Publication Date: July 20th, 2019
Publisher: Rupa Publications India
Pages: 160, Paperback
Links: Goodreads | Amazon India
Stars: 3/5
Source: Review Copy
Blurb: An IAS officer’s tale of survival against all odds. Once upon a time there was a city plagued by greed, corruptionand mysterious deaths…
A patriotic IAS officer, Vikram, decides to expose a corrupt and powerful minister, Rudra Pratap Rana (aka RPR), during the latter’s visit to the IAS training academy. The video of Vikram asking the minister some highly embarrassing questions in front of a packed auditorium goes viral. Instead of having Vikram suspended from service, a vengeful RPR unleashes violence on the officer’s family, and to continue the torture, RPR gets Vikram posted as the sub-divisional magistrate in Laxmipur—the politician’s backyard. As soon as Vikram joins duty, RPR resumes his vengeance. However, a new drama unfolds when a large number of people start dying of heart attacks across Laxmipur. As Vikram tries to unravel these mysterious deaths with the help of Veda, a cardiologist, and Raghu, a police officer, extreme panic grips the city, which soon leads to riots and pandemonium. Vikram is left with no other choice but to risk his life to get to the bottom of this mind-numbing situation. Join Vikram in this fast-paced thriller as he fights to save Laxmipur from HEARTQUAKE.
To become a successful politician, you need to be a good actor.
To become a successful actor, you need to be a good politician.
To become a successful bureaucrat though, you need to be both.
This is a story of a bona fide IAS Officer, Vikram versus the villainous politician Rudra Pratap Rana. When interview between the notorious politician and Vikram takes a wrong turn, he locks horns with the baddie of Lakshmipur and things get heated up for the worse. To exact revenge on Vikram and to “put him in his place”, RPR stations him on his battleground and calls the shots on his life, making it his personal hell. A death toll washes over the quaint little town as people start to drop dead like flies due to a mysterious heart ailment. Laxmipur gets a sensational spotlight from the national media and all eyes are on Vikram to get his hands dirty. Palpitations rise rapidly as our Hero combines with the forces of Police officer Raghu and cardiologist/ love interest Veda to find a way to end the heart-hacking and save the lives of thousands of innocents.
Vikram is your typical Mr.goody-two-shoes and someone who does the right thing no matter the cost. Even though he faces numerous personal losses in the book, he fails to reveal his connection to humanity. Where are the roots of his immaculate mental strength and where does he draw his energy from? There are a ton of unanswered questions and he is undoubtedly influenced by Bollywood vibes. Sometimes, his character comes off as superficial and filmy and It was disappointing to note that his character could be honed with flaws. Similarly, Veda’s character was nothing but an arm candy and lacklustre. The potential of the character was whiled away ruthlessly and stagnated as a basic cheerleader on the bleachers. Sadly, she says all the wrong things and is played like a fiddle. The romantic subplot felt coerced and lifeless where the heroine applauds on whatever the male protagonist does.
The saving grace of the novel was the plot. It had a decent pace and didn’t lapse unnecessarily. Numerous details might cannonball into the picture and crescendo like the finale of a rollercoaster ride. Funnily enough, it’s the quick pace and quirky bits made the book enjoyable and curious at the same time. The mystery element hangs in the air, egging the curious cat in you. The scientific theories resonated convincingly well (better than Hobbs and Shaw) and thickened the plot further. So, this book has all the perfect ingredients of a bestseller.
Your weekend pick is waiting to be swept away as there’s no turning back until you finish what you started! A grappling book with a mysterious trek through its medical/political journey will leave you wanting for more.
Notes:
- I was given a copy of this book by Vandana Choudary at Vinfluencers for an honest and unbiased review.
- The blurb is borrowed from Goodreads
Ruminations of a Raven 