Book Review – Hungry Gods – Richa Lakhera
Genre: Crime Thriller/Drama
Published: 20 July 2018 by Rupa Publication
Swathi’s Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A Must read Indian Thriller of the recent times.
Presenting you my review of this spine chilling Indian writing that I really enjoyed read. This book is supposed to contain many rude scenes, which if presented as a Featured Movie, would have been censored to fit the Indian audience. Being a book gives originality to the plot and does justice to the Genre. Read along the plot and my honest opinions.
Plot:
Beaten and brutally raped, her body is never found. However, the killers make one mistake. They leave a witness, a witness who has nothing to live for except revenge. And when he crosses the boundaries of time to make the guilty pay, a whole lot of dark characters come to light. There is Valentine, the superstar brand ambassador who sells anything for a price; there is Medici, a pharmaceutical company fraudulently manufacturing banned drugs; there is the perverted and sinister minded Dr Ranga and there is Este, the prostitute whose dark secret will blow up a daughter’s sanity. So, is there another murder waiting to happen?
Will Police Inspector Dorab Silva be able to connect the clues to prevent another crime?
Will these gods of greed be exposed?
And yes, you will be surprised by who you will find there, finally. Deeply unsettling, Hungry Gods takes a hard look at greed for wealth and power.
Author’s Bio:
Hungry Gods is Richa Lakhera’s third novel, she has previously written Item Girl, a crime novel and Garbage Beat, a satire on the Indian entertainment industry. A libertarian addicted to absurdism, she works as Deputy Editor at NDTV. She has a Master’s in Organic Chemistry and Bio-technology and is the recipient of the Indian Council for UN Relations (ICUNR) Award for Excellence in Journalism. Richa divides her time between New Delhi and Mumbai and is currently working on her next crime fiction novel.
TwitterSwathi’s Review:
What to expect: A spine chilling thriller story to keep you up all night even after days of reading the book. There are some scenes that could make you cringe, but I think that’s very needed for the plot to experience the intensity of the story and love/despise the characters. There is originality in the plot which I love!
What is new: The story revolves through various timelines, flashing several past events that collaborate with the present ones. This makes the story unique and unexpected for the readers.
Narration and Background: Tackling different timelines in such a serious plot needs skillset and I have to give it to Richa for acing it. A new dimension to Indian Writing is beginning here and I am so proud! There are very detailed descriptions of the characters as well as the locations, which helps the readers to find a grip in the storyline. Considering the vast number of characters involved, her writing is a boon to this slender Novel.
What is missing: Wouldn’t call it a ‘missing thing’ but I did find the readability of the book to be uncomfortable – the fonts are too small and they’re pretty cramped for a page. I feel the book doesn’t need to be as slender as it looks now.
Concluding Thoughts: I had a nice time reading the book – it’s deeper yet suitable for a binge read. If you’re looking for a serious Indian Crime Thriller, then this SHOULD be your pick without any doubt!
This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. For details check: http://www.
Hoping you enjoyed this review, I will see you all in my next post! xx.
