All The Sinners Bleed - S.A. Cosby - Book Review

 

I had been considering trying a new author when I accidentally came across this book in the library. The name seemed interesting enough to catch my attention, and hence the read.

Titus, an ex-FBI agent, is the first black sheriff in Charon County. Even in this modern year, there is racism still underlying in the county. A year into the office, a school shooting happens that results in the death of a black person, the perpetrator. As the investigation progresses, more deaths happen, and Titus and his team realise that they are in for a wild ride. The violent crimes lead them to believe that a serial killer is hiding in plain sight. As the killer taunts Titus, he has to fight inner demons, tensions due to the far-right group, his dysfunctional personal life and catch the killer before it is too late.

To start with, I am happy to discover this author. The blurb made me look out for a racy story. But that was not so. The book was slow-paced. At the same time, there was no dearth of excitement. There were times when the reading was crawling at a snail's pace, but there was something or the other happening in the story that still managed to keep us hooked into the story. This is more of a crime procedural story. I liked how the social conditions of the county were described. Racism is an underlying theme in the story, and it pretty much runs in tandem with the main storyline. I was particularly impressed by the storytelling and character building of SA Cosby. Almost all the characters are grey shaded, and as the story progresses, the author keeps adding bits of layers to the story and characters. The detailing is spot o,n and the writings take us into the county. I enjoyed the chemistry that Titus has with his father and brother. The FBI background makes him see the crimes in a proper way, and we do not feel it is forced due to that. The crimes are violent, and some people might find it uncomfortable. There are red flags like racism, school shootings, violent death, right extremism, crime against children, etc. These can be trigger points for some. Also, the slow pace can give an undulating experience to the reader.

To sum it up, this is a brilliantly written story that touches a lot of social issues and gives a good procedural crime story. SA Cosby is an author whose works I need to check out more in the future.  

In The Tall Grass - Stephen King & Joe Hill - Book Review

 

I went on a trip last week and was looking for a quick read during the travel time. Browsing through my Kindle led to this novella. I quickly remembered watching a trailer for the adaptation of this book, which prompted me to read it. 

The story revolves around two siblings, Cal and Becky, who are travelling and what they encounter on the way. They are twins and in most cases, two single-minded bodies. On the way, they encounter a place with tall grass on the roadside where they hear a boy asking for help. He tells them that he and his mother are stranded in the long grass and they are not able to find their way out. Sceptical at first, they decide to help when they hear the mother of the kid warning him to be quiet or "he" will find them. But they go ahead, and what transpires from the story of the novella. Will they be able to find the boy? Is there more happening than they see? What happens to the brother sister duo? 

To start with, this turned out to be a quick read. This was a novella that could be read within an hour or so. But the authors do not shy away from maintaining their usual writing style. Like father, like son. Stephen King and Joe Hill did not infuse scares in this novella, but genuinely made me uncomfortable with the setting. Once the characters venture into the tall grass, it makes me feel a bit claustrophobic, even though the story was set in a field. It was creepy, and things can turn out gory for some people. I love how the few characters in the story had their own space and were able to make an impact in the little time they got. The antagonist was portrayed very well. I love the subtle meaning hidden in the backdrop, like in any Stephen King book. The writing was simple enough to read through. The interactions that the antagonist and the boy has with the siblings were the highlight according to me and these set the tone for the things to follow. I was amazed at how the writers succeeded in telling a full story with a bit of back story, a solid story and an interesting bait-picking finish.

In short, an interesting and quick novella that will entice horror readers. The father-son duo has done full justice to the twisted setting that they take us into. I will have to check more books by Joe Hill.

Random Ramblings # 9 - Handling Excuses!

 

A few days back, as I was walking down the road, my daughter pointed me towards a quote displayed in a gym ad - "You should be bigger than your excuses".

What an apt quote for a gym! Going to the gym is one of the things we often include in our resolutions each year, but then we end up making excuses to drop it from the resolution, only to bring it back again next year.

