Behind the Scenes

Vikram Rana Mystery #3

by Sharmishtha Shenoy

This is an updated cover edition of ASIN B0771NXNXX.

Fading superstar of the Bengali film industry Ryan Gomez is poisoned to death while shooting for a film in the pretty hill town of Darjeeling. Sheila Dhar, the film’s beautiful female lead with whom Ryan had recently broken his engagement is the chief suspect. Sheila attempts suicide and is shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The CID, Kolkata, takes over the investigation and the film crew is allowed to move back to the “City of Joy”.
Though revenge for the broken engagement seems the obvious motive for the murder, there are several others who had reason to wish Ryan dead. Powerful film producer Rustom, the love of whose life ended up becoming Ryan’s first wife. Screenplay writer Allan, who was in danger of being fired from the production house thanks to a public tiff with Ryan. Acclaimed film director Paddy, who was in love with Sheila. Sheila’s mother, Jaya, who was strongly opposed to her marrying Ryan. The family of Ryan’s first wife, who bear a deep grudge against him.
There are suspects galore, but the murderer has not reckoned with the tenacity of Vikram Rana.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2017

About the author

Sharmishtha Shenoy is a bestselling Indian author of crime fiction and psychological thrillers, with over 1 million pages read on Kindle Unlimited, making her one of the most widely read independent crime writers on KU in India.

Shenoy is the author of the true crime novels titled The Hyderabad Heist, and Candle in the Wind. Both the novels have been imprinted by Rupa Publications.

She is also the creator of the popular Vikram Rana Mystery Series, which includes A Season for Dying, Silent Witness, A Thousand Scars -Book 1: The Hunter and Book 2: The Hunted, among others.

Her standalone works include the psychological thriller Murder in the Chowdhury Palace (Vishwakarma Publications) and the short story collection Quirky Tales.

In a unique honour, Silent Witness has been selected for a PhD thesis at Dayalbagh Educational Institute, where it is being studied from a psychological perspective.

Prior to her writing career, Shenoy worked in the tech industry with companies like TCS, Satyam, Infosys, and Microsoft. She holds an M.Tech from the University of Reading, UK, and brings analytical rigour to her storytelling.

A native of Calcutta, now based in Hyderabad, Shenoy is currently pursuing a screenwriting course at NFYU to adapt her novels for film and streaming platforms. She describes herself as “happily married to Mr. Shenoy, but fictionally wedded to Vikram Rana.”

Reviews

[Supratim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the Vikram Rana mystery series. Vikram was a tough but fair cop, he left the force disillusioned by the corruption of his senior. He now runs a successful private investigation agency in Hyderabad. Vikram is a macho guy but is quite afraid of his wife Veena, a health-conscious vegan, who is always trying to get our foodie detective to eat healthy. While most of the detectives in today’s crime fiction have some personal tragedy or the other, it is refreshing to read a series where the detective has a happy family life.

Anyway in this novel, our protagonist travels to the beautiful hill town of Darjeeling with his wife. There Ryan Gomez aka Dinesh Kumar, the fading superstar of the Bengali film industry is poisoned to death while shooting for a movie. A detective visits a place and there is no murder, unthinkable!!! Suspicion falls on the Shiela Dhar, the female lead with whom Ryan had broken of his engagement. As you guessed Vikram now enters the investigation – Shiela was Veena’s school friend after all.

The action then shifts to the city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Vikram also get to learn a bit about the “City of Joy”. I liked how his relationship with Lobo of the Kolkata CID evolved during the course of the investigation.

Vikram and Lobo continue the investigation and have to deal with a powerful and arrogant producer, a shady script writer, Ryan’s relatives with a grudge against the late actor, loyal domestic help and others.

Quite a few characters were well fleshed out especially Ryan.

It is a decent whodunit with suspects galore and each had a strong motive. I could partly guess the motive behind the crime and the culprit. I am sure most of you would be able to do so.

I wish the author had elaborated a bit more on the city of Kolkata. I simply love stories where the locales are presented as a living and breathing character. The epilogue was nice but a bit too long.
Overall, it is an entertaining, light-hearted novel which is easy to read and a quick read. If you like your mysteries to be on the cozier side with minimal gore, then you can give this one a try.

