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The Third Squad
The Third Squad is an arresting, ripped-from-the-headlines noir novel that deftly explores how in recent decades, to ostensibly combat the rising tide of criminality in Mumbai's underworld, the Indian Police Service has carried out many hundreds of extrajudicial assassinations of suspected criminals. Karan, an expert sharpshooter in an elite branch of the Indian police dispensed with dishing out this peculiar blend of vigilante justice, has a difficult choice to make: should he continue to blindly follow orders from his superiors, regardless of their moral standing, or should he take matters into his own hands and do what he believes to be right?
Belonging to a hit squad whose members all fall somewhere along the autism spectrum, Karan, who has been diagnosed with mild Asperger's syndrome, is notorious for his ruthless precision and efficiency in carrying out these assassinations, yet he remains aloof and distant. Gradually, his impenetrable façade begins to crack, and Karan's emotional and psychological depth reveals itself as he is forced to make decisions where the stakes are literally life-and-death. Also at play is the looming specter of the city of Mumbai itself, seemingly at the cusp of a neoliberal era of enlightenment and progress, yet still trapped under the ineluctable burden of old Bombay history, which can never quite be forgotten or suppressed.
Dark and gritty, raw and fast-paced, and never sentimental, The Third Squad distills the best aspects of classic American noir writing into a uniquely Indian context, revealing V. Sanjay Kumar as a singular talent on the crime fiction circuit.
Belonging to a hit squad whose members all fall somewhere along the autism spectrum, Karan, who has been diagnosed with mild Asperger's syndrome, is notorious for his ruthless precision and efficiency in carrying out these assassinations, yet he remains aloof and distant. Gradually, his impenetrable façade begins to crack, and Karan's emotional and psychological depth reveals itself as he is forced to make decisions where the stakes are literally life-and-death. Also at play is the looming specter of the city of Mumbai itself, seemingly at the cusp of a neoliberal era of enlightenment and progress, yet still trapped under the ineluctable burden of old Bombay history, which can never quite be forgotten or suppressed.
Dark and gritty, raw and fast-paced, and never sentimental, The Third Squad distills the best aspects of classic American noir writing into a uniquely Indian context, revealing V. Sanjay Kumar as a singular talent on the crime fiction circuit.
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 7, 2017
13 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
V. Sanjay Kumar
7 books14 followersV Sanjay Kumar is a former investment banker and software entrepreneur. He is a Director at Sakshi, an art gallery in Mumbai. (www.sakshigallery.com)
He began his writing career in 2010. He has published four works of fiction since then.
He won the 2018 Bridport Prize for Short Fiction. Other stories were commended in the Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize (two) and Galley Beggar Short Story Prize.
He has spent most of his life in Chennai and Mumbai. He resides currently in Bangalore.
He began his writing career in 2010. He has published four works of fiction since then.
He won the 2018 Bridport Prize for Short Fiction. Other stories were commended in the Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize (two) and Galley Beggar Short Story Prize.
He has spent most of his life in Chennai and Mumbai. He resides currently in Bangalore.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
April 30, 2021
This novel is stunning—it’s subject, it’s characters and the author’s writing. What an idea! I love Indian crime movies and they often show rampant urban crime, cruelty of the police and just plain chaos. Somehow I missed the movies (and there are at least 10 of them) that dealt with real “encounter squads” who in the 90s and beyond were policemen dedicated to confronting and then summarily killing gangsters who seemed to be beyond the reach of the law. Hah! Who needs an overburdened court system, crooked lawyers and smug gangsters getting off over and over again. Just take them out! OMG.
This book takes the idea one step further. Now the new third squad of encounter specialists will perform this service. To try to tamp down corruption and lawlessness among the police themselves, the new group will be selected from people on the autism spectrum, specifically high functioning “Aspies” who will not feel emotions or get caught up in the endless infighting and politics in the police hierarchy. We follow the main character, an Aspie, his concerned “normal” wife and the conniving police supervisors.