As I walked on, this quote stuck in my mind. This one is not only for the gym, but also for our lives. We, as humans, take refuge behind excuses the majority of the time. Whether it is while making a big decision, taking a new step in life, learning a new thing or being in a stage where we are questioning. Many of us seek out excuses to easily wriggle ourselves out of such situations. Being in the safe zone has become ingrained in our characters so much that we tend to sway towards making excuses unintentionally sometimes.

To deal with this problem, we need to change our perspective. Rather than looking for a reason to dissuade ourselves, we need to start asking, "What can I do to better myself in such situations?"

Excuses branch into procrastination, laziness, self-doubt, and comfort zones. Axing excuses at the root can destroy all these other branches. Next time you want to make excuses, ask yourself, "Am I going to let it stop me?"

How do you handle excuses?

Gaban - Munshi Premchand - Book Review

            I have been reading Tamil, English and Malayalam books to date. This year I had planned to read a book in a new language. I decided it to be Hindi. Barring the textbooks, this is my first full-length Hindi novel. Whenever I start looking for a Hindi book, the first name that pops up is Munshi Premchand. I had heard the name from some of my textbooks as well. So, why not start with one of his works!

            Gaban is the story of a young man who wants to please his newlywed wife. He is totally smitten by her and wants to please her. When his wife expresses her love for jewellery, especially necklaces, he starts taking loans and finally misappropriation funds. Things start getting out of hand, and he runs away to escape from shame and arrest. He ends up in a different town, and his life takes a different turn. Things start looking to go on track, but then take a dip. How do these affect the person, and everyone around him, form the story.

            For a good part of the first half, the story revolves around the greed of a woman and the psychology of a man in such cases. From there, Munshi Premchand takes us through a lot of things on how humans can be, the plight of people back then, etc. The storyline was set around the pre-independence period, and we get to see how everything used to be back then. The language being Hindi was a bit complex, and it did take me almost two months to finish it. Reading it on Kindle helped, as I could check the meanings of the words without much fuss. Also, there were a few pages that I felt dragged. There were some good characters and the relationships, like friendship, husband-wife dynamics, and father-son relations, that were well brought out. Even back then, the way people with power try to stand over the lesser people is well reflected here. 

            The word Gaban means misappropriation. According to me, this does not mean money but also love, faith and morality as well. Relationships are something we tend to take for granted. In short, this is a good read for a first-time Hindi novel reader. Hopefully, I will explore more writers and their works.

The Last Devil to Die - Richard Osman - Book Review

 

                One of the books I read last year was the first book of The Thursday Murder Club Mystery series. It was interesting enough and prompted me to look out for more of them in the series. This book caught my attention during my recent visit to the library. Well! It is not the second book of the series. But I went ahead and gave it a try.

           Stephen's friend, Kuldesh, an antiques dealer, gets killed, and a package that was in his place has gone missing. For the Thursday Murder Club, it is a personal matter, and they need to get to the bottom of this mystery. They cross paths with drug dealers, gangs and art forgers, and the body count starts rising. Will they be able to find the perpetrator form the rest of the story.

          To start with, this was an interesting storyline. The author succeeds in catching our attention from the start. The main characters, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are poles apart but just right as a team. I enjoyed the banter between them and how the characters play on with the story. They are quirky and witty as in the first book. I read the fourth book without covering the second and third ones. But that did not bother me in any way. You can read this separately. There are a few references to the old books, but you can still read this as a standalone. There are places where the story slows down. But the writer skillfully keeps us reading at a slower pace and not get bored with the same. The language and reading experience are breezy and enjoyable. 

            In short, a good and cosy mystery read that can be enjoyed in a single sitting, barring a few hiccups. This is a fitting continuation of a sweet and cosy mystery series. 

            

                

Read my reviews of other books by Richard Osman below.

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman