This Is Where I Leave You – Jonathan Tropper

My Rating – 4/5

Summary –

Judd Foxman’s life is a complete mess. In the mid-thirties, his marriage has failed after he found his wife in a compromising position with his boss, has no job now and his father is dead. To make the matter worse, he is supposed to sit Shiva, the seven days mourning with his family that is as messed up as him and the Foxman siblings can hardly stand each other.

Review –

This Is Where I Leave You is hilarious in a wicked sort of way. I had not met such a dysfunctional family before. Hillary Foxman, who is a shrink and a best-selling author on parenting and her four kids when put together under the same roof are utter chaos. The Foxman siblings, Wendy, Paul, Judd and Phillip can’t stop getting on each other’s nerves. Grappling with their father’s death they are also trying to sort out the rut that their life has become. Each one deals with his despair and anguish in his unique style creating riotous laughs. The best part about the book is the dialogues. I just could not stop laughing through most of the book.

If you consider yourself a morally upright person, then a note of caution for you. This book has SEX all over it. And this is an understatement. The bold, capital letters are not typo error either. Judd tells us the sexscapdes of the entire Foxman clan complete with explicit description. The only thing that is missing is illustrations. I wonder how this book managed to remain under the radar of the moral police in India. Bashing anything that offends somebody has become our national time pass and with one billion people there is hardly anything that does not offend somebody. A book like this is a perfect target for all the petty ruffians who imagine themselves as future hotshot politicians. Using all possible means to banish such a book is just one of the baby steps that they must take on the steep ladder of their political ascent. And No, reading the book  is not necessary to demand a ban on it. On the contrary, this also presents a great opportunity to make your book highly popular. Bigger the controversy, more the demand! The trick here is to kick up a storm around your book big enough for people to take notice and get interested but not big enough for the government to get interested and actually ban it. Then just sit back, watch the fun and LOL all the way to your bank. Are you reading Mr. Tropper?

I know this is unfair, but I could not help comparing This Is Where I Leave You with Mathew Norman’s Domestic Violets. Both are incredibly funny, deal with failing marriages, infidelity, and dysfunctional families. I ended up liking Domestic Violets more but then it’s a personal choice. But I liked the end of TIWILY more as Judd Foxman makes it clear that love in real life is more twisted and warped and there are no fairy tale endings.

This Is Where I Leave You is a script writer’s dream. The book is perfect for adaptation to a movie and I read that Warner Brothers are making a movie on it. I will be eagerly waiting for its release.

I am not sure if my review will give you an idea about how funny the book really is. You will have to try it yourself.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Infibeam 2. Flipkart 3. Uread

Tags: death, dysfunctional, family, foxman, funny, humour, incredible, jonathan tropper, judd foxman, shiva, this is where i leave you

The Devotion of Suspect X – Keigo Higashino

My Rating – 4/5

Source – Review copy from blogadda.com

Summary –

Yasuko, a single mother murders her ex-husband Togashi in a fit of rage. It’s a crime of passion and she wants to give herself up. But Ishigami, her neighbour and a brilliant mathematician has other plans. Secretly in love with Yasuko, he invents a web, mixing truth with red herrings with such ingenuity that the police end up at a dead end at every turn. But will Ishigami’ clever plan work? Can Yasuko hold herself firm against an investigation that is straining her nerves?

Review –

I had never read Japanese mysteries so far. So when I got the chance to get a copy of The Devotion of Suspect X through Blogadda’s review program, I immediately signed for it. The Devotion of Suspect X is a different kind of mystery and a really good one too. Sure there is a murder, but we know who the murder is right from the beginning. The real plot revolves around the police investigation and the attempt of the “Suspect X”, professor Ishigami to throw the police off the trail.

The story – Yasuko lives with her young daughter Misato. She works in a lunch shop and thinks that she has finally escaped from her ex-husband Togashi. But then one day, Togashi lands at her apartment. One thing leads to another and before we know Togashi is dead, strangled by Yasuko using an electric cord. Fearful and desperate, the mother and her daughter receive help from an unexpected quarter. Their quiet neighbour, maths teacher Ishigami comes to their rescue. He hatches a plan to dispose of the body and creates an alibi for them. Detective Kusanagi is investigating the murder and comes to interview Yasuko. Even though he suspects something is not quite correct, he is not able to break their vulnerable alibi. In spite of the best efforts by the police, the apparently flimsy alibi of the duo holds strong. Kusanagi turns to his friend Yukawa, a brilliant physicist and incidentally Ishigami’s old friend, for help.

