depraved/immoral behaviour.

A captivating story and a gripping screenplay make the story compelling to watch. 

The film basically pivots on two protagonists, both named Santosh. They meet online, over their shared notion that rapists should be given a harsh punishment and that they don't deserve to live.

The only difference between the two being, while one Santosh considers himself a common man, and knows he can't do anything more than venting his anguish by posting on social media, the other Santosh takes matters in his own hands.

The movie begins with the milder Santosh giving his statement to the police, as he narrates his encounter with his Facebook friend, the other, vengeful Santosh, and the series of events that pan out. The vengeful Santosh has no faith on the Indian judiciary system, and has made a list of all rape case acquittals, whom he hopes to kill one by one. And since the milder Santosh expresses strong views on Facebook, the other Santosh believes that he would be game to taking strong actions as well.

Things don't always go as planned, and as the movie progresses, with the audience hooked to the movie to find out what happens next, there are a lots of twists.

To complicate matters, the aggressive Santosh has multiple personality disorder, or dissociative identity disorder, and the alterego, Karthik, keeps popping out once in a while, convincing the other Santosh to run away and surrender to the police.

Though a simple story line, the picturization is amazing and the way the plot is woven is commendable. The characterization is good and each character stays true to itself.

There is no romantic subplot, which usually proves as a distraction and dilutes the effect of the movie. The tension once built, stays throughout. The cinematography is also beautiful and adds to the effect of the story.

Overall, I loved watching this one, and I watched it in a single setting. I will definitely recommend it!

Book review # 44 : The new friends

The new friends

Author : Daniel Hurst

Genre : Psychological thriller

Language : English

Publisher : Inkubator books

About the book:

They are fun, wealthy, fabulous. Pray you never meet them.

Becky and Jamie are an ordinary hard-working couple trapped in the daily grind, dreaming of an easier life. On one of their rare vacations, they meet a wealthy couple, Phil and Mel, who seem to have it all – they are fun, well travelled, and very generous with their money.

But they are also very, very dangerous.

Because Phil and Mel are not who they say they are. And this is no random vacation friendship, they have chosen Jamie and Becky carefully, seducing them with the promise of a lifestyle just like theirs.

By the time Jamie and Becky realise what their new friends really want, it’s too late, they’ve lost everything, their hopes and dreams lie shattered.

The only question now is how far will they go to get even?

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."

My take:

Daniel Hurst is one author who spins normal characters and simple stories into an intriguing read. This is one of his many books that I have read and appreciated.

"New friends" is the story of a simple everyday couple, Jamie and Becky, who work hard to make ends meet. On one of their vacations in Spain, they meet another couple, Phil and Mel. Assuming them to be just another couple like them, the unsuspecting couple extends its hands at friendship. But Phil and Mel are not what they seem to be. They are not who they portray to be. And their meeting Jamie and Becky wasn't by chance. It was a well planned scheme to loot them of their life savings. 

Will Jamie and Becky fall for the trap? What happens next?

The story is narrated from alternating POVs of the four protagonists. Each character is well developed and makes justice to the storyline. The suspense is held till the very last chapter, and the twists come at unexpected points. The language is simple and flowing. 

The book cover is alluring, just like all other Daniel Hurst novels. I would rate it 5 stars and definitely recommend it!

Book review #43 The Nanny's secret

The nanny's secret (A Locke industries novel)

Author - Kiersten Modglin

Language - English

Genre - Psychological thriller

Publisher - Kiersten Modglin

About the book:

Olivia Mendes has a secret.

With her new position as a nanny for the prestigious Locke family, she’s learning just how powerful secrets can be. 

Orrick and Iris Locke, owners of the billion-dollar security company known as Locke Industries, are beautiful, mysterious, and seemingly perfect. When she enters their home, Olivia quickly discovers everything is not what it seems. The Lockes’ elusive empire is built on dark and terrifying truths and with Olivia now a part of their lives, she has no choice but to play her role.

As she finds herself digging deeper into the Lockes’ web of lies, Olivia begins to question everything she’s learned. When the family’s insidious nature is revealed, her loyalties will be put to the ultimate test. 

