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Behind the silicon mask
A serial killer targeting immigrants.
A record-shattering snowstorm that aids his cold mission.
A community of 200 Indian IT professionals under a siege.
A rapacious corporate employer, an unflinching deadline and a boss willing to risk anything.
A tale-twist in every living room and bedroom.
A bleak, fateful Friday that brings together all these elements and changes lives forever.
Neither Partho Sen nor Varun Belthangady is aware that his life is in danger. There is one man who can save them yet – Detective Farley of the Milwaukee Police Department. But will the serial killer prove too clever for him?
A record-shattering snowstorm that aids his cold mission.
A community of 200 Indian IT professionals under a siege.
A rapacious corporate employer, an unflinching deadline and a boss willing to risk anything.
A tale-twist in every living room and bedroom.
A bleak, fateful Friday that brings together all these elements and changes lives forever.
Neither Partho Sen nor Varun Belthangady is aware that his life is in danger. There is one man who can save them yet – Detective Farley of the Milwaukee Police Department. But will the serial killer prove too clever for him?
306 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2013
3 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Eshwar Sundaresan
5 books7 followersEshwar Sundaresan is Risha’s father, a difficult son, Bangalore-based writer, freelance journalist, third-generation Mumbaikar, mixed-bag consultant, ghostwriter, an ex-corporate nobody, a counsellor-in-training and an introspective man. He is the author of Bangalored: the Expat Story and a few award-winning works of fiction. He is eminently Googlable.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 31, 2013
The Indian contemporary fiction scene has steadily grown fatter in the past few years with a surge of new authors trying to make a point and find their place. Yours truly included. I’ve reviewed quite a few of these works on a regular basis and as much as they help me understand my peers, it helps me understand where I stand. There’s one thing I’ve maintained through all the criticisms I offer and that is being true to the fact that when I’m a reviewer I am a reviewer and I do my best to be as honest as I can get.
Having bared my blogger soul in such a manner, Eshwar Sundaresan’s Behind the Silicon Mask was my Christmas gift delivered early! I had my skeptic cape on when I began reading this book, because language has long come to be my pet peeve while doing a review. I knew I’d finally found my raison d’ etre in the world of words. It also proved to me that I had been right all along – good writing can amplify reading experience by a gazillion notches. I was sold on this book when I reached this particular line ‘Osama was on top of everybody’s hit list and Obama was a spelling mistake.’ I rest my case.
Behind the SiliconMask is a true to life account of the larger than life game that is the IT life. More so when IT began gaining ground to grow into almost a lifestyle in the present day. The novel moonlights as a murder mystery and while that isn’t one of the pillars holding up the tale, it isn’t a narrative trench either.
The run through quickly this time.
What worked for me:
1. The language, hallelujah! If I had been on a QA team sifting through this book for errors, I’d be raving mad at the Project team for making me look useless because I could come up with nothing bad.
2. Narration : The book goes by on a terrific pace and actually ends on a practical if a little abstract ending. I had to pinch myself to acknowledge that I didn’t plough through a sappy plot, no sir.
3. Characters : Keep your fingers free, you’d need them to keep count of everyone. But then, isn’t that exactly how the industry functions? Beyond a point new email IDs borrow numbered suffixes.
4. Humor/Satire : I was on the wall trying to take a side but then I conceded both these tones in the book were conveyed so beautifully and I appreciated them equally well.
5. Editing hallelujah, again! Phenomenal. It was so sharp, it actually hurt my eye!
What did not work for me:
For the sake of QA, the murder subplot grazed the boundaries of convincing. Since everything else was terrific, I’m willing to let it slide but since I’m with QA I’m going to make sure that goes into the appraisal report. Just because I can. Hah!
Verdict:
Before you read this, go buy a copy of the book.
I’m serious. Leave. Now.
Gift a copy of Behind the Silicon Mask to your friends who work with IT. You’ll see their eyes grow bigger with excitement. When they are done, they’ll deny everything outright and pooh pooh your claims of having learnt the truth. But in their eyes, you’ll see what you wanted to see.
