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The Madras Mangler
Five pretty girls from around the country, enjoying college life in Chennai, chasing their own dreams. Until a psychopath comes to town, killing girls and dumping their bodies in the rivers. The killer is smart, dangerous and very angry. Just like Vir Pradyumna, ace criminologist from New York, who is fighting his own demons from the past. Ruthless politicians, bumbling cops, beer barons and cyber criminals run amuck. The killer snatches a girl whom Vir has sworn to protect. A Hollywood action crew and the crowds at the India-Australia cricket one-dayer get sucked into the relentless buildup to a nail-biting climax. Will Vir be in time to stop the maniac and save the girl?
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2013
1 person is currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Usha Narayanan
11 books72 followersUsha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, media and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. She has written 'The Madras Mangler', a suspense thriller, and two romances, 'Love,Lies and Layoffs' (Harlequin) and 'Doctor Stalker Spy' (Juggernaut). Her mythological bestsellers from Penguin include 'Pradyumna: Son of Krishna', 'The Secret of God’s Son', 'Prem Purana' and her latest, 'Kartikeya and His Battle with the Soul Stealer'. She combines self help with mythology in 'Awaken the Durga Within', a Rupa release that is now rocking the charts.
When she’s not juggling travelling, writing and interviews, Usha reads everything from thrillers to romances.
To know more about her, visit www.ushanarayanan.com or email her at author@ushanarayanan.com. Find her also at www.facebook.com/writerusha or tweet @writerusha.
When she’s not juggling travelling, writing and interviews, Usha reads everything from thrillers to romances.
To know more about her, visit www.ushanarayanan.com or email her at author@ushanarayanan.com. Find her also at www.facebook.com/writerusha or tweet @writerusha.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 12, 2014
I enjoyed reading this book which has five pretty girls, all with different problems and hang-ups who study at a college in Chennai. Add a mean serial killer who kills girls and dumps them into the coovum river , a few gundas and college rowdies , a bumbling police officer and a delicious criminologist, and you have the recipe to counter boredom. The Madras Mangler is all the more closer to my heart as it is set in a city has been home to me for so many years. I liked the references to the local places in the book.The best parts of the book, according to me were the parts in which Vir and his hi-fi team tries to make sense of the profile of the killer.The gadgets and the technology mentioned by Vir and team is exhilarating , and one realises that a lot of research has gone into writing the book. I loved how the author has sneaked in references to pop-culture in the narrative.The writing is young: the swear words the girls use, the music they listen to , the books they read - all captured very well.When one reads the book, one cannot guess the fact that the author is not in her early twenties :) All these things that worked for me.
Even though there is enough banter between the girls, I thought a lot of portions where the girls were involved were rushed. Before I could think about one girl's problem, the next girl hurls herself (and us) into another soup.I would have liked a slightly slower pace that would have made me invest in every girl individually, to care about them later(why? I am not telling you why.. you have to read the book for that!). The five girls blurred into one single entity for me , after a point.I felt that there was too much of tell, than show. But considering the fact that there were so many characters to cover and a word-count to adhere to,I can understand the author's reasons for rushing through certain parts.
The only reason the book was not a 4, but a 3 for me was because I found the narrative a little choppy . Out of the 3, I'll give 1 star only for Vir :)
Usha mam, sequel please. Vir is too good a hero to be wasted on a single book!
Overall , a nice book to settle in with on a Sunday afternoon. Its got all the elements young people would want in a book.
January 15, 2014
In November 2013, while I was whimpering about my inability to achieve my reading target for the year, I wanted to help myself cope with the challenge by meeting a few like-minded folks at the Chennai Book Club meet, whom I thought would be a great source of inspiration. As we discussed this and that in the book club meet, an unassuming lady, whom I assumed to be an enthusiastic reader, politely revealed that she had authored a book called ‘The Madras Mangler’, a compelling thriller and she played a catchy trailer of her book. Usha Narayanan, the author of 'The Madras Mangler' and I exchanged our business cards and continued to catch up virtually, thanks to Facebook. When we met, I honestly didn’t have an idea that the high-spirited acquaintance of mine could unleash her creativity to write a page-turner, create a drool-worthy protagonist and feed the reader with twists and turns in almost every page. My husband, who is not a voracious reader, usually struggles to stay with a book till the last page. But much to my surprise, he finished reading ‘The Madras Mangler’ in three days and in between he called in sick. (I still suspect that he took a day off to finish reading the thriller). His unexpected determination to complete reading the book injured my ego. Despite that, it took almost two months for me to have a tryst with ‘The Madras Mangler’ (I surely kicked myself for procrastinating awfully).
