Chandragirir Rajkahini

A tremendously exciting novel with a touch of one of the greatest classics of all times but the moment you expect it to turn towards the obvious direction a twisting revelation makes it all the more rivetting.
A petty mercenary is hired by an aquintance of a dwindling kingdom to act as one of the successors of the dead king due to his close resemblance to the king's elder son who is living a life of the hunted after his step brother, the other  claimant of the title, failed in his attempt of killing him. Bargaining for the adventure with his life at stake, little did he know what awaits him as the deeper he delves, the royal secrets smeard with treachery make him shudder. A tale of royal vengeance where the common man is held as pawn in the name of fallen prestige keeps the suspense high. Though some queries remain unanswered still it remains a thrilling anecdote of an adventure with a touch of the romsnce. I had read several stories of the author but this surely is unique in its character

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXX

I'd read Hemen Ray many a times and so picked this book up in the Bookfair to add up to the collection and also was curious to know how he write for adult. You might not believe me, he seems to had surpassed his own class while writing these social dramas that adorns this volume. This contains a basket of short stories collected under the title S(n)idurchupree which contains the social tensions depicted in Kshudiramer Keerti, the curious drama Chor, the tragic twist in Porarmukhi, the comic Khuror Khamkheyal, the cruelty of the selfish in Golap Phool, the blessed revenge of the natural outcast in Shiuli which altogether brings out the varied hues of the Bengali middle class.

But the gem of the collection is the novel Aleyar Alo which, through a series of twists and turns is a unique tragedy that is class apart from all other Hemen classics that I have read so far. Bordering chiefly on widow marriage at a time it was considered short of a miracle, the story has more than just a conventional sequence which points to disturbing consequences that are not far from reality.

Hemendrakumar is a natural writer of adventures. Here, his naturalness has vented its spirit into an entirely new direction where the essence of adventure permeates into ordinary life giving them an entirely new dimension and perspective. Recommended not for the children this promises enjoyment to mature minds.

The Uttermost Farthing A Savant's Vendetta

A criminal anthropologist with a fame of comparative anatomist starts on a vengeance of his own to eliminate those whom he considers scums of society after his tragic lost of his beloved in a robbery gone astray. A horrifying yet gripping tale of vendetta that is made yet more horrid by the minute details of the procedures that lead the unsuspecting victims to their last breath keeps the suspense alive. But the most terrifying is not the killings but the fact that each is ingenuously preserved with records to serve as a model to research characteristic anatomy of criminals in general. The nature of the narrative is quite novel where the readers may predict the ultimate but here lies the signature style of Freeman where he keeps the interest from never going dull by the way he describes events after events culminating to what the readers actually hope to reach. An enjoyable fast paced read that will keep readers glued to the pages but never will find themselves on the edge of the seats.

Deepak Chatterjeer Adventure

The famous thriller series continues this time in the digest form. The mystery pack contains

1. Kalobajaree Damane Dasyunetree Chamelee o Deepak
2. Dui Tin Char
3. Neel Sagarer Mohonoae
4. Garo Paharer Rahasya
5. Lal Neel Halud
6. Jaliyater Chakranta

All these contains the untiring efforts of Deepak Chatterjee to get rid of the evils in the society. At times, he is assisted by Ratanlal and Deepak's apprentice in the trade, Rajat Sen also appears in a significant role once. A master of disguise, the sleuth and his satellite uncover quite some dangerous plots to put to justice pirates, get rid of the masterminds behind several murders, foil the ploys of smugglers, in a word becomes the most feared person among the bad guys. But there is a glaring set of mistakes starting from the bad grammar, continuing with names of same persons being referred differently and a set of brow raising coincidences that makes the quality poor and the mystery super shallow. Swapankumar's fast paced thriller is best described as adventure that brings nostalgic memories of films not bothering on rationale but making the sleuths the heroes at all cost. Stories start with interesting twists, puzzling the readers quite a bit, but the obvious contradictions bordering on impracticality makes them lame to the extreme. But overall it gives a taste of the old times but will bring a sympathetic smile to the face.

Colonel Samagra Vol VI

The content of the volume runs as

• Briefcase Rahasya
• Neeche Namo B(n)ae Ghoro
• Nagna Nirjan Haat
• Borkhar Arale
• Kuashar Rang Neel

The last two deserve special mention among the various cases of Colonel in the sense that one of them sees the veteran sleuth being overtaken in wisdom and in the other the investigator plots a series of traps to ensure safety to the client while ensuring punishment to most of the criminals. The first one is a case where it is written in the third person which does not have so much appeal as are the following two where some thrill in the otherwise bland preludes is established with some interesting surprises.

A feeling of nostalgia is easily felt as we see a world devoid of cell phones and just the introduction of computers. The Colonel stories are generally independent of technology but one of them here has computer as a central element, where the sleuth seems to take training to get himself geared for the new gen and their cases.

