21st Book of 2024
Reading a murder mystery or a suspense book is always the best experience for any reader as the story moves in a very fast paced and keeps us on our toes. Another aspect to it is that we know the way it must be written where the investigators shall be given the main space whereas the people close to the victim shall be given second preference with almost all of them under suspicion. I am glad to have read this book “Affairs of Deception” written by a very experienced author – Rakesh Kumar Singh.
The book has treated the murder-mystery as a normal fiction story unlike the above-mentioned template. While reading the book, it doesn’t give you the feeling of reading a thriller. In fact, by middle of the book, you’ll even forget about any murders that has happened in the initial pages. Though the first few pages of the book are difficult due to multiple characters being introduced one after another which makes it hard for us to remember them. I had to create a mind map diagram in my notes which made my task easier. Also, the first 5-10 pages sound like a typical thriller but the way Rakesh changes the tone of the book transforms the whole narrative itself.
The characters are nicely created. I am glad to say that author doesn’t forget any of his characters in any of the chapters. Almost all of them are given their share of space so evenly that you might start feeling any of them as the protagonist. The arc of each character is beautifully narrated as we get used to their personalities and their change of decisions. Most of them are gray in nature where they are right and wrong in certain respective aspects but yet you can’t support or defy them completely. Rakesh Kumar Singh is a great story-teller and knows how to use the props in the book well.
As the author himself is from government service working with Central Reserve Police Force, he has used his knowledge well in describing the nature of work of people involved in services, politics, business and so on. Their relationship with their family and how they can end up getting submerged into the game of power, greed, lies, lust and crime is described aptly. Even when author talks about the modern-day marriage problems of extra-marital affairs or lust-based actions, he writes them giving so much attention that you don’t treat those sections as just another romantic or love-making section but treat them as an important event in the book. I liked how author treats this taboo-based topics without making them sound a pure criminal act.
The book has been divided in short chapters which makes it easy to complete in one or two sittings. The pre-climax set-up is amazing and makes you enjoy the last portion of the book equally. Just in the climax, a random person ends up as the criminal which makes it a bit disappointing because as a reader you keep on raising your fingers among the main characters hence it upsets when a not-so-relevant character turns out to be the criminal. Anyway, the book is a great page-turner and even if you remove the thriller aspect, the story is a nice-to-read work. I would rate this book 4.25* out of 5.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
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