The plot is simple yet interesting. There is an intelligent protagonist, who comes down from the States and happens to help a group of girls who are bogged down with life-threatening problems - the most important being a serial killer, who kidnaps girls, tortures and kills them and dumps their bodies in our very own Cooum. How does the able-bodied and bright protagonist saves the girl and nabs the killer form the crux of the novel! So how different is ‘The Madras Mangler’ from the plethora of other thrillers that the market is filled with? From Thomas Harris to Sidney Sheldon, many storytellers have explored this kind of a storyline. So, how does ‘The Madras Mangler’ stand out? Here are five reasons to read this interesting thriller that makes one’s reader’s block evaporate too.
1.A personal and a favourite reason is that the milieu of the book is ‘namma’ Chennai. When the girls’ corpses were being dumped in Cooum, with an excitement of a child, I was telling myself, “Oh! All these things are happening in my city!” Thanks to the author for sparing us from the pain of reading novel that’s set in a foreign place. With the ‘The Madras Mangler’, the connect with the characters and places is established naturally.
2.Fortunately, none of the characters indulge in monologues. Irrespective of their traits, everybody expresses their opinions crisply.
3.Narration deserves a special mention. The college girls don’t sing Fa La La La in the beginning and cry to death at the end. The author’s decision to avoid linear-narration is something that I really found interesting. The criss-cross narration takes the cake and it certainly makes the book more irresistible.
4.The explanations on how the killer unleashes the animal in her/him didn’t make me squirm. Although there were many ruffians like Jambu and Shaitaan, their needs to nourish their carnal pleasures were not so explicitly written. This talented author’s fine choice of words to articulate with clarity is not something that is found in many Indian authors.
5.‘The Madras Mangler’ might not be a great feast to your brain. But every once in a while, one would want to read something as racy as this book to take a break from heavy-reads. Maybe, it doesn’t make one ponder over deep meaning of life. But it surely helps one forget their half-witted bosses and escape from mundane reality.
The plot is simple yet interesting. There is an intelligent protagonist, who comes down from the States and happens to help a group of girls who are bogged down with life-threatening problems - the most important being a serial killer, who kidnaps girls, tortures and kills them and dumps their bodies in our very own Cooum. How does the able-bodied and bright protagonist saves the girl and nabs the killer form the crux of the novel! So how different is ‘The Madras Mangler’ from the plethora of other thrillers that the market is filled with? From Thomas Harris to Sidney Sheldon, many storytellers have explored this kind of a storyline. So, how does ‘The Madras Mangler’ stand out? Here are five reasons to read this interesting thriller that makes one’s reader’s block evaporate too.
1.A personal and a favourite reason is that the milieu of the book is ‘namma’ Chennai. When the girls’ corpses were being dumped in Cooum, with an excitement of a child, I was telling myself, “Oh! All these things are happening in my city!” Thanks to the author for sparing us from the pain of reading novel that’s set in a foreign place. With the ‘The Madras Mangler’, the connect with the characters and places is established naturally.
2.Fortunately, none of the characters indulge in monologues. Irrespective of their traits, everybody expresses their opinions crisply.
3.Narration deserves a special mention. The college girls don’t sing Fa La La La in the beginning and cry to death at the end. The author’s decision to avoid linear-narration is something that I really found interesting. The criss-cross narration takes the cake and it certainly makes the book more irresistible.
4.The explanations on how the killer unleashes the animal in her/him didn’t make me squirm. Although there were many ruffians like Jambu and Shaitaan, their needs to nourish their carnal pleasures were not so explicitly written. This talented author’s fine choice of words to articulate with clarity is not something that is found in many Indian authors.
5.‘The Madras Mangler’ might not be a great feast to your brain. But every once in a while, one would want to read something as racy as this book to take a break from heavy-reads. Maybe, it doesn’t make one ponder over deep meaning of life. But it surely helps one forget their half-witted bosses and escape from mundane reality.
June 19, 2014
http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/06/bl...
When I heard about The Madras Mangler, I was very intrigued. The title is catchy and new. The cover is appealing and instantly made me feel thrilled and anticipatory of a consuming criminal mystery. The blurb is intriguing and catches the interest of the reader at first glance.
A metropolitan city with beautiful beaches, a hot and humid climate that can test your endurance levels and with people who value their families and their culture, Usha brings to us a thrilling tale of a serial killer with no conscience running free in this conservative city. Beautifully and vividly sketched, she brings out the beauty and the social diversity of the city and its people. The writing style of the author is simple and yet captivating. She has created and admirably handled a line up of characters, each with their own characteristic nature and traits. A perfect bunch of suspects is provided and a suitable back story given for each of them. The author is well read and she has done her research which shows when one is reading the book.
