“1st to Die” by James Patterson

James Patterson’s “1st to Die” is the first in his Women’s murder club series. Lindsay, a detective in pursuit of a serial killer brings together three other women - forensic expert, an amateur journalist and an assistant district attorney to solve the crime. Though they are from different fields and are aspiring to excel in their respective careers, they have one thing in common - a woman in a male dominated profession. As the ongoing procedural investigation is heading nowhere with their condescending, credit-stealing male bosses around, they decide to meet every now and then to crack open the case and identify the killer.

A series of double murders shock the city as honeymooners get killed soon after their wedding. The killer leaves behind explicit clues to keep the police on the run and is always one step ahead planning and plotting the most sickening nature of crimes. The killer proves elusive as the women search for the missing link between the killings that take place. The protagonist Lindsay, fighting her own battle with health issues is bent upon finding the killer and the motive behind the murders. 

James Patterson

The novel wastes no time and the solid premise catapults the novel into an intriguing suspense. The women’s murder club tracks down the most terrifying and unexpected killer half way through the novel only to stumble upon a shocking revelation that proves their judgement entirely wrong. Can they bounce back from this major setback? Until this point, the novel is brilliantly written with enough suspense to keep it going and enough twists that give a genuine thrill. The novel becomes a tad too predictable after the mid-point though it doesn’t get boring. It surprisingly keeps us engrossed until the very end.

The women getting together and bonding with each other is somewhat rushed. Due to this, the other primary female characters sans Lindsay’s are shallow. The logic takes a hit at a few places especially with the health condition of Lindsay after the midpoint. Despite these shortcomings, the novel still keeps us enthralled until the very end with convincing twists only to throw us off guard with an unnecessary epilogue. The twist in the epilogue is a big letdown in an otherwise brilliantly written novel. Highly recommended!

Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”

Agatha Christie’s debut novel “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” is a murder mystery that introduces fictional detective Hercule Poirot, her very own Sherlock Holmes. A wealthy lady gets murdered in her manor at Styles and all evidence points to her husband Alfred. Was the murder premeditated or crime of passion? When there are more suspects within the household who could benefit out of the demise of Emily, was Albert the real murderer? 

The novel starts off as a template cozy murder mystery until Hercules Poirot arrives at the scene to investigate. The novel stands out in Agatha Christie’s brilliant staging of the crime scene and her intricate detailing of the evidence discovered at the crime scene. With the suspicion shifting from one member to another in the household, the novel develops into a slow burn whodunit with time, setting and atmosphere playing a pivotal role in finding the murderer. 

The detailing in the novel demands a close follow up of the happenings which might be confusing at times. But, the author makes an attempt to revisit and comprehend the ongoing investigation then and there, so that the readers don’t lose track. Though the novel progresses at a measured pace, there is enough drama to keep the readers engrossed.

A slow burn whodunit that stands out for the staging of the crime scene and the ensuing investigation! Highly recommended!

"Misjudged" by James Chandler

In a small town of Wyoming... Emily, a divorce attorney is brutally murdered... Tommy, an ex- marine who was her client is charged with murder going by prima facie evidence... Polson, a honest detective who overlooks an evidence before making the arrest, later tries hard to get a fair trial for the defendant... Sam Johnstone, a disabled veteran suffering from PTSD decides to appear as the defense attorney... Ann Fulks, the prosecution attorney taking up her first murder trial, is desperate to get a conviction to boost up her career... Judge Daniels, at the verge of his retirement expects the case to be an open and shut one without any complications... A member of the jury is talking about the proceedings outside the court to a person who can be a suspect in this case too... 

With this interesting premise and well etched characters, does "Misjudged" manage to keep the readers hooked?

The novel introduces the primary characters with legal proceedings happening in the background. Though the idea is to introduce the nature of the characters and how the judiciary is run in the small town of Wyoming, the novel takes too much time dwelling into unrelated petty cases. But, once the stage is set for the murder trial, the novel picks up pace with some interesting courtroom moments and legal proceedings. The twists keep coming as the forensic evidence adds to more mysteries and some information is withheld from the defense due to the local politics. 

James Chandler

James Chandler builds up a brilliant legal thriller around the solid premise that is engaging for the most part. Though there are some loose ends, the novel is a decent thriller that has consistent high points and a convincing climax. 