I strongly suggest you read this and get caught up in the story. I’ve no idea why it doesn’t have a higher rating. It’s sly, subversive and even funny. As the author says “. . . This is where Bombay intersects with Mumbai. It’s not a peaceful coexistence.”
This book takes the idea one step further. Now the new third squad of encounter specialists will perform this service. To try to tamp down corruption and lawlessness among the police themselves, the new group will be selected from people on the autism spectrum, specifically high functioning “Aspies” who will not feel emotions or get caught up in the endless infighting and politics in the police hierarchy. We follow the main character, an Aspie, his concerned “normal” wife and the conniving police supervisors.
I strongly suggest you read this and get caught up in the story. I’ve no idea why it doesn’t have a higher rating. It’s sly, subversive and even funny. As the author says “. . . This is where Bombay intersects with Mumbai. It’s not a peaceful coexistence.”
June 13, 2025
“The Third Squad” by V. Sanjay Kumar revolves around the world of extrajudicial killings carried out by Indian Police set around the backdrop of Mumbai. The story revolves around Karan an expert sharpshooter of this squad known for his ruthless precision and detached approach towards his work. But things start to change when he is struck with a moral dilemma of whether to continue following his superior's orders or to take matters into his own hands.
Initially, I found it challenging to engage with the story due to the use of third-person POV. The narrative is fast-paced filled with twists and turns. Beyond the thrilling elements, the book explores philosophical aspects, challenging perceptions of justice and morality. The Indian setting particularly the dark underbelly of Mumbai had me engaged in the story. However, I felt the plot became confusing due to many subplots that disrupted the flow of reading.
If you looking for a book with a unique fusion of classic noir with a gritty Indian setting, immersing you in Mumbai’s crime world, then I highly recommend this book.
Initially, I found it challenging to engage with the story due to the use of third-person POV. The narrative is fast-paced filled with twists and turns. Beyond the thrilling elements, the book explores philosophical aspects, challenging perceptions of justice and morality. The Indian setting particularly the dark underbelly of Mumbai had me engaged in the story. However, I felt the plot became confusing due to many subplots that disrupted the flow of reading.
If you looking for a book with a unique fusion of classic noir with a gritty Indian setting, immersing you in Mumbai’s crime world, then I highly recommend this book.
May 8, 2017
Enjoyable, if not surprising - a by-the-numbers gritty police novel about an Aspergian marksman that happens to be set in Mumbai. The chapters from the perspective of Mr Hitman's wife are the highlight, as she grapples with the repercussions of her husband's morally-grey work - otherwise it's a pretty stereotypical book, with the character types and plot points you'd expect to see in a Bourne novel...but set in India.
May 30, 2017
Simply stunning read about a police hit squad composed of officers with autism spectrum syndrome. As the parent of an autistic, I was truly shaken. Aspects of the syndrome make the central character Karan uniquely qualified in his tasks, but it takes its toll. The peek into the poverty and corruption of Mumbai is simply fascinating, as is Karan's marriage. The view remains unflinching right to the end. I was both relieved to escape and sad to leave this exquisitely drawn world. Offered as a "noir novel," I'd recommend this amazing story to more than just fans of crime fiction. Kudos to the author, who got everything right.
June 8, 2018
Originally posted on The Literary Edit.
An Urban Noir in Mumbai: The Third Squad by V Sanjay Kumar
The Third Squad by V Sanjay Kumar is not the kind of book that I would pick up in a bookstore because I tend to steer clear of thrillers and crime fiction. However, its blurb caught my interest.
"Karan is an expert sharpshooter who never misses his mark. He belongs to a police hit squad formed to only commit encounter killings. All members of his squad fall somewhere along the autism spectrum."
I had to know how the book handles disability within the thriller and crime genre, and I am happy to report that Kumar's book does not disappoint.
Told alternatively in first and third person, The Third Squad tells the story of Karan, Mumbai police encounter squad's best sharpshooter, the one who never misses the mark and is a subject of curiosity among his peers.
