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Book Review: Private India

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Book Review: Private India

About the book: When Santosh Wagh isn’t struggling out of a bottle of whisky he’s head of Private India, the Mumbai branch of the world’s finest PI agency.

In a city of over thirteen million he has his work cut out at the best of times. But now someone is killing women – seemingly unconnected women murdered in a chilling ritual, with strange objects placed carefully at their death scenes.

Book Review: Private India

As Santosh and his team race to find the killer, an even greater danger faces Private India – a danger that could threaten the lives of thousands of innocent Mumbai citizens.

Gist: When a series of seemingly unconnected murders rock the city of Mumbai with the macabre rituals and artefacts found around the corpses, Private India, a leading investigation agency takes the case. Santosh Wagh, the head of the organization, has only one mission. He needs to stop the killers before they strike again. However, in a city of over 13 million people, he finds that the clock is ticking too fast. He finds himself pitted against underworld dons and a Godman who isn’t what he seems. However, the worst is yet to come and Private India itself may be threatened with a revelation that could destroy the entire organization.

MRP: Rs.350/- (Rs.190/- HERE)

Private India is co-authored by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi.

About the Authors

Ashwin Sanghi is an Indian writer and entrepreneur. He has also written: Chanakya’s Chant and The Krishna Key. He is also known by his pseudonym: Shawn Haigins.

James Patterson is a bestselling American writer. He is best known for Along Came a Spider, Jack & Jill, When the Wind Blows and Step on a Crack among over 100 others.

Don’t go by the thickness or size of the book, the font is big and you can easily finish the book in 1-2 days if you get too engrossed, to max 3-4 days.

Its actually quite engrossing, once you get into the story. Nice twists and turns in the plot.

Private India is the most hi-tech and reputed Indian private detective agency headed by the inimitable Santosh Wagh and it runs as a branch of ‘Private Worldwide’ detective organization, the one and only of its kind.

You do feel at times that there are too many characters to remember, though each have their part to play. I personally like the character of Nisha Gandhe.

The story revolves around Mumbai, from Colaba Causeway to Dharavi, it portrays a picture of Mumbai less known to people.

I liked the fact that the plot was fast paced, a trait of James Patterson. And also that the plot grips you till the end and does not give out the mystery anywhere. But, in the middle it does get a little loose. It could have been more gripping throughout.

Rating: 3.5/5

Have you read James Patterson/Ashwin Sanghi’s Private India yet ?

P.S: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review: The Hunt for Kohinoor

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Book Review: The Hunt for Kohinoor

About the book: The Hunt for Kohinoor’ is a spine-chilling ninety-six hour hunt through the world’s most dangerous terrain, where history collides with gunfire, for the elusive Kohinoor. Coming to your nearest bookstores this December 2013.

Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is the author of Earning the Laundry Stripes, The Long Walk Home, the national bestseller The Taj Conspiracy, and the thriller, The Hunt for Kohinoor.

Price : Rs. 295/-

It is a book about Mehrunissa Khosa – start to finish, and no one else. It is about how she is practically forced to help in the investigation, with grave risk to her own life and liberty, in a 96-hour long race that will determine the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands – as well as the lives of her loved ones. It is a book of an innocent citizen getting caught in the biggest international hot-spot – India/Pakistan, and how she is brutally used to further national interest.


The first half of the book lays the plot and the background of the entire scenario with characterisation of the supporting characters. This is not wasted, as it has been well done – not too much detail, not too little; just enough detail to enable you to understand each character and his or her motives. Each characters reasons for behaving as they did has been clearly spelled out, which actually gives a deep understanding of the scenario, enhancing your reading pleasure.

The scenes literally play out in front of your eyes, so vivid is the description and so rich but simple is the language used. This is what the combination of deep characterisation and effective narrative has attained.

The story is gripping in nature but it gets a bit draggy at various places and I felt like skipping a couple of paragraphs and pages in between.

Overall sometimes I felt its dragged but otherwise its quite engaging..and I say, worth a try.

Have you read Manreet’s The Taj Conspiracy or The Hunt for Kohinoor ?

P.S: Book sent for review. Honest opinion.

Book Review: Love @ Air Force by Gaurav Sharma

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Book Review: Love @ Air Force by Gaurav Sharma

About the book : The violent romance of the Fighter planes with the clouds in sky… the pulchritudinous Officers walking around arrogantly… the runway with the logo constituted by the concentric tricolored circles in the background… is the spectacle meets our eyes at the feeble mention of the Air Force but there is more about the Air Force besides these…

This is Gaurav Sharma’s first book..and for the first time, he has done quite well..