About the author :

KIERSTEN MODGLIN is an Amazon Top 30 bestselling author of psychological thrillers, a member of International Thriller Writers, Novelists, Inc., and the Alliance of Independent Authors. Kiersten is a KDP Select All-Star, a recipient of ThrillerFix's Best Psychological Thriller Award and Suspense Magazine's Best Book of 2021 Award. Kiersten grew up in rural western Kentucky with dreams of someday publishing a book or two. With more than thirty books published to date, Kiersten now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and their two Boston Terriers: Cedric and Georgie. She is best known for her unpredictable psychological suspense. Kiersten's work is currently being translated into multiple languages and readers across the world refer to her as 'The Queen of Twists.' A Netflix addict, Shonda Rhimes superfan, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her nose in a book.

My take :

Olivia Mendes joins the Locke family as the nanny for their eight year old son John. Iris and Orrivk Locke are the super power couple who everyone is in awe of.

But as Olivia begins working for them, she starts realising what the deep dark secrets are that lay the foundation of the Locke's empire. 

Of course she too has secrets of her own, and the question is, how long will all the secrets stay hidden?

A beautifully crafted story, The nanny's secret is an amazing psychological thriller. The story shuttles between the POV's of Iris, Orrick and Olivia, and we get to understand the thought process of each of these characters, what thoughts lie behind their actions and what is it that each one is desperately trying to protect.

Layer by layer, each secret in the Locke family unfolds and the reader stays captivated as new twists and turns keep appearing.

The language is simple and flow of the story is easy. Just like her other books, Kiersten makes this book a comfortable read.

The cover is nice but could have been designed better. I would love to read other books in this series.

I rate it five stars.

Book review #42. Dead to them

Dead to them 

Author - Smita Bhattacharya

Language - English

Genre - Suspense Thriller

Publisher - Treeshade books

About the book

Moira Madhwa is a typical young, beautiful and successful urban woman—until the day she goes missing. Her friends start looking for her but quickly realise nothing is as it seems. Moira has kept devastating secrets that could wreck their lives, if revealed. As days roll by, one by one, skeletons tumble out of closets, and each of Moira's friends appear guilty. But did one among them hate her enough to do the worst?

A nail-biting, psychological suspense-thriller, Dead to Them weaves a web of deception, lies, and paranoia in the city of Mumbai, where every face hides a dark story, and uncovering it can lead to disastrous consequences.

About the author

SMITA BHATTACHARYA writes atmospheric cosy and psychological mystery fiction. She is also a management consultant, coffee lover, and gipsy-in-her-head. She lives in Mumbai but has solo travelled to 40+ countries and thus, her stories are heavily inspired by her travels and by those she meets.

Smita has six published books and counting. She has worked in a vineyard, in a newsroom, in a school, in a library, in a bank, in an audit firm. She has too many stories to tell and not enough time.

Smita thrives on crime and coffee. Though she prefers cafés, she occasionally also hangs as @smitabe on Twitter and Instagram. You can read her colourful travel and life stories at www.smitabhattacharya.com.

My take:

This is a mysterious story that keeps you intrigued right from the first chapter.

Moira, a beautiful, young independant woman goes missing one fine day. Everyone is worried, her colleagues, her boss, her friends. Each begins their search for her in their own ways.

But as the story progresses, we get to know that everything is not as simple as it looks. Each person is hiding a dark secret. And Moira's disappearance threatens to bring all secrets out in the open. 

The cliche is that this is not the first time that Moira is absconding. So people are skeptical whether this is the repeat of the last time, or if it's more serious than it seems.

Neither is Moira what she appears to be. As layers and layers of mysteries are uncovered the story keeps taking new turns.

The language is lucid and easy flowing. All characters are well formed and stay true to their self. We can empathise with each characters POV as we read the story.

The suspense is held on till the very end, and reader is kept guessing and double guessing till the very end.

The cover page is nicely designed and reaches out to the reader to pick it up.

I rate it five stars.

Book review #41 Do you remember?

Do you remember?

Author : Freida Macfadden

Language : English

Genre : Psychological thriller

Publisher : Hollywood Upstairs Press

About the book :

Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face.