Karan inhabits a world of criminals taking dialysis in makeshift clinics, informers in disguise, erratic policemen who twist the law, warlords, and staged encounters whose media reports are "the cut-and-paste literature of the underworld". It is this world that the reader must enter.
Urban Noir in the City of Mumbai
Set in the city of Mumbai (Maharashtra, India), Kumar's work may be best categorised as an 'Urban Noir': a work of fiction that lays bare the underbelly of big cities, spaces that are vulnerable to crime.
"Back at home it hit Karan with surprising clarity as to how cinematic this city truly was—it was also the uncut version of a civic nightmare."
Kumar employs this very cinematic and civic nightmarish character of Mumbai to tell the tale. Karan's Mumbai is a dish best served cold, plastered slightly with nostalgia and seasoned significantly with disgust and contempt.
"Half the time the city spat and half the time its pants were around its ankles. . . The chawl [a type of community housing complex, also a culture] resembled a pigsty in the morning."
I must warn you, the whole book is a disgruntled homage to Mumbai and cities like Mumbai, with their pockets of neglect, segregation of spaces, corruptions, and frustrations, best epitomised by Karan's wife, Nandini's city walks.
"It is a sultry dawn in the city, she thinks. . . In the night the city yields to the will of those who hold remorse for ransom. The city of noir sleeps at dawn. The night's debris waits for the tide."
The 'Slightly Mental' Cop
Where Kumar's book becomes much more than just-another-crime-novel is not only in its lyrical descriptions of the city, but also in the way it explores the topic of disability. Evam Bhaskar, a 'doctor' who runs an obscure outfit in the city and takes care of children with disabilities, tells the reader,
"[N]ature's biggest mistake and evolution's all-time screw-up is making the majority of us very much like one other. . . We live in a uniform think tank, we swim rhythmically in an empathy pool, and we have lost the ability to deal with those of us who are different. And when someone different comes along we cannot handle it."
About autism specifically, Evam says,
"When a normal child is born your windows open out. You breathe fresh air, hear new sounds, and you see a brave new world. When an autistic child is born you go knocking on doors."
The reason why his peers find the 'slightly mental' Karan to be such a mystery is because he has mild Asperger's syndrome (this is not a spoiler, it's in the blurb). They are, of course, unaware of it.
Karan's story is linked with that of Evam and of Ranvir Pratap, the founder of the third squad. In the digital age, where the era of encounter squads is coming to a close, Pratap somehow manages to uphold the myth and legacy around the Special Branch. It all boils down to one 'mistake'.
"His [Karan's] boss [Pratap] was a guilty man; at least he behaved like one. He was forever trying to justify the encounter approach to himself. He began quoting extensively from the Bhagwad Geetha, a text in which killing brothers in a war was arguably acceptable and philosophically tenable."
Some Clumsy Clichés
I have only one complaint to make about the book: the use of clumsy clichés in describing Karan and Nandini's relationship. How Nandini walked into Karan's peripheral vision "wearing a floral dress that swirled in the breeze"; how the girls were "wary but intrigued" by Karan's "brooding eyes and loner disposition" where secrets could be found; how Karan "landed the girl who all the boys chased".
Such descriptions are more suited to a young-adult romance novel than an otherwise well-written and character-driven Urban Noir.
_______________
The Third Squad by V Sanjay Kumar, published by Juggernaut Books, 2017.
*This book was sent to me for review by the author. The views expressed, however, are entirely my own.
An Urban Noir in Mumbai: The Third Squad by V Sanjay Kumar
The Third Squad by V Sanjay Kumar is not the kind of book that I would pick up in a bookstore because I tend to steer clear of thrillers and crime fiction. However, its blurb caught my interest.
"Karan is an expert sharpshooter who never misses his mark. He belongs to a police hit squad formed to only commit encounter killings. All members of his squad fall somewhere along the autism spectrum."
I had to know how the book handles disability within the thriller and crime genre, and I am happy to report that Kumar's book does not disappoint.
