Skip to main content

BOOK REVIEW : FEAR IS THE KEY

By


Writing a psychological thriller is a tricky genre. There are hundred different things you have to take care of to make sure you serve the right mix of elements to the readers. Juggi Bhasin’s latest novel “FEAR IS THE KEY” claims to be one such novel. But does it succeed in keeping the readers hooked till the end? Well, almost…

PLOT

“Yummimages” is a digital platform run by three people – Rahul, Suhel and Simone. Rahul and Suhel are thick friends since college days and their friendship is one of those unbreakable ones. Then comes Simone who instantly entices Rahul but on the other hand, develops a slow but sure enmity with Suhel. To sort out things between the two, Rahul hosts a party at his house during which Simone mysteriously disappears. Even after the police thoroughly investigate, they are unable to solve the mysterious disappearance of Simone.
Finally, Rahul decides to solve the mystery himself. As he goes further, he realizes he has to battle his inner demons as well as three characters who are so queer that he is left baffled.
What happened to Simone? We find out in the last few pages of the book.

WRITING

Juggi Bhasin’s writing is clear, to the point and grammatically non complex. There are definitely loopholes, but his ability to hold you till the end compensates for the rest.
The suspense is pretty unexpected and much more complex than I had fathomed. In his quest to convert this novel from a simple thriller to a psychological suspense, Juggi Bhasin delivers a pretty good novel.

POSITIVES

The USP of the book is the way Bhasin develops his characters. The character sketches of Simone and Suhel are pretty well done, but it is Rahul’s character that bowls you over. Also, the other three characters who play an integral role in the book are engrossing.

Secondly, the ending of the book is filmy, scary and yet entertaining.
Also, I have to mention inspector Kripal. He was fabulous.

NEGATIVES

There are flaws indeed. The writer goes into too much depth at times, making few portions slightly boring. Also, the psychiatric sessions between Rahul and Tanya are a bit overdone at times.
The erotica too is slightly over the top.


OVERALL, it is not at all a perfect thriller, but “Fear is the key” is definitely a very good read. I would definitely recommend it. 

P.S - I received this book from Writersmelon for an honest and unbiased review.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS : MY THOUGHTS

By
THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. IT IS TO BE READ ONLY IF YOU HAVE WATCHED THE MOVIE. IT IS NOT EXACTLY A REVIEW. IT CONTAINS THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW I LIKED THE MOVIE. IT IS LONG AND CONTAINS QUITE SOME IMAGES. Few facts we learnt from Tanu Weds Manu Returns – 1.      Southhall mein logon ke ghar ke baahar kacchhe sookhte hain. 2.      Tharki logon ki pasandeeda kitaab hain “LOLITA” 3.      “TILANDI” means “VANISHED” 4.      Tanu saves her husband Manu’s number in her phone under the contact name “HUSBAND” 5.      Delhi ka aadha pollution aashiqon ki wajah se hain. 6.      “JHAND” means “DESTROYED” 7.      “PEEPNI” means … “Bachpan mein buddha hota than a neeli aankhon waala, jisse pichkaao toh         aawaaz aati thi PEE PEE” 8.      Pappi ki colony ki do nikkar wali ladkiyon ne use propose kiya tha. 9.      Masoor ki dal mein ajinomoto nahin padta. 10.    Tanu and Manu last had sex in 2013, bhaiyya dooj ke din. 11.      Jab kahin jaana hi nahin, toh bus ke dha
3 comments
Read more

MY TEN FAVORITE SHAHRUKH KHAN MOVIES

By
There are people who hate him. There are people who love him. And there are people who are crazy after him. My affection for him has always been variegating. While I have loved some of his performances, I don’t like certain avatars of him. One big problem I have had with Shahrukh khan’s acting is the times he hams on screen – you know when he is crying and gives that typical facial expression – which is totally a turn off. Whenever he has steered clear from doing that on screen, he has given some brilliant performances.   He is a fantastic actor, no doubt, and over the years, I have fallen in love with some of the characters he has played. Below is a list of my ten favorite Shahrukh films –   DISCLAIMER – Kuch kuch hota hai, Kabhi khushi kabhi gham, Devdas, Main hoon Na have not been included. Now you may read further. SWADES This is undoubtedly Shahrukh’s finest performance ever. With a wardrobe of only five to six simple smart shirts in the entire mov
15 comments
Read more

MUSIC REVIEW : MTV UNPLUGGED (A.R RAHMAN)

By
Rahman begins the episode with “YE JO DES HAI TERA”. That was a smart move to ensure the audience get goosebumps right from the moment the shehnais start. the way ranjit barot changes the song (Deconstructs and reconstructs it, in Rahman’s words) is awesome. The “mitti ki hai jo khushboo” chorus is out of this world. Rahman’s rendition is near perfect. He sings the song with aplomb. The chorus before the second antara again gives you goosebumps. And Rahman escalates the song with his PERFECT tamil rendition. Although I didn’t understand a word of it, it is obvious that Rahman is much more at ease singing tamil lyrics compared to hindi ones. Overall, this was 5 minutes and 14 seconds of pure hair – raising stuff. Special credit to the shehnai players – Omkar dhumal, Raju dhumal, Sunil dhumal, Sanjeev shankar and Ashwani shankar. “REHNA TU” starts off with an addictive piano loop, the one which was heard even in the behind the scenes video released prior to the episode.
9 comments
Read more