She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. A stranger who claims he’s her husband.

Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: She was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Including her own wedding.

Tess has no choice but to accept her new life and hope her memory will return. After all, why should she doubt the letter she wrote to herself? Or the kind man from the wedding photos on her dresser who seems to genuinely care about her well-being?

And then Tess receives a text message on her phone. One that changes everything:

"Don’t trust the man who calls himself your husband."

About the author :

#1 Amazon bestselling 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:

Tess wakes up every morning with the past seven years erased from her memory. The last memory she has is of herself at the age of twenty nine and just engaged to the love of her life, Harry. When she finds out every morning that she is now thirty six, married to a handsome man Graham, who runs her own super successful company My Home Spa, she is confused and disoriented. She daily reads the letter she has written to herself that the people around her care for her, and can be trusted. Still Graham, her supposed husband and the cleaning lady who seems more employed for keeping a watch on her than cleaning, feel like strangers. 

Tess tries to embrace whatever life offers everyday, but then she starts finding small clues she is leaving for herself, that tell her that Graham can't be trusted. Soon, she starts getting texts from an unknown person asking her to meet. What does Tess do?

The story is narrated from POV of Tess, and one can empathize with her situation. The once successful entrepreneur is now a prisoner in her own home, dependant on two strangers - a man who calls himself her husband and a cleaner - for every small thing. Her emotions and sense of loss have been beautifully captured. The way she keeps reminiscing about the memories she still has is heart touching.

The story revolves basically around just five characters in total - Tess, Graham, Camilla, Lucy and Tess's father. But the way it is narrated is extremely catching.

Till almost four-fifths of the book is over, the reader is left wondering what exactly happens next. The last chapter brings unexpected twists and leaves us surprised, or even, shocked. Though the ending wasn't what I was expecting, it was good.

As usual, I am in love with the way this author writes. The narration feels as if a movie is going on in front of our eyes. The language is simple and lucidly flowing. All characters are perfectly developed.

The cover page is catching but could have been made more mysterious looking.

Overall I rate it 4.5 stars.

Book Review #40 Anamika Khanna falls in love

Anamika Khanna falls in love

Author: Shraddha Sahi

Publisher : Locksley Hall Publishing

Genre : Romance, comedy

Language : English

About the book:

How far would you go in love? A few missed calls? Liking every post of his on FB? Landing in the hospital when you fall from a tree because you wanted to see into his room? Anamika Khanna is madly in love with Rahul… How can someone be so blind? Why can’t she see how much I love her? Will my confession jeopardise our friendship? Vikram Lobo, the bookworm has developed muscles and lost the soda bottle glasses. But he can’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when he sees Anamika. Rahul, the high society Adonis wants nothing to do with the gauche, middle class weirdo who’s following him around. Until she moves into his league… Laugh out loud at Anamika’s antics and follow her on the roller coaster that is her life!

About the author:

Move the pile of books aside and that's where she'll be! She loves reading and it was inevitable that she began to write. She began with poems and for a long time, that was enough. When her poems began to get longer and longer, it was time to move to stories and novels. She lives in Pune, India and is a typical Indian - deeply traditional & obsessively modern. Her idea of heaven is a cup of coffee and a romance novel on a rainy day!

My take:

'Anamika Khanna falls in love' is a quirky romantic comedy about Anamika, girl who stops at nothing to catch the attention of Rahul, her crush. She mistakes the infatuation for true love, and begins moving heaven and earth to get Rahul to notice her. Rahul on the other hand is out of her league and despises this middle-class girl who seems rather obsessed by her. Vikram, her true friend, who has now developed feelings for her tries to make Anamika see that Rahul is not the one for her. Will Anamika get over her obsession and finally reciprocate Vikram's feelings?

The story, though simple, is beautifully narrated. The quirky style of writing makes the reader laugh as we read the antics of Anamika and the heights she goes to to get Rahul to notice her. The simple feelings of love, friendship and dejection are nicely portrayed. Every character is lovable, especially Vikram. The maturity with which he handles the situation is nicely described.

