The Krishna Key - Ashwin Sanghi

Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but was reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age—the Kaliyug.

In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar.

Only, he is a serial killer.

In this heart-stopping tale, the arrival of a murderer who executes his gruesome and brilliantly thought-out schemes in the name of God is the first clue to a sinister conspiracy to expose an ancient secret—Krishna’s priceless legacy to mankind.

Historian Ravi Mohan Saini must breathlessly dash from the submerged remains of Dwarka and the mysterious lingam of Somnath to the icy heights of Mount Kailash, in a quest to discover the cryptic location of Krishna’s most prized possession. From the sand-washed ruins of Kalibangan to a Vrindavan temple destroyed by Aurangzeb, Saini must also delve into antiquity to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice.

Ashwin Sanghi brings you yet another exhaustively researched whopper of a plot, while providing an incredible alternative interpretation of the Vedic Age that will be relished by conspiracy buffs and thriller-addicts alike.

 

Ashwin Sanghi

Review:

Reading his first two books,I expected a lot from Ashwin Sanghi.But as it is always the case,I was quite disappointed with this book.Professor Ravi Mohan Saini seems to know almost everything in History.The author's urge to relate almost every world incident to India and his overplaying of the number games spoil the essence of the story.The passage at the beginning of every chapter about Krishna server only as speed-breakers.They severely damage the pace of the story.Tarak Vaakil is shown to be the tenth avatar of Vishnu but as the story progresses,he is sidelined.The climax is the worst I have read and I was longing for the story to complete.The claim that the Syamantaka is hidden in the Taj Mahal is beyond the bounds of imagination.I briefly wondered if I was reading some History lecture book.Such was the case when the professor started talking.Almost everyone in the story lowe a lot in history.Even conspiracies must have some facts behind them but that is not the case with The Krishna Key.
A poor plot with a poor narration.Ashwin Sanghi was much better in his first two books.  

Rating: 3.6/5

If Tomorrow Comes - Sidney Sheldon

Lovely, idealistic Tracy Whitney is framed into a fifteen year sentence in an escape-proof penitentiary. With dazzling ingenuity she fights back to destroy the untouchable crime lords who put her there. With her intelligence and beauty as her only weapons, Tracy embarks on a series of extraordinary escapades that sweep her across the globe. In an explosive confrontation Tracy meets her equal in irresistible Jeff Stevens, whose past is as colorful as Tracy's.

Sidney Sheldon

Review:

Sidney Sheldon surely not at his best in  this book.The first few pages of the story promises a lot but the story fails to meet the expectations.Doris Whitney commits suicide at the start and her daughter Tracy Whitney finds herself facing a jail term after a series of incidents that she couldn't quite comprehend. The way Tracy remains strong even after enduring all sorts of humiliation and abuse is a strong message by the author to all women to remain strong amid all problems.But just as we think she is going to resurrect her life,her life takes a drastic turn and again fate turns her into what she did not want to be.But eventually she develops a liking for what she does and goes on to become one of the best con artists moving around.In the process,she finds Jeff who lives more or less the same life as hers.In the end,they get enough money and live a luxurious life.The climax is a joke and it makes one wait for the book to end.

The story is very slow and turning pages becomes a burden.I felt as though it was written by someone else under the name of Sidney Sheldon.Anyway a few parts in the book are a saving grace and stands out.Sidney Sheldon has certainly written many more great books.

Read it if you have no other book.

Rating: 2.1/5

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event

 changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule. ("...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.")

Khaled Hosseini

Review:

A very emotional and heart - breaking novel that explores the depths of human minds.Khaled Hosseini carves a niche for himself in the minds of the readers with this book.The characters are so real that you almost forget if you are reading a novel or a memoir.
The characters Amior and Hassan are developed beautifully and I especially loved Baba very much.he was the kind of dad who lived his life the way it has to be lived.His dark side was also revealed in the later part of the book but still I loved him.The way Amir tries to seek redemption for his sin brings tears.Guilt can cause you to do a lot of things.Afghanistan was very well described and I found myself yearning to live in such a place.but the drastic turn of fortunes after it comes under taliban rule is a sad change.The book was more or less like a family get - together describing Afghan traditions and their cultures.The book makes us respect the Afghans.

Overall I loved the book very much.A fantastic emotional read.

Rating: 4/5