A STUNNING, ACTION-PACKED CRIME THRILLER

Book: Murder in Paharganj Author: Kulpreet Yadav

Crime thrillers are liked by readers for their suspense quotient and the intrigue that writers weave into the narrative which makes the readers gasp when subtle points of the mystery are revealed. The author Kulpreet Yadav comes up with such a book “Murder in Paharganj”, which is a compelling crime-thriller.
The storyline follows the journalist-cum-detective Vicks Menon on a trail of solving a murder mystery, in which pushing his investigation harder, he finds bigger links, with involvement of intelligence agencies and international espionage. A white woman, Sherry Bing, is found murdered in a cheap hotel in Paharganj, New Delhi on a wintry December morning. Vicks Menon, an out-of-work journalist is tipped off by the hotel’s receptionist and is the first to arrive at the crime scene. He discovers a lead there- the bus ticket used by the dead woman two days earlier. But Vicks is battling personal trouble- no money, an alcohol problem, and a nearly broken relationship with his live-in partner Tonya Mazumdar, a clinical psychologist who specializes in profiling hardened criminals.
The course of his investigation takes Vicks from Delhi to Udaipur, and then to Bangkok. On his side, he has a nameless intelligence operative, and to read minds, a lover who is beginning to trust him again. But above all, his instinct to stay inches ahead of death will be the key to his survival. Will Vicks be able to get back his journalistic job and the love of his life? Will he be able to reach the depths of the bigger mystery involving international players? The narrative then goes on to answer these questions.
The front cover of the book is intriguing, just like the narrative; and the blurb at the back cover is also exceptionally written. The characters are well-crafted, especially that of ACP Sachin Rao; the narrative is fast-paced; and the writing style is engaging. However, towards the end, the climax becomes a tad predictable and the ending is also rushed through. The murderer is revealed fairly early in the story; thus the motive of the murder and the gripping international connection, and not the whodunit is what drives this thriller. Readers will also love the character of Vicks Menon solving mysteries, and will look forward to more books, preferably a series with him as the detective-protagonist.
This is a book which will surely tempt mystery buffs; and the fast-paced narrative and the exciting suspense and intrigue, along with the author’s simple and engaging writing style, makes it a good mystery-thriller to be delved into. Also, this thriller has a somewhat greater human resonance, as it depicts a flawed protagonist, who is humane, makes mistakes, fights emotional turmoil, and yet tries to emerge victorious from it. This is an entertaining and light read, and should be read by those who like to read a compelling and impeccably crafted crime thriller.