Book Review | Private India

An international thriller, the Indian way.

I have been a huge fan of Ashwin Sanghi. I started with the Chanakya’s chant, which is one fabulous book of our times. It is a must read. And then I read the Rozabal Line and The Krishna Key. And thus now I can say, Ashwin Sanghi is the Dan Brown of India. Although Ashwin Sanghi has a better identity, a thriller lover like me tends to draw similarities. And James Patterson is one globally established thriller writer. This is the first James Patterson book that I have read, so my opinion is based more on the other author’s style of writing.  If you start reading this book, you are in for some really great surprise and suspense.

This narrative is so gripping that you won’t be able to leave this book aside even if you want to. It tells exactly the right amount of information at the right time. The book is full of details and you will appreciate this fact, with turning each page.

The best part about the narration is not just the way it flows, but also the first person narration by the antagonist of the story.

Also, the narration happens to be very visual. The readers can actually imagine the things happening, the details are such beautiful. Of course, you have to read it with your creative-mode on!

This book is set up in modern-day Mumbai. This makes it really easy for the Indian readers to connect to, like Sanghvi’s every other book. The main protagonist of the book is Santosh Wagh, who is a part of Private India. The authors have beautifully described the disturbing past of Santosh, which makes him what he is today.Plot
The book is about the serial killings happening in Mumbai. The killings follow a pattern and the presence of Indian mythological relationship with the whole plot confirms the typical Ashwin Sanghi presence!

I am always amazed by the way Ashwin Sanghi draws a similarity between the history, mythology and the contemporary world and actually writes about them all. But this time, it is just the contemporary Mumbai that he has written, which is a treat to the eyes.

The plot has been revealed in short chapters, leaving many loose ends for the readers to connect the dots.

The end is, of course, fantastic and not so guessable.

My Opinion
As I have already mentioned, I am a huge fan of Ashwin Sanghi, so my opinion is pretty biased. Having read all his work and Dan Brown’s as well, the book turned out to be quite predictable. Relating the things to Goddess Durga was apparently an easy task. If you love suspense, if you love fiction and if you love the spine-chilling description of minute details of a thriller, do read this book. You will not regret.

But, the book keeps on turning really filmy at some points that it might disappoint many people. The real-life connect is missing somewhere, somehow.

Publisher : Random House India
Price: INR 350
Pages: 470
My Ratings : 4/5