Broken Harbour – Tana French

My Rating – 4/5

Summary –

In a ghost estate outside Dublin, Pat and his two kids are dead. His wife Jenny is viciously attacked but survives miraculously. When Scorcher Kennedy visits this relic of Ireland’s one-time real estate dream, which not so long ago was a sleepy, poor hamlet called Broken Harbour, he thinks the case is simple. However, little things about the case baffle him. There are many baby monitors placed in the house and a big hunting trap in the attic. Though the house is immaculate, there are holes in the walls that he cannot explain.

Review –

This book was a mix of likes and dislikes for me. To start with, Scorcher Kennedy was not my favourite pick as narrator. In Faithful Place, he came out as a pompous ass and I felt it served him right when Frank Mackey raked up his case and his reputation. However, I really liked him in Broken Harbour. He is a straight, “Do by the book” cop who is intense and highly dedicated to his work. Ok… he is still pompous and preaches a lot but he lives by a very strict code and judges himself as harshly as others. I admired him more for his unforgiving personal decisions at a critical point in the case.

Still smarting from his tattered reputation, Scorcher is picked up for Broken Harbour case. At first, the case seems to be straightforward but nothing in French’s book is, as it seems. Then we learn about Kennedy’s link to Broken Harbour, the place where the murdered family lived and his troubled past and now we are not sure if he is the right man to lead the case.

As usual, French’s prose is nothing but a sheer joy to read. It’s beautiful, no two ways about it. Every page has razor sharp descriptions that made me say “Aha!” In addition, French is master of characters and trust me… this is an understatement. Her books are mysteries not just because of the plot but also due to role played by psychological turmoil of her characters, chiefly the narrator in each case. She brings her characters to life and you can literally see them in front of your eyes while reading her books. Kennedy’s relationship with his new rookie partner Richie Curran plays an important role in Broken Harbour. It was heartening to see the otherwise reticent Kennedy warming to young Curran.

My problem with the book was in the mystery. Normally in French’s books, by the time you reach the dramatic end, knowing the murder’s identity becomes somewhat irrelevant. (At least that is how I have felt about her books). It is more about why the crime happened than who did it. However, in Broken Harbour I could guess the murderer straight of the bat. I also thought that impact of Pat’s growing craziness on Jenny and kids did not come out, as it should have. Plus, the motive for murders was a tad too stretched for me to swallow. I am also less sympathetic to Dina, Kennedy’s barmy sister as she keeps insisting that Broken Harbour case is raking up his brain. Without her, the book may have been around fifty pages shorter and tidier.

As a standalone, Broken Harbour is still an engrossing read and deserves rating of more than four but coming from Tana French, especially when I had desperately waited so long for it, I think Broken Harbour is my least favourite among her books. Not to say, I will still be eagerly awaiting her next book due for release in 2014 (Damn… That’s a whole year from now!)

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Landmark 2. Bookadda 3. Infibeam 4. Uread

My other Dublin Murder Squad series reviews -

1. In The Woods 2. The Likeness 3. Faithful Place

Inspector John Rebus Series – Ian Rankin

My Rating – 4.5/5             

Finally I am done with John Rebus. This is first series I read back to back. 17 books; took me best part of 4 months to read, reason why my blog had that neglected look of late. I am glad to read the series in sequence and yet sad that there will be no more Rebus adventures as he is finally retired. So what is so special about Rebus that made me lap up his books one after another? Complex plots, superb characters, underlined social issues or plain old affinity for mystery? I think all of these and something more.

In an increasingly inhuman and cold society, where crimes are becoming more brutal by day and police helpless, John Rebus serves as a pursuer of justice. He is a true blooded cop to the core, old fashioned in his doggedness and even methods. He is one of those rare cops that anybody would like to be in charge for their own case, always gnawing at it and letting the investigation gnaw at him, never relaxing till he gets truth.

He has his flaws.  Arrogant, antisocial, cynical and not shy of manipulating people if it serves his end. He drinks too much and smokes too much. Colleagues treat him with suspicion and hostility. Rebus is a loner and an outsider, always operating on the periphery, bending rules if required. He has paid dearly for this – stalled career, failed marriage, an estranged daughter, alienated from his brother and hardly any friends. He lives not for the job but because of the job. On weekends he sits brooding and sulking in Oxford Bar, surly and aloof. And yet I like him. What makes him special to me is his quest for pure truth. He is apolitical, immune to social and political weightage of a case. For him all cases are same and once started, he is like a bloodhound that never let go of the scent till he finds the truth and get his culprit.

