PLOT: 3.5/5 CHARACTERS: 3.5/5 WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5 CLIMAX: 3.5/5 ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5
When things go missing, then the obvious outcome is to search for them, but when people go missing, then it is a ghastly experience for those who are left behind.
This is not only because they cannot fathom where and how their companion went without notifying them, but also because in the long run, those who are left behind are held under suspicion for the attempt of abduction.
This situation calls for a professional to deal with and help sort the matter out. And that is exactly what happens in this debut novel by Subhadeep Ghosal.
The plot is set in an Indian village that is distant from the city or town and remotely located, away from more developed areas. People here are simple and come from humble backgrounds.
The plot opens with the character of Hironmoy, who happens to come across a trespasser in the village. This trespasser introduces himself as William Bose, and as the name suggests, he is from a mixed lineage, as his father is Bengali from India and his mother is Portuguese.
This person gets along well with the villagers, is fun-loving, easy-going, a bit of a gossip monger, and a teetotaller. He adjusts well with the people of the village, who also come to trust and accept him. He mentions that he is a professional involved in the police service in Europe, but was removed from his post due to a spine injury that made him unfit for the job.
This makes him want to study further, and that’s what brings him to the Indian village. In fact, William Bose mentions that he is in India to conduct a dissertation on the Indian police force.
The central issue within the novel arises when a tigress in the forest surrounding the village goes missing, followed by some men who are thought to have been devoured by the tigress. In course of events, William Bose turns detective as he is entrusted with the task of finding out the truth behind the abductions, and the mysteries that follow, leading to an enticing detective novel.
The novel sustains more on the strength and depth of the plot while the characters are scattered throughout, though there are staunch distinctions between major and minor characters. The major characters are well drawn while the minor characters are functional and brought in as and when required.
For example, Hironmoy and William Bose take up a lot of space in the novel, have significant dialogue exchanges, and relay the important aspects of the novel, while the minor characters receive passing references. At times, they find mention in the fact that they are missing and serve to populate the plot without taking the focus away from William Bose and his activities.
William Bose as a detective is also very different from the usual grim figures mostly drawn in books. He is shown to enjoy the lighter side of life while also being passionate about his work and higher studies. He is quirky and this makes the novel more interesting as he is a character that the reader wants to learn more about.
The writing style is easy to follow, has moderately difficult vocabulary, and has a pace that fluctuates, but in a controlled manner, adding to the entertaining aspect of the book.
The pace is neither too fast nor too slow, but variates between the two as per the need of the scenes. This helps to lay emphasis on certain scenes, which provide the conflict and climax while it makes other scenes as comic relief or just connectors to the next aspect of the plot.
The book cover is good but can get a little confusing as the name of the detective is said to be William Bose and he is of mixed descent while the figure of the man on the cover looks more foreign and has very few traces of any Indianness.
On the whole, the book is very different from usual detective novels and has a freshness that combines with the suspense, terror, and trauma of unnatural events to find solutions that are practical, logical, and rational.
At 263 pages, the book is moderately lengthy, keeps readers on the edge, and in terms of leaving readers to ask for more definitely makes them look forward to and ask for the next book in the series.
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