The cover being the most ‘striking’ feature of the book, the title simply adds up to the splendor. Happily Murdered…. This debut work by Rasleen Syal raises the expectations from the first look at the cover. The bridal attire and the blood accentuate the beauty of the cover all the more. And so does the blurb…
On the back cover- ‘Who killed Gulab Sarin?’The radiant new daughter-in-law of the influential Mehta family dies mysteriously on the very next night of her wedding. The murder is an inside job, the police are certain. It could be anyone- the adulterous husband, conniving in-laws, jealous friend or the love struck ex-fiancée. With an aim to save themselves and incriminate others, it is not long before these suspects turn into amateur detectives, hunting for clues and delving into hidden secrets only they can unearth. They coerce, pry and blackmail in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery. Will one of these nine unlikely sleuths finally unravel the mystery behind Gulab’s death and avenge it? Or will the truth die and viciously as Gulab?
As the blurb seems interesting, so is the book. The book starts with the narration of Gulab dancing in the pavilion and then, death. It then catches the pace with the narration in two parts. One with Gulab telling her part, and the other with how the family members play detective to find out the bottom of the mystery.
As the book advances, one feels that even they are a part of the mystery of Gulab’s death. For once, the authoress can make the readers feel Gulab and at the same time, the authoress makes a great attempt in showing the readers what the family members feel at the current scenario.
There are even points in the story where the readers themselves start to link the points and unearth the mystery and I believe, that’s a very big compliment for any writer. Everyone becomes very eager to reach the conclusion to the book which I am sure the readers would be flabbergasted at.
When the revelation is done, the readers still feel that they have unearthed it but again they are caught in the maze of the mystery. For me, in the end, I was both tears and smiles! It should’ve been the perfect end for the book.
Apart from all that, I felt that a bit more bewilderment in the scenes or a bit of twists and turns would’ve done the trick. A few printing errors were there which were very much avoidable. For me, it is a very next to perfect book, giving it 4 out of 5.
On the back cover- ‘Who killed Gulab Sarin?’The radiant new daughter-in-law of the influential Mehta family dies mysteriously on the very next night of her wedding. The murder is an inside job, the police are certain. It could be anyone- the adulterous husband, conniving in-laws, jealous friend or the love struck ex-fiancée. With an aim to save themselves and incriminate others, it is not long before these suspects turn into amateur detectives, hunting for clues and delving into hidden secrets only they can unearth. They coerce, pry and blackmail in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery. Will one of these nine unlikely sleuths finally unravel the mystery behind Gulab’s death and avenge it? Or will the truth die and viciously as Gulab?
As the blurb seems interesting, so is the book. The book starts with the narration of Gulab dancing in the pavilion and then, death. It then catches the pace with the narration in two parts. One with Gulab telling her part, and the other with how the family members play detective to find out the bottom of the mystery.
As the book advances, one feels that even they are a part of the mystery of Gulab’s death. For once, the authoress can make the readers feel Gulab and at the same time, the authoress makes a great attempt in showing the readers what the family members feel at the current scenario.
There are even points in the story where the readers themselves start to link the points and unearth the mystery and I believe, that’s a very big compliment for any writer. Everyone becomes very eager to reach the conclusion to the book which I am sure the readers would be flabbergasted at.
When the revelation is done, the readers still feel that they have unearthed it but again they are caught in the maze of the mystery. For me, in the end, I was both tears and smiles! It should’ve been the perfect end for the book.
Apart from all that, I felt that a bit more bewilderment in the scenes or a bit of twists and turns would’ve done the trick. A few printing errors were there which were very much avoidable. For me, it is a very next to perfect book, giving it 4 out of 5.
Thanks for such a kind review, Sharanya. Glad that you liked the book.
ReplyDeleteKeep writing Rasleen! :)
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