BOOK TITLE: The
Krishna Key
ISBN:
978-93-81626-68-9
AUTHOR: Ashwin
Sanghi
GENRE: Thriller
Fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 474
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20539669-dhivya-balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: A
friend gifted me this coveted paper back for my recently passed birthday
REVIEW:
When I received this book as a
birthday gift from a friend, she hinted at a really thrilling book that had all
the individual elements of a mystery/ thriller genre. But she was not alone in
this praise. The reputation of this book preceded it in the reading circles and
the Dan Brown of India does not disappoint. Much like Robert Langdon of Dan
Brown’s historical thrillers, this book has Ravi Saini as the protagonist.
One of the features of this book that
immediately allures to the readers is its dual story line. Much as each chapter
ends with a thrilling note, each chapter also starts with the life story of
Krishna as a first person narrative. The story of the eighth avatar of lord
Vishnu, though initially deemed irrelevant, slowly progresses and merges into
the present day story.
To give a direct comment about the
chapters of the story would be to reveal the story itself. But as a single
point, there is the professor, his protégé, a deluded serial killer, an honest
but bull dog tenacious police inspector, a corrupt policeman and innocent
murder victims. Dan Brown, anyone?
And then there is a cryptic seal that
passes generations via families who are descendants of Krishna and how the seal
attracts killers with ulterior motives forms the plot. Wrongly accused of
murder of a friend, the protagonist finds himself in jail all the while trying
to explain his innocence whereas his mind which is above all these mere
formalities tries to puzzle out the clues left by his deceased friend. (Sigh!)
The journey to find the elusive
Krishna key takes the professor from Delhi to Jaipur and from there to Mount
Kailas, the sacred abode of Lord Shiva. The bad guys follow the trail left by
the Krishna key for more than a monetary gain and the professor and his female
companion find themselves in mortal danger more than once.
But inevitably they do succeed and
again, their success leaves a lot to be desired, and a lot of questions are
left unanswered. But the accuracy of historical facts and the really engrossing
narrative of involving Krishna and the double often triple meanings to each
sentence make the reader think twice about playing the guessing game.
Being a fan of Robert Langdon and
someone who has read all of Dan Brown’s books, I cannot help but notice the
similarities. But the various twists and turns about often visited Indian
locations are sure to make the readers go “Ah! Really?” every time they find
out another ‘revealed truth’.
How many times have we listened to the
‘Dasavathara slokam’ rendered by singers as a part of god worship? Which one of
us would have thought that the same verses would end up being a murder trade
mark? And how were we to expect that the fabled kalki avatar has indeed come.
And is there really a connection between the ‘Mahabaratha’ and the modern day
warfare? What if the ‘Brahmastra’ was really a nuclear weapon? These are some
of the questions that will be answered if you read this book.
WHAT I LIKED: The
captivating story line and the really interesting historical facts interweaved
into the story.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: The
absence of a closure is an expected disappointment.
VERDICT: If
you are ready to challenge your previous historical notions about our temples,
monuments etc, your religious beliefs about epics, and are ready to have an
alternate third view of the birth, death and rebirth of Krishna, go for this
book.
RATING: 4/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ashwin
Sanghi's first novel, The Rozabal Line was originally published in 2007 under his pseudonym,
Shawn Haigins. The book was subsequently published in 2008 and 2010 in India
under his own name and went on to become a national bestseller.
An
entrepreneur by profession, Ashwin writes extensively on history, religion,
mythology and politics in his spare time, but writing historical fiction in the
thriller genre is his passion and hobby. Chanakya's Chant is his second novel in the genre.
It deals with ancient Mauryan history and would be made into a movie.
Sanghi
was educated at Cathedral & John Connon School, Mumbai, and St Xavier's
College, Mumbai. He holds a master's degree from Yale and is working towards a
PhD in Creative Writing. He lives in India with his wife, Anushika, and son,
Raghuvir.
Ashwin can be reached either
via Facebook at www.facebook.com/shawnhaigins.
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback,
Kindle, eBook
PRICE: Rs
125 for a paperback.
BOOK LINKS: http://www.amazon.in/The-Krishna-Key-Ashwin-Sanghi/dp/9381626685
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