I will stop here as beyond this point I would be giving up the suspense. The plot is really clever. It lacked the action normally associated with mysteries and yet managed to hold my attention till the end. We know what Ishigami has done for Yasuko but the real suspense lies in figuring out how he did it. The book is entirely based on Detective Kusanagi’s various interviews with Yasuko and Ishigami and his discussions with Yukawa. Yet the twist in the end is quite tantalising.

The book maintains a good pace throughout. The character development is somewhat flat but that does not hamper the overall read. I would have loved to read the book in first tense through the minds of Ishigami and Yukawa because most of the book is a battle of wits between them.  Also both of them are totally different personalities in spite of being genius in their chosen fields. Ishigami is aloof and totally introvert, not remotely concerned with anything outside mathematics whereas Yukawa is outgoing, someone who can hold conversation on almost any subject. So it would have been really interesting to look at the same events from two different mind-set. An intriguing read nevertheless and I am giving it an extra point for its ingenious plot.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Uread 2. Homeshop 18 3. Bookadda 4. Infibeam

Tags: Ishigami, japanese mysteries, Kusanagi, mathematics, Misato, Psychological thriller, Suspect X, Yasuko, Yukawa

Baltimore Blues – Laura Lippman

My Rating – 3.25/5

Summary –

In Baltimore, even though someone is murdered every day, the murder of Michael Abramowitz causes quite flutters. Michael was infamous as a brash public defender. He was notorious for helping killers and rapists go scot free. So when Police catch the culprit almost immediately, everybody is happy. But Tess Monaghan is not convinced as the culprit is her rower friend “Rock” and she is sure of his innocence.

Review –

I started Baltimore Blues assuming it will be a good cosy mystery which of course it was. Tess is 29, an ex-journalist and living in a kind of limbo for past 2 years since she lost her job. She agrees to help her friend Darryl “Rock” Paxton by following his fiancée Ava who currently seems distracted. But her private eye act sets a series of incidents in motion that result in brutal murder of Ava’s boss, a notorious former public defender and Rock is arrested for the murder. Tess starts to work with Rock’s attorney to help her friend. But she also can’t forget that her sleuthing was also partially responsible for the murder and starts following separate leads on her.

I liked two things about the book – Tess Monaghan and the backdrop of the city of Baltimore. Tess is energetic, active and has a flair for sleuthing. Of course this is her first attempt and hence she fumbles or chases leads that are dead ends but eventually is able to unravel the mystery. During the process she realises that even though she liked being a journalist, it is not her true calling and starts asking questions about her own attitude. By the time the book ends, she is a changed person and ready to embrace her life with open arms. Lippman’s love for the city of Baltimore is evident right from the beginning and she has used the city as a perfect setting for the mystery.

The mystery is good though sometimes it looks as if Tess is unnecessarily running in circles. It’s actually a two in one mystery and I found the second mystery more compelling. Baltimore Blues is the first books in the series and maybe that’s why I felt it was bit jagged at the edges. But the series is already 11 books old and it will be worthwhile to track further growth of Tess’s character.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Homeshop 18 2. Homeshop 18 3. Infibeam 4. Uread

Tags: baltimore, baltimore blues, Fiction, Laura Lippman, Mystery, tess monaghan

In the Woods – Tana French

My Rating – 5/5

Summary –

On a summer evening in 1984, three best friends; Peter Savage, Jamie Rowan and Adam Ryan, 12 year olds from the neighbourhood of Knocknaree near Dublin went in the woods to play. But Peter and Jamie never came back. Adam was found later with slashes across his T-shirt and his boots filled with blood with no memory of horror that may have happened. Twenty years later, 12 year old Katy Devlin is found dead in the same woods. Investigating the case is detective Rob Ryan, the 12 year old survivor. Every clue takes him back In The Woods, something that he has tried very hard to forget. Are the two events linked? Is there a serial killer lurking in Knocknaree? Will Rob be able to exorcise the ghosts of his past?

Review –

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!! Now I know why bloggers across the world are head over heels with Tana French. Sure, I had read The Likeness (and that’s why bought In The Woods), so had a fairly good idea of what will be coming. But In The Woods still succeeded in taking me by complete surprise. It has a superb plot backed by solid narration. It is very difficult for me to say what really clicks because there are so many things and I just can’t place my finger on one.

