Choyti Rahasya Upanyas

Picked up this book at the bookfair and it proved to be a gem of a choice. This premier collection consists of six mystery stories by Kalyani Basu, sister to Bani Basu, with a signature style of her own though reflecting a similar trait in the plots. Author introduces about her works in a higher octave but seems her expectations are a bit too ambitious. Though there  is thrill and suspense yet the introduction could have been toned down a little for the future.
Featuring police detective Avra Chatterjee in four of the cases, the first one is Golmuktar Bala where a murder follows theft but criminals are unmasked following a set of bad clues. The suspense is weaved at the very beginning but the solution becomes a bit obvious as the story progresses. Actually the absence of a clear motive makes it a bit easy to understand who the perpetrators are. The next case for the detective is in Boomerang where the possessive and suspicious husband contemplated the contract murder of the wife but is killed instead. Here the central theme of the book becomes more  prominent that hypothesizes that crime is the result of circumstances that forces persons to become evil. Infact the fate of the villain being uncertain during the closing seems fitting for the case. Avra remains a bit passive in Shikarakti where a serial killing targetting a set of four friends keeps the suspense high. A depressed girl is about to be married to one of the friends while getting over her psychological trauma but the killing starts suddenly that threatens the dream of a settled life. This fast paced suspense is a real thriller. The detective reappears in Arya Aasche where a long lost step brother is about to return after thirty four years to claim his right over a family heirloom. A mysterious twist of false identities and murder threatens the calm life of the family that seems to feel the ripple of past magnified to a dangerous scale.
There are two other stories, the intensely psychological thriller Sutapa Ekhono Bari Fereni, where a wife goes missing after leaving for home from her school. Clues are cleverly weaved that subtly casts shadows of doubt that fades but persists throughout to keep the thrill focussed. With merely a handful of characters, this is not a professional investigation style narrative yet suspense runs high as the mystery unfolds. The other is titled B(n)ashbon  which might be termed as a mystery with a difference where a hateful crime is committed but nobody finds a clue. The usual suspects rare rounded but are forced to be released due to insufficient evidence. An unsolved mystery seems to await. The surprise comes as justice is served the natural way with a punishment which is violently just.
Mystery lovers may go through the thrill that promises a unique perspective to crime as well as punishment.

Clouds of Witness

A man, the would be brother-in-law of Lord Peter is killed. The chief accused is his brother while the chief witness is their sister. No doubt that drama starts from the very first page that continues with a steady pace till the closing chapters. An incredible finale is in store in this essentially courtroom case. As evidence piles up it seems that mystery is not one but many. Some witness goes missing while some clouds the judgement. It remains to be seen how the sleuth uncovers the truth assisted by Bunter along with Inspector Parker who acts as the faithful satellite while remaining mostly unbiased as his post demands. Support also comes from Peter's mother, the wise Dowager Duchess whose abilities display the trait that her son uses in his sleuthing. With an introduction by the fictitious uncle of Lord Peter this Sayers saga of crime and passion is light yet satisfying.

Kiriti Omnibus Vol II

The introduction by Shri Gajendrakumar Mitra is the best in this volume of Kiriti. Sketching a compact to the extreme history of detective fiction till that time, the introducer did not miss to acknowledge the premieres of the trade yet criticizing the authors where they are due. But in this regard it seems he was a bit biased to the Kiriti genre as his analysis of appeal seemed a bit far fetched. Following this is Duti Katha by the author where he justifies the marriage of his sleuth. Then the volume starts with Holud Shaitan that takes the sleuth with his associate overseas on a hunt for a sinister assassin, continues with Dainir B(n)ashi aka Ishkaboner Bibi Harataner Saheb which could have been the best of the fictions had it not been for the unnecessary lengthening in the closing chapters. After this is Dragon which bridges two sets of incidents by the murderer but it seems a bit forced that both murderers are the same along with the fact that the sleuth enjoys holidays while on the scent of criminal without trying to wrap it quickly. The next piece is Momer Alo where a wife is killed with the father-in-law accusing his son for the crime. This is followed by Basanta Rajani where an old acquaintance of the sleuth is found dead that starts a trail of queer revelations and Kalo Pakhi links a murder with theft but fails to justify the link clearly.