After a series of non-fiction books, it was good to get back to fiction with this crisp and meticulous whodunit, The Mahabharata Murders.

One of the most tantalizing aspects of the Mahabharata is the depth each character has, enabling readers and writers throughout history to imagine and interpret them in innumerable ways. And with every new interpretation, you unlock a new facet, previously undiscovered, and yearn to dive into its expanse again.

Set in the backdrop of Kolkata and its suburbs, Arnab Ray walks us through a series of murders from the perspective of the protagonist, Ruksana Ahmed, a senior homicide detective of the Kolkata police force. An honest politician, an “art” filmmaker, a genius entrepreneur, a degenerate forensic expert and many others are introduced, as the story picks up pace with each murder being more macabre and sinister, while simultaneously revealing the underlying connection with the epic’s most famous characters - Draupadi, Nakula, Sahadeva, Arjuna, Bheema, Yudhishtra and the murderer himself, Duryodhana.

There tends to be a fine line between an excellent mystery novel and an average one, and it heavily depends on the narration and the ability to maintain the suspense till the exposé. The author treads this line in a delightful fashion, giving us insights into the protagonist’s thought process, interspersed with grim flashbacks which have shaped her and scarred her.

The sequence of events reach a crescendo towards the climax, and then diffuses in an admirable fashion, like boiled milk overflowing a vessel, sure to satisfy the reader in every way. That “Aha” moment, when you realize that the answer was staring at you all along, is what every mystery novel strives for, but few achieve it in such a nuanced and refined manner, as has this author.

On an aside, this book improved my vocabulary quite a bit.

Definitely a worthwhile read and yet another hat tip to the greatness of the Mahabharata.

Originally published here.