French has an amazing style and she is wonderful in crafting her characters and the setting. Through small details, traits and mannerisms every character emerges with its own distinct personality. The chemistry between Rob and his partner Cassie is particularly fantastic to read. It is like watching a skilled pair of figure skaters performing intricate moves while deftly manoeuvring across the ring. Their colleague Sam O’Neill is chivalrous, dogged and well mannered. And I just loved Cassie. She is clear headed, conscientious and gritty. After The Likeness, I was very eager to know more about her. She tries her best to save Rob from going downhill. Rob who is narrator of the story is torn between his deep desire to know the truth and his equally vehement attempts to shut himself out from the horrors of the past. His every move attracts him back to Knocknaree and leads to a nervous breakdown.

It is difficult to talk about the plot without spilling the beans. So I will stay away from it. The mystery is a complete whodunit. As Rob and Cassie probe the murder of Katy Devlin, they learn that her common middle class family is not what it actually seems. The clues are there in plain sight and yet I overlooked every one of them.

The series is loosely connected and the books can be read independently. French has used a new narrator every time allowing her to experiment with style and giving each book a distinct identity. The next two books of the series Faithful Place (narrated by Frank Mackey, Cassie’s former undercover boss) and Broken Harbour (narrated by Scorcher Kennedy) are already out. But I am eager to read Sam’s story and equally hopeful that French will go back to Ryan’s unfinished story as well.

In The Woods is an incredibly good book and I would like to rate it more than 5 just for its characters and the atmosphere that French creates weaving their psychological upheavals with their surroundings. The spellbinding mystery raises it a notch higher.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Bookadda 2. Infibeam 3. Flipkart

Tags: adam ryan, broken harbour, Cassie Maddox, Dublin murder squad, Faithful placee, Fiction, Frank Mackay, Jamie Rowan, jonathan Devlin, Katy Devlin, Knocknaree, Mysy, Peter Savage, Psychological thriller, Rob Ryan, Rosalind Devlin, Sam O'Neill, Tana French, The likeness, three best friends, Thriller

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident – Eoin Colfer

My Rating – 3.5/5

Summary –

Artemis Fowl, the 12 year criminal master mind is back. But this time he is actually helping the People (fairies) to save their world. Convinced that his father, Artemis Fowl Sr. who went missing two years ago in the Artic is still alive, Artemis is frantically searching for him. The fairies in the meanwhile are fighting a sinister plot and suspect Artemis to be behind it as usual. But this time fairies are wrong and they are forced to team up with their arch nemesis to save their world from a mutiny.

Review –

I kept this series on my TBR list for a long long time. But after reading Plugged, I could not wait. Plugged had such a twisted, sassy plot and quirky characters that I felt compelled to check upon Artemis Fowl to have some more dose of the same and he did not disappoint. It’s a fun read with cool, smart characters and a fast paced, relatively straightforward storyline. Artemis is cunning and sly as usual and Captain Holly Short of LEP is street smart and spontaneous as ever. Holly is still livid with Artemis for stealing the fairy gold and keeping her ransom. So when she finds that the goblins are being helped by an outsider she suspects Artemis and wants to question him. But someone more sinister is behind the goblins and Holly is forced to accept Artemis’s help. Artemis in turn is going to need as much fairy magic as he can if he wants to save his father from the Russian mafia.

It’s good to see the characters developing further after the first book. Artemis is thirteen and shows signs of adolescence and developing conscious. Holly on the other hand is still suspicious and their banter continues. Foaly, the geek Centaur is obnoxious and irritating as ever and Butler, the rock solid bodyguard of Artemis is as always dependable. But the character that was most fun was Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac dwarf who helps them to get into the Koboi labs.

The Arctic Incident is a quick read, something that keeps you engaged throughout in spite of a simple plot. If you are in a mood for light, fast paced action then The Arctic Incident is a perfect read. An ideal book for the summer with a heady concoction of adventure, magic and high tech gizmos for the children and adults alike.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Maansu 2. Infibeam 3. Crossword 4. Landmark

Tags: arch nemesis, Artemis, Artemis Fowl, Butler, Centaur, Diggums, Eoin Colfer, Fairy, fairy magic, Fiction, Foaly, Goblin, holly, Koboi, LEP, Lower Elements, magic, Mulch, mulch diggums, People, Pixie, Root, smart characters

The Chemistry of Death – Simon Beckett

My Rating – 4/5

Summary –

Dr. David Hunter arrives as a GP in Manham, a small village in Norfolk. But he has a secret to hide and a tragedy that he is trying to forget. Three years later his past catches up with him as horrifying things begin to happen in the quintessential English village and Dr. Hunter is forced to reveal his secret.

