Book Review : ‘Dead in a Mumbai Minute' by Madhumita Bhattacharya

‘Dead in Mumbai Minute’ is a part to what I hope is not a trilogy. I do not want it to end, with a third book itself. That being said, I should also add, that it is the second part to the series, the first of which was called ‘The Masala Murder’. 

Called a Reema Ray mystery was a good start to the novel. It gives you an extra thrill when you start off from the cover itself. Not to mention the cover page with a woman and a gun.

Reema Ray is the pretty and clever detective of this book. She was working in Kolkata, prior to this. She has just joined Titanium in Mumbai. Titanium, headed by Shayak Gupta is probably the best detective agency in the country, and with their hi-tech gadgets and their equally competent people, they are expected to find the culprits. Shayak is pretty well-connected considering his previous army background, and is in touch with top cops in Mumbai’s police force. 

The story begins with a murder on a private island, owned by Bollywood superstar, Kimaya. Kimaya, who was married to Shayak (a secret to the public), has hired him for managing her private security detail. He is now hands on and is expected to find the murderer of the victim, Ashutosh Dingre, who was Kimaya’s agent. He was a kindly, old guy and a thorough gentleman.

Reema and Shayak set out to find the murderer, before Shayak and Kimaya’s relationship comes out in the open. Shayak, who has a few secrets to keep, now wants to stay out of the whole fiasco, due to which he pushes Reema into the spotlight. I might also add about Reema and Shayak’s on and off romantic twists.

How she finds the murderer, and manages to save Shayak from the undue embarrassment leads to the end of this story. I think this book is good, in spite of the slight extra masala of Shayak’s agency, despite his connections. It is a good book, and I would like to read the future novels. The action in the novel proves equal to an Akshay Kumar movie, something which I surprisingly, enjoyed.

Also, there wasn’t a single grammatical error and I could not put down the book, which are definite points in her favour. Though of course, I did find a few problems with the flow of the story. But, ‘Dead in a Mumbai Minute’ looks to move on to greener pastures in the next novel by Madhumita Bhattacharya.

BTW, you can catch Madhumita Bhattacharya's Interview right here.

Author: Madhumita Bhattacharya

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

ISBN: 978-93-82616-17-7

Price: Rs 299 /-

Author Interview: Vithal Rajan, author of 'The Legend of Ramulamma'

Dr Vithal Rajan

Talking of Dr Vithal Rajan could have led to pages and pages of writing. Because he is a B.A. Hons (McGill), Ph.D. (L.S.E.) and that was just the beginning. So, I would rather let the man, do the talking or well, writing… 

Hope you caught my Review of his book,  and bought the book 'The Legend of Ramulamma' here.

How did ‘The Legend of Ramulamma’ happen? 

I have worked in rural Deccan for over 30 years with Dalits, poor women, and agri labour. 

I came to admire them and bemoaned the fact that politicians, bureaucrats, and opinion makers see them only as beneficiaries of ‘aid’ and not as the most vital partners in development.

 

Did you have to research anything while putting the stories together? What kind of research was it and how did you conceptualize it?

My own experiences were enough.

How did you come up with the core idea and develop it?

When I first started working with civil society I wanted to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s advice of reaching out to the poorest person you can meet – the Dalit woman agricultural labourer suffers from the triple oppression of caste, class, and gender.

So, I made such a person my hero, but made her a dai or midwife.

How would you relate the book and its characters to the lives today?

Well, a role model for all of us should be Dr Arole of Jamkhed in Maratwada.

He left an excellent practice in the USA and set up a community health system covering hundreds of villages in which Dalit rural women are the core. So, there are several ‘Ramulammas’ there, I am sure.

How much of the series is based on facts and how much is fiction?

It is fiction, but no book of fiction is any good unless it faithfully reflects life, ‘holding a mirror up to nature’ as Hamlet puts it.

What is the most fulfilling part of writing the book?

Honouring poor people, especially women, and bringing to light the great capacities they have.

What book is coming from you, next? When do you see it released?

This year, I published a children’s book, 'Jungu, the Baiga Princess', about tribals and

their values and how we cannot protect the environment or wildlife unless we see them as the first guardians.

Do you have another part coming up for this subject?

Other books are on offer but publishers should like them, as much as I do.

Who was it that told you that you could become the author, you are today?

I always wanted write even when I was a boy but life did not permit it till I was 69.

Any advice to writers that would like to be published today? How tough is it to be published in India?

It is a very tough world, for the focus is on selling and what moves in the market. The publishing industry is controlled by young women who naturally have a different point of view from mine, about what is good or interesting.

I myself am a struggling author so; it would be presumptuous to offer advice to anyone else. I would say if you are driven to write, do so without delay and do not wait as I did till the very evening of life when you have little energy left even to write.

As Krishna says, do not worry about the fruit of your labours, if writing is part of your Sva-Dharma, write.

Who are your favourite authors and why?

I was brought up on English literature from a very young age, so my favourite authors are English. I also prefer humour so many humorous authors are favourites.

In my teens, I loved to re-read William Shakespeare and PG Wodehouse, always very close to me; then of course, Jane Austen [my mother was a feminist before they coined the word] – some children’s writers like Richmal Crompton, and I have always respected Rudyard Kipling,  Leo Tolstoy, Honore de Balzac, were household figures – the  list is too long.

Which book are you currently reading?

I have created a digital library of old books, around 40,000, for my grandson so that when he grows up he can still access old books. I hope to revisit them with an e-reader.

What else do you like to do on a daily basis?

I like to play with my grandson who is 3, and learn from him once again about life.

