Serial Killer stories are not one of a kind but every time authors manage to get a different angle to the same. Vish Dhamija has tried to make it possible with consummate finesse.

The plot takes off with twin murders. Murders of two sex workers. Primarily it looks like someone is on the loose in search of hookers to take revenge on them.

Plot

The plot is dominated by blood and gore and how perverted the perpetrator’s mind has been. Rita Ferreira is introduced to yet another serial killer, a cleverer and perverted one this time. The more savage the crime is the cleverer the culprit gets. He leaves nothing behind, no fingerprints, no footprints, no body fluids, and not even a single strand of hair. Rita is associated with Harry, a smart rookie who never fails to include a Hindi idiom translated into English in the funniest manner possible. Rita is in a “part-time” relationship with Ash Mittel. While she is trying to decode the death of the hookers, the next slaughter of a respectable housewife turns the table for the investigative team. While trying to find the connection between the women they zero in on Ranbeer who has supplied systems to these women.

Once Ranbeer gets arrested, the whole scenario changes. Further what happens is the crux of the book.

Characters

The characters are identified by their idiosyncrasies rather than their personality, barring Rita and Ash. The character of Ash is close to reality. How an ordinary person deals with long-distance relationships is portrayed honestly through Ash. Coming to the antagonist, I would say the timing was right because we, in Kerala, just got enlightened with the news of a woman who led a normal respectful life but was a serial killer. The antagonist in the movie is the male counterpart of this real-life woman but since the book was written before it should be surmised that the author has a gift from god. The murders are all gruesome which shows the insanity of the culprit but the fact that he has a respectable life shows his ability to hide his ogre’s head. Other characters are all supporting the plot. Notwithstanding the importance of the plot, they are not given much space to develop.

Narration

The narration style is impeccable. It’s mid-way through a vernacular and literary style hence it targets hardcore readers as well as beginners. The parallel storyline which depicts the backstory of the antagonist is similar to that of his previous book.

Climax

The climax is impeccable and unprecedented. When the readers are on the edge of their seats and just about to know who is who, the unexpected and unprecedented twists drop them on their seats wondering what is happening. It makes the book all the more unique. The second half is stretched to no end resulting in the readers losing interest after a point but later the pace is revamped.

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The round up of the book would be that it is a book for mystery thriller lovers who like to see physcotic killers with gruesome murders.