The War of the Worlds

Starting with a History of William Collins and the Life & Times of the author, comes one of the greatest classics of all times penned by one of the greatest science fiction writers of all times, H G Wells who had been the person behind coining two unique terms that we have taken for granted. Yes, the time travel and time machine may be a household name for every science addicts, but the terms were introduced by the author who also fictionalised the Mars invasions for the very 1st time. The anecdote, narrated from the perspective of the unnamed protagonist, vividly describes a Martian invasion that, with its awe and tragedy, will terrify you by its chilling feel of realistic ambience. Though, the introductions have spoiler but still the fright remains. Published in 1898, decades before lasers were conceptualized, the author designs the advanced Martian invaders to use something similar as their primary weaponry. Describing the accidental but unaccounted sighting of the launch of the fleet carrying the aliens, the author goes on to detail the discovery of the meteoric touchdown of the same and the massacre that follows. Despair engulfs the civilisation as cities are invaded and routed with humans taken as prisoners to be consumed. So when, it seems all is lost, the miraculous twist of fate will be welcome to all but the invaders. Though written as a fiction, but it warns the civilisation of the doom that awaits the selfish when the unforeseen dwarfs of the present flaunts their might as they turn giants of the future☆

Complete with a lexicon of the Victorian grammar, the novel is a classic for all ages.

Parker Pyne Investigates

If you are not happy, then Parker Pyne awaits you to take your case and make you hearty. With a fee payable in advance, you can let the love detective take care of your case just like Mrs Packington in The Case of the Middle-Ages Housewife. If adventure is your choice, you will be matched with romance with a touch of mystery as was The Case of the Disconcerted Soldier scripted by his acquaintance, Mrs Ariadne Oliver, the novelist who will see to the thrills of it. Fees varies for each case, but that is justified as each case is specially crafted to suit the clients' requirements. But there is an inherent investigator in Pyne who makes his presence felt time and again, starting from The Case of the Distressed Lady where curiously, though happiness to the client is robbed off but the same in the reader will be guaranteed. But sometimes it becomes a bit more than tricky where happiness looms round the corner but the client takes a sudden turn as in The Case of the Discontented Husband, taking the agency of happiness by surprise. However, the honest proprietor is never deterred by these outcomes and will even lose money if the cause is so deserving like in The Case of the City Clerk, where, unbeknownst to the client, he embarks upon an adventure with political consequences and international importance, yet cleverly embroidered by the seller of happiness that satisfies all interested parties. But never have been the satisfaction more heartfelt than in The Case of The Rich Woman, where unhappiness due to excessive wealth is solved with a plan so elaborate that it will defy imagination yet will be rendered classic by the humble ambience. But the real mischievous prank is in Have You Got Everything You Want? where the adoration for the newly married hubby is smirked by a sudden discovery that puts doubt in the mind of the wife, but for a chance meeting with the agent of happiness, each matter is solved in a series of humorous twists. As opposed to slight mischief, the next involves a murder near The Gate of Baghdad, where the killer and the killed are in the same troupe as is the sleuth. Following at its heel is a curious death that happened long ago in The House at Shiraz that would have remained buried in the darkest past if not the merchant of cheerfulness would turn sleuthing for the sake of happiness. His investigative streak continues in The Pearl of Price in deducing the whereabouts of a seemingly expensive pearl but the interesting point is the portraiture of the sleuth. The author has developed the character in such a way that he sometimes seem to resemble Poirot but then she adds that additional detail which makes Parker unique with his very own way of looking into perspectives and justifies the requirement of different characters to solve different sets of crisis. The short and crisp Death on the Nile is a murder mystery on a boat where the small pool of suspect seems to help the retired civil servant in the Department of Records to narrow it down on the perpetrator with the real evidence that lay aside the pile of false. Sequel to it, with a subtle clue lying hidden in some remarks, is the mystery of The Oracle at Delphi, where kidnapping and ransom constitutes the primary plot but the more interesting plot lies hidden till the climactic phase. Though a premonition remains irrationally unexplained, but the classic style bears the incomparable Christie signature written all over it.