Having bared my blogger soul in such a manner, Eshwar Sundaresan’s Behind the Silicon Mask was my Christmas gift delivered early! I had my skeptic cape on when I began reading this book, because language has long come to be my pet peeve while doing a review. I knew I’d finally found my raison d’ etre in the world of words. It also proved to me that I had been right all along – good writing can amplify reading experience by a gazillion notches. I was sold on this book when I reached this particular line ‘Osama was on top of everybody’s hit list and Obama was a spelling mistake.’ I rest my case.
Behind the SiliconMask is a true to life account of the larger than life game that is the IT life. More so when IT began gaining ground to grow into almost a lifestyle in the present day. The novel moonlights as a murder mystery and while that isn’t one of the pillars holding up the tale, it isn’t a narrative trench either.
The run through quickly this time.
What worked for me:
1. The language, hallelujah! If I had been on a QA team sifting through this book for errors, I’d be raving mad at the Project team for making me look useless because I could come up with nothing bad.
2. Narration : The book goes by on a terrific pace and actually ends on a practical if a little abstract ending. I had to pinch myself to acknowledge that I didn’t plough through a sappy plot, no sir.
3. Characters : Keep your fingers free, you’d need them to keep count of everyone. But then, isn’t that exactly how the industry functions? Beyond a point new email IDs borrow numbered suffixes.
4. Humor/Satire : I was on the wall trying to take a side but then I conceded both these tones in the book were conveyed so beautifully and I appreciated them equally well.
5. Editing hallelujah, again! Phenomenal. It was so sharp, it actually hurt my eye!
What did not work for me:
For the sake of QA, the murder subplot grazed the boundaries of convincing. Since everything else was terrific, I’m willing to let it slide but since I’m with QA I’m going to make sure that goes into the appraisal report. Just because I can. Hah!
Verdict:
Before you read this, go buy a copy of the book.
I’m serious. Leave. Now.
Gift a copy of Behind the Silicon Mask to your friends who work with IT. You’ll see their eyes grow bigger with excitement. When they are done, they’ll deny everything outright and pooh pooh your claims of having learnt the truth. But in their eyes, you’ll see what you wanted to see.
June 10, 2013
India has found its Ben Elton. Here is an Indian writer who uses a plot that spans just 24 hours that brings several characters, whose lives have crossed before, to a single location on a fateful day. When the 24 hours are up, everyone's life is transformed (Ben Elton's Popcorn, Blast from the Past). But where Ben Elton uses dark humor, Eshwar delves into the dark side of people.
I have worked in the software industry and have been stationed in a foreign city for some time. I speak for a lot of people like me when I say Eshwar is absolutely spot-on in recreating the life of the Indian techie working outside India. And he has worked really hard to get the non-Indian characters right (though they slip into an Indian style of speaking at times, but then Eshwar's readers are mostly Indians, so who cares). The plot is gripping and fast paced. There is a brooding protagonist. While every character philosophically introspects, the introspection is closely connected to the plot. So no unconnected soul-searching of the kind that tugs on the readers eye-lids.
I would highly recommend this book to every Indian techie and everyone who wants to understand the Indian techie. I would also recommend it to people who may have assumed all Indian writers are as yawn inducing as Anita Desai or Jhumpa Lahiri. Eshwar, just like Mukul Deva, Aroon Raman, Ashwin Sanghi, is out to prove otherwise. Though Eshwar does not want to be compared to another writer, as a reviewer and reader, comparisons are inevitable. I think Eshwar = Ben Elton + the Jack Higgins of Valhalla Exchange.
Good: Set in an interesting foreign city, believable Indian/non-Indian characters, tight plot, fast-paced
Could Have Been Better: The climax could have been longer to make it more gripping, the serial killer could have more characterization.
I have worked in the software industry and have been stationed in a foreign city for some time. I speak for a lot of people like me when I say Eshwar is absolutely spot-on in recreating the life of the Indian techie working outside India. And he has worked really hard to get the non-Indian characters right (though they slip into an Indian style of speaking at times, but then Eshwar's readers are mostly Indians, so who cares). The plot is gripping and fast paced. There is a brooding protagonist. While every character philosophically introspects, the introspection is closely connected to the plot. So no unconnected soul-searching of the kind that tugs on the readers eye-lids.