[Rohit Enghakat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. It is refreshing to read a thriller by an Indian author which keeps you hooked throughout. The plot is about a murder of a well known film actor on a movie set and how his fiancee and her mother are the prime suspects in the case. Detective Vikram Rana is assigned to solve the case by the mother.

The climax is good and the plot keeps you guessing about the killer's identity throughout till the end.

[Vish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite interesting!

*ARC received in exchange for a honest review.*

Behind the scenes is a story of murder of a fading super star-actor Ryan Gomez on a set during a shoot via poisoning and while there where several people present there are 6 main suspects.

Rusty/Rustom : Powerful film producer, the love of whose life ended up becoming Ryan’s first wife.
Allan : Screenplay writer, who was in danger of being fired from the production house thanks to a public tiff with Ryan.
Shiela : Ryan's current girlfriend, and the main suspect since she handed the cup of tea which was poisoned.
Jaya : Sheila’s mother, who was strongly opposed to her marrying Ryan.
Paddy : Acclaimed film director, who was in love with Sheila.
Family of Ryan's first wife : Which mainly included his first wifes mother, sister and a house maid.

And there is only one man who can get down and find the culprit:  Vikram Rana - renowned Ex-Police Officer and currently a Private investigator.

The plot is quite straight forward. The story takes place in a span of one month. Vikram takes the case and tries to find out what really happens, rather than just going for the obvious suspect and tries to bring justice. All the characters involved had multi layers to them and all had hidden agendas, each equally suspicious to have the murder motive. But as it always is, not everything that looks simple is really that transparent. Ryan was the famed super star but behind the scenes he had done many mistakes in his life which had affected everyone around him. Does that justify his murder, no but it brings to light many underlying issues and instances forward.

The character development was really amendable. On first glance, each suspect has a clear motive for the murder but in a very fine fashion, their stories are brought to the light. The plot twist at the end was very cleverly navigated in the story and did not feel like it happened out of the blue with no actual semblance to the story.

I have said it before many times that I hardly even have 10 Indian authors whose writing styles I enjoy but Sharmistha shenoy's style was just perfect. No where in the story did it feel like the story became dull or it was going too fast. It kept a perfect pace throughout the story, making the reader get really involved in the mystery.

While the i really liked this story, i did get an inkling as to who was the actual murderer half way in, so the 'WOW' factor did not happen to me, when the murderer was revealed. And only and only for that reason this book fell a bit short for me form becoming one of my favorites. I nonetheless really enjoyed this book.

WOULD I READ THIS BOOK AGAIN SOMEDAY: MAYBE.
WOULD I READ ANOTHER BOOK BY THE SAME AUTHOR: YUP!

Happy reading :D

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: Behind the Scenes: A Vikram Rana Mystery
Author: Sharmishtha Shenoy
Format: Kindle
Number of pages : 194
Publisher: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
Publishing Date: 2017
Printed Price: INR 49
ASIN: B0771NXNXX

Book Title:
The title of the book ' Behind the Scenes: A Vikram Rana Mystery ' is very clearly depicting it's a mystery plot.

Book Cover :
The book cover is simple with a cinema film reel in the back ground giving the reader a hint that the plot is a mystery with cinema field as the back drop.

Plot:
Sometimes when failures are the biggest part in life, people tend to look for short cuts and easy ways to get the things done which become the reason for unwanted events. The unusual traits like jealousy, revenge and competition go hay wire especially in the field of glamour.

A death that results in another death is the main ingredient in the story. Battling between the lines of major and famous cities, the plot revolves with a perfect action plan by the protagonist who happens to solve the mystery.

Characters:
All the characters are very perfectly and nicely plotted.

Narration:
The narration is simple and gripping.

Language and Vocabulary:
A decent usage of grammar and vocabulary.

My Final Verdict—.
A worthy read for a mystery lover.

Book title: 4/5
Book Cover: 3.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language and Vocabulary: 4/5
I personally rate the book 4 out of 5

[Asiyah Shafeeqa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know im two years late, but enjoyed it very well. Crime thrillers are my stress busters!!!

[Manjri Gopalan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my third book in a row of Sharmishtha Shenoy. The first that I read was "A Season for Dying" and then "Vikram Rana Investigates".

The third book "Behind the Scenes" is definitely far better than the first two books. In my previous reviews of Sharmishtha, I had made observations that there were lots of repetition in her narration. Luckily, you will not find that issue so much in this book (though the problem still exists, the repetitions have reduced to a large extent). Also, if you are reading the Vikram Rama Mysteries in a row, you will observe that the writing style has improved a lot in her third book. For instance, in addition to sticking to the plot, the author has added some tit-bits about the city (Kolkata), its history, the buildings, and monuments, etc. And these narratives do not look out of the picture. The plot in Sharmishtha's books always entices you till the end.

I felt, there is a scope of improvement. While reading the book you will observe that there is still a lot of repeated narrations. There are chapters where you will wonder why Vikrama Rana (a supposedly genius detective) interviews people who are not at all relevant to the case. For instance, even after gathering sufficient information about Emma's family (from Rusty, Kashmira, Inspector Lobo, internet, etc), the writer spends an entire chapter to re-narrate Emma and Sophia's story through Kamini (Veena's mom).

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would score it a 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

[Shalu Thakur Dhillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this is the third book of the author but this is the first work of her’s that I have read. Frankly, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in the back drop of Bengali film industry, Behind the scenes is a perfect murder mystery where till the end I was trying to guess, who the real murderer is.
Ryan aka Dinesh Kumar, an aging hero of Bengali film industry, dies under mysterious circumstances, on the set of the film, on last day of the shoot. Police and most of the crew members suspect that the kil is planned and executed by his girlfriend Sheila Dhar, who happens to be the female lead of the film, and her mother Jaya Dhar. Even the circumstances and her attempt to commit suicide suggests the same. Vikram Rana, an ex-cop and a detective now is hired by Jaya Dhar to investigate the case and prove her innocence. What follows is an interesting trail of revelations.
🔻The plot is fast paced, addictive and keep you on the edge. 4/5
🔻Narration is seamless but it could have been better. 3.5/5
🔻The characters are beautifully written and develope well with the story. 4/5
🔻The language is lucid and easy. 4/5
🔻The title is apt for the story and suggests it's link with the film world and mystery. 4/5
🔻The monochrome cover adds to the appeal of the book.4/5
🔻Only oops factor was the description of various places and street foods that sometime, I found slowed down the pace and upsetted the flow of story.
Overall
A Perfect Murder Mystery
A 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5


[Aakanksha Mishra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Behind the scenes by Sharmishtha Shenoy is the third book in The Vikram Rana series. It's a crime thriller book and I enjoyed reading it. I completed the book in one sitting as it was quite easy to read due to the use of simple language.

Vikram Rana is a Private Investigator who is on holiday with his wife in Darjeeling where he stumbles upon a case. His wife Veena's school friend Shiela who is a famous movie actress is charged with Murder of his Fiancee Ryan who was also the hero of the movie they were working on when he died. Veena convinces her husband of Sheila's innocence and requests him to take her case. Though Vikram takes the case, it is not an open and shut case. Every day he inspects he comes across a new suspect and he continuously fails to prove the innocence of Sheila as all proofs are pointing in her direction and there was no way out for her, or so it seemed until Vikram puts his mind together and solves the case. Now this book was really interesting and the Author has done a great job in maintaining the element of suspense. I was surprised rather shocked when I came to climax and find out who the killer really was. It was a mind-blowing revelation and I honestly didn't anticipate that person to be the killer.

There were many characters in the book but the Author has given each character it's importance and coming of new characters was not confusing at all. There was the mother of Sheila Jayadi, Ryan's ex-wive's sister Olivia, his mother in law, his daughters, Ryan's and Sheila's movie cast and team and each one was suspect in Vikram's eyes. Then how did he manage to find the killer? And was is the mind-blowing twist in the book?

What I don't like in the book -
The narration of the book could have been better. The book seems edited still there were few mistakes which can't be ignored.


This is an entertaining read and you can pick it up if you are looking for a light read to pass time.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikram is taking a holiday with his wife when an old friend of hers is accused of murder, then attempted suicide. The woman’s mother is co-accused and asks Vikram to help. The local police consider it an open and shut case. The story takes the classic whodunit form of an investigation followed by a revelation by the private detective.

