Operation Red Herring

An unique Colonel Niladri Sarkar mystery told from the perspectives of three different persons, the sleuth, Jayanta and the client.

A case of disappearance, dormant for years, seems suddenly to come to prominence with a flood of threats and a sudden murder of an acquaintance. Was the disappearance a case of kidnapping or was it murder? With that there also appears a Godman with a skeleton that smokes which not only causes a hue and cry but also attracts challenges from the scientific minded. As Colonel is approached to look into the former, Haldermoshai is drawn to the latter. Some very obvious clues make the sleuth skeptic and the title perfect. As it nears the climax, the suspense heightens modulating the mood to keep the excitement at the right scale.

Hatyakari ke?

Those who are avid followers of mystery stories and particularly of Bengali detective fictions have sometime or the other had surely heard of De and his classic of which this brief is about. In a fortunate turn of events, I had got hold of a copy of this narrative quite a long time ago though I studied it just recently. It had been an experience. The concise plot gave it just the right flavour. Added with this were the organized plot, an unique way of storytelling that actually contained the essence of mystery fiction, the superb touch of thrill, the simple yet uncanny trick of camouflaging the motive till the last and last but not the least the fretful albeit shrewd investigator. This must read gave me a deeper insight to the rich and deep rooted culture of analytical detective fictions that had glorified Bengali literatures through centuries.

The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories

The collection contains a bunch of Christie stories that are not all detective fiction but related to crime in one way or the other. The classic Christie touch is predominant in Song of Sixpence and The Second Gong, the last featuring the "irreproachably dressed" private eye Hercule Poirot. Each is a murder mystery which is solved by the pro and involves the obvious clue cleverly hidden by the masterly literature. The Mystery of the Blue Jar and The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl are fascinating narratives where humour and suspense intersperse to offer the timely reliefs among the short thrillers. The Fourth Man is a tale of the supernaturals and so are The Red Signal and S.O.S. though in the later two suspense and detection plays the upper hand. Where There's a Will is a thrilling revelation of exploitation of the human psychology but its apt climax assures no gain to the evil. But nothing compares to the spine- chilling Accident and the terrifying revelation of Philomel Cottage. The opening anecdote of The Witness for the Prosecution is a mix of mystery, thrill and suspense which combine to keep it different than the rest.

Bittabasana

A Sankar classic which I had read once long time back had been etched in the memory for its realistically ruthless plot that portrays how ambition can drive a human to deception and cruelty. It picturises the human character that adapts itself selfishly at the slightest cue to attain a future of prosperity. How the purity of social bonds are broken by the coldness of the heart, how misdirections are intentionally introduced to profit a few is revealed at the final twist. Its relevance seem to be eternally true as the camouflaged honesty of rich though had been a quite old plot but the characters had been so sincerely depicted that they seem real life.



The Mystery of the Talking Skull

An age old trunk left by a magician who had vanished "from the world of men" reveals more than a magician's items. A talking skull that sneezes and boo's leaves a trail for the investigators to follow. It seems that the trunk contains clue to some old crime that had remained unsolved. Thus the investigators are presented with more than a single mystery that seems to border the supernaturals. To solve they not only required to know the history but also about those who were related with the trunk and its contents. With this comes a curious threat that leaves no option but to solve the case no matter what. So again there is excitement in the menu but adventure takes a backseat while analysing clues keep the suspense alive.

Fools Die

Set in the backdrop of the Las Vegas and Hollywood ambience the narrative becomes monotonous after a suspenseful beginning. Corruption rules supreme among every social strata. Infidelity becomes the order of the day. Casino manager, corporate chiefs as well as writers live a life of bluffs and lust camouflaged by their wealth and cunning. But with materials like these the story spends much time in exploring the characters and so the excitement is only at the final chapters. The piece is thus more of a study of how corruption plays the pivotal role of shaping the character and the future which, looked from another perspective seems so much predictive. This strange yet convincing philosophy is the crux of the prose though it seemed to have lesser effect.