Told alternatively in first and third person, The Third Squad tells the story of Karan, Mumbai police encounter squad's best sharpshooter, the one who never misses the mark and is a subject of curiosity among his peers.
Karan inhabits a world of criminals taking dialysis in makeshift clinics, informers in disguise, erratic policemen who twist the law, warlords, and staged encounters whose media reports are "the cut-and-paste literature of the underworld". It is this world that the reader must enter.
Urban Noir in the City of Mumbai
Set in the city of Mumbai (Maharashtra, India), Kumar's work may be best categorised as an 'Urban Noir': a work of fiction that lays bare the underbelly of big cities, spaces that are vulnerable to crime.
"Back at home it hit Karan with surprising clarity as to how cinematic this city truly was—it was also the uncut version of a civic nightmare."
Kumar employs this very cinematic and civic nightmarish character of Mumbai to tell the tale. Karan's Mumbai is a dish best served cold, plastered slightly with nostalgia and seasoned significantly with disgust and contempt.
"Half the time the city spat and half the time its pants were around its ankles. . . The chawl [a type of community housing complex, also a culture] resembled a pigsty in the morning."
I must warn you, the whole book is a disgruntled homage to Mumbai and cities like Mumbai, with their pockets of neglect, segregation of spaces, corruptions, and frustrations, best epitomised by Karan's wife, Nandini's city walks.
"It is a sultry dawn in the city, she thinks. . . In the night the city yields to the will of those who hold remorse for ransom. The city of noir sleeps at dawn. The night's debris waits for the tide."
The 'Slightly Mental' Cop
Where Kumar's book becomes much more than just-another-crime-novel is not only in its lyrical descriptions of the city, but also in the way it explores the topic of disability. Evam Bhaskar, a 'doctor' who runs an obscure outfit in the city and takes care of children with disabilities, tells the reader,
"[N]ature's biggest mistake and evolution's all-time screw-up is making the majority of us very much like one other. . . We live in a uniform think tank, we swim rhythmically in an empathy pool, and we have lost the ability to deal with those of us who are different. And when someone different comes along we cannot handle it."
About autism specifically, Evam says,
"When a normal child is born your windows open out. You breathe fresh air, hear new sounds, and you see a brave new world. When an autistic child is born you go knocking on doors."
The reason why his peers find the 'slightly mental' Karan to be such a mystery is because he has mild Asperger's syndrome (this is not a spoiler, it's in the blurb). They are, of course, unaware of it.
Karan's story is linked with that of Evam and of Ranvir Pratap, the founder of the third squad. In the digital age, where the era of encounter squads is coming to a close, Pratap somehow manages to uphold the myth and legacy around the Special Branch. It all boils down to one 'mistake'.
"His [Karan's] boss [Pratap] was a guilty man; at least he behaved like one. He was forever trying to justify the encounter approach to himself. He began quoting extensively from the Bhagwad Geetha, a text in which killing brothers in a war was arguably acceptable and philosophically tenable."
Some Clumsy Clichés
I have only one complaint to make about the book: the use of clumsy clichés in describing Karan and Nandini's relationship. How Nandini walked into Karan's peripheral vision "wearing a floral dress that swirled in the breeze"; how the girls were "wary but intrigued" by Karan's "brooding eyes and loner disposition" where secrets could be found; how Karan "landed the girl who all the boys chased".
Such descriptions are more suited to a young-adult romance novel than an otherwise well-written and character-driven Urban Noir.
_______________
The Third Squad by V Sanjay Kumar, published by Juggernaut Books, 2017.
*This book was sent to me for review by the author. The views expressed, however, are entirely my own.
April 27, 2020
This Indian novel follows the career of a police "encounter specialist" in contemporary Mumbai -- a topic I knew nothing about. Apparently, starting in the mid-1980s, police in India began to follow an informal practice of combating gang-related crime by staging "encounters" with criminals that were essentially assassinations (or "extra-judicial killings" if you prefer). While successful in one sense, this practice predictably led to increased corruption within the police, and became increasingly problematic.