The plot is well conceived and admirably executed. I did figure out the killer and the Vir angle beforehand but still was duly kept interested in the story until the very end. There are well planned twists and turns but they are somewhat mellowed and thus, sometimes don't leave the desired impact on the reader.
The characterization is good and I liked the characters and could relate with them either personally or through people I have met in my life. The characters effectively take the story forward and keep the reader interested in the book till the end. Usha made me laugh, instilled fear in my heart and also made me feel high with the thrill of chasing an elusive, sly and vicious serial killer!
I loved the Chepauk Stadium scene where the helicopter used in the Hollywood movie is used to catch the killer. I am not giving away the scene. Go read the book to know more! :)
The dirty politics, the two face people, the red tapism in the police, the ruthless media and then the victimized public with a vicious and devious killer on the roll. Everything is all too real and frightening. Kudos to the author for bringing all this alive in the book so beautifully. :)
While I loved the mystery and its execution, I did feel that how the killer chose his victims was not clearly explained. There were so many colleges and thousands of girls, so how did he expressly choose these five friends? How did he come across them?
The romance is a bit under developed in the book. I would have loved if the love pairs had been given some intense scenes like a clash in their beliefs or emotions etc. Maybe this will be handled in the sequel which I guess is planned since the author ends the book with a hint of it.
The climax is crisp and I enjoyed it immensely. My interest dipped a little in the middle part of the story but then was again upped in the later part.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the mystery and give The Madras Mangler 4 out of 5. A captivating mystery from a very promising author, this one is a must read for all mystery lovers. Kudos to Usha for taking a risk to write a mystery novel which is very tough and for doing it so beautifully. I wish her the best and hope to read more from her in the future.
I received the book from the author and the tour organizers and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
When I heard about The Madras Mangler, I was very intrigued. The title is catchy and new. The cover is appealing and instantly made me feel thrilled and anticipatory of a consuming criminal mystery. The blurb is intriguing and catches the interest of the reader at first glance.
A metropolitan city with beautiful beaches, a hot and humid climate that can test your endurance levels and with people who value their families and their culture, Usha brings to us a thrilling tale of a serial killer with no conscience running free in this conservative city. Beautifully and vividly sketched, she brings out the beauty and the social diversity of the city and its people. The writing style of the author is simple and yet captivating. She has created and admirably handled a line up of characters, each with their own characteristic nature and traits. A perfect bunch of suspects is provided and a suitable back story given for each of them. The author is well read and she has done her research which shows when one is reading the book.
The plot is well conceived and admirably executed. I did figure out the killer and the Vir angle beforehand but still was duly kept interested in the story until the very end. There are well planned twists and turns but they are somewhat mellowed and thus, sometimes don't leave the desired impact on the reader.
The characterization is good and I liked the characters and could relate with them either personally or through people I have met in my life. The characters effectively take the story forward and keep the reader interested in the book till the end. Usha made me laugh, instilled fear in my heart and also made me feel high with the thrill of chasing an elusive, sly and vicious serial killer!
I loved the Chepauk Stadium scene where the helicopter used in the Hollywood movie is used to catch the killer. I am not giving away the scene. Go read the book to know more! :)
The dirty politics, the two face people, the red tapism in the police, the ruthless media and then the victimized public with a vicious and devious killer on the roll. Everything is all too real and frightening. Kudos to the author for bringing all this alive in the book so beautifully. :)
While I loved the mystery and its execution, I did feel that how the killer chose his victims was not clearly explained. There were so many colleges and thousands of girls, so how did he expressly choose these five friends? How did he come across them?
The romance is a bit under developed in the book. I would have loved if the love pairs had been given some intense scenes like a clash in their beliefs or emotions etc. Maybe this will be handled in the sequel which I guess is planned since the author ends the book with a hint of it.
The climax is crisp and I enjoyed it immensely. My interest dipped a little in the middle part of the story but then was again upped in the later part.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the mystery and give The Madras Mangler 4 out of 5. A captivating mystery from a very promising author, this one is a must read for all mystery lovers. Kudos to Usha for taking a risk to write a mystery novel which is very tough and for doing it so beautifully. I wish her the best and hope to read more from her in the future.
I received the book from the author and the tour organizers and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
November 23, 2013
This is a classic ‘whodunit’ tale, based in madras aka chennai. Five young girls, are enjoying their college life but not for long.
Madras Mangler is a gripping thriller with a serial killer out on the streets, dumping bodies of young college girls in the adayar river. Who will he target next? That’s the scary question that looms large over everybody’s mind?