The story is about two friends, Sushil and Shabd, and how they meet at the Air Force after 20 years..and how their lives get connected again..and then the 3rd friend Soumya enters co-incidentally who is also the love of Shabd’s life..though one sided..as known to him..

The entire journey is narrated through Sushil’s voice..each and every scene is described in such a way that the picture is crystal clear in front of your eyes..

There are few extra spaces at the start here and there..and also punctuation marks required. At few places, I felt some descriptions and paras added..were not required and took the scene to a different tangent.

But other than that, very well narrated and the story is etched quite nicely..and linked perfectly..

I loved reading it..and at 150 bucks, its quite worth it !

Highly recommend.

Have you read Love @ Air Force ?

P.S: Sent for review but honest opinion.

Book Review: The Homing Pigeons

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Book Review: The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..

When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..


They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

The theme of this novel is ‘not all love stories are perfect but then, neither are people.’ 

The name and theme is just apt for the book..though its a debut novel for Sid Bahri, he definitely comes out like a pro.


The story is about Aditya and Radhika, their lives, their childhood, how they met, how they separated..and times and again met and separated..to finally meet at the end..which is quiet predictable from the name of the book..


But how..is all the crux..how their lives keep on changing..one chapter is narrated from the perspective of Radhika and another of Aditya..and they keep on going in the flashback in between..there are a few times when the whole chapter is in flashback and then suddenly comes to the present in the next..it could have left many confused..but the author manages to make it a good interesting read without confusing the readers..

Though the end is predictable, how everything happens is what brings out the curiosity in you and keeps you on the edge to keep on reading more..you would not feel like giving up the book unless you read what next !

Quiet an interesting read I would say ! Highly recommended..great work Sid !

Have you read The Homing Pigeons ?

P.S: Book sent for review.

Book Review: The Guardian Angels by Rohit Gore

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Book Review: The Guardian Angels by Rohit Gore

About the book : The Guardian Angels is the epic and tumultuous story of two star-crossed lovers who weren’t just soul-mates but were also each other’s protectors.

The fates of Adi Mehta and Radha Deodhar are deeply entwined when within days of their first rendezvous they save each other’s lives.

Despite their vast sociopolitical differences, they are drawn to an uncertain future fraught with contrasting ambitions, personas and ideologies.

. . . he is the son of a billionaire, she is the daughter of a socialist.
. . . he is quiet and unassuming, she is a firebrand and spirited.

However, the unexplained phenomena ties them forever – whenever they are in peril, they are each other’s only saviors.

Over the following two decades Adi and Radha live through hope and despair, joy and sadness, and try to decipher their relationship. As the truth of their bond is revealed, they must confront the true nature of love, and ultimately, their destinies.

This book is Author Rohit Gore’s fourth book..I have not read the first three..so don’t know much about them..

But I would say I can trust buying his books now onwards..coming to The Guardian Angels, its a story of Radha and Adi, best of friends ? Soul mates ? Lovers ? What relationship did they share ? As described perfectly by Nicole at the end, they were each others’ Guardian Angels !

I loved how he described each and every single little detail..you can imagine the whole thing exactly in front of you..the writing is amazing..I am a fan, Rohit Gore ! The book keeps you hooked and engaged as to what next..every time I had to stop reading it coz I had other work or had to sleep, I used to get so excited to continue it..to know what happened later..

Though it did lose somewhere little bit, when it was too much in depth, where not required..I feel thats ok..considering how amazing the overall book is..

A little grammatical errors here and there and you can see the clear Bollywood plus real life inspirations from here and there (Billionaire..you know who it is..and the house Samriddhi..you know this similar tall 27 storey bungalow/building in Mumbai :D)..as far as writing goes, full marks..I definitely recommend this book !! And am going to buy more of Rohit Gore for sure. And at the pricing of Rs.125/-, its totally worth it and paisa vasool.

Its well divided into different parts when they were kids to in their 20s and 30s and the whole thing narrated through Radha’s diary.

What happens at the end..do they meet or marry or what happens to their relationship ? Well, you have to read it to know 😀

This book would make you feel, having a guardian angel in your life too, like Adi/Radha.

Romwe is having another flash sale..awesome pieces at great prices..Super slim price flash sale! Only 48 hours!
Fashionable best sellers! $7.99 up!
Don’t miss, girls!

Go: http://www.romwe.com/manage_activity/Best-Sellers-Flash-Sale/?thakkar

Did you read The Guardian Angels ? How do you find it ?

P.S: Book sent for review.