3.8 Stars

For a debut book, this is really good stuff. Nice editing and good control over the pace. However, this is not a thriller per se. It's more of a psychological family drama. The second-person narration is what gives the book an extra hold over the readers. The ending, though it didn't have any unexpected twists of sorts (for which I'm glad), was a bit lukewarm and mild. Almost as if I knew it would happen, and it did.
Overall, this is a good read but don't expect the thriller's thrills. Luckily, I was more prepared, and that helped me look at the book without its genre.

The events had to be told. The characters were intriguing. The timeline was presented well. Individually everything was good. Together, it just didn't work for me.

This is a hilarious little play full of satire, sarcasm, and wit. By creating a caricature of characters who ridicule their stereotypes, the author has given the readers countless reasons to chuckle and laugh with every dialogue.
This play inspired a Telugu movie Ashta Chemma, directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna.
I could picturize the movie scenes as I read the play. Of course, the storyline has been tweaked to suit the regional setting and brings the same amounts of laughs.
Nothing much to write except that everyone who appreciates humor and a good play of words should read The Importance of Being Earnest.
Happy reading!

A beautiful, bittersweet story that shows reality as it is. The author still keeps it hopeful and positive. Though I'm a fan of happy ever afters, the ending of this book is perfect. The only problem (for me) is that the prose is not my style. I liked it more poetic and vivid. The style here is simple and effective to the point where it drives the point home for even the non-regular readers.
Since the plot is based on a sensitive subject- Vilitigo while addressing various societal issues, this book is worth reading.

The story was good, and it was nice to see Chelsea get a closure (in her personal life). The banter was fun to read. But the book had a few errors. Nothing another round of editing won't detect.
I'm just not sure about Germany and Chelsea though.

4.3 Stars
This is my first novel written by the author, and I must say I'll read the other books (that have been translated into English). What I liked was the pacing, the language, and the control over the plot. This could have been one heck of an overdramatic novel, but it is balanced and silently works its charm on the readers.
The story is divided into parts where Osamu Nonoguchi and Detective Kaga take turns to narrate what has happened. As the story progresses, we see that things are not what they seem. The truth is uncovered in various ways, most of which require using the brain (the famous grey cells).
Imagine knowing who the murderer is but not knowing why the crime has been committed. Is the confession correct? Why should it even be wrong? What if the truth is something else? How does it affect the dead if the motive is A, or B, or even C?
Something that was supposed to be simple ends up as a complex tangle of lies and manipulation. Where does this lead? Rather, where did it start?
We are who we are, and the core doesn't change much over the years.
The book deals with a lot of issues (bullying especially), but as I said before, it's not dramatic. It is casual, way too casual for some readers. But that's where the trick lies. We have to be detached to see through the words. Reading between the lines and connecting the dots requires a calm and controlled mind.
Detective Kaga has it in him to solve the case. He is constantly thinking, wondering, trying to match words to actions to characters. And when the pattern doesn't work, he knows something is not right.
This reminds me of a lot of Christie's works. She's the Queen of Crime Fiction, after all. No gore, no psychopath killers on a murdering spree, and no unexpected twists added for the sake of the thrill.
Kaga isn't Poirot, but he is efficient. The writing flows (the translator sure did a good job) and makes it an even better read.

The writing is easy to read, which is a plus (the rating went from 3.7 to 4 stars only because it increased my reading pace). The plotline was planned and executed quite well. It wasn't too hard to guess but I enjoyed how the story led to the killer. Pip was a fun and cute character. She didn't ramble (not until towards the end, so that's okay). Ravi was equally sweet.
Overall, this is a cool YA mystery, though the climax could be trimmed a bit.

3.3 Stars

The Vault of Vishnu is a combination of history, myth, politics, crime, and some science. The blurb shows that the story would progress in dual timelines, if not more. Everything about it sounded fantastic.
The division of chapters and scenes was done well. Keeping track of the events was no issue. But the information dump about every character was annoying, and it messed up my reading pace.
Coming to the ‘thriller’ part, it fell flat. The details about the secret services and hubs were enjoyable, no doubt. But the pacing was wrong. When we really look at it, Pam did very little. She was more of a catalyst while others took the scene into their hands. If that was the author’s intention, then no complaints.
Overall, the book is okayish. It's a one-time read for me.
This review is posted as a part of the Thousand Reviewers Club. Thank you, Indic Academy and Indic Book Club, for a review copy of the book.
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Read the full review here.