Kat aka Kathyayini, one of the five girls, is a do-gooder who doesn’t think twice before confronting the college rogue Jambu and his goons. And all the five girls have their own share of problems. While one is hiding behind a make-believe identity, another is hiding away from the unwanted attentions of an ardent suitor. With their lives intrinsically linking with each other, they try to find solace in friendship. I loved the banter and camaraderie, of these girls and it reminded the good old days of my college.
Read the complete review here - http://bookreviewsbysumi.wordpress.co...
Madras Mangler is a gripping thriller with a serial killer out on the streets, dumping bodies of young college girls in the adayar river. Who will he target next? That’s the scary question that looms large over everybody’s mind?
Kat aka Kathyayini, one of the five girls, is a do-gooder who doesn’t think twice before confronting the college rogue Jambu and his goons. And all the five girls have their own share of problems. While one is hiding behind a make-believe identity, another is hiding away from the unwanted attentions of an ardent suitor. With their lives intrinsically linking with each other, they try to find solace in friendship. I loved the banter and camaraderie, of these girls and it reminded the good old days of my college.
Read the complete review here - http://bookreviewsbysumi.wordpress.co...
February 27, 2014
Whodunits are always great reads, especially if the author keeps the reader guessing till the very end. The Madras Mangler by Usha Narayanan is a delightful read as she throws a few clues here and there, and yet manages to keep the suspense going.
The story centers around the lives of five friends (Kat, Minx, Lolita, Moti and Deepika) at a college in Chennai. They all come from varied background and have a story to tell or to conceal. Life at college for these girls is made miserable by some outrageously colorful characters. Jambu is the son of a liquor baron who goes far beyond simply teasing the girls and gets away with it. Three boy students, called as Asuras (read the book to get to know them) indulge in a fair bit of cyber bullying of the girls. As though these are not enough, the girls have to deal with their own problems. Moti has to deal with a lout of a fiance of Moti who follows her to Chennai from their village and threatens all sorts of horrors on her. Kat has to deal with her mom trying to do matchmaking but ending up connecting her with rich, but insensitive brutes. Lolita has to deal with her past, her lies, and her lifestyle.
All these problems appear nearly insignificant when a body part first turns up on a river. More bodies are fished out and it is clear that there is a serial killer on the prowl who targets young girls. Vir is a forensic expert with Interpol in the USA who befriends Kat, and later helps in tracking the serial killer.
The pace of action is gripping and the reader would find it hard to put the book down. This is definitely a great book from a first-time author. The conversations between the characters are a bit contrived and unreal, but I guess these are included for dramatic effect rather than realism.
I definitely recommend this book for reading. The Kindle edition is priced so low that it is extremely large value-for-money! I, for me, would look out for more from Usha Narayanan!
The story centers around the lives of five friends (Kat, Minx, Lolita, Moti and Deepika) at a college in Chennai. They all come from varied background and have a story to tell or to conceal. Life at college for these girls is made miserable by some outrageously colorful characters. Jambu is the son of a liquor baron who goes far beyond simply teasing the girls and gets away with it. Three boy students, called as Asuras (read the book to get to know them) indulge in a fair bit of cyber bullying of the girls. As though these are not enough, the girls have to deal with their own problems. Moti has to deal with a lout of a fiance of Moti who follows her to Chennai from their village and threatens all sorts of horrors on her. Kat has to deal with her mom trying to do matchmaking but ending up connecting her with rich, but insensitive brutes. Lolita has to deal with her past, her lies, and her lifestyle.
All these problems appear nearly insignificant when a body part first turns up on a river. More bodies are fished out and it is clear that there is a serial killer on the prowl who targets young girls. Vir is a forensic expert with Interpol in the USA who befriends Kat, and later helps in tracking the serial killer.
The pace of action is gripping and the reader would find it hard to put the book down. This is definitely a great book from a first-time author. The conversations between the characters are a bit contrived and unreal, but I guess these are included for dramatic effect rather than realism.
I definitely recommend this book for reading. The Kindle edition is priced so low that it is extremely large value-for-money! I, for me, would look out for more from Usha Narayanan!
June 6, 2014
Review of ‘The Madras Mangler’
Usha Narayanan has given us a fast paced thriller in ‘The Madras Mangler’. In true whodunit style you only get your answers in the last few pages.
Kat, Moti, Lolita and Minx are four close friends studying at SS Padmaja College. Each of them come from very different backgrounds but in college they find kindred spirits in each other and giggle, chat, live, laugh and support each other. They are young girls enjoying life and living from day to day until the decomposed, strangled bodies of girls start being fished out of the water. Enter Vir the Criminal Psychologist from the USA who has been called down by his friend Bishnu to help crack the case. Packing a mean punch, he brings his own dark motivations to the bearing of this case.