The books are multi layered; Rankin uses plots to highlight real time social and political issues. They also showcase contemporary Edinburgh and Scotland. So if you are a fan of old fashioned gritty police procedurals with an atypical protagonist, I would highly recommend this series to you.

P.S. Rebus is back! Out of retirement in his 18^th book as a civilian helping the police and I hope this old war horse continues his journey.

Fleshmarket Close – Ian Rankin

My Rating – 4/5

Summary –

A pair of skeletons revealed under the concrete slab of a pub, a dead immigrant, a missing young woman, a dead rapist, a Glasgow thug operating a nightclub in Edinburgh – so many disparate threads, each one proving to be elusive. So it is up to Rebus and Siobhan to try to unravel these mysteries, which run parallel and at one point get entangled.

Review –

Rebus is out of St. Leonard’s, his old hunting ground. With the reorganisation of CID, he and his protégé Siobhan are now operating out of Gayfield Square police station. This means a new boss and new set of colleagues, but it hardly bothers Rebus. He is as loner as ever. Nearing his retirement, Rebus is “surplus to requirement”, result of his infamous reputation and years spent in perfecting insubordination. So when an immigrant Kurd is killed in what looks like a race crime, Rebus is the only one who is serious about the investigation. With his usual tenacity, he dives into the case. Meanwhile, Siobhan is trying to find out why two stolen medical skeletons were buried under a pub. Then there is a missing young woman, whose elder sister took her own life after she was raped. Her rapist is now out of prison and when he turns up dead, the case takes a new turn. In the meanwhile in their quest to trace the missing girl, Rebus and Siobhan land at a nightclub run by son of a dead Glaswegian gangster. And behind all of this, there is shadow of Rebus’s old nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty, looming as large as ever.

The story revolves mostly around two locations, Knoxland, a bleak estate where immigrants are given refugee by town council and the town of Banehall, whose main economic benefactor is Whitemire – a prison, now turned into a detention centre for asylum seekers. In the course of investigation, Rebus also comes face to face with slave trade of the immigrants. The mysteries are intertwined as usual and in the end Rebus and Siobhan manage to solve all of them.

The series is now nearing its end and I am still not sure why I like Rankin so much. But I like his books nevertheless; like million other readers. Not all the books in the series are great, but a mediocre Rebus book will still be better than many others on any day for me. Rankin uses mysteries to tackle tricky social issues and Rebus highlights the fallacy, irony and futility of everything with his usual cynicism.

And then there is John Rebus. I am enamoured by his sarcasm, his little antics and mind games and above all his wry humour. I am also growing fond of Siobhan, who is gaining influence in the books. She is counterbalance to Rebus’s somewhat recklessness and yet I can’t help noticing that she is slowly turning into another Rebus, not as cynic and loner yet, but the early signs are definitely there. Rebus has a penchant for 60’s jazz and for a novice in western music like me; the books also serve as a ready reckoner of Jazz bands. By the way, did you know that there was a famous Jazz band in 70’s named “The Mahavishnu Orchestra” after the Hindu god? I certainly did not.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Homeshop 18 2. Snapdeal 3. Homeshop 18 4. Naaptol

Swami – Ranjit Desai

My Rating –5/5

Language – Marathi

Summary –

“And the plains of Panipat were not more fatal to the Maratha Empire than the early end of this excellent prince..” These famous lines by British historian Grant Duff aptly summarise the reign of Madhavrao I. “Swami” – Ranjit Desai’s celebrated novel on the life of this excellent prince is a perfect blend of history and literature.

Review –

I think Madhavrao I is one of the most remarkable yet relatively unknown figure in Indian history. He became Peshwa (Prime Minister) of Maratha Empire when he was hardly 16. He inherited an empire devastated by Panipat, whose carefully crafted edifice over 40 years in the North India had crumbled. Its enemies in South, Nizam and Hyder Ali were strong and sensing Maratha rule in shambles, quick to compound their gains. But during his 11 years of reign Marathas once again attained their former glory. Madhavrao constantly wedged battles against Nizam and Hyder forcing them to accept Maratha supremacy. In the meanwhile Maratha generals in the north extracted their revenge by defeating Rohillas who were chief architect of Panipat. They also imposed heavy penalties on Jats and Rajputs and helped Shah Alam to the throne at Delhi.

