Spread the love

The Treasure Syndicate by Jatin Kuberkar

Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications
Pages: 260
Price: Rs. 325 INR(Paperback), Rs. 290 INR (Kindle Edition)
ISBN: 978–9388424745
Buy here: https://amzn.to/39k2Zfn

When kaliyug resolved to enter Aryavatra, and encountered the last Pandav king, a curse gave the world it’s first ‘Nidhi-Palak’ or The Guardian of Treasure Troves in the form of Lord Kuber’s mortal son, Suta. In time, the Guardian bloodline scattered all over the world. Acharya Agnihotri is an astrologer. He searches for hidden treasures, to fulfill his destiny as a ‘Nidhi-Palak’. Dr. Mahesh secretly finances missions for Acharya. Kumar is favored by unfathomable luck. Jabbar is a legendary digger, and Srikanth is just a common man. United, they form the Treasure Syndicate, always a team of five; a motley mix with an uncanny balance. Bound by the elaborate framework of coincidence, destiny, and fate, the mission of the syndicate is not a cakewalk. The danger is real, and the conditions are never favorable. A hunting past awaits Acharya’s team, as the Kaliyug threatens to turn the mission upside down.

About the author:

Jatin Kuberkar is a software Architect and a hard-core Hyderabadi. When not tangled in software codes, Jatin lives his dream as an author. He has authored two books so far. “While I Was Waiting”, a collection of short stories, and “Cabbing All the Way”, a novel based on his real-life experience of travelling to work in a shared cab.

My take on the book:

Neelkanth Agnihothri referred to as Acharya, belongs to the blood line of Nidhi-Palaks, the successors of Lord Kubera, who are the trusted guardians of treasures across the world. In an attempt to continue the responsibility passed on to him from his father, Acharya starts forming a treasure syndicate again after losing his son and daughter-in-law in the last excavation. As per the norms of the syndicate, he includes the other four members — Dr Mahesh his nephew as the financier, Jabber the expert land digger, Kumar a common man with unflinching luck and Mahesh alike of his son, the final fifth person to balance out this adventure. Acharya gets signals about another dormant treasure waiting to be excavated; will this new team that Acharya formed as the Syndicate be able to succeed in their proposed mission forms the rest of the story.

While the title, blurb and cover suggest the story is about a treasure hunt, it is not a cliched one that we expect from a treasure hunt story. The author builds a solid background story of the syndicate connecting it to mythology and history along with the rules and practices for the members. The conversations between the characters are intelligent and the character graphs are constructed well. The suspense is also built slowly as the reader would be curious to know if the existence of treasure is real or Acharya’s obsession of carrying forward his family legacy. The characters also add to the mystery as each of them have their own doubts and take on this adventure.

Acharya’s character is bound to impress the readers with his enigma; the author makes effort to turn every character endearing while being practical and with their own unique traits so as not to be lost as a group. The story at the beginning takes sometime to get into its groove; also the narration keeps getting slow at places. If these minor glitches can be ignored, the story stands out for its impressive storyline, strong characters, intelligent storytelling and impressive narration.

This review is part of the Blogchatter Book Review Program. 

https://www.theblogchatter.com/book-review-program-from-blogchatter

My rating:

4.5/5.