An Invitation to Death - Book Review

Title: An Invitation to Death 

Author: Anil Thakraney

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

ISBN: 978-93-82665-43-4

Number of Pages: 159

Price: 195 [INR]

Genre: Thriller

The Blurb:

An Invitation to Death is the gripping story of a serial killer set in contemporary India. Darius Irani, a hyper-intelligent young man, goes on a murderous spree, targeting young, beautiful, urban women, who fall prey to his easy charm, sense of humour and innate madness. 

Strangely, he does not rape his victims, but the brutalisation is savage-like, indicating a deep hatred for women. The killer manages to evade the cops every single time. As the inevitable cat and mouse game plays out – with a great deal of blood spilling along the way, and climaxing in a devastating reality – the journey reveals the depravity of the human mind, and the way politicians, police and media deal with hard crime in this country.

My Review:

Characters:

       Darius is a handsome stranger that women fall for from the first sight. Quite a charmer, he is also the most wanted serial killer of the nation who has left everyone aghast with his brutal killings. An intelligent man but with a twisted past - that is Darius Irani for you.

       Meet Azeem Khan, a retired crime branch officer, who had caught one of the most wanted criminals in his days of service. Now pulled out of his retirement due to the threat that has left the nation aghast and the crime branch in shame, Khan has only one mission. Catch Darius before he strikes again. Old school, Out of the box thinking and an instinctive person are the words that I would use to describe Khan.

Plot:

       With a high IQ that puts scholars to shame, Darius could have done wonders but things change when he start using his brilliance to cause havoc. Killing random women in a brutal way and at random places, no one knows what Darius is after or who will be his next victim. The media doesn't fail to make the killings a huge news and the minister puts pressure on the crime branch as he is targeted by the ministers of other nations and public alike. It is under these circumstances that khan is pulled out of his retirement to catch Darius. Thus begins the chase.

      The story continues depicting the plotting Khan does to catch Darius and Darius's excitement as he sees himself getting famous. He isn't afraid to strike again and he isn't a fool either to leave behind any traces. Khan is determined to find him but will he be able to do that before Darius strikes again? Or will Khan be too late? Does his lateral thinking help him this time too or will he end up failing everyone?

Things I Liked:

• The plot - The author has done a great job in sketching the plot carefully enough to keep the readers glued to the novel. While Darius's brilliance and Khan's sharp wit keep the readers enticed, Singh and Kamble's plotting and spice to the story. 
• The story is divided into bits and the scene keeps changing almost in every page. Though it was difficult to keep up with in the beginning, this very fact adds up as an advantage as the story progresses.
• The pace is fast and the story is written in an absolutely no-nonsense manner.
• And the best and my most favorite part of the novel was the ending. Just when I thought everything has settled down and all is well, there goes a B-A-N-G that had my jaw dropped, wondering how did that happen!

Things I Disliked:

• It was a little confusing in the beginning to understand what was going on.
• Few Hindi dialogues are included in between which add to the flow of the story but might be difficult for those who aren't well aware of the language.

Verdict:

     A gripping tale that is worth every penny paid! Highly recommended for those who love to read thrillers.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars!

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Swathi :)