Madhavrao was a fair and strict ruler sparing not even his family members for their wrong deeds. He was a good general and an even better administrator with an eye for minute details. He was an astute judge of human character and brought forth many young generals who led the Marathas to their valour. At a time when most kings and generals in India were self centred, he was foresighted enough to appreciate the spreading tentacles of East India Company and rebuke the British.

Like Shivaji and Bajirao, Madhavrao also had to fight his own clan. His internal fighting with his uncle Raghunathrao and continuous efforts to tie Maratha generals to his common cause extracted their toll on this young prince who succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of 27.

Ranjit Desai has done a great job at setting the entire political and family turmoil of the times. Swami scores due to its ability to portray not only the political mechanisations of various players but also by creating characters that are highly believable, showcasing their nature, ambitions and the historical contexts in which they operate and are forced to operate. The endearingly loving relationship between Madhavrao and his wife Ramabai is touching and is sure to bring silent tears in your eyes.

Swami won many awards including Sahitya Akademi Award and catapulted Ranjit Desai in the higher echelons Marathi authors.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

1. Infibeam 2. Flipkart

Black and Blue – Ian Rankin

My Rating – 4.25/5

Summary –

John Rebus is an obsessed man, obsessed with two serial killers and a recent murder investigation. He is also a hunted man, hunted by media and investigated by his own department for being guilty of miscarriage of justice in an old case. Rebus has to use all his wits to solve these cases which turn out to be interconnected.

Review –

I have barely written a word in last one month as I have been devouring Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series. I have just finished 8^th novel, Black and Blue which by far is most expansive, both in terms of plot and action. It’s the best so far and hence I am immediately writing about it. More about the previous books of the series later.

This is a difficult book to review and I am sure at the end of it I still will not have done justice to the book. In Black and Blue, Rankin deals with multiple issues – oil business, its impact on environment, underworld’s pouncing on these newly rich clientele from oil industry that spawns a new market for pubs, drugs, porn and prostitution and resultant corruption. Rankin has woven four… no, actually five plots together and they are really intricate. It’s a difficult stunt to pull off and I think Rankin has succeeded spectacularly.

Rebus is investigating murder of Allan Mitchison, an oil worker from Aberdeen. The inquiry sets Rebus on trail of a Glasgow don with connections to drugs.

Rebus is also under inquiry in an old case for doctoring evidence against Lenny Spaven. Rebus’s then mentor Lawson Geddes had a personal score to settle against Spaven and Rebus had suspected even then that Spaven was set up.

DI Gill Templer is on a drug case, again pointing towards Glasgow. The snitch who gave information of a big deal to Templer dies in suspicious circumstances. As it happens, he was also friend of Lenny Spaven and Rebus had interrogated him in the past. This puts another question mark on Rebus’s motives.

Then there is three decade old unsolved “Bible John” case. Bible John was a serial killer who has eluded clutches of the law and might still be out there somewhere.

And now an impersonator has arrived, nicknamed “Johnny Bible” who has killed three women so far.

Rebus is at his cynical best, killing himself slowly with booze and cigarettes. Fighting a lone battle to defend himself, he is ready to bend a few rules as usual ruffling more than a few feathers. With his trademark single mindedness he is obsessed with Bible John and Johnny Bible, studying both cases in his spare time. Allan Mitchison’s murder takes him to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Shetland, with its extreme weather and gritty landscape.

The plots are interwoven and keep crisscrossing each other. The book is full of characters and if you have not read the series chronologically, then you may sometimes get lost as too much is happening too fast and characters from previous books keep popping up. By the end of the book, Rebus’s old friend Jack Morton helps him to get on the “wagon” – staying away from drinks and smoke.