Rambharosar Motorgari

The miserly hardfisted Rambharosa Agarwal, an affluent businessman of Herbertgunj wants to lead a life of piling money but for his wife and son who want to have their own family car. Their insistence gets the better of him and he agrees to purchase one. Happy at the prospects, Suresh, the son, immediately gets some catalogues and shows his dad. But hearing the price of the vehicles that runs in lakhs, Rambharosa is shell shocked. But as he had already promised, Rambharosa cannot take back his word. So he gets hold of an agent to buy a second hand car. With his bare minimum budget of just 10000, what happens next is a hilarious comedy full of merriment and fun. Though somewhat predictable at times, but the best thing of the story is its fast paced refreshing humour with its comically colourful characters that freshens up the mind while enlivening the reading moments.

P(n)achti Rahasya Upanyas

I will be grateful to the fan of the author who was buying a copy of this particular book standing just beside me at the Bookfair. On my enquir about whether the book is good, she told that she did not really know but other works of the author are quality products. So I bought it partly due to her comments, more so as it is a mystery compilation but never in my remotest thinking I considered it to be at all worth. Well, it was to be proven far from correct as the mystery novellas in the volume are breathtakingly beautiful. Consisting of five novellas

• Ek Tukro Megh
• Garita Gelo Kothae
• Choker Baire
• Chokher Arale
• Angule Atatayir Naam

the volume introduces Wrishi aka Saptarshi Dasgupta as the freshest face in the world of mystery fictions with his cousin Shreya acting as his satellite though remaining absent sometimes in the investigations just like Topshe who was sometimes kept in the dark by Feluda while on track of a criminal. Wrishi not only smokes but also keeps a diary just like Mr. Mitra did during the early days of his career as a budding detective. But these are just some minor details but the actual stories will keep you gripped the lines till the criminals are revealed.

The first story ushers Wrishi to the correct path in his career and as he matures so does the cases which includes murder too. In each of them the sleuth uses his power of deductions from the observed clues and finds evidence to corroborate them much in the same way of the styles of the traditional masters of the trade and this seems to revive the spirit which is unfortunately dying in these days of fast paced adventures where logic takes a backseat quite often. But there is some complain that might be said. Leaving all other things, the help from police seems unrealistically always true and there is an unrealness in the sudden maturity of Wrishi as the cases come. But it must also be said that such a refreshing volume of pure mystery laced with a touch of humour made me want for more and also made me an immediate fan of the sleuth.

The Great Tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The versatility of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be felt in the pages of this book that comprises stories penned  by the creator of Holmes and Challenger some of which equals if not surpasses his more popular titles. Categorised  as the following the stories are a treasure trove of adventure, fun, terror, history and much more:

• Tales of the Ring
1. The Croxley Master
2. The Lord of Falconbridge
3. The Fall of Lord Barrymore
4. The Crime of the Brigadier
5. The King of the Foxes
6. The Bully of Brocas Court

• Tales of Pirates

7. Captain Sharkey: How the Governor of Saint Kitt's came Home
8. The Dealings of Captain Sharkey with Stephen Craddock
9. The Blighting of Sharkey
10. How Copley Banks slew Captain Sharkey
11. The “Slapping Sal”
12. A Pirate of the land (One Crowded Hour)

• Tales of Blue Water

13. The Striped Chest
14. The Captain of the “Polestar”
15. The Fiend of the Cooperage
16. Jelland’s Voyage
17. J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement

• Tales of Terror

18. Horror of the Heights
19. The Leather Funnel
20. The New Catacomb
21. The Case of lady Shannox
22. The Terror of Blue John Gap
23. The Brazilian Cat

• Tales of Twilight and the Unseen

24. The Brown Hand
25. The usher of Lea House School
26. B.24
27. The Great Keinplatz Experiment
28. A literary Mosaic
29. Playing with Fire
30. The Ring of Thoth
31. The Los Amigos Fiasco
32. How It Happened
33. Lon No. 249
34. “De Profundis”
35. The Lift

• Tales of Long Ago

36. The Last of the Legions
37. The Last Galley
38. Through the Veils
39. The coming of the Huns
40. The Contest
41. The First Cargo
42. An Iconoclast
43. Giant Maximin
44. The Red Star
45. The Silver Mirror
46. The Home-Coming
47. A Point of Contact

The author's fascination for the pugilists and their game and his inclination towards the paranormals are expressed in the volumes in some of the most fantastic stories of the genre that sometimes mixes both with an unique blend. But this does not prevent him to tell science fictions with the similar classic touch. Again, devoid of paranormals, some of the tales of terror are so chilling that it will match a horror story based on the supernaturals. But his mastery seemed at its supreme with the anecdotes of historical fictions that depicts the cruel yet brave world of a time long ago when the earth was defined by the adventures of her heroins and heroes. The cruelty of Captain Sharkey and his downfall (a bit confusing as two different stories hints at two different ways) is depicted in the stories of the seas and other stories also fills in with adventures of sailors each stranger than the other. Humour also finds place in some of the most fun filled misadventures that makes them more refreshing.

