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theeditorreads's reviews
995 reviews
Magic Of The Lost Temple by Sudha Murty
4.0
Young children will identify with Nooni's freedom of living as she wants in the village, with no routine to follow. They are sure to sympathize with her feeling of abandonment when her parents leave her at her grandparent's home due to their busy professional lives and their inability to take her for a vacation.
The main problem that Nooni faces is her inability to go ahead with the entire excavation of the ruins she and her friends stumbled upon by chance despite having an eighteen-year-old boy in their team of children. This is similar to most of the problems children usually face in which they have to take the help of the elderly or the experienced to achieve certain goals.
Though hesitant at first, she ultimately solves the problem by involving her grandparents, who in turn involve the village people as well as her parents, in order to get the job done.
Sometimes it is so easy to read and get lost in a children's fiction too, despite being an adult. Like in this book, especially at my age, I can feel my thoughts being reflected by the main (young) character, about 'How is it possible for everyone to be at the top?' while she remembers her father's words about how 2000 people apply where 20 vacancies are there for a job and how you have to be at the top, in order to get a good job!
The main problem that Nooni faces is her inability to go ahead with the entire excavation of the ruins she and her friends stumbled upon by chance despite having an eighteen-year-old boy in their team of children. This is similar to most of the problems children usually face in which they have to take the help of the elderly or the experienced to achieve certain goals.
Though hesitant at first, she ultimately solves the problem by involving her grandparents, who in turn involve the village people as well as her parents, in order to get the job done.
Sometimes it is so easy to read and get lost in a children's fiction too, despite being an adult. Like in this book, especially at my age, I can feel my thoughts being reflected by the main (young) character, about 'How is it possible for everyone to be at the top?' while she remembers her father's words about how 2000 people apply where 20 vacancies are there for a job and how you have to be at the top, in order to get a good job!
Baby Bet by Ana Sparks, Layla Valentine
3.0
It was a light, fun read. I loved the prologue describing the beginnings of young love. It was a very everyday story, with no larger than life characters as happens to be the point in most romances.
Sold at the Auction Box Set by Juliana Conners
3.0
This box set has 4 short, hot and steamy reads, took about 1 to 2 hours to finish each one. At one point, I wished that the stories would have been properly developed and a bit well-formed, but anyways, it is not always that you get short and sweet reads!
Pi Agency by Neelabh Pratap Singh
3.0
***ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***
My Rating: 3/5
Genre: Crime Thriller (Fiction)
Pages: 313 (Paperback)
Publisher: Self-Published
Date of Publication: 21 June, 2018
Synopsis:
Rashmi Purohit, a detective in her own right, runs an organization by the name of Pi Agency, with her two sidekicks Akshay Arora – a software engineer/bumbling boozer, and Diksha Patel – a golgappa*-loving marketing executive. A failed CBI aspirant, she started her own detective agency to maintain a semblance of what her father had envisioned her life as – a father she loved but lost long back.
Brajesh Arya, the affluent owner of a management consultancy firm in Gurgaon, can't seem to rid his only son, Rohan, of his drug addiction. He has tried everything, from admitting his son to a De-Addiction Center, to filing complaints with the authorities, to using hired muscle, but nothing seems to put a stop to the nefarious activities of the drug suppliers. As a last resort, desperately acting on his secretary's opinion, he approaches Det. Rashmi Purohit in the hope that she will be able to reach the bottom of this menace.
When a hapless father, after chasing innumerable options but not finding success anywhere, pins his hope on Rashmi – what is the final outcome? Does she succeed in nabbing the perpetrators? Or is there something more than meets the eye?
And when an agreement she entered into with someone she trusted goes awry, there are suspicions galore. Can she trust her client implicitly, or is there something Mr. Arya is not telling her?
Will this be the case which finally gives a much-needed break to her unacknowledged agency?
Review:
And thus starts the thrilling journey. The author has done a commendable job with the pacing of the story, with the short, and crisp chapters, and keeping it to the point. The style of narration is omniscient, with proper execution. I completed the book in about five to six hours, and it is possible to read it in one sitting only due to its gripping storyline (and an occasional dose of humour). Peppered with titbits about daily/Delhi-NCR life may appear uneventful at first, but it supplements the storyline nicely.