This is one hell of a book and scores on many counts – plot, wry humour, protagonist for whom you may take instant dislike and yet end up hooting for him, Scotland for its dark underbelly and its temperamental climate with unpredictable mood swings. Black and Blue won Crime Writer Association’s top award, The Gold Dagger and justifiably so in my opinion.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

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

Knots and Crosses – Ian Rankin

My Rating – 3.25/5

Summary –

John Rebus is a detective sergeant in Lothian and Border Police of Edinburgh. Rebus is 41, divorced, tired, binge drinker and smoker and has a past that he has struggled hard to forget. But he has to confront his past when a spat of serial killing starts in Edinburgh forcing Rebus to bring back memories that he has locked in the deepest corner of his mind.

Review –

This is first book of John Rebus series by Ian Rankin and to be honest I was not very impressed. The book seemed too rushed, mystery easy to solve and I did not find Rebus a very likeable character. But knowing that the series has garnered good reviews, I persisted and it has paid off well. I have finished 5 books and reading 6^th now which is a record in itself. Normally by 3^rd book of a series, I want ‘change of scene’ before going back to the series. But John Rebus keeps getting better and better.

A serial killer is on the loose, killing small girls. The killer is too smart, always a step ahead. There are no clues, not even a psychological profile to offer. The girls have nothing in common and the only consolation police have is that the victims are not sexually abused. John is also working on the case but the case is stalled for lack of clues. In the meanwhile someone is taunting John by sending him cryptic letters with queer messages “THERE ARE CLUES EVERYWHERE” and “FOR THOSE WHO READ BETWEEN THE TIMES” accompanied by string knots and crosses.

Then there is John’s brother Michael, successful, wealthy but his life is not what it seems. Crime reporter Jim Stevens is tracking Michael’s every step hoping to get a big break in the narcotics case that has now become his personal passion. To top it, John Rebus is involved with D.I. Gill Templer, press liaison officer on the case.

Well, I don’t want to spoil the mystery by revealing much. I found the clues easy to follow and I think readers can find out the killer much before John. Also John seems too adamant to even acknowledge the easiest of clues and it’s Gill Templer who first identifies the link that helps to unravel the case.

Couple of noteworthy points – Edinburgh of John Rebus is a different, darker and sinister place than the picture postcard tourist city that we know about. And Rankin has a sort of fixation for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Rankin has explored this theme in more than one Rebus stories. But more about that in my next reviews.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

The book is available cheapest in India at -

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

My 2012 Travelogue

Those who know me will be surprised by the title of this post. I am probably the laziest person when it comes to actual travelling (A cause of constant chagrin to my wife!) but I am quite a literary traveller. So with the countdown for 2012, I decided to chronicle my travel sojourns of the year. Currently I am in Scotland, in the historic city of Edinburgh of late 80′s, now that I have finally managed to start with Ian Rankin’s John Rebus series and it looks like I will be travelling there quite often in near future.

This year I travelled to 11 countries apart from travelling to various parts of India.

Country	No.  Of Books
UK	10
USA	7
Ireland	4
Sweden	3
India	3
Italy	2
France	1
Pakistan	1
Panama	1
South Africa	1
Japan	1
Latvia	1
Total	35

The countries I normally travel very frequently are UK, USA and Sweden, thanks to the phenomenal rise of Scandinavian mysteries in the recent times. The new “most frequently travelled” country this year was Ireland, courtesy Tana French’s mesmerizing Dublin murder squad series. I have been harping on about this series for some time and if you have not yet read it, I recommend you grab it fast.

In the New Year you will find me backpacking often to St. Denis, situated in the scenic Perigord region of France and to Vigata, located in Sicily, Italy. St. Denis is the charming fictional town in rural France where Martin Walker’s Bruno Courreges series is set and Vigata is where the gourmand Inspector Salvo Moontalbano operates. I don’t remember who recommended these two series to me, but I am very thankful to that blogger.

In USA, I like to visit the beautiful town of Ann Arbor, Michigan (Harry Dolan’s David Loogan series) and Baltimore, Maryland (Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series). But nothing can beat London, the city I have travelled most over the years and in different times. I am in awe of that two millennia old city and I think I know it better than my hometown by now. Currently I am reading Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, which is partly set in London in addition to Simon Beckett’s Dr. David Hunter series. Thanks to Swapna Krishna for her reviews which compelled me to start buying these books.

I am also slowly lumbering through Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell which takes me to Ystad, with its bleak winter and chilly, desolate Scanian plains of south Sweden. I hope to increase the momentum next year and have already set my sight on some new countries with new earmarked series. So let’s see what travel plans New Year has charted for me.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.