Book review: Brutal by Uday Satpathy

Book- Brutal

Author- Uday Satpathy

Genre- Thriller

Publisher- Westland and Bloody Good Books

Blurb –

“You are in real, real danger”
A school teacher gets a creepy warning in his mailbox. Seven days later, he murders eleven of his students. Two months later, he is gunned down in broad daylight by an obscure militant outfit. Justice served. The nation is pacified. Case closed.

But two crime reporters think otherwise. Seeking redemption through this case are Prakash and Seema, ace journalist but broken individuals. As they follow the story, they are led to the ominous wilds of Bandhavgarh where an eerily similar massacre had occurred eight years ago. Little do they know that they have stirred up a hornet’s nest.

One by one their leads start turning up in body bags and they are chased by assassins at every corner.
Soon they realize that they are pitted against evil powers pervading the business and political DNA of the country, with an unbelievably sinister agenda.

Always one step ahead of them, there is no place to hide. The only way forward is to fight back. But to do that, Prakash and Seema will first have to survive.

Title-

Brutal is an apt title for the book. I couldn’t think of anything else after reading it. The antagonists and the story define the title in the most perfect way.

Cover-

Very subtle and intelligent cover the book has. The colours soothe your eyes and allow you to imagine what you are going to experience inside.

Characters-

There are many characters in the novel and I must say that I didn’t find any useless person roving around just like that without any motive. There is a perfect blend of positive and negative leads, making their character legendary due to their activities. There is no hint of exaggeration. The characters keep crossing your eyes again and again and you don’t feel that all the focus has set to one person or one kind of setting.
The way their personal lives are connected to the main story is appreciable. It makes sense as one move ahead in story and the two things collide.

Narration-

The story is narrated in third person and it opens the range of explanations. It is smooth and well versed. The magic resides in the power with which the words grip you and the flow is serene, allowing you to see the happenings in front of your eyes.

Reviews –

The prologue itself assures you that you are not going to read another simple tale which hit the bookstores these days. The ride to newness starts from the start and there is no stoppage in this journey. The sudden twists and turns don’t allow you to yawn. Every chapter showcase a new aspect to the readers.

The sub-plots make your reading experience exquisite because it happens very less that things are not entangled but woven. Every link gets a meaning as you move ahead on this venture. The male protagonist, Prakash, gets him in a lot of topsy-turvy situations. The spirit in him was on fire during the whole novel. But it’s not just him to move ahead in solving the complicated mystery. The female lead Seema can also be seen, scratching her toes in the whole intertwined aura.

The writer hasn’t left any stone unturned in making you hold the book till the last. The delight was in the freshness that every chapter’s end was providing. The book reminds you of Sidney Sheldon’s “The sands of time”, a very smart approach to keep your reader busy and imaginative as well. The high point arrives when the perfect suspense is built up due to the collision between the connections made in the start and the middle. Your head swing due to appropriate proportions of mystery.

The way people investigate the truth ignites the spark inside you and it seems you are with them when they are visiting places, dealing with the puzzles or getting into troubles.
The second part of the book opens with completely different arena and people. It is a sudden shift which gives a blissful turn. The story is at the same pace as it was in the first part. We get some answers but they are not enough yet. The thrill sends chill in your body and the goose-bumps become a normal affair. The want to know more kills you completely. Some notions are cleared but new ones are created around the same circumference.

In the third part blood is all over in one form or the other and with every bullet that fires, you feel a hole inside your stomach and that’s the beauty of suspense that author created. The involvement level grows bigger and bigger. At one point of time you feel that fate is helping people and at other point it seems that it will devastate the opportunities. The story wraps up beautifully and you can’t think of any question that might have left behind in the race.

The approaching climax doesn’t seem to twitch your nerves because the whole book is full of such surprises. It’s like a series that has reached an end. The closing chapter answers some more questions at the most perfect time. All in all it was a really enchanting read.

Eye-catchers-

· “....he had remarked that he looked 60, he was only 35.”

· “The more I know him the lesser I know him.”

· “She shook her head again, but to no effect. A dark dream began to envelop her.”

· “He gazed at his enemy with bulging eyes, I am you.”

Turn-on’s-

The way the chapters are divided is really commendable. One gets prepared for a new happening as the chapter starts. Also, the interconnections are worth mentioning, the toughest task of all it might have been for the author. Another noteworthy thing is the ability of the author to stick to one thing only. There were chances that the genre might get split in various others but the expectations didn’t meet the end. The author was clear in what he was presenting.
Sentences were short and precise.

Turn-off’s-

A lot of F word is used without any necessity. The story itself was enough to demand attention and the narration was powerful to show the frustration and other emotions in a character’s mind. Its omission wouldn’t have affected anything for sure.
Some editing errors are there too but they are very less and minute.

Recommendation-

I would like to recommend this book to all those who are not thriller fans. This story can make you love this genre. And those who like suspense shouldn’t think before reading this. It’s a must to know tale.

P.S. I won this book in a giveaway organized on Nimi Vashi’s blog.