Every time I read a book written by Novoneel Chakraborty (and yes, I've read 15 novels, 2 e-novels, and a collection of short stories by him), the first thought that comes to mind is - 'Why did he write it?' Well, while the answer to this question might never come to me, what I do know is what his books make me feel! Whisper to Me Your Lies, his recent release, made me grin (and I know how sadistic that sounds), but you can blame it on my recent serial-killer series/news/book binging experience. So, without further ado, let's get into the details!
About the Book- Ekantika Pakrashi has just lost the love of her life. Preliminary reports suggest it was no accident. Her boyfriend was murdered in cold blood and the modus operandi resembles that of India's most notorious serial killer of the 1990s: the Cellotape Killer. He was never caught, and if this indeed was him, then he had resurfaced after twenty-one years.
Ekantika swears to find the killer and get an emotional closure, but what she doesn't know is that in the process she may end up wounding herself irreversibly. Follow this exciting chase as the dark alley turns out to be a twisted labyrinth and it seems the killer is actually coming for . . . her.Whisper To Me Your Lies is a fast-paced, chilling crime thriller and a poignant tale of a girl's single-minded obsession to find out who altered her life. And why.
The story revolves around Ekantika Pakrashi & the murder of her live-in boyfriend, Faizaan Ahmed, by the Cello-Tape killer. Here, the first thing I would like to say is, I loved the modus operandi. The fact that I was reading about serial killers and unsolved cases made me actually connect to the book on a deeper level than I expected. Now, the book comes with several other characters with stories of their own, that makes the story what it is. The return of a well-loved character from his past book brought out a vocal wooting and an ear to ear smile from my side for sure! And somehow I would want to see Taksh return in some other book as well. Personally, though, I also did a little dance at seeing 'Vanya' as a character!
While reading the book, I had made several assumptions along the way, but let most of it to rest because I know better than this. Chakraborty won't let anyone even wildly guess what's going on without making us dance on our toes for quite a while first.
Next up, the narration. The book shifts back and forth into the past and present through the eyes of different people. The best part about that is, you can visually shift through the distinct narrations, all thanks to the different styles of font used for them (no, not his usual italics), which you would only notice if paid keen attention to. If there's one thing that Chakraborty has managed to keep up with over a decade of writing novels, then it has to be his flawless writing style.
The book explicitly mentions revenge as a theme. Or, is it? Well, I'll leave that part for you to decipher as you pick this book up on your weekend binge reading session. At almost 300 pages, I completed reading this book at a stretch and isn't that what it's supposed to be like when the book is unputdownable? After one point, you make it your day's purpose to figure out who the Cello Tape Killer is and won't be able to sleep before you know it! The revelation, however, didn't disappoint.
Do I really have to speak about the cons of the book? Sigh! Well, if I have to mention something, then probably I'll say that this book had the typical Novoneel Chakraborty essence in it, but somewhere deep down, it didn't. Don't get me wrong here, the book answered a lot of questions going on in my mind most definitely. But maybe it was a few places which felt..umm..I don't know..like something could've been polished? But then again, you can blame this nitpicking as a con of my profession!
All in all, though, the third book of the Obsession Trilogy (after Roses are Blood Red and Cross Your Heart, Take My Name) deserves a read for sure as I forcefully stop writing more and give this one a 4.5 out of 5! Here's looking forward to being a Novoneel Chakraborty reader for the longest time ever!