The language is easy and lucid. The book may not be a suspense thriller but it does keep the reader hooked.

The cover page is beautifully designed and apt for the story.

I rate it five stars.

Book review #39 The Wrong Woman

The wrong woman

Author - Daniel Hurst

Genre - Psychological thriller

Language - English

Pages - 243

About the book

They messed with her. But they picked the wrong woman...

Simone used to be the woman that other women would use if they suspected that their partner was cheating. She would investigate, find out the truth, and if the men were guilty, exact revenge. But after things went wrong with one couple, Simone was forced to go into hiding to evade the law.

Having assumed a new identity, Simone is now Mary, a mild-mannered woman who doesn't raise her voice or get angry, meaning nobody would suspect her of being capable of the things she used to do for a living. But when she finds out that her new boyfriend is having an affair, it awakens in her the person she used to be.

That means Simone is back. It also means that her boyfriend and his mistress are in for the shock of their lives...

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 'Till 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."

My take:

The wrong woman is the story of Simone, who finds love rats for a living, and helps the wronged spouses get revenge from their cheating partners as her passion. She loves her job and what risks come with it. But one fine day, things go wrong, and Simone is on the run from the police, as the prime suspect in a murder case.

Simone jumps cities, changes her appearance, changes her identity, and even her personality. Now she is the simpleton Mary, who does a boring 9 to 5 job that involves lots of printing and scanning, gets firings from her boss Clarissa without giving her back, is friends with the cute girl Kathy who bakes cakes and stays with her boyfriend James. She is unadventureous and boring. The complete opposite of what Simone used to be.

But that is necessary if she has to maintain a low profile and not get caught. But one fine day, everything changes. Mary finds out that James is cheating on her. And not just with any woman. And when she gets to know this, the Simone inside her awakens again, swearing revenge. What happens next?

The story is told from the POV of Mary alias Simone. It is fast paced and full of twists. The character of Mary is nicely depicted. The various incidents about how Simone helped her clients get revenge are equally interesting. The narrative shuttles between present and past and adds to the charisma of the story.

The language is simple, lucid and the flow of the narration is smooth. I am already a fan of Daniel's writings, and this one doesn't disappoint. As expected, the ending is twisted. I had a hint while reading, but still I was surprised by the way the story concluded.

The cover page is alluring and intriguing, and that is what made me want to read this book.

I rate it four stars.

Review - Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein

'Yeh kaali kaali ankhen' is a twisted love story.

Vikrant, a simpleton, who has completed engineering and wants to pursue a job, marry the love of his life, Shikha and own a small house, is in for a rude shock when he becomes the object of obsession for Purva, the daughter of a politician cum hooligan, Akheeraj. To make matters worse, Vikrant's father works as an accountant for Akheeraj, and he gets a job offer from Akheeraj offering him more than thrice the money he plans to earn from his dream job in Bhilai.

On one hand, Vikrant tries to convince his parents that this is not the life he has dreamed of for himself. On the other, Shikha's parents want to get her married off soon and she wants him to hasten things 

And suddenly Akheeraj decides to make Vikrant his son-in-law. Because Purva is smitten by him. And Purva can't take no for an answer, and soon Vikrant is trapped from all sides. 

What happens next?

The series is shot very realistically in the backdrop of a small village in North India. The hooliganism, the gang wars, the cover up operations, the police apathy, everything is aptly picturised.

Every episode keeps us wondering as to what would happen next. But the twists keep on coming.

All actors do perfect justice to their respective roles, and just as the protagonists evoke empathy, the villians evoke anger from the viewers.

What can one person do for love? How low can anyone stoop to protect their own interests? And can circumstances change a person and make him or her do things they wouldn't have thought possible in their wildest imagination? That is what sort of happens in this story.

All actors have given stellar performances and I love Shweta Tripathi for being the most natural yet powerful actor ever.

The title song is alluring and dialogues catching.The background score keeps the tension going, and by the end, the viewer is numb. Numb because he has been transported to an entirely different world while watching the series, and being torn back to reality suddenly can be confusing.

Overall, an intriguing watch! I rate it 4 stars.

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.