While the Light Lasts and Other Stories

It starts with a tale of despair that defines romance in The House of Dreams. Written in her early years, the signature style is so subtle that it might only be realized in hindsight. Surely not the best of her creations, it could really be her path to lesser fame had not a novelist friend came to her aid with encouraging directions. That it was required for the budding author was acknowledged by Christie when she paid her respect to Philpotts while already established in a literary career. It is followed by The Actress, a thrillingly fascinating narrative that is short but crisp. This drama is intensely psychological, revealing the inherent cowardice that is exploited to stage the apparently vicious trap. Thrills continues in The Edge, which befits the title in varied ways as the frustrated dame fights the desperate wife in a battle of nerves with a fatal climax that is deceptively tragic. Each piece has afterword which gives a little bit of perspective to the works. The following features Poirot in the mystery with title Christmas Adventure, which is though a reread, but the title was different while the charm similarly satiating. The Lonely God is romance weaved in mystery that blesses the same with the delightful Heavenly appeal. The twist in the tale was predictable yet satisfactorily welcome as the long lost artist meets the lost love at the feet of the Deity with apparently a dearth of worshipers but still standing supreme with the sacrifices that a God can only offer. Disappointment will be in store while reading Manx Gold but the afterword will be more than a satisfactory justification of its apparent vague treasure chase. Written for attracting tourists for the Isle of Man, the clues are strewn in the text for its readers to detect. Within a Wall is a black romance with a crooked sense of desire. While the silent lover seeks love in helping the needy, the calm companion longs the same in possesiveness. The touch of cunning returns with Poirot in unravelling The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest that contained a murdered body, hidden apparently in a room full of guests and their attendees. Being the original to 'The Mystery of the Spanish Chest', perspective played the vital pivot to identify the criminal while evidences supported the hypothesis. Guilt and comfort play a black tale in While the Light Lasts, where the apparent relief to the anxious heart paints a tragedy that lies hidden from the coarser eyes. It seemed to reflect a certain status conscious author giving vent to her ambitious nature camouflaged in a manner, which is both convenient and elegant.

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.

Misir Ali Omnibus I

After you have selected a book based on its focus on mystery as well as psychology, it will stimulate the senses in a different way when the supernaturals emerge prime. Devi starts with a newly-wed wife displaying behaviour that seems clairvoyance to the husband who seeks help from Misir Ali, among others. But quickly the theme diverges when the family of the landlord gets involved in a problem which curiously mingles with that of the couple. The suspense gathers momentum as the climax is reached but the rationale of the rescue of the innocent remains mysterious even to the sleuth. But the doubts are cleared in Nishithini, the story that follows though it might not be satisfying to those whose mind is not so open to take in ideas that are based on simple belief. Further challenges for the reader await in Nishaad, where evidences of parallel worlds make Ali as baffled as the traveller between them. The narrative establishes another dimension as well to the life of Misir. Nilu, the student turned collateral victim of an earlier story turned admirer of Ali, takes it upon herself to try convincing Misir of their destined relationship. Their marriage is consummated in Anyabhuvan, but not before leading the seeker of the paranormal to a quest that leaves him with more puzzles than those he apparently solves. The story starts with the perspective of Misir Ali but culminates from a different angle which makes it a bit lengthy with the twist diluted even while a horrific future is forecast. The narrative actually concludes with a hint of a follow up which might be necessary if the chronology is to be maintained. On a different note, the following story, Brihannala, is unlike its predecessors and is a definite mystery, which, the ingenuity of the author camouflages for quite sometime. Here, the author is the protagonist, who meets Ali as the latter come seeking for him for a curious case and gets to understand him as their association progresses. Irritated, initially and trying to avoid the sleuth, the author finally gets convinced of the selfless intentions of the truth seeker and accompanies him to unravel a deep lying mystery that reveals a horrifying tragedy. The following is a collection of three bizarre stories, Bhoy, Jin Kafil and Sangeeni, which belong definitely to the mystery genre but for the last where the revelation remains satisfyingly unsatisfying. In these, the author is also a character in some cases. The following in line is another attraction due to a couple of reasons. When the underlying tension is over, a curious twist awaits the readers which keeps us guessing about whether the danger was the effect or sensing danger is the cause to stimulate the psychological effect that is central to its theme and justifies naming it Bipad, which translates to danger. Its other feature is its shows the rationale by which the sleuth solves for the truth which makes him indeed an expert in dealing with abnormal behaviour in the otherwise normal world. The next story, Anish, finds a 51 year old Misir Ali fighting an ailing liver but is eager to help the distressed. His sincerity drives him to guide a tormented mother find peace as her diary reveals her apparent hallucination of hearing the apparent dead. The next title is on the conservative side as it says Misir Alir Amimangshito Rahasya which translates to unsolved mystery of the truth seeker but in essence, there are double mysteries, one of which is apparently solved, convincing the reader albeit the evidence is only implied while the other is only conjectured without a shred of evidence to corroborate the assumptions. Interestingly, this feeling stimulated by incompleteness is the signature beauty of the pieces where Humayun Ahmed excels in keeping the magical reality alive. Added to this is the Bangladeshi setting that keeps the nationality original. The smell of the common people with the characteristic depth of the brilliant mind is etched in the central character which makes these remarkable in the intellectual domain as well. But the underlying theme of each story is tragedy, where events that are unexplained, seems to lead people to some unhappy future.

Amii Misir Ali

Bordering the realm of psychology, this mystery is far from the mundane detective stories. Misir Ali is more psychologist rather than detective. It is the request of his clients that makes him a sleuth rather than his innate motive. Here we find the prospective client persuading a less reluctant Ali to take the case with varieties of methods that are queer to say the least. But this introduces the psychological aspect of the novel right at its very inception paving the mind of the reader for the complex set of events that will come shrouded in mystery. Misir soon found himself in the trail of a psychological duel between a master planner and himself with the resource of his intellect fighting the array of mortal and immortal pawns in the battle. The writing is flawless where it irritates at the beginning but its simplicity makes it attractive enough till it is taken care by the thrill that is surprisingly pacy. But there are certain shortcomings too viz, the climax could have been a bit less abrupt to allow the essence of the outcome to be assimilated and also it is not obvious how the criminals are punished, more importantly whether they are punished for the crime that was committed.

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.