Even though they know that the murderer is targeting college girls, each of the girls are too wrapped up in their own lives to really take it seriously. Lolita, Moti and Minx are all facing trouble from different quarters due to their actions. A whole plethora of shady characters are stalking each of them separately. The killer is on to them as well, trailing them at every turn. They only realize the true implications of the ‘Mangler’ when one of their friends disappears and her battered body is found later.
The book takes us through the trials of their college and personal life; with Bishnu and Vir struggling to come up with some meaningful clues to find the killer who is always one step ahead; it culminates in a desperate chase to save them.
The author’s forte lies in the action packed scenes. Her description of the HATCHET HQ and the conversations on criminal profiling and strategy between Vir and Bishnu are brilliant as are the menacing ‘asides’ from the murderer which build up the suspense. The key male characters are well developed as are the four female protagonists. The conversations between the male characters were realistic and sharp, unfortunately I did not find the same attribute in the dialogue between the girls, where I felt the exchange was stilted besides every male character at college were absolute degenerates. Would have also preferred fewer secondary characters as at times it became a bit confusing keeping up with who they were and their connection to the story.
However, these are really trifling issues when we look at the book as a whole and I am definitely no expert on college life in Chennai. All in all an appealing read that maintains a good pace throughout. I would give it four stars.
Usha Narayanan has given us a fast paced thriller in ‘The Madras Mangler’. In true whodunit style you only get your answers in the last few pages.
Kat, Moti, Lolita and Minx are four close friends studying at SS Padmaja College. Each of them come from very different backgrounds but in college they find kindred spirits in each other and giggle, chat, live, laugh and support each other. They are young girls enjoying life and living from day to day until the decomposed, strangled bodies of girls start being fished out of the water. Enter Vir the Criminal Psychologist from the USA who has been called down by his friend Bishnu to help crack the case. Packing a mean punch, he brings his own dark motivations to the bearing of this case.
Even though they know that the murderer is targeting college girls, each of the girls are too wrapped up in their own lives to really take it seriously. Lolita, Moti and Minx are all facing trouble from different quarters due to their actions. A whole plethora of shady characters are stalking each of them separately. The killer is on to them as well, trailing them at every turn. They only realize the true implications of the ‘Mangler’ when one of their friends disappears and her battered body is found later.
The book takes us through the trials of their college and personal life; with Bishnu and Vir struggling to come up with some meaningful clues to find the killer who is always one step ahead; it culminates in a desperate chase to save them.
The author’s forte lies in the action packed scenes. Her description of the HATCHET HQ and the conversations on criminal profiling and strategy between Vir and Bishnu are brilliant as are the menacing ‘asides’ from the murderer which build up the suspense. The key male characters are well developed as are the four female protagonists. The conversations between the male characters were realistic and sharp, unfortunately I did not find the same attribute in the dialogue between the girls, where I felt the exchange was stilted besides every male character at college were absolute degenerates. Would have also preferred fewer secondary characters as at times it became a bit confusing keeping up with who they were and their connection to the story.
However, these are really trifling issues when we look at the book as a whole and I am definitely no expert on college life in Chennai. All in all an appealing read that maintains a good pace throughout. I would give it four stars.
June 22, 2014
Something different from an Indian author...not really a cliff-hanger suspense story...not really much researched too...but at the end of the day it was fast paced, giving some insight in gal's life (and ensuring that the ones killed do not have much of historical background detailed)..won't say believable too since though it has politics, police, cricket matches as India does...I still refuse to believe college have become what the novel depicts...not in last 5-6 years I graduated from one...
A decent attempt, though I would like to see better researched and more in-flow novel from the lady...and after debating a lot between a 2 and a 3, I settled on a 3 since its a debut novel and if a genre Indian females seldom venture in...
A decent attempt, though I would like to see better researched and more in-flow novel from the lady...and after debating a lot between a 2 and a 3, I settled on a 3 since its a debut novel and if a genre Indian females seldom venture in...
December 17, 2013
Usha Narayanan’s Madras Mangler is a classic thriller, based out of Chennai. It is a tale of Five young girls enjoying their college life however, everything is just a façade to what they are about to get themselves in to.
Imagine a serial killer on the loose, dumping bodies of young girls in to the river. The cops don’t seem to have a clue about his activities and have no way of catching him. Wouldn’t you too, be scared to step out?
The plot begins with a ragging scene by the college rogue Jambu and his hoodlums while miss goody two shoes, Kat, comes to the rescue. Each the five girls has their own set of difficulties, with their lives basically linking with each other. They try to find consolation in the bond they create to keep themselves from harm’s way.