I would highly recommend this book to every Indian techie and everyone who wants to understand the Indian techie. I would also recommend it to people who may have assumed all Indian writers are as yawn inducing as Anita Desai or Jhumpa Lahiri. Eshwar, just like Mukul Deva, Aroon Raman, Ashwin Sanghi, is out to prove otherwise. Though Eshwar does not want to be compared to another writer, as a reviewer and reader, comparisons are inevitable. I think Eshwar = Ben Elton + the Jack Higgins of Valhalla Exchange.
Good: Set in an interesting foreign city, believable Indian/non-Indian characters, tight plot, fast-paced
Could Have Been Better: The climax could have been longer to make it more gripping, the serial killer could have more characterization.
March 27, 2013
As the name of the novel suggests, it pertains to the lives of people working in the IT industry as the word ‘silicon’ has come to be associated with IT.
The blurb of the book mentions the following: A serial killer targeting immigrants. A record-shattering snowstorm that aids his cold mission. A community of two hundred Indian IT professionals under siege. A rapacious corporate employer, an unflinching deadline and a boss willing to risk anything. A tale-twist in every living room and bedroom. A bleak, fateful Friday that brings together all these elements and changes lives forever.
The novel begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, where the two protagonists Partho Sen and Varun Belthangady, Indian IT professionals who work with CIKS, Bangalore, are currently posted at Mayflower Mercantile. Partho is at his home, watching the snow outside and unable to sleep; Varun is hard at work because he has a project deadline to meet. They share a house in one of the housing complexes close to their place of work, along with many other Indians who also work at Mayflower.
Milwaukee is troubled by a serial killer who has so far killed three people and ends up killing his fourth victim – a Singaporean student. Based on the data available, the police are able to piece together the fact that the killer’s targets are immigrants working in the United States.
Along with these two primary characters, the novel features a host of other characters including Becky Dalton (Varun’s colleague in the project), Stephanie Zachary (a news reporter), Detective Farley and his assistants Larry Oates and Josh Eiken, Lakshmi Deshpande, Rashmi (Partho’s girlfriend), Arpita (Varun’s girlfriend), etc.
How all the characters’ lives intersect; how their lives are at risk at the hands of the serial killer and whether the police are able to nab him before he ends up taking more lives forms the rest of the novel.
The genre of the novel is that of a thriller. I found it to be a page-turner and finished it in almost one sitting. Since the novel primarily focuses on IT, the author has included a lot of jargon pertaining to software development and project testing. Also, the novel moves effortlessly from Milwaukee to Bangalore as it shapes the stories of the different people.
The author has seamlessly pieced together the intricacies of human relationships – between a boss and a colleague; between Partho and his girlfriend and Varun and his girlfriend; a husband and his trophy wife; colleagues working together across different time zones. It also dwells upon how, for a corporate, a deadline is so important that it may overlook a hidden danger to its employees. The author also touches upon how the power of public relations is able to make a company or an individual; what one sees is not always what the reality is.
I found the book to be an easy and an interesting read. The theme is unique and there are quite a few episodes and events which crisscross to lead us to the climax. What I did not like, however, is the fact that there are so many characters; it becomes difficult to remember who is who in the middle of the book. I believe the book would not have lost its integral plot had it done away with a few characters.
Overall the book is definitely worth a read. I am going with a rating of 4/5. The book was able to hold my interest for most part (except where it got a little technical).
This review has been published on my blog www.pallosworld.blogspot.in.
The blurb of the book mentions the following: A serial killer targeting immigrants. A record-shattering snowstorm that aids his cold mission. A community of two hundred Indian IT professionals under siege. A rapacious corporate employer, an unflinching deadline and a boss willing to risk anything. A tale-twist in every living room and bedroom. A bleak, fateful Friday that brings together all these elements and changes lives forever.
