Private India- Book Review

Genre- Fiction

Authors- Ashwin Sanghi & James Patterson

Publishers- Arrow Books

Pages- 450

Price- Rs. 350/-

About the Authors:

Private India is a collaboration between two celebrated authors with distinct styles of writing. On one hand we have America’s best-selling crime writer James Patterson, whose works would be piled up on the bookshelves of all the crime and thriller gorgers like me. And on the other hand, we have one of India’s best-selling authors Ashwin Sanghi, who manages to pull us into his world of mythological and historical fiction- with impeccable detailing in every sequence. When these two forces join hands, the result could be nothing short of a fast-paced thriller that would raise the interests of readers all over.

Through Private India, James Patterson has brought the Private Series, to our very own tinsel town-Mumbai.

About the Book:

Genre: No guesses there. The book screams out Suspense Thriller.

Setting & Plot: Set in the backdrop of Mumbai, the book begins with the murder of a Thai surgeon- Dr. Kanya Jaiyen. She is found strangulated at Hotel Marine Bay Plaza, with a yellow garrote around her neck and other props attached to her body. To investigate, a well known detective agency, “Private India” is hired by the hotel to avoid the nuisance of the police. Moreover, the police force too seems to be okay with Private India leading on the investigation, as long as they get credit for PI’s success.

What follows is a series of murders, all women from different classes of the society. The common link is the yellow garrote which is tied to each victim’s neck and the different trinkets placed around them.

It is now the responsibility of the highly efficient team at Private India to uncover the mystery of these murders that are taking place around the city. Santosh Wagh, ex-cop heads Private India and was appointed by Jack Morgan, a former CIA agent and ex-marine, who heads Private Inc. He is an extremely brilliant and intelligent man with a strong memory which is enough to solve any case. His team consists of Nisha Gandhe- a beautiful ex-cop, Mubeen Yusuf- the medical genius and Hari Padhi- the tech wizard. Most characters in the story seem to have a troubled past, but they leave that behind to work on the case at hand.

Apart from the main plot, there are a few parallel plots running in this book. For instance, there is a mention of the Pakistani ISI which is working with the Indian Mujahideen to plan an attack and the strained relationship between Santosh Wagh & Rupesh, from the police force, who used to be thick friends.

So will Private India succeed in finding out the killer? Will the murders come to an end? Is this a serial killer on the prowl? How are these murders connected? To find the answers, grab your copy of Private India.

My Analysis:

Private India is definitely a fast-paced thriller and as mentioned in the back-cover of the book-“The pages turn themselves.” The book has 450 pages and that took me about 2 days to read, which I think is great. Unputdownable.

The pluses in the book are a strong protagonist and an alluring antagonist. The sequence of events and turns in the book keep your heart racing. Another interesting element is the way each chapter ends with a twist and you eagerly wait to see what happens next.  The narration is such that the plot throws red herrings at you, and your suspect list seems to be on the rise. Sanghi’s detailing with mythology and its relevance in the plot, works for me. I think it brings a very Indian touch to the book.

But the story has an over-dramatic side, which seems to be inspired from our Bollywood movies, which somehow was a downside for me. The Page-3 parties, Police-Bollywood-Underworld connections, Dharavi criminals, and a mini Mumbai Darshan. Too much, maybe. The character sketch was too simple; their actions and behavior seem a little out of place and didn’t give much scope for the reader to delve into their lives. Also, the end should have been packed with a high level of tension (considering the scenario), but it was over in a jiffy, which is disappointing. Read it to know what I’m talking about.

However, despite a few minor irritants and tired clichés, the book leaves its charm on the readers. The elements of surprise catch you off-guard every single moment and somehow you remain pulled in this journey. Throughout the book, you’d be left connecting the dots and even though the end is a bit of a misfit, Private India makes for a powerful, gripping and wonderful read.

Rating: 4/5

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