Review: Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star

Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star by Aseem Chhabra
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are expecting an in-depth research into his personal life, you will be disappointed. There is also very little mentioned about his relationships with his co-stars except for a few fleeting quotes by some of his close friends (including a few co-stars) and family members. It delves more into his relationship with James Ivory and Ismail Merchant and his career in the West rather than his personal life and his relationship with his immediate and extended family. Somewhere down the book, you get the feeling that he was aloof and not too much connected to his nephews or their family. However, it strongly brings out the fact that his world centered around his children and his wife and after her death, a part of him died.

Somewhere the author does do justice to the persona that was Shashi Kapoor. It might be due to the fact that he could not get a first hand account from the star himself due to his illness.

This book is more of a filmography than a biography. There are 7 or 8 chapters, each chapter ending with footnotes of the films mentioned in the chapter, detailing the director and the cast of the film. These footnotes constitute about 25% of the book length. The last 10 odd pages contain the list of films Shashi Kapoor acted in with various co-stars. Go ahead and read this without any expectations and you will enjoy it.

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Review: Justice Lost

Justice Lost by Scott Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am liking Scott Pratt. This book again doesn't disappoint. This is my second one, the first being Justice Redeemed.

Darren Street again comes into play here. He is now out of jail. His pregnant fiancee Grace dies in the operation theater during delivery due to medical negligence by the doctor. This starts off the plot where he becomes involved in the shenanigans of corrupt officials from the sheriff to the offices of the DA and FBI. Finally, he gets an offer from Granny Tipton & family to run for the DA's office himself in order to get a foothold in Knox county of Tennessee with the backing of a powerful senator. How he plays vigilante and roots out the corruption forms the crux of the story.

Short at 250 pages, fast paced and easy writing nails the book and keeps one hooked.

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Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is absolutely brilliant. Having watched the movie, I could not grasp the finer nuances of the plot. The book gave me a fair idea of what was happening as far as the plot was concerned. Dennis Lehane nails it ! A brilliant narrative and plot !

The plot is about Edward Daniels (Teddy) and Chuck Aule, two US Federal Marshals out to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando from a mental institution Ashcliffe on Shutter Island. What turns out is out of the box, unexpected twist in the tale. Initially I could not understand the climax. After some search on the internet I understood what the hell was all this about and it was absolutely shocking. The only reason why it loses one star is because of the dream sequences of Teddy, one too may.

Dennis Lehane is fast turning out to be on top of my favourites list.

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Review: Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes by Sharmishtha Shenoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the book. It is refreshing to read a thriller by an Indian author which keeps you hooked throughout. The plot is about a murder of a well known film actor on a movie set and how his fiancee and her mother are the prime suspects in the case. Detective Vikram Rana is assigned to solve the case by the mother.

The climax is good and the plot keeps you guessing about the killer's identity throughout till the end.

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Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Simply superb book. When I first watched the movie, I couldn't understand the plot. The camera print also did not help much. So not sure if the movie is better than the book or vice-versa. Mickey Haller is an interesting character. The way he trounces the DA's attorney, Ted Minton in the court is absolutely wonderful.

Louis Roulet, a rich estate agent is arrested and charged with sexual assault and battery. He hires Mick Haller to defend him. The courtroom drama is engaging and hooks you. But there is an interesting twist in the plot, which culminates in a superb climax.

For all thriller aficionados, go for it !

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Review: The Racketeer

The Racketeer by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rounding off the year with another book in the "Read" shelf from my once-one-of-the-favourite authors who is fast falling off my favourite lists.

I picked up this e-book with great hopes of getting a good courtroom drama, what with the blurb mentioning about a Supreme Court judge being murdered and the protagonist being a lawyer behind bars (the author has introduced a black lawyer as a protagonist). However, my hopes were dashed as I progressed through the book. The plot is about how a lawyer unravels the mystery behind the killing of a Supreme Court judge and his escapades from the FBI and the judicial system. The motive and the plot was surprisingly good but there was a lot to be desired in the way the story has been narrated.

No more Grisham for me for quite some time now. I am almost done with him at least for the next few months unless I come across a really good one. Folks, by the way, you can recommend to me if you come across any of his books published after circa 2016, which are good reads.

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Review: Krishna's Secret

Krishna's Secret by Devdutt Pattanaik
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Short read about the traits and characteristics of Krishna. Lots of photographs of paintings and sculptures depicting Krishna. Nothing new to learn about Krishna if you know the story of Mahabharata and Krishna's tales.

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