The novel begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, where the two protagonists Partho Sen and Varun Belthangady, Indian IT professionals who work with CIKS, Bangalore, are currently posted at Mayflower Mercantile. Partho is at his home, watching the snow outside and unable to sleep; Varun is hard at work because he has a project deadline to meet. They share a house in one of the housing complexes close to their place of work, along with many other Indians who also work at Mayflower.
Milwaukee is troubled by a serial killer who has so far killed three people and ends up killing his fourth victim – a Singaporean student. Based on the data available, the police are able to piece together the fact that the killer’s targets are immigrants working in the United States.
Along with these two primary characters, the novel features a host of other characters including Becky Dalton (Varun’s colleague in the project), Stephanie Zachary (a news reporter), Detective Farley and his assistants Larry Oates and Josh Eiken, Lakshmi Deshpande, Rashmi (Partho’s girlfriend), Arpita (Varun’s girlfriend), etc.
How all the characters’ lives intersect; how their lives are at risk at the hands of the serial killer and whether the police are able to nab him before he ends up taking more lives forms the rest of the novel.
The genre of the novel is that of a thriller. I found it to be a page-turner and finished it in almost one sitting. Since the novel primarily focuses on IT, the author has included a lot of jargon pertaining to software development and project testing. Also, the novel moves effortlessly from Milwaukee to Bangalore as it shapes the stories of the different people.
The author has seamlessly pieced together the intricacies of human relationships – between a boss and a colleague; between Partho and his girlfriend and Varun and his girlfriend; a husband and his trophy wife; colleagues working together across different time zones. It also dwells upon how, for a corporate, a deadline is so important that it may overlook a hidden danger to its employees. The author also touches upon how the power of public relations is able to make a company or an individual; what one sees is not always what the reality is.
I found the book to be an easy and an interesting read. The theme is unique and there are quite a few episodes and events which crisscross to lead us to the climax. What I did not like, however, is the fact that there are so many characters; it becomes difficult to remember who is who in the middle of the book. I believe the book would not have lost its integral plot had it done away with a few characters.
Overall the book is definitely worth a read. I am going with a rating of 4/5. The book was able to hold my interest for most part (except where it got a little technical).
This review has been published on my blog www.pallosworld.blogspot.in.
June 16, 2015
A techie community of around two hundred Indians stationed in Milwaukee suddenly finds itself under a siege. On a fateful Friday, a cyclonic snowstorm Super Susan is breaking winter records outside their windows. And beyond, somewhere in the inky darkness, a serial killer who targets immigrants is on the loose. An indiscreet TV journalist inadvertently has already informed him that almost the entire community resides within a three- block radius in downtown Milwaukee.
Two young techies belonging to the community - Partho Sen and Varun Belthangady are particularly under threat. Unaware of this fact, they carry on as usual. Varun must deliver a crucial software application for his Fortune-500 client before the weekend ends. Meanwhile, Partho must confront his inner demons to save the most important relationships in his life.
They must deal with these urgent needs, even as they deal with their rapacious corporate employer, an overambitious boss, unpredictable events unfolding in the living rooms and bedrooms of their colleagues and the effects of the most potent cocktail in the world. There is one man who can save them yet from the serial killer - Detective Farley of the Milwaukee Police Department. But will the serial killer prove too clever even for him?
The author touches upon certain points in the IT industry deftly - How a corporate deadline is so important that it may overlook a hidden danger to its employees? The author also touches upon how the power of public relations is able to make a company or an individual; what one sees is not always what the reality is. How employees at times push themselves too much in their jobs keeping their personal lives at stake? How IT employees deal with long distance relationships in the onsite-offshore model and how their libidos play funny games with them?
Good thing is that these points are subtly introduced and resolved, and this not-in-your-face treatment works wonderfully for the book. There are moments of loud thinking and deep introspection (a-lizard-in-the-room sequence) which add layers to both the book and the characters. It has took author almost 10 years to write the book and you can feel the umpteen number of twists and turns thrown in to keep the readers engrossed and hooked. The narrative works on a terrific pace and with around 10-15 main characters, it becomes an interesting account of keeping a tab on all of them.
