Book Review: The Bestseller She Wrote

Name:The Bestseller She Wrote
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Publisher: Westland
M.R.P: Rs. 295
My Rating: 2.5/5












I was quite obsessed with the whole subtitle of the book: Love. Betrayal. Redemption.
This is what caught my eye because I am a sucker for such things. I was quite looking forward to reading this book but I was a little bit disappointed, may be because I was hoping for something which I did not find in the book.

Basically, the book is about this about Aditya Kapoor, a banker and an over-the-top famous author who is also very handsome and hot and has a wife and a kid. Well, I think all these things went a little far. And not to forget, he has this hamartia ( a fatal flaw) which forces him to have an extra-marital affair with this stupid-ambitious girl Shreya Kaushik who only wants to use him to get her book published.
Let's start with the first word of the subtitle:
Love.
Aditya loves his wife, Maya and his kid but at the same time he starts to fall in 'love' with Shreya. He is not sure whether it is love in Shreya's case or just lust. Despite knowing the repercussions of his extra-marital affait, he continues his relationship with Shreya.

Betrayal.
Maya is betrayed by Aditya (yes, she gets to know that he is cheating on her simultaneously battling with Ebola, like seriously?!). Aditya, in turn, is betrayed by Shreya who used him to get to her book published. Aditya is also betrayed by his so-called best buddy who wants to see his downfall.

Redemption.
It comes towards the end, when Aditya realizes his mistake, gets to know that it was his best-friend who wanted to destroy his personal life and his literary career. he apologizes to Maya ( yes, she is miraculously saved by a vaccine for Ebola) and then they live happiy ever-after.

Things I liked:
1. There were some one-liners that were like really good.
2. The characters well- sketched except Shreya Kaushik.

Things I didn't like:
1. The theme of the master-student love affair is way too common.
2. It was boring in the first part but in the next half it gathered pace.
3. There were events which just seemed way far from reality. I know it is fiction but then, things like Shreya turning up for every effing event which Aditya was a part of seemed irrational. And then comes the miracle of Maya getting saved by this mysterious vaccine for Ebola.
4. The character of Shreya was beyond my grasp. Like literally! She was such a bitch- if I may use this one word to define her.

Mostly, at every point, I was like "Oh really, now I will have to digest this?!"

To sum it up, it definitely wasn't what I was expecting.
I will give it a 2.5/5

This was the first book I ever read by Ravi Subramanian and I am not at all looking forward to read the others.

What are your views about the novel?

Love,
The Bibliopagist.

Picture from: http://www.amazon.in/The-Bestseller-Wrote-Ravi-Subramanian/dp/9385152386

Career Of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Career Of Evil is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series and it has become my favourite out of the three. I found the previous two novels a tad slower. But this one was literally un-put-down-able. As you all know, I love reading such crime, suspense, thriller fiction novels, and I found it quite interesting. It sure kept me glued to the book and did not disappoint me. 

Here's a little bit about it: 

(don't worry I won't give away the climax)

The story starts with a person following Robin, who he calls The Secretary. This person is a sadist, you will gradually realise the height of his madness. Robin, then receives a severed right leg of a girl in her mail (yup, she signs it herself and picks up the box and enters the office). There is also a note with it, on which there are lyrics of a song, Blue Oyster Cult band's song, Mistress of the Salmon Salt which was a tattoo that Strike's mother had. Something strikes Strike (lmao) and he gives names of four people who he thinks are behind it to the police. 

Now, as we all know, Strike won't stay put after such a thing, he himself starts looking out for signs, making sure Robin is safe, and tracing people who he thinks might be behind the crime. He rules out one person: 'Digger' Malley, a prominent gangster. 

In the whole novel, Strike and Robin are seen tracing the whereabouts of the other three suspects: Whittaker, who is Strike's ex-stepfather, who Strike believes killed his mother, Noel Brockbank, a paedophile and who got convicted, then third one is, Donald Laing, accused of physical abuse on his wife and child. 

Strike had nothing to start with, except a few connections in the police. So, in the novel, Strike and Robin trace the present location of these three people and when they find that the three of them are living in London itself, they start keeping watch at the places they believed the suspects were living in. 

Meanwhile, Robin is also preparing for her wedding, due in June. We also get to know in this novel, why Robin had dropped college, why is she so interested in the criminal psychology. Then, there is also a row (A serious one due to 'some major' fault of Matthew) between her and Matthew(her fiance, a dumb-wit). Robin removes the engagement ring, leaves the house and lives temporarily somewhere else, before returning to her place. Towards the end, Matthew with his puppy face persuades Robin. 

As we all know, that somewhere Strike likes Robin a lot but he strictly likes to keep their relationship professional. In the course of novel, we see that few chapters are dedicated the 'criminal', where he is shown following The Secratary, aka, Robin. Also, yes, the 'criminal' wants to take revenge from Strike and he believes that torturing and murdering Robin will be the best way to take revenge. 

The 'criminal' also attacks Robin, but she gets away because of the rape alarm and her self defence training had also helped her. 

Throughout the novel, Strike meets several new characters, who are connected to the victims of this 'criminal' ( he murders one more girl and seriously hurts two other). 

The climax of the novel is surprising. 

I actually thought it would be someone, but then Rowling took me by surprise (did I mention that J.K. Rowling's pseudonym is Robert Galbraith? ) . 

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. 

Even Rowling wrote " I can't remember ever enjoying writing a novel more than Career Of Evil." 

Such a great piece of detective fiction after so long. 

Cormoran Strike Be My Favourite. 

The book is published by Sphere. 

It costs around 699 INR (Paperback)

I hope people who love crime, mystery, thriller, detective fiction will love it. 

I will give this book 4.5/5 

Love,

The Bibliophagist

  

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Do not read further if you don't want to. 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

P.S; Spoiler Alert: the 'criminal' is one of three suspects. Police have proved their dumb-ness again.

Sorry. :) 

Picture courtesy : www.littlebrown.co.uk