In this psychological novel, a police commander is charged with creating a new encounter squad, and instead of drawing upon the usual pool of recruits, he takes a very different approach. His set of psychological criteria leads him to assemble a team of men with varying forms of Asperger syndrome, including the protagonist of the book, Kamran. The story follows Kamran over the course of his career, detailing a number of his "encounters" as well as his personal life at home with his vibrant wife, Nandini.
I found all this interesting... but there's a lot going on in the book, and it doesn't always hang together well. There's a significant thread about the internal bureaucratic power struggles among the officers overseeing the unit, and various plots and counterplots that get somewhat obscure. There's another thread about a doctor who treats autistic children and his involvement in the genesis of the squad and then he also runs a VR porn site that ties in with one of the officers. And then there's Kamran and Nandini's marriage, which was really interesting, but also elusive -- I never grasped what would make her (an urban historian who leads walking tours of Mumbai) get into a relationship with him, much less marry.
The city's geography and flavor acts as another character, and in that sense, anyone with a significant interest in Mumbai will likely find the book compelling simply on those grounds. However, the net effect was somewhat hazy and portentous to me, which I guess fits with a lot of neo-noir, I'm just not sure it all quite lands effectively. As a final note, the book uses a ton of non-English words with no explanation -- which I don't mind, it can help create flavor and tone -- but there's no glossary, so one has to keep stopping to look up what they mean, which takes you out of the story. Overall a very mixed bag.
In this psychological novel, a police commander is charged with creating a new encounter squad, and instead of drawing upon the usual pool of recruits, he takes a very different approach. His set of psychological criteria leads him to assemble a team of men with varying forms of Asperger syndrome, including the protagonist of the book, Kamran. The story follows Kamran over the course of his career, detailing a number of his "encounters" as well as his personal life at home with his vibrant wife, Nandini.
I found all this interesting... but there's a lot going on in the book, and it doesn't always hang together well. There's a significant thread about the internal bureaucratic power struggles among the officers overseeing the unit, and various plots and counterplots that get somewhat obscure. There's another thread about a doctor who treats autistic children and his involvement in the genesis of the squad and then he also runs a VR porn site that ties in with one of the officers. And then there's Kamran and Nandini's marriage, which was really interesting, but also elusive -- I never grasped what would make her (an urban historian who leads walking tours of Mumbai) get into a relationship with him, much less marry.
The city's geography and flavor acts as another character, and in that sense, anyone with a significant interest in Mumbai will likely find the book compelling simply on those grounds. However, the net effect was somewhat hazy and portentous to me, which I guess fits with a lot of neo-noir, I'm just not sure it all quite lands effectively. As a final note, the book uses a ton of non-English words with no explanation -- which I don't mind, it can help create flavor and tone -- but there's no glossary, so one has to keep stopping to look up what they mean, which takes you out of the story. Overall a very mixed bag.
July 23, 2017
I really like to read crime novels, especially when there are police as a protagonist. I picked this book because the lead character is having mild Asperger’s syndrome, I have watched the movie My name is khan based on asperger’s syndrome but never read any book on it.
I think author has done a good research on Asperger’s syndrome character and then build this novel, the author having a good grip on his writing and character buildup is perfect. To be frank I really appreciated the work done by the author, its entire plot and the way he build the suspense and revealing their after is excellent.
The book is tagged as noir novel on the net, which is new for me so I picked and started reading it and then came to know that, here Karan the protagonist himself is the victim of the situation.
Now about this book, it’s a story about Karan who is encounter specialist, works under Ranvir Pratap, they all work under the tag name The Third Squad in Mumbai also Karan is suffering from Asperger’s syndrome. The story revolves between Karan, Ranvir Pratap and Nandini (Karan’s wife), the story says how asperger’s patient think, how do they react, what are their features etc. Actually I never reveal the plot of any novel, but if you have read this blurb, it will urge you to complete this wonderful novel.
