Book- THE DOPPELGANGER
Author- Prateek Yadav
Genre- Mystery/Thriller
Publisher- Aksamala
Price- 250
Pages- 169
Blurb-
The perfect plan for the perfect heist-a team of con-men,
foolproof disguise and a painting worth millions, nothing could have gone
wrong. But something did... A man finds himself on a bus to Manali with nothing
but some cash and severe memory loss. Embarking on a frantic hunt for his
identity, he begins to discover that his presence in Manali isn't an accident.
The closer he gets to the truth, the more elusive it becomes. Ghosts from his
past haunt him as he finds himself trapped between his doppelganger, the
police, a sadistic gangster and his own dwindling sanity. The journey of the
search for his identity ends up being a race for survival.
Review-
The Doppelganger has this power to attract any reader
because of this fantastic cover and a very sophisticated name. I was so turned on that I didn’t even read the blurb
of the book before saying yes to this book. Some covers I tell you. So the book
covers one hurdle with complete ease, i.e., attracting a buyer.
Now was it a smart move, in general terms no. But in this
case I was saved. The book turned out to be equally amazing. It is basically a
psychological thriller. There is a lot of mystery, suspense and drama. So, can
it be called a Bollywood script, no, because the author has maintained a great
narrative style which helped this book to shine beyond the expectations.
The narration if we talk at large isn’t extraordinarily well
but it isn’t average. The dialogues however were a little plain in comparison
to the narration. And for writing a thriller, and that to of that order one
needs to work on both, powerful narration and precise dialogues.
Now coming on the characters, there were abundant characters
if one talks about them. There was a thin line, the author could have destroyed
things by adding few more or reducing some but it was just a clean slate. The supporting
characters, the main leads and the hidden faces were perfectly suiting the
aura. To name some, I loved Rai, and then there was Mr. Robert from the side
characters whom I adored. From the main leads well I liked Sameer, after a
long time I liked the main lead. He was so dark and mysterious and lost that
one has to fall for him. It was nice to see that the author added only those
characters which were essential, as I already stated. There were no extra
charms or glamour anywhere.
The story revolved around a painting, two brothers and some
goons. Sounds artistic?
I was scared, I was thinking and expecting another Bollywood
inspired con mystery but the book is much more than that, you can take my word.
The story might sound a little off beat in the starting because
that was the sole motive of the author. I was not able to connect with the lead
at first because it was hard for me to understand the scenario. But no pain no
gain as they say, the story turns out to be really nice and refreshing. I have
not read many books where the author played with the mind of a character and the reader. But
from here I have developed a nice taste.
As we move ahead, the story gets some pace, all the pieces
of the puzzle start falling in the correct line of order. The biggest mystery
is yet to unfold but all the circles that were made for the readers were very
nicely done. I was enjoying this game along with the players of the book and at
the same time I was feeling helpless with the characters that had no idea where
the maze ended.
At many places the author was touching the past, making it
easy to relate to the characters and to know about them as we move ahead. I
love reading flashbacks inside the story; it gives me a break from the ongoing
drama. Thanks Author.
Flashbacks also help in creating more mystery and solving
some queries at the same time, so it is a sure-sure win every time, if used
properly.
The last quarter of the book could have been better. I don’t
like reading all the explanations together; I like mystery to get solved step
by step. But maybe it was the only way for this book. The ending mended all the
dents though. I can’t say I loved it, but it was unexpected and that is what is
needed from a suspense book.
So, all in all the book was a nice package of just one
thing, i.e., Mystery and that is what makes this a great read. It is not a
mixture of a lot of genres. You won’t find love, romance, humor, etc. You will
find only what the book aims at. You can enjoy minimal flaws in the editing,
which will make your reading experience smooth, also you can enjoy a little
above the line vocabulary.
Recommendation-
I can recommend this book to those who are looking for a
good book by a fresh author and also those who are fed up from romance.
About the author-
Prateek Yadav was born and raised in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
He graduated in economics at IIT Kanpur, and is currently working at Cognizant,
Bangalore. He is an avid fiction reader with a keen inclination towards mystery
and thrillers. Besides writing he also enjoys sketching and painting. The
Doppelganger is his first published novel.
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Buy the Book-
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