BLACK RIVER BY NILANJANA S. ROY

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BOOK NAME: BLACK RIVER

AUTHOR NAME: NILANJANA S. ROY

GENRE: MURDER MYSTERY

PUBLISHER: WESTLAND BOOKS, PUSHKIN PRESS

BOOK BUY LINK : https://www.amazon.in/Black-River-Nilanjana-S-Roy/dp/9395767111



Set in a rural village called Teetarpur, a few kilometres away from Delhi, this police procedural is based on religious politics prevalent in India. Chand's lonely world revolves around his 8-year-old daughter Munia who makes his life as a single father meaningful. But Chand's world falls apart when Munia is found hanging from the Jamun tree on his farmland. The villagers and police officers are convinced that the murderer is Mansoor, a drifter living on alms, as the circumstances turn against him even though the evidences say otherwise. The villagers decide to take matters into their hands to punish Mansoor for his alleged crime and take over the police station. 




The story moves back and forth between the police procedural and Chand's past, where his relationship with his friends Rabia and Khalid is explored. Years later, when they meet, they realise the social implication of their relationship and try to stay within their boundaries without disrupting their friendship and communal harmony. 


This book beautifully explores relationships that develop across boundaries and how they are suppressed because of societal pressures. It's a social commentary on India's political and religious divide that claims lives in the name of revenge and justice. The characters were too relatable and were imperfectly perfect. I would also like to admit that the book doesn't have an element of surprise or twist because the murderer is so apparent from the story's beginning. It's more about the narrative style and the story itself that made me love the book despite the lack of an element of mystery and the dramatic end. 


This book had my heart crushing while reading about Munia's untimely demise, Mansoor's ill-fated life, Chand and Rabia's incomplete love affair and the child trafficking that no one batted an eye against. The book is precise, fast-paced and socially relevant. 




MY REVIEW: 4.5/5

I am participating in Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge


#penbooksandscalpel


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