What does not work for the book is over-mention of the IT language with details of production testing and bug-fixing thrown in like routine stuff. People who are not familiar with this kind of jargon will find it tough to sift through the pages as it will become difficult to comprehend the urgency and be aware of a critical situation. Also, it would not have hurt to kept the number of characters to a minimum, including couple of sub-plots of romantic relationships.
I am going with 3/5 for Eshwar's 'Behind the Silicon Mask'. It is a well researched fast pace thriller which will hook you from the beginning till its abstract ending. Read it, you will be pleasantly surprised with its tone and refreshing take on IT Industry.
Two young techies belonging to the community - Partho Sen and Varun Belthangady are particularly under threat. Unaware of this fact, they carry on as usual. Varun must deliver a crucial software application for his Fortune-500 client before the weekend ends. Meanwhile, Partho must confront his inner demons to save the most important relationships in his life.
They must deal with these urgent needs, even as they deal with their rapacious corporate employer, an overambitious boss, unpredictable events unfolding in the living rooms and bedrooms of their colleagues and the effects of the most potent cocktail in the world. There is one man who can save them yet from the serial killer - Detective Farley of the Milwaukee Police Department. But will the serial killer prove too clever even for him?
The author touches upon certain points in the IT industry deftly - How a corporate deadline is so important that it may overlook a hidden danger to its employees? The author also touches upon how the power of public relations is able to make a company or an individual; what one sees is not always what the reality is. How employees at times push themselves too much in their jobs keeping their personal lives at stake? How IT employees deal with long distance relationships in the onsite-offshore model and how their libidos play funny games with them?
Good thing is that these points are subtly introduced and resolved, and this not-in-your-face treatment works wonderfully for the book. There are moments of loud thinking and deep introspection (a-lizard-in-the-room sequence) which add layers to both the book and the characters. It has took author almost 10 years to write the book and you can feel the umpteen number of twists and turns thrown in to keep the readers engrossed and hooked. The narrative works on a terrific pace and with around 10-15 main characters, it becomes an interesting account of keeping a tab on all of them.
What does not work for the book is over-mention of the IT language with details of production testing and bug-fixing thrown in like routine stuff. People who are not familiar with this kind of jargon will find it tough to sift through the pages as it will become difficult to comprehend the urgency and be aware of a critical situation. Also, it would not have hurt to kept the number of characters to a minimum, including couple of sub-plots of romantic relationships.
I am going with 3/5 for Eshwar's 'Behind the Silicon Mask'. It is a well researched fast pace thriller which will hook you from the beginning till its abstract ending. Read it, you will be pleasantly surprised with its tone and refreshing take on IT Industry.
April 3, 2013
Eshwar Sundaresan’s Behind the Silicon Mask is a thriller. The book has 302 pages and narrates the incidents that take place in a day.
The story is about an American serial killer who targets immigrants. He believes that Americans are losing jobs because of such foreigners. He himself is such a victim.
Partho… Varun… Vishnu… Lalith… Samit… Bugs… Laks… Oates… Farley… Stephanie… Rashmi… Kamaal… Rihanna… Arpita… And many-many others!!! Yes… there are too many characters in the story. Though the story takes place on a Friday, the author has beautifully inserted apt situations to give a brief background about them. The intricacy of the details is such that we feel like we know the entire History of each character. We visualize them and also empathies their character. We understand what each character is going through. Unknowingly, we start being a part of their life.
But the details, at times, take a toll on us. As readers, we end up feeling why we are given so much of information. Yes. There is an overflow of information and incidents. Though the narrative is swift, we feel a little forlorn.
The author has cleverly linked the fact that now, with the liberalization and globalization policy, many Indians has started getting job, highly paid jobs to be specific. And this is at the cost of a foreigner. Have we ever though that way? We have always praised that our country is developing. But, did we think about many who were losing it?
This book actually makes us think that way. The story puts a strong point across. This is particularly applicable for workaholics. I am not disagreeing that work is worship. It is work that gives the much needed money and lets us lead a hearty life. Yet, at the same time, we should not forget our personal lives. Money is nothing when there is no one to share the same with. Besides, pursuit of dreams weighs more the hunt for money.