Punascha Professor Shonku

The collection contains

• Ascharjantu
• Shonku o Adim Manush
• Shonkur Parolokcharcha
• Professor Rondir Time Machine

The range of the stories span from the prehistorics to the future. Quite interestingly one of the stories actually starts with a failure of Shonku in devising a new instrument but the adventure remains supreme. Another contains an inkling of today's X-Men, maybe the visionary in Ray could also imagine the extended realms of imagination too. The shadow of a Conan Doyle theme and the afterlife becomes the theme of another exciting adventure. There is the prehistoric man and human evolution that is also investigated. A further appeal is the coloured photographs that had been a rarity in Ray classics. But altogether these are not so exciting as the older adventure. So for completing the collection this is a necessity but may not be satisfying to many.

The Secret of Skeleton Island

The legend of a pirate treasure, frequent theft from a movie location, ghost in a merry go round, chance to act in a movie, the investigators could not have wished for more. But as they are stranded the first day in a deserted island at the mercy of nature by a seemingly normal fellow it seemed that somebody did not want detectives on the Skeleton Island. So though the detectives start their acting stunts and their investigations of the thefts there seems to be something very fishy going on. A young Greek boy seemed to be the common suspect of all though this particular kid appears at all the odd hours to help these three. The local police don't seem to bother much about the thefts but the investigators sense something more serious. But the secret seems fathoms deep as the investigators tries to hunt for clues in vain.

This childhood favourite among the series seemed still to hold the same appeal as always. As the story closes, the revelations are both thrilling and satisfying.

The Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure

A baffling theft in a museum and an inexplicable case of gnome sighting, the investigators were presented with a double mystery though the former was not officially handed over to them until quite some time. But even then, Jupe could not have been so easily put off from nosing but for the second case that sounded ominous and intriguing enough. So though Hans, one of the two Bavarian brothers and helping hands of the Jones Salvage Yard, advised otherwise, Jupe and slightly reluctant Pete and Bob ultimately agreed for solving these mysterious gnome sightings. However they never realized that underneath the sightings of these creatures of the fairy tales, a sinister plot was unfolding. Also they never knew that a very important clue to the jewel robbery of the museum also was coming their way. So the investigators were set for yet another exciting ride of detection and thrill with clues that were all there but wisely hidden by their simplicity. The narrative is fast paced, intelligent and sure to bring hours of enjoyment to readers of any age.

Nyayanistha Nyashnashir K(n)aata

What started as a very complex plot turned out to be a fantastic mystery novel. From its very title I was way too much confused with the meaning and the plot. It is true that I did not consult a thesaurus due to my characteristic idle nature and though the meaning was already clear by the back cover note of Sanyal but still the novel was way too complex as clues were few and the apparent motive was never convincing. So as the story progressed the mind was more and more confused. The usual style of digression in the form of incessant dialogues befitting a movie script only increased the monotonicity. But all was converged with a brilliant twist that made the novel a classic. It is really one of the P.K. Basu novel that I will cherish forever because of its novelty. The apparent lack of motive with a hint so subtle could not have been handled in a cleverer way in a mystery thriller. Another very interesting part is the front cover photograph which will seem a printing mistake but its explanation inside will also make the book a collector's item. I purchased it among a collection of old stocks, at a price that will make others jealous, which proved to be one of the most fortunate choices.

