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| Edited By: Deepali Singh |Source: DNA |Updated: Sep 23, 2017, 06:30 AM IST
There’s a lot that can go wrong when you’re writing crime fiction. And the worst that can happen is if the reader is able to guess who the killer is, much before the author intends to reveal it. Thankfully, Moryaa Re! does not fall in that category.
With Senior Inspector Angelo Ferraz hot on his heels, the killer, who has a penchant for leaving behind cryptic messages in the form of short poems at each murder site, bumps off one prominent personality after the other, during the 10 days of Ganeshotsav. As the cops try and piece together the common link between the murders, the many twists and turns keep the reader on the edge, and almost in a sadistic way, intrigued to know how the psychopath will claim his next victim.
With his background in covering the crime beat, author and journalist Mark Manuel has been joined by several top cops of the Mumbai Police and the Crime Branch to make this book possible. It’s no wonder then, that the author has been able to get into the nitty-gritties of the police procedures. Not only does the reader get to understand what exactly happens after cops come across a murder, they also get a glimpse into the lives of police artists who barely make Rs 500 for a sketch, the police khabris and how they walk a tightrope between cops and the underworld or the sexism that exists within the police force.
Trivia about real-life serial killers, including the necrophiliac Raman Raghav, who killed 41 people in Bombay between 1965 and 1968 or the Stoneman killings, where a serial killer suspected of murdering 13 people in the early 1980s and was never traced, find their way in the narrative, lending the story an added gravitas. However, at some places, the narrative slows down due to the overload of information. For a crime thriller to be an unputdownable read, things need to happen at a fast pace. However, the last few chapters involving the chase and the nail-biting finish, make up for the minor digressions in the plot earlier.
Price & Publication: Rs 450, Jaico Publishing House
