Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Black River - Nilanjana S Roy

Fiction
Verdict: Read It (4/5)

Overview:
It seems I haven't been diligent about writing reviews since I returned from the US some 4 months back. Shame shame and all that jazz. Now I have a stack of books to complete and this was on the top.  Ahem. Anyhow.

Black River is a novel that I picked up from my fav bookstore, Bookworm. This is the first book I've read by Nilanjana Roy.

 The novel opens with a pastoral scene that quickly devolves into a very unfortunate murder of a young girl, Munia.  What ensues is a murder mystery that doesn't follow the typical Sherlock Holmes/Police Detective template. The details are slowly revealed whilst wandering around in memories. 

What I Enjoyed:
A very simple read in terms of language and plot, the book still delights in that it is well-written and well-planned. The murder mystery is like the end of a ball of yarn that takes the entire novel to unravel. A host of characters, tied together by odd relationships, bring us through present and historical side plots. The characters were simple and easy to identify with, yet not shallow. I know I didn't mention much here, but the beauty of this novel is how it unravels and  I don't like spoilers.

What I Disliked:
There wasn't much I disliked about this novel. 

Summary:
A light read, this mystery is a great companion for a rainy afternoon. It won't take long to read, and the characters and plot are simple and enjoyable. Read it!

~Becky~


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