What I loved in the book: Nandini’s character, very mature and interesting also the scenic description of Bombay is awesome.
I highly recommend this novel to crime, mystery, suspense lovers and to those who wants to read on human psychology.
**I received a copy from Juggernaut Books in exchange for an honest and unbiased review**
I think author has done a good research on Asperger’s syndrome character and then build this novel, the author having a good grip on his writing and character buildup is perfect. To be frank I really appreciated the work done by the author, its entire plot and the way he build the suspense and revealing their after is excellent.
The book is tagged as noir novel on the net, which is new for me so I picked and started reading it and then came to know that, here Karan the protagonist himself is the victim of the situation.
Now about this book, it’s a story about Karan who is encounter specialist, works under Ranvir Pratap, they all work under the tag name The Third Squad in Mumbai also Karan is suffering from Asperger’s syndrome. The story revolves between Karan, Ranvir Pratap and Nandini (Karan’s wife), the story says how asperger’s patient think, how do they react, what are their features etc. Actually I never reveal the plot of any novel, but if you have read this blurb, it will urge you to complete this wonderful novel.
What I loved in the book: Nandini’s character, very mature and interesting also the scenic description of Bombay is awesome.
I highly recommend this novel to crime, mystery, suspense lovers and to those who wants to read on human psychology.
**I received a copy from Juggernaut Books in exchange for an honest and unbiased review**
May 16, 2017
Karan is part of a special law enforcement team called the Third Squad. Should he feel remorse about what his job forces him to do? His wife seems to think so. Does Mumbai still need this squad after they've stopped more than 30 crime bosses? The police chief isn't sure. As more comes to light about the squad's recruitment, everyone can't help but wonder - was Karan really a good fit for this squad? Or have things gone too far?
I picked this book up with medium expectations. The cover looked fun and caught my eye and I was delighted that I had won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. Had I paid a bit more attention, I would have known that this was no quirky Indian novel. It's a noir thriller in some ways, but ultimately it's slower than that and it's much more about people than about action. I had a slow start getting into this book, but once I got going, I read half of it in a day.
I quite liked this overall. Kumar writes well and makes the reader feel like an intimate part of the story, which I appreciated. He also took the story in a direction that I did not at all expect. In some ways, I should have seen it coming, but I didn't and that was delightful (and terribly sad).
My favorite parts of this book were Karan's interactions with Nandini, his wife. She's an interesting character and I would've loved to see her expanded on more. For what she was in the book, she did an excellent job and I really felt for her.
I'd recommend this to noir lovers and crime readers.
I picked this book up with medium expectations. The cover looked fun and caught my eye and I was delighted that I had won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. Had I paid a bit more attention, I would have known that this was no quirky Indian novel. It's a noir thriller in some ways, but ultimately it's slower than that and it's much more about people than about action. I had a slow start getting into this book, but once I got going, I read half of it in a day.
I quite liked this overall. Kumar writes well and makes the reader feel like an intimate part of the story, which I appreciated. He also took the story in a direction that I did not at all expect. In some ways, I should have seen it coming, but I didn't and that was delightful (and terribly sad).
My favorite parts of this book were Karan's interactions with Nandini, his wife. She's an interesting character and I would've loved to see her expanded on more. For what she was in the book, she did an excellent job and I really felt for her.
I'd recommend this to noir lovers and crime readers.
June 21, 2025
In "The Third Squad" by V. Sanjay Kumar, readers are transported into the complex world of killings conducted by the Indian Police, particularly set in the gritty atmosphere of Mumbai. The story follows Karan, a highly skilled sharpshooter known for his ruthless efficiency and emotional detachment. However, as the narrative unfolds, Karan finds himself grappling with a significant moral dilemma: whether to adhere to his superior's orders or to forge his own path.
The fast-paced storytelling is filled with unexpected twists, although I initially found the third-person perspective somewhat challenging to connect with. Nevertheless, the book goes beyond mere thrills, inviting readers to explore deeper philosophical questions surrounding justice and morality. The vivid portrayal of Mumbai’s darker elements was particularly engaging, though I felt that the inclusion of various subplots occasionally disrupted the overall flow of the narrative.