Diary of a Pilgrimage

I do not know how to express what I felt going thru this excellent narration that can be considered as a guide to the heart of a German town along with a priceless piece of English humour. Truly a literary wonder it brings forth the true artist in Jerome K Jerome whose use of playful exaggeration of the most normal events makes them appealingly enjoyable. A journey to a German town Oberammergau by two friends to watch the Passion Play could not have been made more interesting than what Jerome has done which also describes the Play and the actors in the simplest of ways devoid of any artificiality yet complete with every detail sketched with the true feelings of the fascinated beholder. Interspersed with his signature style of humour, Jerome has excelled himself than his more popular fiction. Centering on the heart rendering Passion Play, the travelogue that consists of train rides, boat rides is poetically perfect.

Eagler Chokh

A murder is committed and another attempted, the perpetrator is also injured but remains missing. Nothing is stolen indicating not a case of robbery. The prime suspect is an alcoholic with doubtful character but a strong alibi. This calls for the analytic mind among the professionals to untangle the web of puzzles. So it is a call for Sabar who is called to give advice. As investigation proceeds it seems that only a hawk eye view can reveal the truth thus justifying the name of the novel though it is more clearly explained in the Arindam Sil directed movie adapted on similar central theme. It seems so long the events are interpreted from the actions of individual characters the mystery only gets complicated. However when the interrelationships are studied considering all events fused into a single entity just as the eagle watches everything at a glance soaring form the top the mystery is cleared of all the doubts. Thus a twisted plot is laid bare with some uncomfortable consequences as the story climaxes with a sombre yet satisfying twist.

Jungle Lore

Before opening this book a reader like me might have doubts as to whether this is as exciting as Corbett's hunting volumea but after going through it, it can surely be said that it is as exciting, if not more than the others. Let me categorise this as the knowledge base for the jungle seekers narrated in such a simple style as though the author is speaking to you and passing the knowledge in the true style of a lore. The sounds and sights of the Kumaon foothills are etched in the most descriptive way as are the inhabitants that populate it. Added to this is the humour of jungle that makes the volume enjoyable still. There are also situations that explains how the jungle signa can be interpreted which essentially are indicators of the activities of the folks there. Infact sometimes it is similar to detect ive stories where the clues left by the jungle dwellers help in estimating and identifying them as accurately as if they are being watched. The love for the animals as well as the poor forest people whom he calls the soul of India is apparent here. The simpleness of the soul and the raw instincts of the animals seemed to play a major part in the life of Corbett whose greatness of heart is revealed in the entire volume. That he loved the flora and faun of India and looked into all the natural souls with the utmost care is apparent as he says that of his graduation from the catapult to the shotgun and the rifle how he was taught and how he maintained to utilize his every kill to its most whether it be a trophy or for food. The respect that he showed to the jungle was also reflected as depicted in the introduction where the actor playing Corbett in a film is given a visit by an inhabitant who walked for miles for a glimpse on the actor whom he considered the same as the great hunter for whom all believe that he will return. A great book which gives a true insight of the wild India depicted by a great soul who was more a conservationist than modern world ever produced.

Kolaboti

Kolabotoi had been the protagonist in several of Moti Nandi's materpieces but as far as I remember and believe, those are mainly sports oriented. But this is just awesome in the way Kolaboti and her family are introduced. The grave yet loving grandfather Rajshekhar, his son, the soft hearted still bachelor lawyer and a gourmet Satyashekhar, the fun loving college goer Kolaboti with her cricketing skills, all combined, presents episodes of comic and thrill that overcomes the tragedies of life and takes on life with the same sporting style of the noble game of traditional cricket. Also, belonging chiefly to the category of book for the young it borders on the young adult category where a sublime touch of romance makes it a fascinating read for all ages. Refraining myself from telling more lest it turns to a spoiler my suggestion to the readers is to breeze along this easy paced piece to enjoy the beauty of life spent sportingly with style.

Dangerous Minds

Brijesh Singh, elite IPS officer and IGP, Cyber, Maharashtra and S Hussain Zaidi, the fearless crime reporter join forces to delve into the intricate terror web spewed by the likes of the apparently humble Saquib Nachan convicted in bomb blasts, the engineering graduate Mehdi Biswas who turned the social media in favour of ISIS propaganda, the stamp paper scamstar Abdul Telgi, the doctor-to-be-turned-bomb maker Jalees Ansari, the terror couple Hanif Sayed with his wife Fahmida Ansari who made terror a seemingly ordinary event and many more like them. The events are the result of intense research and investigation yet the pace of the narratives is easy but thrilling. The anecdotes reveal several spine chilling truth and the fundamentals of the terror outfits and their members. The stories tell the evolution of the terror force from the older hardcore terrorists to the electronic experts specializing in spreading terror over the internet to those waging terror wars in various parts of the world. It does not stop there but also highlights how the security forces across the country combat these forces by methods that not only requires understanding of the criminal psychology but sometimes requires skillful handling of delicate situations where a single false move can make the case go awry. The fascinating storytelling of the authors mixes the thrill of fictions with the hard truth in such a way that never for once the reader will feel bored. The book is categorized in chapters each of which details a particular person or organization. The investigators have also maintained a list of references indicating the source of the compilations. But the best thing of the book is that, contrast to the opinionated reports that makes the clutter in the media nowadays, the authors present facts leaving opinions to be drawn by the readers. A must read compilation of articles it brings to fore the truth in its dangerous avatar.