Vir Pradyumna is an ace criminologist from US, with a haunting history that he hasn’t yet gotten over completely. He gets involved in the case and goes to extremes to hunt down the serial killer before another life goes missing.
Usha brings in a number of characters with various motives, keeping the suspense alive and the reader guessing for what is to happen next. Many issues such as ragging, acid throwing, forced marriages, illegitimacy, corrupt politicians and incompetent policemen thickens the plot in capturing the culprit.
Madras Mangler is beautifully written and Usha sure knows how to engage her readers!
Imagine a serial killer on the loose, dumping bodies of young girls in to the river. The cops don’t seem to have a clue about his activities and have no way of catching him. Wouldn’t you too, be scared to step out?
The plot begins with a ragging scene by the college rogue Jambu and his hoodlums while miss goody two shoes, Kat, comes to the rescue. Each the five girls has their own set of difficulties, with their lives basically linking with each other. They try to find consolation in the bond they create to keep themselves from harm’s way.
Vir Pradyumna is an ace criminologist from US, with a haunting history that he hasn’t yet gotten over completely. He gets involved in the case and goes to extremes to hunt down the serial killer before another life goes missing.
Usha brings in a number of characters with various motives, keeping the suspense alive and the reader guessing for what is to happen next. Many issues such as ragging, acid throwing, forced marriages, illegitimacy, corrupt politicians and incompetent policemen thickens the plot in capturing the culprit.
Madras Mangler is beautifully written and Usha sure knows how to engage her readers!
November 19, 2013
Being a non-reader of any writer's good work, I'm done with this 270 odd pages thriller - The Madras Mangler, in just three days. A gripping thriller with twists and turns in each and every page.
I like not to give you all even a gist of the story and kill the excitement.
You would enjoy it.
I like not to give you all even a gist of the story and kill the excitement.
You would enjoy it.
April 18, 2014
Gripping tale which you can finish in one go!
January 16, 2024
Five female college friends in Chennai (Kat, Moti, Minx, Lolita and Deepika) find themselves being targeted by a local serial killer, dubbed The Madras Mangler by the press. As the killer’s attacks become more frequent, the local police task force finds itself powerless, but detective Vir, newly returned from New York, might hold the key to unlocking the mystery…
This by-the-numbers serial killer thriller is lent a slight point of difference by its Indian setting, but the writing is perfunctory at best, and the style throughout (many super short paragraphs of only one or two sentences each) makes me think this might have started life as a Bollywood film screenplay before being “novelised.”
The whodunit aspect is reasonable, though the reveal is totally botched and kills any tension built up to that point, but the female characters are all delineated quite well, and you do find yourself caring what happens to them against the background of a repressive patriarchal society, and an oppressive atmosphere of male gangs within the college and surrounding city.
Far from essential, but easy to read and inoffensive for fans of the serial killer genre who fancy a slight twist on proceedings…
This by-the-numbers serial killer thriller is lent a slight point of difference by its Indian setting, but the writing is perfunctory at best, and the style throughout (many super short paragraphs of only one or two sentences each) makes me think this might have started life as a Bollywood film screenplay before being “novelised.”
The whodunit aspect is reasonable, though the reveal is totally botched and kills any tension built up to that point, but the female characters are all delineated quite well, and you do find yourself caring what happens to them against the background of a repressive patriarchal society, and an oppressive atmosphere of male gangs within the college and surrounding city.
Far from essential, but easy to read and inoffensive for fans of the serial killer genre who fancy a slight twist on proceedings…
August 3, 2021
This entire book is similar to a majority of Tamil movies - a competition to see who’s dick is bigger.
All the men in this story have well carved out, large personalities. They’re either the superhero or the supervillain, they all do the “important” work, and of course, they end up having a huge influence on the story.
The women, on the other hand, are mere props. The women are central characters in subplots that contribute minimally to the story. It goes without saying that the story would remain unaffected if the 5 central characters were replaced with other or other stories. Classic Tamil movie move.
It is sad to see yet another woman succumb to the patriarchy and write stories about other women being nothing more than damsels in distress. No more Usha Narayanan for me, thank you.
All the men in this story have well carved out, large personalities. They’re either the superhero or the supervillain, they all do the “important” work, and of course, they end up having a huge influence on the story.
The women, on the other hand, are mere props. The women are central characters in subplots that contribute minimally to the story. It goes without saying that the story would remain unaffected if the 5 central characters were replaced with other or other stories. Classic Tamil movie move.
It is sad to see yet another woman succumb to the patriarchy and write stories about other women being nothing more than damsels in distress. No more Usha Narayanan for me, thank you.