"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides

"The Silent Patient" is a psychological thriller which revolves around a woman Alicia who remains silent after being accused of murdering her husband. Her silence is unperturbed even when declared guilty by the court of law for her husband's murder. With her state of mind, the court sends her to therapy but she chooses to remain silent throughout the psychological treatment. Theo, a psychotherapist is bent upon breaking her silence and uncovering the mystery behind her silence. 

With each central character having a bad past or a disturbed childhood, the novel takes more time establishing them. The non-linear narrative builds up the suspense and propels the novel to a satisfying end.

The analogy to Greek tragedy "Alcestis" fits the storyline perfectly and the events that unfold towards the climax justify the same. 

Though the novel picks up pace midway with interesting turn of events, there are happenings which are added to increase the mystery quotient but do not get a proper closure. 

A decent thriller with its own share of shortcomings!

Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None"

Ten different people invited to an island by their acquaintances arrive only to find out that they were lured here by an unknown host. Everyone has a secret past and unearthing which will have them guilty of a crime. They get murdered one by one for this secret they hold and there is no way to escape death as the island loses contact with the mainland due to a heavy storm. There is increasing tension as each one suspects the other.

With this interesting premise, the novel tries to hold the attention of the readers once the characters are settled. But, the build up to the revelation is slow and takes ample time considering the proceedings need to take place in a closed repetitive atmosphere. A solid climax that unfolds in the epilogue makes up for it and makes this novel a satisfying read.

Kathakali - A Pandiraj Experimentation!

After his recent hit "Pasanga-2", the kids specialist comes out of his comfort zone for the first time with a thriller, a whodunit one, a rarity in Tamizh cinema. Pandiraj, known for his movies with the "humour" tag ventures into the action platform for the first time with a perfect action hero on board. With a well-trimmed trailer of Kathakali releasing a few weeks back, has Pandiraj lived up to the expectations in the longer version? 

Kathakali starts with Balasubramaniem's brilliant top-angle shot of the sea, a sample of the technical brilliance behind the scenes. After the voice-over introduction of the principal character "Thamba", the film takes a dip featuring an intro song with the usual carnival backdrop. The first half of the film takes a fairly long time establishing the plot, often disturbed by the romance portions. Catherine Tresa as Meenukutty gets a very weak role and poor dubbing, a movie to forget after her much-acclaimed performance as a North Madras girl in Madras. Vishal fails to impress in the first half, as he tries to woo Meenukutty most of the time. Karunas, as Vishal's friend provides a few lighter moments. Samudhirakani's voice-over for Thamba is worth mentioning for the intensity it adds to the character. With a weak screenplay, first half tests your patience. With a lot of compromise made in the first half, the film rope-walks on a thin line suspense - "Who killed Thamba?"

Thamba, a local bigwig in Cuddalore gets killed and Vishal is finger-pointed for the murder. There are streaks of flashback scenes peeping in, involving Vishal's family and Thamba, hinting at some kind of enmity. Vishal has a motive, so does a bunch of others around him. Close to the intermission, you realise that Pandiraj has set up a brilliant plot with a lot of knots to be unravelled later, in spite of the fairly large share of compromises made. Vishal's much needed transformation comes and from then on, the movie picks up pace. Pandiraj begins the guessing game and keeps the audience engaged.

Pandiraj's Kathakali transforms into a dark thriller in the second half with the guessing game still on. Vishal's role with the portrayal of his close bonding with his family reminds us of his Pandiya Naadu and Paayum Puli. Hip-hop Tamizha's Kathakali whistle elevates the scenes and enlarges Vishal's action hero image. The selfie-scene post the action sequence with the local thugs provides the much needed mass-appeal. The question marked face of the killer justifies the title "Kathakali" -  a dance form involving masked faces. The flow of the movie is unadulterated in the second half and is free-flowing. With tightly knitted scenes, the movie is catapulted into an intriguing suspense. A lot of underplaying moments gives a whole new experience. The unexpected twists towards the fag end of the movie gives a decent finish to the movie. The second half of the movie makes it a one-time watch, it would have been a well etched thriller if not for the disturbing first half.

Bottomline - An experimental film from Pandiraj with a fresh genre and novel-like treatment let down by compromise on the commercial elements!