Overall, if you are looking for a distinctive blend of classic noir set against a gritty Indian backdrop that immerses you in Mumbai’s intricate crime world, I highly recommend giving this book a try. The thought-provoking themes and thrilling elements make it a noteworthy read.
The fast-paced storytelling is filled with unexpected twists, although I initially found the third-person perspective somewhat challenging to connect with. Nevertheless, the book goes beyond mere thrills, inviting readers to explore deeper philosophical questions surrounding justice and morality. The vivid portrayal of Mumbai’s darker elements was particularly engaging, though I felt that the inclusion of various subplots occasionally disrupted the overall flow of the narrative.
Overall, if you are looking for a distinctive blend of classic noir set against a gritty Indian backdrop that immerses you in Mumbai’s intricate crime world, I highly recommend giving this book a try. The thought-provoking themes and thrilling elements make it a noteworthy read.
March 8, 2017
THE THIRD SQUAD by V. Sanjay Kumar is a very interesting, very distinct title in Akashic Books noir series.
Akashic Books has quite a few noir titles which range around the globe from Chile to Belfast (Northern Ireland) to Oakland (California) to Mumbai - well, you get my drift.
I thank Akashic Books for making titles available to me in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
Please go online at Akashic Books to view their catalog. It is quite eclectic and quite extensive.
THE THIRD SQUAD takes place in Mumbai and refers to an elite hit squad (very loosely connected with the official police force) that targets and kills suspected criminals. This is outside of a normal justice protocol and the court system - a (controlled) vigilante justice.
Our main character, Karan, is an ‘encounter specialist’ (a.k.a. assassin) in the Third Squad. His controller is Ranvir Pratap. Pratap’s controller is Parthasarathy, and the person in the middle is Tiwari, who operates a spy unit or information unit known as the Khabiri Squad. Tiwari’s nickname is ‘King Rat’.
On the periphery is Evam Bashkar who helps Ranvir Pratap with the recruitment of ‘Aspies’ or autistics for the elite Third Squad. Evam runs a home for autistic children and their parents. A doctor of child psychology, “Evam Bhaskar was a social misfit. In his dreams he was a miscast hero, but in life he was just another abject Mumbaikar. He peddled sex for a living and ran a home for idiot savants on the side.” (p.158) I found Evam to be a very interesting character.
Then there is Nandini, Karan’s wife, who tries desperately to understand and save her husband.
The sense of place in this title is incredible. Mumbai is center-stage. A great description of Mumbai occurs on p. 23 as “shape-shifting”. Mumbai seems to have a metamorphosis characteristic of completely transforming its physical shape to the onlooker.
The title is very raw and gritty, with close-up assassinations; extremely complex characters with seemingly psychological ailments or at best mood-swing disorders; and many layered plot lines. It is culturally puzzling at times; a true noir, highlighting cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity.
This is one of the most different, fascinating books I have read in a long time and I would highly recommend it.
Akashic Books has quite a few noir titles which range around the globe from Chile to Belfast (Northern Ireland) to Oakland (California) to Mumbai - well, you get my drift.
I thank Akashic Books for making titles available to me in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
Please go online at Akashic Books to view their catalog. It is quite eclectic and quite extensive.
THE THIRD SQUAD takes place in Mumbai and refers to an elite hit squad (very loosely connected with the official police force) that targets and kills suspected criminals. This is outside of a normal justice protocol and the court system - a (controlled) vigilante justice.
Our main character, Karan, is an ‘encounter specialist’ (a.k.a. assassin) in the Third Squad. His controller is Ranvir Pratap. Pratap’s controller is Parthasarathy, and the person in the middle is Tiwari, who operates a spy unit or information unit known as the Khabiri Squad. Tiwari’s nickname is ‘King Rat’.