August 7, 2023
When I'm feeling under the weather, I tend to gravitate towards mystery novels as they have a way of fully captivating my attention. Recently, while suffering from a viral fever for two days, I decided to delve into the pages of "The Madras Mangler" by Usha Narayanan. It's a story about a serial killer in Chennai who leaves behind body parts in a river. A forensic expert from New York helps the police solve the case and predicts that the next victim will be from a specific college. The book kept me guessing until the end, but there were some unnecessary characters and the ending felt rushed. Overall, it was a good debut novel and I look forward to the author's next mystery.
June 25, 2014
The story itself starts with a very nail biting incident. College ragging at its brutal worst! How can young minds be so cruel? This is one question that has always troubled me. So, you can very well understand when it started with this incident, I was caught up in this book totally. Kudos to Usha Narayanan for writing such action packed novel. She is no shrinking violet when it comes using words to create a college ragging scene. I felt angry and anxious at the same time. But then enters our hero and heroine. And I breathe in relief.
Kat and Vir. Lively pair and adventure certainly follows them where ever they go. When Kat protested against the college ragging, she too was dragged inside it. But the timely intervention of Vir not only saved her but all the other students too. Soon Kat and her friends Minx, Lolita, Moti and Deepika found themselves in huge problems. The college nasties were making their lives miserable with cyber bullying and eve teasing and also politically backed A-holes were were making their lives a hell. [Sorry for that, but this is one thing that annoys me, especially in a country which prides itself in its democracy). To top it all they fell the radar of a serial killer. After that, I do not envy the girls one bit, for their lives became a roller coaster ride of lust, betrayal, greed and untimely death.
The story is gripping. It had its nail biting moments and though I guessed who the killer was after the first clue was given, but it has nothing to do with Usha’s way of writing a mystery. I am just too good :P. Though I am itching to say something about the killer but it will be taken as a spoiler, won’t it? Let's just say you will love him when you meet him and hate him when he leaves you … dead :O
I have to mention something about the writing style of the author. She has created a wonderful college scene. The student lives with all its ups and downs, the raggings, the weeds, the hidden drug sellers and the chaiwalas (tea sellers ) all combine to create the ambiance of a college life. Moreover, her words etches the scenes beautifully. The gory details of the murder, The Hatchet office has been beautifully described as has been the fetishness of the serial killer. She is a gripping story teller no doubt.
Read the full review @
http://rubinaramesh.blogspot.com/2014...
Kat and Vir. Lively pair and adventure certainly follows them where ever they go. When Kat protested against the college ragging, she too was dragged inside it. But the timely intervention of Vir not only saved her but all the other students too. Soon Kat and her friends Minx, Lolita, Moti and Deepika found themselves in huge problems. The college nasties were making their lives miserable with cyber bullying and eve teasing and also politically backed A-holes were were making their lives a hell. [Sorry for that, but this is one thing that annoys me, especially in a country which prides itself in its democracy). To top it all they fell the radar of a serial killer. After that, I do not envy the girls one bit, for their lives became a roller coaster ride of lust, betrayal, greed and untimely death.
The story is gripping. It had its nail biting moments and though I guessed who the killer was after the first clue was given, but it has nothing to do with Usha’s way of writing a mystery. I am just too good :P. Though I am itching to say something about the killer but it will be taken as a spoiler, won’t it? Let's just say you will love him when you meet him and hate him when he leaves you … dead :O
I have to mention something about the writing style of the author. She has created a wonderful college scene. The student lives with all its ups and downs, the raggings, the weeds, the hidden drug sellers and the chaiwalas (tea sellers ) all combine to create the ambiance of a college life. Moreover, her words etches the scenes beautifully. The gory details of the murder, The Hatchet office has been beautifully described as has been the fetishness of the serial killer. She is a gripping story teller no doubt.
Read the full review @
http://rubinaramesh.blogspot.com/2014...
June 27, 2014
Usha Narayanan has done a great job with The Madras Mangler. The title itself is so clever that it was enough for me to take up the book which the author lovingly provided in exchange of an honest review.
It is a fast paced thriller with new twists and turns every few pages. The serial killer is of course the main plot but there is a sub plot for each of the friends which, I believe, is the secret to the pacey read. Every few pages we are caught up with the history of the girls, someone is fleeing their past and taking up an imaginary identity whereas someone is running and hiding from a rapist. Cyber criminals and plain-old goons run amok in the college and create enough trouble for the girls that they take the threat of the killer too lightly until one of them disappears.
Since the novel is setup in Chennai, we see a lot of references to local hangouts, colleges, streets and rivers which lends a local flavor and authenticity to the story.