As you read this, you may think I am just being philosophical or I am just trying to praise the book. But, as the balance between your personal and professional life dangles, you realize the meaning of what I said.
And when you read the book, you will relate to Varun more. And you will start nodding to what Partho says. You feel sorry for Kamaal. And Nick will stay in heart because he leaves you with a heavy heart.
Yes. The story is totally relatable. That can be because either you are an engineer yourself or because you know engineers. As a matter of fact, there are too many engineers around to not to know anyone. And this story is about their lifestyle and work life.
If a reader relates himself to the story, author’s half job is done. Yes. This is what I think. A reader can associate himself in two ways. Either he or someone he knows has gone through the situation mentioned in the plot or he just imagines himself as one of the character and feels happy about it. And the author of this book scores high here…
And to cut my lecture short… The book is enjoyable; a onetime read and a different attempt there. This book will not disappoint you!
The story is about an American serial killer who targets immigrants. He believes that Americans are losing jobs because of such foreigners. He himself is such a victim.
Partho… Varun… Vishnu… Lalith… Samit… Bugs… Laks… Oates… Farley… Stephanie… Rashmi… Kamaal… Rihanna… Arpita… And many-many others!!! Yes… there are too many characters in the story. Though the story takes place on a Friday, the author has beautifully inserted apt situations to give a brief background about them. The intricacy of the details is such that we feel like we know the entire History of each character. We visualize them and also empathies their character. We understand what each character is going through. Unknowingly, we start being a part of their life.
But the details, at times, take a toll on us. As readers, we end up feeling why we are given so much of information. Yes. There is an overflow of information and incidents. Though the narrative is swift, we feel a little forlorn.
The author has cleverly linked the fact that now, with the liberalization and globalization policy, many Indians has started getting job, highly paid jobs to be specific. And this is at the cost of a foreigner. Have we ever though that way? We have always praised that our country is developing. But, did we think about many who were losing it?
This book actually makes us think that way. The story puts a strong point across. This is particularly applicable for workaholics. I am not disagreeing that work is worship. It is work that gives the much needed money and lets us lead a hearty life. Yet, at the same time, we should not forget our personal lives. Money is nothing when there is no one to share the same with. Besides, pursuit of dreams weighs more the hunt for money.
As you read this, you may think I am just being philosophical or I am just trying to praise the book. But, as the balance between your personal and professional life dangles, you realize the meaning of what I said.
And when you read the book, you will relate to Varun more. And you will start nodding to what Partho says. You feel sorry for Kamaal. And Nick will stay in heart because he leaves you with a heavy heart.
Yes. The story is totally relatable. That can be because either you are an engineer yourself or because you know engineers. As a matter of fact, there are too many engineers around to not to know anyone. And this story is about their lifestyle and work life.
If a reader relates himself to the story, author’s half job is done. Yes. This is what I think. A reader can associate himself in two ways. Either he or someone he knows has gone through the situation mentioned in the plot or he just imagines himself as one of the character and feels happy about it. And the author of this book scores high here…
And to cut my lecture short… The book is enjoyable; a onetime read and a different attempt there. This book will not disappoint you!
August 23, 2013
Set in snowstorm-struck bitterly cold Milwaukee, USA, Behind the Silicon Mask revolves around the lives of a group of software professionals working on an onsite project for their Bangalore based company. On a fateful Friday morning, as everyone is gearing up for a particularly cold and restrictive weekend ahead, the news of a serial killer and his probable future targets is splashed on the local news channel by an overly enthusiastic TV reporter. Within minutes, hell breaks loose. As the city prepares to shield itself from the coming onslaught of snowstorm Super Susan, the local police have little time on their hands to track down the serial killer and prevent further harm. Adding to the sense of emergency is an important software application that must be delivered before the weekend. What follows is a laborious effort by all the characters to put the drifting pieces of their lives - personal and professional - together.
But in this pacy thriller of a plot, there is more to what meets the eye. In the chaotic aftermath of the discovery of a serial killer in their midst, our protagonists have their inner demons to fight, their pasts and present to reconcile to, old chapters to close and new beginnings to begin, but only and only if they survive the serial killer who has a full proof plan in place to hunt down his next targets - targets who took all his happiness away. This plot and the many sub plots converge in an action packed showdown, in a room where lives are lost and fates are sealed.
