Bombed in a Good Way

Book : Baramulla Bomber

Author: Clark Prasad

ISBN : 9381523975

Pages: 313

Price: 395

Rating : 4/5

Something from the Book

The old coffee reader Kasha from Srinagar - 'Fight your destiny, build hope and Make it happen,' because you don't know which forces of the universe are conspiring against you. But which force is controlling us?

The confluence of Bible and Vedas and their tryst Quantum Physics is in Kashmir thanks to Cricket!

Sounded weird....

Read ahead to go crazy...

Espionage thrillers and Indian authors are a weird combination, and this thought has been embedded in my mind for years now. Being a voracious reader and a big time fan of spy and suspense thrillers, I can confidently say Espionage thrillers by Indian authors have strongly disappointed me over the years and thus my mind set. But what if I tell you, I am ready to let go of this belief finally? Readers like me would find this to be a joke, but brace yourself because Baramulla Bomber is here to change our beliefs.

The book Baramulla Bomber by Clark Prasad was sent to me by Readers Cosmos and I can’t thank them enough for sending this amazing book to me(not to forget, all gift wrapped)!  Anyways the book impressed me in the first look itself. I have to say its cover design is awesome, but like it is said never judge the book by its cover, I dived straight into the story. The story begins with the ill fated meeting of an royal decendants’ group called Chos Skyong. There is a blast while the meeting is on and most of the group members are killed. But in the survivers is a man named Abhimanyu Kashyap who cheats death with his determination to preserve the secret. But what secret?

Soon this inciedent gets tied up with Mansur Haider who is nothing but an aspiring cricketer from Kashmir. But as the story moves we know Mansur is being tracked by intelligence agencies around the world. Adolf Silfverskiold, a swedish intelligent officer turn out to be tracking Mansur and a mysterious earthquake that happened in the Shaksgam Valley. Also Shaksgam valley inciedent is being investigated by Mansur’s girlfriend Aahana who lost her mountaineering team there. The readers realize the small hole drilled by the bombing is nothing but a stepwell with steps going from anywhere to everywhere, storylines joined to form a huge web of danger.

Pros:

1.    The book is fast paced and keeps on the edge of your seat till the very end.

2.    Character sketches are perfect to the ‘T’ and every character is well used.

3.   The story explores intelligence agencies other than the much explored CIA, and yet does complete justice to it.

4.   The integration of quantum physics, history and modern world spies is the whole and sole of the book, and personally I loved it.

5.   The looming secret of Shaksgam valley and the much talked about weapon,  as I am not allowed to give spoilers(though I am dying to) is too engrossing.

Cons:

1.    Too much to digest and too much used – movies, cricket ,physics, Kashmir, Sweden, India, politics and so much more. It just felt a bit cramped.

2.   Editing could have been crisp. Dialogues didn’t seem powerful or memorable.

The author explores a lot in a very short time, or so it seems as the book is super racey. He also does full justice to all the characters of the story as they are given ample time to evolve and the story is thoruoghly entertaining and engrossing. I would give the book a 4 on 5 rating and am desperately waiting for the next books. I hope the editing of the other two books is better but at the same time don’t want them to turn out to be a disappointment like the 3^rd book of Shiva Trilogy. Best of luck to the Author, may you succeed in giving us awesome stories always..:D

P.S. "This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com"