The Chennai Killings by Chital Mehta — Book Review
- Author: Chital Mehta
- Paperback: 208 pages
- Publisher: Pirates India; 1 edition (17 September 2019)
- Language: English
The Chennai Killings by Chital Mehta is an atmospheric crime thriller told with multiple POVs. It is a book that translates a complex mystery into pieces, distributes them well throughout the book, and surprises you with its climax. Damn! What an amazing thriller after a good long time.
The story is that of the murder cases set in Chennai where two girls, both of them were friends, are butchered and Inspector Vikram is given the charge to unravel the mystery. What follows thereafter is the sequence of baffling moments elaborating on love, jealousy, insecurity, misunderstandings, betrayals leading to deaths. I would not be spilling the beans but believe me, if you savor thriller, you gotta read this one.
At the onset, the book seemed fairly simple to me. A couple of deaths have occurred, the Inspector’s family life of three has been described, the gruesome deaths inflicting grief upon the bereaved family members come into the picture and you think it’s going to be easy. Just hold on to the plot, move ahead and towards the latter half, things start coming punching you right in your face. More deaths occur, ugly past is dug, links are established and the search for the perpetrator becomes crazy. That’s where you start guessing the answer but the end leaves you stunned.
I loved how the author created a simple plot and developed it masterfully to impact its reader. The writing is fine and the narration keeps you flipping the pages (I did finish it in two sittings but could have read it in one go). The well-sketched characters get ample room to contribute to the story and express their voices. The fact that the book has been divided into chapters makes reading a suspense thriller easy. A character-driven plot that maintains its secrecy displays the author’s flair in writing.
The measured pace of the story with layered structure keeps a reader engrossed. It indeed makes up for an amazing thriller read especially if you are a beginner. The extremely well-crafted narrative has got brilliant treatment to create a truly commendable book. I’d definitely look forward to reading more by the author.
MY RATING: 4/ 5