In an otherwise interesting narrative, what is particularly distracting is the number of characters and their job profiles. There are so many of them, that other than the significantly visible few, I kept forgetting who is who and who does what. Plus the really heavy tech jargon used in between also brings down the interest quotient. You know it is a techie writing the book alright. However on the plus side, for those uninitiated, the book can give a fair amount of insight into how a software company works and what goes on behind the cubicles of those super smart techies sitting in new-age swanky glass buildings.
It took Eshwar Sundaresan nearly 10 years and several drafts to pin down the plot of the novel and chisel it down to its present edgy shape. For an ex-corporate nobody (as he defines himself), it indeed is a laudable effort to leave behind a secure job (despite the pitfalls, the fragile corporate egos, and the many rifts) and set out to explore the inner calling, which, for Eshwar, was writing. With around 300 pages, neatly packed in 14 chapters, Behind the Silicon Mask is a thrilling read, and can be read at one go.
But in this pacy thriller of a plot, there is more to what meets the eye. In the chaotic aftermath of the discovery of a serial killer in their midst, our protagonists have their inner demons to fight, their pasts and present to reconcile to, old chapters to close and new beginnings to begin, but only and only if they survive the serial killer who has a full proof plan in place to hunt down his next targets - targets who took all his happiness away. This plot and the many sub plots converge in an action packed showdown, in a room where lives are lost and fates are sealed.
In an otherwise interesting narrative, what is particularly distracting is the number of characters and their job profiles. There are so many of them, that other than the significantly visible few, I kept forgetting who is who and who does what. Plus the really heavy tech jargon used in between also brings down the interest quotient. You know it is a techie writing the book alright. However on the plus side, for those uninitiated, the book can give a fair amount of insight into how a software company works and what goes on behind the cubicles of those super smart techies sitting in new-age swanky glass buildings.
It took Eshwar Sundaresan nearly 10 years and several drafts to pin down the plot of the novel and chisel it down to its present edgy shape. For an ex-corporate nobody (as he defines himself), it indeed is a laudable effort to leave behind a secure job (despite the pitfalls, the fragile corporate egos, and the many rifts) and set out to explore the inner calling, which, for Eshwar, was writing. With around 300 pages, neatly packed in 14 chapters, Behind the Silicon Mask is a thrilling read, and can be read at one go.
June 24, 2013
“Behind the Silicon Mask” by Eshwar Sundaresan is a riveting read because of its narration which manages to grab the reader’s interest right from the start to its nail-biting end.
The book starts with a serial killer lurking in the streets of Milwaukee, slaughtering immigrants that he comes across. While the entire city is preparing itself for a dreadful snowstorm and an imminent shutdown, a techie from an Indian IT company called CIKS is breaking his head about a bug that refuses to be resolved.
An interview by a CIKS employee aired on national TV jeopardizes the lives of two hundred IT professionals. The entire Indian community comes under the target of a serial killer leading to a potential hostage crisis. Endeavoring to control the whole situation and capture the serial killer before he goes on a massacre spree are, Detective Farley and his assistants.
What works for the book are conceivable characters, a gripping narrative, lots of unexpected twists and turns in the story and a typical software company backdrop that many of us can associate to. The language and the flow of the story are excellent. Even if I scrutinized the book with a microscope in hope of finding a fault with the book, I couldn’t.
The author chronicles in the Acknowledgement section about how his book took a decade and twelve revisions to be published, I’m sure the book is an effort of lot of hard work and dedication and the good news is that it shows. This book is one hell of a must-read. Go pick up your copy, now.
The book starts with a serial killer lurking in the streets of Milwaukee, slaughtering immigrants that he comes across. While the entire city is preparing itself for a dreadful snowstorm and an imminent shutdown, a techie from an Indian IT company called CIKS is breaking his head about a bug that refuses to be resolved.