On the periphery is Evam Bashkar who helps Ranvir Pratap with the recruitment of ‘Aspies’ or autistics for the elite Third Squad. Evam runs a home for autistic children and their parents. A doctor of child psychology, “Evam Bhaskar was a social misfit. In his dreams he was a miscast hero, but in life he was just another abject Mumbaikar. He peddled sex for a living and ran a home for idiot savants on the side.” (p.158) I found Evam to be a very interesting character.
Then there is Nandini, Karan’s wife, who tries desperately to understand and save her husband.
The sense of place in this title is incredible. Mumbai is center-stage. A great description of Mumbai occurs on p. 23 as “shape-shifting”. Mumbai seems to have a metamorphosis characteristic of completely transforming its physical shape to the onlooker.
The title is very raw and gritty, with close-up assassinations; extremely complex characters with seemingly psychological ailments or at best mood-swing disorders; and many layered plot lines. It is culturally puzzling at times; a true noir, highlighting cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity.
This is one of the most different, fascinating books I have read in a long time and I would highly recommend it.
February 19, 2017
I won this through a librarything giveaway. An interesting story set in Mumbai. It's not so much an action novel, but rather a character study. It follows Karan a man who is a part of an elite police team tasked with assassinating criminals. Everyone on the team is somewhere on the autism spectrum. The novel doesn't solely focus on Karan but explores a variety of characters. It was developed and paced well within the small amount of pages. I liked the different perspectives from the people in Karan's life. Nadini, his wife was particularity interesting. It's definitely a setting and time I've never read about and those elements were fascinating to me. The description of the city is evocative and it was interesting to read a noir set in India.
August 4, 2017
a ok kind of story. the characters could have been better developed. the plot was very weak. one could easily figure out what was going to happen next. the end could have been more gripping. I thought that Mumbai was described pretty well. with a little more research and perseverance could have been a great book.
August 1, 2018
I started this book with high expectations. Especially since I had lately seen plenty series and movies with Mumbai police. Maybe that's why it really did not grip me nor live up to my expectations. It was slow and sometimes disconnected flowing from one part of story to another.
January 22, 2018
Great noir thriller that made excellent use of changing narrative perspectives and told a tense crime story in a unique setting
July 10, 2019
A good book on the encounter squads along with asides.on chawl life.in Mumbai/life of a rank and file police man etc. Good read on how the underlings often suffer
March 17, 2017
The Third Squad's protagonist, Karan, is an extrajudicial executioner working for the "good guys". This is a book so noir that it resets the range of noir. After the 10th or 11th execution of some mob functionary or other, I began to lose interest in our psychopathic "hero". This may represent some bizarre reality of Indian society, but I ultimately lost interest in the story as well. And did I mention it also was a lot of work keeping tabs on the narrative.
Too many Hindi and Gujarati words are mixed in, untranslated and devoid of enough context to allow even a decent guess. A local term, here and there, can add some color and authenticity to a narrative, but Mr Kumar's linguistic masala was just too tedious and ultimately annoying for this reader.
Too many Hindi and Gujarati words are mixed in, untranslated and devoid of enough context to allow even a decent guess. A local term, here and there, can add some color and authenticity to a narrative, but Mr Kumar's linguistic masala was just too tedious and ultimately annoying for this reader.
February 25, 2020
Read 2020
March 5, 2017
Kumar's noir novel is a beautiful study of character and corruption in a police force and culture completely foreign to me. This story was compelling, thoughtful, and amazingly thrilling in the most nonchalant and droll way (and I mean that as a wonderful compliment).
By treating such a gruesome topic as assignation by police in such a casual and character driven way, rather than high action and straight violence, the situations and characters become humanize Dina terrifying way.
This story was amazingly written and extremely complex. I look forward to reading it again.
By treating such a gruesome topic as assignation by police in such a casual and character driven way, rather than high action and straight violence, the situations and characters become humanize Dina terrifying way.
This story was amazingly written and extremely complex. I look forward to reading it again.
April 6, 2018
I wanted to like this book but it felt aimless.
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