This is the first time I am reading this author's work. Set within the time frame of a few weeks, juggling with the themes of cryptocurrency, drug-abuse, etc., the book is somehow relevant to the current times, despite it being a work of fiction. Some new ideas used in the story points towards the author's ingenuity. Being a Delhi gal who lives a stone's throw away from Connaught Place, and who has been to almost all the places mentioned in the book, this story feels like home to me, in spite of its dark undertones.
In a detective novel, it is really necessary to set up back stories, and gradually open up the cards at the appropriate places, which the author achieves with élan. There is not only suspense in the story, but in Rashmi's backstory as well. In fact, at one point in the story, I started to wonder, 'Hell, who is playing whom here?'
There is judicious use of characters, just about right, neither overcrowding the story; nor making it feel that there is a need for more of them to make sense. And don't get fooled by the snazzy titles of the employees, though clumsy and reckless, they too are mean detectives in the making (or sidekicks at least!). I especially enjoyed Akshay-Diksha's camaraderie, and Diksha's cheekiness made it more of an enjoyable read. Also, the flashbacks, and reminisces into her past helps the readers understand what makes Rashmi tick. Having recently watched Jessica Jones, Rashmi reminded me of her, a broken badass who is just living by with some monotonous cases until the thrill of a major chase starts (but of course, without the superpowers). I am a romantic reader (at heart), but the readers like me – be warned – coz there's no romance in this detective story (series?), not that it is necessary. Sure, there are some romantic undertones, and this is only Book #1 (I am only saying that a girl can hope, or I may just be delusional!)
The text has some hard-hitting quotes, some of which I have shared throughout the review.
What I liked:
• There are no loopholes in the plot, not as far as I can see, the author ties all the loose ends of the story perfectly.
• I got to learn a few new investigative expressions. (It is for you to read and find out.)
• The technical jargons have explanations in layman's terms (which is really helpful for readers like me, who have no idea of the workings of certain technologies).
• The story ends on a suspenseful note, which raises the question, 'Is the case really solved? Or is there more to it?'
• I have added two new books to my TBR (To Be Read) list.
1. Nacronomics by Tom Wainwright
2. American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
What didn't work for me:
This book is self-published, it is not something I would have mentioned here but for the proofreading errors. This would have gotten a four star rating from me if not for the various grammatical errors/ typos/ skipped words/ extra words etc. throughout the text. I would have recommended it for a re-read except that the errors make reading it tedious. (Call me an English Nazi, but that's how it is!)
There is more to come; if one looks at the listing. Some of the quips about Rashmi's personality makes it clear that she is on her way to becoming a great detective in the making, this is Book #1, after all (can’t wait to go on more exciting journeys with her!).
P.S. Rashmi's father, Dheeraj Purohit, is absolutely right, when he says the following (which can one day become very popular quotes on Reading, and I am thankful to the author for writing them!):
Special Mention:
The cover of the book is cool! It matches the description, given of Rashmi, in the text to a T. And the illustrations clearly show what the book is about.
Related Readings:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajani_Pandit (India's first woman private investigator)
(*an Indian snack)
Did this adventure capture your imagination? Let's talk about it …
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/2018/06/28/pi-agency-by-neelabh-pratap-singh/
My Rating: 3/5
Genre: Crime Thriller (Fiction)
Pages: 313 (Paperback)
Publisher: Self-Published
Date of Publication: 21 June, 2018
Synopsis:
Rashmi Purohit, a detective in her own right, runs an organization by the name of Pi Agency, with her two sidekicks Akshay Arora – a software engineer/bumbling boozer, and Diksha Patel – a golgappa*-loving marketing executive. A failed CBI aspirant, she started her own detective agency to maintain a semblance of what her father had envisioned her life as – a father she loved but lost long back.
Brajesh Arya, the affluent owner of a management consultancy firm in Gurgaon, can't seem to rid his only son, Rohan, of his drug addiction. He has tried everything, from admitting his son to a De-Addiction Center, to filing complaints with the authorities, to using hired muscle, but nothing seems to put a stop to the nefarious activities of the drug suppliers. As a last resort, desperately acting on his secretary's opinion, he approaches Det. Rashmi Purohit in the hope that she will be able to reach the bottom of this menace.
When a hapless father, after chasing innumerable options but not finding success anywhere, pins his hope on Rashmi – what is the final outcome? Does she succeed in nabbing the perpetrators? Or is there something more than meets the eye?
