Book Review: 'RIP' by Mukul Deva [Westland Publications]

Posted by Soumya Mukherjee at 10:16 AM On to the Previous Post

      "A power-packed thriller that calls for some serious attention and leads it  readers on with its crafty narration and smart execution"

Back-Cover Blurb: RIP - The Resurgent Indian Patriots:Self- appointed guardians of a nation seething with anger at the endless scams and scandals rocking its very foundation. Vigilantes who vow to stop corrupt politicians and colluding civil servants. Even if it means killing them.Colonel Krishna Athawale and his team of Special Forces officers rally to protect the country from the enemy within. They call themselves the K-Team. And no one is safe from their deadly intent.Hellbent on stopping them is Raghav Bhagat, rogue para commando, gun for hire and Krishnas bete noir.Caught in the crossfire is Vinod Bedi, Special Director CBI. Reena Bhagat, a glamorous news anchor, embittered by her husbands betrayal. And two young boys, Sachin and Azaan, torn apart by the loss of a parent.

Reading RIP called for attention, as it was not just a light-read. You could see the dexterity of the author, his grip on the plot right through the whole book till the end. The best part was, he used the contemporary scenario of our nation as the baseline and executed the outcome from it pretty well. Similarities were satirical at times, with the names of the politicians being different from the real ones yet you could figure out who in real life he/she was. You have to be an army-man to have that kind of 'courage' I'd say.

Since I am yet to read his other works, I cannot really be sure to compare Mukul Deva with the likes of Clancy and Ludlum as of yet, but going by the command he portrayed, I would surely be reading his other works soon.

A critical angle:

I am jotting down some of the high-points of the book:

-Well-developed characters: Unlike most of the titles lurking in the bookstores nowadays(sadly) , the author had the sense of developing the characters so that the readers don't question their actions as they subsequently unfold.

-Speedy narration: It is needless to say that the experience of the author with writing has come really handy here, as he keeps  the narration just as pacy as a thriller should be. There is no 'slow mid-point' which would make you put it down to read later.

-Through the imagination of a movie-freak, you could actually imagine the 'assassinations' as if you were watching a movie!

-Continuity was maintained throughout: The continuity was a huge player that kept the plot from being drab.

-The emotional subplot was a need for Indian readers it seemed , but the good thing was it wasn't enforced on us.

While some low-points as noted by me:

- A few repetitive scenes made sure that the surprises don't bounce onto the reader's face and leave him scandalized, which should be the absolutely essential element of a thriller of this level

- At times the reader was not left to figure out some details all by himself, the author making it a spoon-feeding task. That stole some brilliance away from the peak-action scenes


As always, I would not make a comment on the climax as I believe it'd spoil the overall reading experience.

Final verdict: Go for it! If you are really missing a good thriller of late, RIP will give you some sense of closure.

My Rating: 7.5/10

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