Book Review : ‘The Legend of Ramulamma' by Vithal Rajan

There are times when I picked up a book and just read it. This book, ‘The Legend of Ramulamma’ had a kind of nostalgic feeling for me. Not that I have too much in common with Ramulamma but the various other characters had a special feeling for me. I was reminded of the household help with a similar name and would imagine her in all my reading. The villages and the small towns, too. 

The book is a collection of twelve short stories, which revolves around Ramulamma, a Dalit widow who is a middle aged midwife. The sufferings and problems of the poor Dalit woman are well captured. She is all set to head out on adventures fearlessly, and using her detective like talent, she manages to see that the poor are given due justice.

Fighting the corporate doctors, the rich landlords, the occasional foreigner, and even the local police, she comes out, all the while evoking a smile on the reader’s lips. A resourceful person, she is sought out by one and all.

The author, Vithal Rajan seems to have captured this simplicity of the village life and the trips to the city, with an outlook that is both witty and powerful. There are different shades to Ramulamma’s character, which come out in the various chapters with a defining edge.

A slightly off beat kind of part of the book was the story ‘A Million Protestors’. It did not fit in with the concept of the main story and seemed out of place.

Basically, the premise of the story was well-maintained and I am looking forward to the second part of this series. Ramulamma sure could give ol’ Sherlock Holmes a run for his money.

You could read this very interesting book right Here and also look forward to reading Vithal Rajan's Interview, right Here, too.

Author:Vithal Rajan

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Hachette India

ISBN: 978-93-5009-631-4

Price: Rs 350 /-

Editor Interview : Naheed Hassan, Editor and Co-Founder, Indireads

Indirom is the flagship brand for Indireads. It offers romance novellas, for South Asian readers everywhere. And the editor for Indireads is Naheed Hassan.

‘Many new writers try and write entire books without dialogue, which makes their writing very uninteresting. Dialogue is important and a skill to learn and perfect is the writing of natural sounding dialogue that moves the story along,’ she says. For more such tips, read my interview of Naheed Hassan at Indireads.

What are you looking for in a book, when it first comes to you?

First and foremost, I am looking for a compelling story, and an engaging writing style. A fantastic story told badly will disappoint readers, as much as good writing cannot save a bad story.

 

We have a team of editors that provide feedback on both elements to writers as soon as they have submitted a story idea and the first five to seven thousand words.

What, according to you are the qualities of an ideal writer?

Great language skills, coupled with an ability to hold a reader’s interest with their story-telling. We are always looking for aspiring new writers who combine these two qualities.

A good storyteller can hold the readers interest from start to finish – either through their story or with words and imagery. 

Could you explain your process, from writing to editing, and finally, printing and marketing? Is it very different from the traditional book printing?

We work with writers and give feedback and suggestions on storyline and writing style as well as offer support to writers through the entire writing process.

Once the manuscript is complete, our editors initially focus on storyline related feedback and work with the writer to strengthen, tighten the story.  Next, we copy edit and proofread the manuscript.

In parallel, we start the marketing process which involves a range of activites including advertising and putting the manuscript in front of reviewers. Our books are only available as ebooks and their marketing tends to be quite different from traditional print books – with a focus on social media including Facebook and Twitter and affiliates of the major retailers, especially Amazon.

What is the one thing, you would you tell an aspiring writer? (feel free to include as many tips as you like)

Writing a book is very different from writing short stories.  One of the things we stress on is creating a detailed timeline and storyline before starting to write because oftentimes a new writer, trying to write on the go, can get frustrated and then stuck.

Another critical element is writing good dialogue. Many new writers try and write entire books without dialogue, which makes their writing very uninteresting. Dialogue is important and a skill to learn and perfect is the writing of natural sounding dialogue that moves the story along.

What do you think an editor can add to the writer’s work?

In my opinion, there are very few writers who are also able to edit their work. And by 

editing I don’t mean correcting and copy editing.  

Substantive editing is where the editor offers insights into gaps and flaws in a story and a writers writing style. For example, a writer may have visualized an important detail from a character’s past but may have omitted to reveal it in the story.

A good editor would then point this out to the author and help them correct the oversight. I believe strongly that editors play a critical role in strengthening and testing a story and that an author would be well-advised to be open to receiving feedback before presenting their story to the world.

What are you working on now? 

At Indireads, we work with several authors and manuscripts at a time, in various stages 

of completetion. I make it a point to be involved with every book, so currently I am working on several books.

Did you always know that you wanted to be a book editor? 

I always wanted to be a writer – publishing and editing came much later for me. But they are very fulfilling in their own way.

What sorts of project(s) are most likely to get an okay from you?

I don’t go with fixed views. Like I said before, I am looking for interesting stories and writers with an engaging writing style.

Could you tell us about some of your upcoming titles? 

We have a love story coming up, which is an innovative and modern take on Beauty and the Beast. There is also a funny story about a pregnant newscaster whose job is on the line because of her weight gain.

What are your top three favourite books?

I have many favourites but in the rom-com genre ‘The Zoya Factor’ by Anuja Chauhan is a book that always picks me up. ‘Mothsmoke’ by Mohsin Hamid is absolutely brilliant and ‘Listening Now’ by Anjana Appachana is one of the most lyrical and beautiful books I have ever read, about secrets and bonds between women.

What is your favourite thing about being an editor? And your least favourite thing?

My favourite thing is being able to help a writer solve an issue they have been struggling with, and my least favourite is working with writers who take constructive feedback in a negative way.

What are the main skills, an editor would need to do their job well?

Attention to detail and the ability to track and analyse a story from start to finish.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Being able to step away from a story that you have already read and given feedback on several times, and look at it anew, to provide a fresh round of analysis and feedback. That is very difficult.