The author is able to maintain the suspense halfway through the book for me. She heightens the suspense when the serial killer takes his first victim from the Padmaja college however, being a devour-er of mysteries and thrillers, I could guess the killer as soon as the killer chooses his next victim. This might be a case of concern for fellow thriller readers. Otherwise there’s no taking away the fact that the author has done a good job with The Madras Mangler.
It is a fast paced thriller with new twists and turns every few pages. The serial killer is of course the main plot but there is a sub plot for each of the friends which, I believe, is the secret to the pacey read. Every few pages we are caught up with the history of the girls, someone is fleeing their past and taking up an imaginary identity whereas someone is running and hiding from a rapist. Cyber criminals and plain-old goons run amok in the college and create enough trouble for the girls that they take the threat of the killer too lightly until one of them disappears.
Since the novel is setup in Chennai, we see a lot of references to local hangouts, colleges, streets and rivers which lends a local flavor and authenticity to the story.
The author is able to maintain the suspense halfway through the book for me. She heightens the suspense when the serial killer takes his first victim from the Padmaja college however, being a devour-er of mysteries and thrillers, I could guess the killer as soon as the killer chooses his next victim. This might be a case of concern for fellow thriller readers. Otherwise there’s no taking away the fact that the author has done a good job with The Madras Mangler.
January 18, 2014
Read on BookGeeks.in
A human limb is found floating in the Adyar river of Chennai. When divers search the waters for the body, they find one but it has all its limbs intact. Further search yields a total of seven dead bodies sunk in the river, all college girls aged 17 to 25. Media gives the serial killer a name – The Madras Mangler. Vir Pradyumna, a forensic expert from New York, is brought in to assist the cops. He predicts the next victim to be from SS Padmaja College where Kat, Moti, Lolita, Minx and Deepika are students. Easy going and fun loving, the lives of these girls is wrecked when they realise that one of them might become the next victim of the serial killer. Who is the Madras Mangler? Can Vir catch him in time? Will one of the girls become his victims?
A human limb is found floating in the Adyar river of Chennai. When divers search the waters for the body, they find one but it has all its limbs intact. Further search yields a total of seven dead bodies sunk in the river, all college girls aged 17 to 25. Media gives the serial killer a name – The Madras Mangler. Vir Pradyumna, a forensic expert from New York, is brought in to assist the cops. He predicts the next victim to be from SS Padmaja College where Kat, Moti, Lolita, Minx and Deepika are students. Easy going and fun loving, the lives of these girls is wrecked when they realise that one of them might become the next victim of the serial killer. Who is the Madras Mangler? Can Vir catch him in time? Will one of the girls become his victims?
November 13, 2014
Romantic thriller are very rare by an Indian Author.
The characters of the five girls, their backgrounds and conflicts are very well depicted and written. The element of a an expert from US definitely adds spice to the story. Vir is a real action hero. All in all a good mix of charcters, narration and stunts (which includes a helicopter also)
I liked the way Usha Narayanan has written the action scenes, it was quite enthralling to read such specifc actions, as if watching a movie. I would have loved some more insight on what was going on, in the antogonists mind, right from the begining.
An entertaining, bollywood style novel.
The characters of the five girls, their backgrounds and conflicts are very well depicted and written. The element of a an expert from US definitely adds spice to the story. Vir is a real action hero. All in all a good mix of charcters, narration and stunts (which includes a helicopter also)
I liked the way Usha Narayanan has written the action scenes, it was quite enthralling to read such specifc actions, as if watching a movie. I would have loved some more insight on what was going on, in the antogonists mind, right from the begining.
An entertaining, bollywood style novel.
May 1, 2014
After reading a fair few not so great books, a good book comes like an oasis in the desert. Madras Mangler by Usha Narayanan was such a book. A out and out fast paced, crime thriller, I finished reading the 270 odd pages in an evening. I can safely say the book was unputdownable.
For the full review please vist http://jaibalarao.com/2014/05/01/hunt...
For the full review please vist http://jaibalarao.com/2014/05/01/hunt...
October 5, 2014
At the end of reading this book I am still very unclear about what and why the serial killer did while he killed that many girls, wish there was more to his character,the whodunit was an abrupt reveal, otherwise this one is a brave attempt!
May 4, 2014
A gripping thriller!!!
August 17, 2015
Felt disgusted after reading the first few chapters. But pushed myself on as I have spent the money to buy this book. Unfortunately couldn't stomach it.
December 20, 2015
The plot was a combination of CSI and Bollywood cliches. Writing style was tell, not show. It was too informal and predictable.
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