The Unsolved Case of an Indian Woman by Puneeth JH
Publisher: Half Baked Beans
Pages: 117
Price: Rs. 299 INR(Paperback), Rs. 59 INR(Kindle Edition)
ASIN: B08D8J19CG
Buy here: https://amzn.to/2GEXZIG
My take on the book:
Sneha lives with her elder sister Manognya’s family, but Manognya is insecure of her sister’s presence, constantly doubting Sneha of having an affair with her husband. Sneha is denied further studies as her sister pushes her to get married to a compulsive abuser. As Sneha contemplates ending her life multiple times unable to lead this deplorable life, her only hope is Lord Krishna whom she idolizes imagining herself as his Radha.
Meenu the youngest of the three daughters of her parents was raised till she turned eight by a kind lady of her town, as her parents whose income source is only fishing were not able to take care of three kids. Only after the sudden death of her Dadi ma Meenu realizes she has a family back home and is quickly disappointed by her mother who refused to openly show her love for Meenu. As her family struggles to make ends meet, Meenu equally struggles to get the elusive love from her mother.
Miss Tandel, a successful lawyer in her forties keeps receiving life threats from anonymous sources whom she suspects are her professional rivals. Tandel approaches Dr Yogi, a psychiatrist to ascertain if she was being paranoid. Tandel and her doctor gradually turn friends and more as Tandel turns to the doctor to calm her anxious nerves. How do Sneha, Meenu and Tandel’s stories converge? Is Tandel imagining non-existent threat or do her enemies exist beyond her imagination forms the rest of the story.
This story is best example of a well-executed psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing till the end; even the ending is left to the reader’s imagination as non-conclusive. The three parallel stories keep the reader guessing about how they are related. Though each of these three stories keep coming one after the other, the flow does not distract the reader. The author keeps bringing twists one after the other, keeping the reader on edge.
Tandel’s story is of course the highlight as every few pages reader will be guessing if something is happening for real or if it is her illusion. Like every thriller, there are few loose ends which could have been better closed, but nevertheless the pace especially in the second half does not let the reader stop and analyze the happenings.
The book will be best enjoyed in a single go and I just could not put it down till the end. While the author uses the place Daman as a backdrop at starting, as the story progresses, it is obvious the place is selected for more than a backdrop — the history and politics of the place are smartly made part of the story. If you like thrillers, especially psychological thrillers, then this is a must read.
My rating:
4.5/5.
Manisha Garg
The title made me so curious and your review makes me want to read this for sure.
Upasna
Thrillers are not my taste but it sounds a good read.
Srishti Rajeev
The review gave sufficient information to keep the suspense on. A neat review. The book sounds interesting, so does Daman. Haven’t read or heard a lot about Daman. Must read this!
Suchita Agarwal
More than reading, this review is making me think of how difficult it must have been to write something like this! I imagine flowcharts were involved 😀