Antarghaat (eng. The Enemy Within)

অন্তর্ঘাত

Author – Bani Basu

Genre – Naxalite movement, Mystery, Thriller

Source - eBook

Rating - 4

Read - November 2015

Very interesting book, this. If you take it solely as a murder mystery novel, it is somewhat predictable, albeit with the deftness, fluency, and that mix of readability and literary merit which is a preserve of only the best of writers (as I often insist, middlebrow literature in India is only found in regional literature). As a social commentary of the future of many Naxalites of Kolkata after the '70s, it in honest, bold and brutal, but perhaps lacks some answers, and more importantly, some questions. 
But as a book, standalone, it is excellent! 

Do note, I really, really rate Bani Basu as a writer, her Gaandharvi, for example, remains one of my favorite short novels. Interesting to note that this was written in 1987, and is one of her earliest works.

PS: I hear that there's a decent translation available - details of the translation here.

Career Of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3)

Author – Robert Galbraith (J K Rowling)

Genre – Detective, Mystery, Thriller

Source - Audiobook

Rating - 4

Read - November 2015

So... interesting book, this. Very deeply researched, and it shows. Perhaps the most bloody and disturbing of all Cormoran Strike stories, and the violence does not seem out of place, there is a serial killer on the loose. So then, why do I reserve judgment? 
Look, there are a lot of good things in this book. First, Robin is excellent! This is the first strike book where Strike is not the lead protagonist, Robin is. And Robin is an excellent protagonist. Better, at a stretch, than Cormoran. Second, about the relationships. This is a seven-book series, and the narrative is held together by the chemistry between Strike and Robin, and this book is where JKR is pushing the envelop a little bit on the relationship front. Very interesting to see what happens. Perhaps she would want to rectify the Harry-Hermione mistake, as she calls it? We shall see. But let's say that this book has a better Robin, and in most parts a better Cormoran than the two previous ones. Third. the detection, the plot. Does it hold up? Is it innovative enough? Simple answer, yes. 
Then what doesn't work here? The ensemble. One of JKR's best traits has been creating excellent ensemble characters - something that's completely absent in this book. None of the other characters stay on in the reader's mind after the end. Even the serial killer seems like a prop. 
You do remember that both Cuckoo and Silkworm had excellent ensembles. As of course did Harry Potter, and Casual Vacancy was an ensemble piece anyway.
And so there you go. The first-ever less-than-perfect rating for a JKR book by a fanboy. 4/5.

My reviews of previous Robert Galbraith books:
The Silkworm;
The Cuckoo's Calling;

My review of other JKR Books:
The Casual Vacancy;