Review –

I always like mysteries set in quaint little places where a murder seems to be the last thing that can happen. But once things become murky, the skeletons start coming out of closets and the darker side of human nature reveals its ugly face. The Chemistry of Death delivers just that. Set in a picturesque little English village in the middle of nowhere, women start to disappear and their mutilated dead bodies are found in the woods around the village.

As a relative newcomer, Dr. Hunter is a suspect till he is forced to reveal to the Police that he was a forensic anthropologist before becoming a GP and an expert in the field of study of dead bodies. Hunter reluctantly joins the investigation as his new girlfriend becomes the latest target of a demented serial killer.

It is a captivating novel with a mystery that is beguiling. It kept throwing red herrings at every turn and there were twists and a big twist in the end and an even bigger one after that. I tried my best to fathom the mystery beforehand using all the possible clues that Dr. Hunter left in his narration and yet could only partially unravel it.

But I liked this novel more for Beckett’s knack of turning the gory subject of forensic anthropology into an interesting one. There are descriptions that are sometimes graphic and macabre but overall Beckett has kept them to the bare minimum. He describes the process of analysing human remains in an interesting fashion thus creating a genuine curiosity about this uncommon specialised field.

Dr. Hunter as a grieving young widower is a strong central character. Forced into his earlier profession, one that he was trying to run away from, he rediscovers himself and emerges as a revived man. I am now hooked to the series and will like to read how Beckett further gives shape to his personality.

If you are game for a good mystery, definitely give this a try.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Homeshop 18 2. Infibeam 3. Crossword

Tags: David Hunter, Fiction, Forensic, forensic anthropologist, Forensic Anthropology, Manham, Mystery, red herrings, Simon Beckett, Thrilller

Panipat 1761 – T. S. Shejwalkar

My Rating – 5/5

Language – Marathi

Summary –

Panipat 1761 is the synthesis of more than 20 years of great efforts by T.S. Shejwalkar to bring to us the most reliable account of this great battle. Written 50 years ago, this remains the best books chronicling the epic battle between Marathas and Abdali.

Review –

This is a follow up post on my earlier review of Panipat by Vishwas Patil. After that review, a friend suggested that I must read the book written by T. S. Shejwalkar as it is the most authentic book on the third battle of Panipat. And he was absolutely right. While Vishwas Patil’s Panipat is a historical novel, Shejwalkar’s Panipat is the result of relentless efforts to provide the readers the most accurate history of the great battle.

A great historian not only narrates an event but also unearths the chain of actions that led to a particular event. Any moment of historical significance is a culmination of various actions taken by the actors involved and each person’s disposition, temperament and character plays a significant role in the final outcome. So a historian needs to be an equally competent judge of human nature in addition to being knowledgeable and experienced in sociology, cartography, military science and of course geography. As the adage says “History is geography in motion” and while reading Panipat 1761 I was amazed by Shejwalkar’s command on all the above.  Shejwalkar’s approach towards studying the “Cause and Effects” of an episode is like a scientist examining minutely and painstakingly through his microscope.

Without going into the details about the battle that have been well documented by many, I will briefly state a few propositions put forward by Shejwalkar that are still mostly unchallenged, thus showing his grasp of the Maratha history.

1. During the Maratha-Mughal war of 1680-1707, Rajaram had to change the policy adopted by Shivaji towards his chiefs. In order to retain them Rajaram had to offer fiefs thus creating a kingdom made up of many fiefdoms whose chiefs believed that serving the country is a means of increasing their own power.
2. After Shahu became Chattrapati, power got concentrated in the hand of Peshwas. This resulted in loss of balance in the administration as the old nobles never warmed to Peshwas. The main fatality of this approach was that Marathas could never decide a common political goal for their state and it cost them dearly while fighting with a  nation creator like Abdali.
3. During the reign of Shahu, Marathas also changed their policy of destroying Mughal empire. After his death also, Marathas continued with the same for their own political gains. This gave chance to Najib, Shuja, Nizam  and Aliwardikhan to cement their own places. The same Najib and Shuja were responsible for Panipat.
4. Though Maratha power expanded rapidly due to the policy of offering fiefs, it also created a disjoint union of various satraps instead of a strong central power. As a result the vital functions of administration, treasury, military and political command always remained weak; thus becoming the main impediment for Maratha response to a highly organised and powerful Abdali.

The thoughts and ideas proposed by Shejwalkar are visionary yet highly pertinent even today. My words are insufficient to illustrate the true worth of this book. It’s a book that every history lover must have in his collection.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Infibeam 2. Flipkart