Sadhu Kalach(n)ad Samagra

 Some innocent mischiefs, a little bit of good fortune and a huge lot of imagination - this seems to be the apt description of the adventures of Sadhu Kalach(n)ad. With a slightly long prelude Sadhu Kalach(n)ad Katha by Kinnar Ray, the volume contains pages of fun, entertainment and humour without a trace of malice. With his acute common sense, an honest heart and an eye for opportunity, this precursor of Tenida and with slightly behavioural resemblance to Pagla Dashu, Kalach(n)ad is yet another classic addition to the hall of fame of Bengali literature. I distinctly remember reading one of his exploits at a very young age, that was contained in a collection of several short stories including Satyajit Ray's Khagam but after that this character had disappeared into the oblivion. infact i did not remember the story also very well but when I chanced across the title in the booklist at the Book Fair, I did not loose an instant but to get hold of it after a bit of searching among the stock. This wonderful collection contains

• Sadhu Kalach(n)ad
• Sadhu Kalach(n)ader Palakeertan
• Sadhu Kalach(n)ader Natun Kaaj
• Sadhu Kalach(n)ader Future
• Sadhu Kalach(n)ader Falao Karbar
• Sadhu Kalach(n)ader Medineepuran
• Jungle Liner Nanasahe
• Cashier Kalach(n)ad
• Tutor Kalach(n)ad
• Spy Guy
• Babar Badshar Ghash
• Mahakasher Dhulo

The uniqueness of Kalach(n)ad is that he mixes himself in not only his village episodes that contains his encouter with the supernaturals, but his exploits also spans over the country and serves in the wars. Though the stories are chronologically arranged, but each story contains a summary of the previous episodes which though seems a bit monotonous as each chapter proceeds but is apt if the reader tries to enjoy the stories at random without feeling out of context. This charming compilation is sure to etch pleasant memories in the minds of its readers.

The Dark Room

As the back cover so succinctly puts it, the poignant tale of the housewife tormented by the indifferent husband could not have been better told. The pathos of an Indian lady, single-handedly caring for the house and its inhabitants with a husband who feels that being the earning member justifies in his every action, is etched in a steady pace along the chapters. With his characteristic humour and the keen eye to the social structure, Narayan seems to excel himself in this anecdote as he brings out the reality with which the opposite sex is so often treated so easily. Mothering three children and keeping a sound belief in her husband, the lady of the house is stunned when she finds herself betrayed of her faith. As frustration piles up, she is forced to leave the house but the love and affection for her children seemed to get the better of her. The author sketches the sorrow of the housewife and the hollow pride of the upper caste and highlights it by the stark contrast of the lower strata of the society that reveals a more human nature. The tale is another reminiscent of the day to day events that is pictured perfectly with the realistic touch.

Goenda Gargi Samagra (1)

As far as my understanding goes from the short introduction at the back cover of the book it tries to draw parallel with the likes of Byomkesh and Feluda and apparently infers that the sleuth in Gargi had attracted the inquisitive attention of the Bengali readers.

True, it surely attracts attention, but not for its appeal as a mystery story but for the lack of it. I've read Gargi for the young readers and had been inspired by it to buy this one. But it had been a serious mistake. The three stories, viz. Irshar Sabuj Chokh, Bohe Bish Batash and Holud Khamer Rahasya may be ranked as good in the reverse order. This ranking may summarise why the stories could not be as gripping. The concluding one of the volume is the shortest and just by virtue of its length, the gripping tension will keep the readers focussed on the plot. The other two have used a host of characters and several interlacing themes but the way these are introduced just make the story lengthy and takes out any juice in the mystery. The pace have always been fast, infact too fast for the suspense to gather the right momentum and thus the climax is always so unrealistic, borrowing the good old Feluda theme of a meeting will all the characters but without the life in it. Each story had the content of a suspense drama and the characters so similar to those of a Sankar novel but again what is missing, is the reality!

Often the author has mentioned the sharp intellect of Gargi, her acute sense of observations, her skill in identifying the rationale, her ingenuity in analysis but this could have been more subtly highlighted rather mentioned. Emotions run high at certain parts but these dry up the next instant. Criminals are unmasked but only limited words are used to describe their reactions. The spouse of a  murdered victim gets married within a short while. The MD of a busy company finds time to do sleuthing equally efficiently as the business. Add to this is the unique spellings that the print use. With an overabundance of illicit relationships, the stories seem to repeat motives over and over again. Thus each story could have been made more compact without elaborations in parts.

My recommendation is read at its own risk!