An interview by a CIKS employee aired on national TV jeopardizes the lives of two hundred IT professionals. The entire Indian community comes under the target of a serial killer leading to a potential hostage crisis. Endeavoring to control the whole situation and capture the serial killer before he goes on a massacre spree are, Detective Farley and his assistants.
What works for the book are conceivable characters, a gripping narrative, lots of unexpected twists and turns in the story and a typical software company backdrop that many of us can associate to. The language and the flow of the story are excellent. Even if I scrutinized the book with a microscope in hope of finding a fault with the book, I couldn’t.
The author chronicles in the Acknowledgement section about how his book took a decade and twelve revisions to be published, I’m sure the book is an effort of lot of hard work and dedication and the good news is that it shows. This book is one hell of a must-read. Go pick up your copy, now.
July 18, 2013
This book was recommended by a close friend of mine since it was written by another close friend of him.
I had a vague thought about a mixture of oil in water in the back of my mind when I was reading this book. This is a grand flow of a brooding language depicts a number of interesting situations in the otherwise mundane life of a group of onsite IT engineers braided with a timid suspense(?) thread which can easily be omitted without reducing any of the aesthetics (even the author admits this somewhere in the credits section). I thought the thread about tracking of the bug provided a much better suspense element than the chronicles of the serial killer.
Leave aside the serial killer; the rest of the book is really amazing. The flow of the language is outstanding. One of my favorite quote is "He saw Kayalvizhi coming out of the lift and walking towards him. With each step she was increasing in size. When she reached him she was a full five feet four inch human, just like him" (I don't remember the exact words, but the idea is something like this). And there are lot of intelligent exchanges between various characters as well. However, some of the sub-plots (this is not about the serial killer plot) are not very solid.
In short, this is a readable book if you enjoy empathizing with some detached and intelligent protagonists and don't mind forgiving the author for introducing unnecessary serial killers.
I had a vague thought about a mixture of oil in water in the back of my mind when I was reading this book. This is a grand flow of a brooding language depicts a number of interesting situations in the otherwise mundane life of a group of onsite IT engineers braided with a timid suspense(?) thread which can easily be omitted without reducing any of the aesthetics (even the author admits this somewhere in the credits section). I thought the thread about tracking of the bug provided a much better suspense element than the chronicles of the serial killer.
Leave aside the serial killer; the rest of the book is really amazing. The flow of the language is outstanding. One of my favorite quote is "He saw Kayalvizhi coming out of the lift and walking towards him. With each step she was increasing in size. When she reached him she was a full five feet four inch human, just like him" (I don't remember the exact words, but the idea is something like this). And there are lot of intelligent exchanges between various characters as well. However, some of the sub-plots (this is not about the serial killer plot) are not very solid.
In short, this is a readable book if you enjoy empathizing with some detached and intelligent protagonists and don't mind forgiving the author for introducing unnecessary serial killers.
March 16, 2013
A captivating thriller!! Eshwar Sunderesan starts with a bang in his first commercial novel. With strong and memorable characters, a crisp narrative and deftly intertwining story lines, this fast-paced novel takes place in a single day in Milwaukee. Wiscoinsin. In the space of a single day this you will be introduced to a vast variety of characters whose storylines span across multiple countries and multiple generations. With the techies in a race against time to solve an elusive flaw in their software and a serial killer on the prowl, all the storylines will come together on the fateful night when a blizzard strikes in a thrilling end!
July 30, 2013
Full review @ BookGeeks.in
This book, “Behind the Silicon Mask”, is based upon the lives of Indian IT professionals and as an added flavour, is a thriller. The blurb of the book is intriguing and talks about a serial killer who is on the prowl for immigrants in the US and his next target – a community of two hundred Indian IT professionals
This book, “Behind the Silicon Mask”, is based upon the lives of Indian IT professionals and as an added flavour, is a thriller. The blurb of the book is intriguing and talks about a serial killer who is on the prowl for immigrants in the US and his next target – a community of two hundred Indian IT professionals
April 9, 2013
Reviewed on my blog:
http://manasa-t.blogspot.in/2013/04/b...
http://manasa-t.blogspot.in/2013/04/b...
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June 9, 2018Loved the story... Its captivating !!
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