And when an agreement she entered into with someone she trusted goes awry, there are suspicions galore. Can she trust her client implicitly, or is there something Mr. Arya is not telling her?
Will this be the case which finally gives a much-needed break to her unacknowledged agency?
Review:
I want you to eradicate the problem itself.
And thus starts the thrilling journey. The author has done a commendable job with the pacing of the story, with the short, and crisp chapters, and keeping it to the point. The style of narration is omniscient, with proper execution. I completed the book in about five to six hours, and it is possible to read it in one sitting only due to its gripping storyline (and an occasional dose of humour). Peppered with titbits about daily/Delhi-NCR life may appear uneventful at first, but it supplements the storyline nicely.
This is the first time I am reading this author's work. Set within the time frame of a few weeks, juggling with the themes of cryptocurrency, drug-abuse, etc., the book is somehow relevant to the current times, despite it being a work of fiction. Some new ideas used in the story points towards the author's ingenuity. Being a Delhi gal who lives a stone's throw away from Connaught Place, and who has been to almost all the places mentioned in the book, this story feels like home to me, in spite of its dark undertones.
Fear has more power to deter someone than assertions alone.
In a detective novel, it is really necessary to set up back stories, and gradually open up the cards at the appropriate places, which the author achieves with élan. There is not only suspense in the story, but in Rashmi's backstory as well. In fact, at one point in the story, I started to wonder, 'Hell, who is playing whom here?'
There is judicious use of characters, just about right, neither overcrowding the story; nor making it feel that there is a need for more of them to make sense. And don't get fooled by the snazzy titles of the employees, though clumsy and reckless, they too are mean detectives in the making (or sidekicks at least!). I especially enjoyed Akshay-Diksha's camaraderie, and Diksha's cheekiness made it more of an enjoyable read. Also, the flashbacks, and reminisces into her past helps the readers understand what makes Rashmi tick. Having recently watched Jessica Jones, Rashmi reminded me of her, a broken badass who is just living by with some monotonous cases until the thrill of a major chase starts (but of course, without the superpowers). I am a romantic reader (at heart), but the readers like me – be warned – coz there's no romance in this detective story (series?), not that it is necessary. Sure, there are some romantic undertones, and this is only Book #1 (I am only saying that a girl can hope, or I may just be delusional!)
Offend anyone, and they would spit out the truth to save their honour.
The text has some hard-hitting quotes, some of which I have shared throughout the review.
What I liked:
• There are no loopholes in the plot, not as far as I can see, the author ties all the loose ends of the story perfectly.
• I got to learn a few new investigative expressions. (It is for you to read and find out.)
• The technical jargons have explanations in layman's terms (which is really helpful for readers like me, who have no idea of the workings of certain technologies).
• The story ends on a suspenseful note, which raises the question, 'Is the case really solved? Or is there more to it?'
• I have added two new books to my TBR (To Be Read) list.
1. Nacronomics by Tom Wainwright
2. American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
What didn't work for me:
This book is self-published, it is not something I would have mentioned here but for the proofreading errors. This would have gotten a four star rating from me if not for the various grammatical errors/ typos/ skipped words/ extra words etc. throughout the text. I would have recommended it for a re-read except that the errors make reading it tedious. (Call me an English Nazi, but that's how it is!)
There is more to come; if one looks at the listing. Some of the quips about Rashmi's personality makes it clear that she is on her way to becoming a great detective in the making, this is Book #1, after all (can’t wait to go on more exciting journeys with her!).
P.S. Rashmi's father, Dheeraj Purohit, is absolutely right, when he says the following (which can one day become very popular quotes on Reading, and I am thankful to the author for writing them!):
Make reading your hobby, even if you don't like to read. You will learn things that will prove useful when you least expect it.
When you stand in the darkness, when you have lost all hope, when you can't see any path to walk ahead, read; reading will act as the lantern to show you the path. It might not take you to the destination, but it will keep on guiding you towards a resolution.
Special Mention:
The cover of the book is cool! It matches the description, given of Rashmi, in the text to a T. And the illustrations clearly show what the book is about.
Related Readings:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajani_Pandit (India's first woman private investigator)
(*an Indian snack)
Did this adventure capture your imagination? Let's talk about it …
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/2018/06/28/pi-agency-by-neelabh-pratap-singh/