Dawood's Mentor

Complimenting the unputdownable, Dongri to Dubai, the book sketches the life of the don who introduced white collar smuggling for the 1st time and brought character and a sense of value in a field where betrayal and treachery were the order of the day. The wrestler by his upbringing, a warrior at his heart, a brain graduated in economics, Khalid Khan aka Khalid Pehelwan had been the most dependable ally of Kaskar brothers in their most formative days. Upsetting a stalwart wrestler at a challenge, the young Khalid Khan was picked up by Bashu Dada as his closest bodyguard turned partner in the silver smuggling business that the later quickly turned to gold literally. But maybe fate had stored a different future for this duo. So, the humbler Khalid, was soon deserted by his mentor but was quickly to be united to his protege, Dawood, forging a long lasting friendship that saw a new era of underworld activity.

The book really is complimentary to the rise of the Mumbai mafia as narrated by the author in his other books and sketches a more detailed narrative of Sabir-Dawood-Khalid coalition that is interspersed with tragedy and thrilling sequences. Writing in his characteristic gripping style with a touch of subtle humour that blends well amid some tensed settings, the acknowledgment could be no less better than the way Husaain Zaidi expresses his gratitude to his mentors and mentee in his journey of investigative journalism.

Misir Ali Omnibus II

The opening thriller had been a most entertaining novel, titled Brihannala. With an introduction like any other Misir Ali novel, as the mystery unfolds, so does the solution apparently to the readers but the final twist will be sure to put them reeling with a truth so revealing that justifies why the Professor of Abnormal Behaviour was called upon to solve. The literary skill of the master storyteller, Humayun Ahmed, will be reminded again at the climax when it will be felt that the obvious hint were there right at the inception but for the enigmatic writing that concealed it in plain sight. Trivial surprises are also in store for  the inquisitive readers who will come to know that Psycholgy was Arts subject and not Science in university courses when this novel was designed. The next is about a mysterious lady who comes to Ali only to  be driven out shortly but leaves her belongings and money that incites the sleuth in revealing a curious mind with unnatural acumen. With clues hidden in a narrative and a letter, the investigator must find the problem and then solve it to help the distressed client in Tandrabilas. Everything remains justified in this suspense, including its intriguing incompleteness, but the mistake in a mathematical riddle remains its single technical flaw and another spoiler during the beginning mars the narrative slightly in the otherwise fascinatingly detailed gripping plot and queer incidents. The ultimate logical man meets the ultimate intuitive person in Himur Dwitiya Prahar which mixes humour, ingenuity, mystery and romance in the best possible way. Narrated by the protagonist, Himu, the story deals with his encounter with fear and how he approaches to overcome it. Ali appears for a lesser time but the portions are the best in this novel where the author excels himself in documenting dialogues for both of his legendary creations who are characteristically contrasting to each other. The story is not only endearing, but it resembles the style of Sanjib Chattopadhyay with a freshness that cheers the readers. This is my 1st Himu novel and it will be a refreshing relief in this intellectually overwhelming yet satisfying compilation of the adventure with the human psyche. Moving ahead is Amii Misir Ali, which had already been discussed earlier. The most terrifying case of the volume is Baghbandi Misir Ali, which is surprisingly unassuming in the start but midway onwards, three characters evolves so hurriedly that the reader is trapped in a mesh of psychic wits that stifles the breath away. The sleuth is, however, the target in this game and his honest wit is all there to deal with the situation. The psychopathic killer, a former patient and his current servant (who is, for a change, not a thief) are entangled in a chase to save a little girl as well as a severely sick victim. The final in the volume is a challenging puzzle in the form of a letter that includes the Kahen Kabi Kalidas riddle, which is not solved but the primary mystery is. Infact, the mystery is solved by the sleuth, sitting entirely at his home with a couple of communications with his students and some materials obtained on request from the client. With an array of less peculiar characters than is customary in his novel, the plot will surely keep the suspense alive as the sequences unfold. Curiously, it contains only two chapters with one encroaching the majority of the novel but the shorter one will be no less enthralling.