The book oozes charm and humour and reminded me of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and the M Pamplemousse stories. The setting is exotic, to me, and the characters different in that many of them are Bollywood-style movie stars. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters, though some were necessarily strained. I didn’t like the fact that the last 10% of the book is a taster for another novel. I dislike, and never read, bonus material as it pads out the book. A link and the produce description is enough. The book itself, however, is a really enjoyable story.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Left to itself, the generic mystery would have become a sordid and twisted tale befitting B-movies. Infusion of Vikram Rana made it somewhat dry and funny. Unfortunately, similar plots have been worked upon by too many authors. Also, with the role of Private Detectives being questioned by Courts, Vikram's activities reduced the credibility of the tale.
I found the book to be a fast and 'masala' read. It's ideal for dull afternoons and humdrum evenings, but nothing more, I'm sorry to say.

[Dhananjay Kulkarni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Reminded me of Agatha Christie mysteries.

[Sayan Basak · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW OF- Behind the Scenes: A Vikram Rana Mystery (Vikram Rana Mystery Series)
BY Sharmishtha Shenoy

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2300.0 KB
• Print Length: 194 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0771NXNXX



A BRIEF OVERVIEW-
Fading superstar of the Bengali film industry Ryan Gomez is poisoned to death while shooting for a film in the pretty hill town of Darjeeling. Sheila Dhar, the film’s beautiful female lead with whom Ryan had recently broken his engagement is the chief suspect. Sheila attempts suicide and is shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The CID, Kolkata, takes over the investigation and the film crew is allowed to move back to the “City of Joy”.
Though revenge for the broken engagement seems the obvious motive for the murder, there are several others who had reason to wish Ryan dead. Powerful film producer Rustom, the love of whose life ended up becoming Ryan’s first wife. Screenplay writer Allan, who was in danger of being fired from the production house thanks to a public tiff with Ryan. Acclaimed film director Paddy, who was in love with Sheila. Sheila’s mother, Jaya, who was strongly opposed to her marrying Ryan. The family of Ryan’s first wife, who bear a deep grudge against him.
There are suspects galore, but the murderer has not reckoned with the tenacity of Vikram Rana.

THE TITLE
I found the title very apt and thrilling. Apart from the thrill, the word “Behind the Scenes” also tries to bring out that Life has a way of going in circles. Ideally, it would be a straight path forward––we'd always know where we were going, we'd always be able to move on and leave everything else behind. There would be nothing but the present and the future. Instead, we always find ourselves where we started. When we try to move ahead, we end up taking a step back. We carry everything with us, the weight exhausting us until we want to collapse and give up. We forget things we try to remember. We remember things we'd rather forget. The most frightening thing about memory is that it leaves no choice. It has mastered an incomprehensible art of forgetting. It erases, it smudges, it fills in blank spaces with details that don't exist.
But however we remember it––or choose to remember it––the past is the foundation that holds our lives in place. Without its support, we'd have nothing for guidance. We spend so much time focused on what lies ahead, when what has fallen behind is just as important. What defines us isn't where we're going, but where we've been. Although there are places and people we will never see again, and although we move on and let them go, they remain a part of who we are.
There are things that will never change, things we will carry along with us always. But as we venture into the murky future, we must find our strength by learning to leave things behind. And Vikram Rana proves the above clause with proper evidences,
REVIEW OF THE BOOK-
There’s an undeniable thrill about meeting a stranger and spending a few hours together, indulging in each other’s lives. It’s that spurt of saying whatever you want and leaving it behind with someone who’ll never look at you and think of it again. The author had beautifully linked up the break up and the suicide attempt, such that the reader already comes to know who the killer was except for the twist.
The concept of revenge was very metaphorically used here. The broken engagement on one hand seems to be the obvious motive; on the other it displays a very emotional note along with it. The person who hurt you--who raped you or killed your family--is also here. If you are still angry at that person, if you haven't been able to forgive, you are chained to him. Everyone could feel the emotional truth of that: When someone offends you and you haven't let go, every time you see him, you grow breathless or your heart skips a beat. If the trauma was really severe, you dream of revenge. Above you, is the Mountain of Peace and Prosperity where we all want to go. But when you try to climb that hill, the person you haven't forgiven weighs you down. It's a personal choice whether or not to let go. No one can tell you how long to mourn a death or rage over a rape. But you can't move forward until you break that chain.
The author had wonderfully drafted the puzzle for Vikram to solve and From this, one can make a deduction which is quite certainly the ultimate truth of jigsaw puzzles: despite appearances, puzzling is not a solitary game: every move the puzzler makes, the puzzle maker has made before; every piece the puzzler picks up, and picks up again, and studies and strokes, every combination he tries, and tries a second time, every blunder and every insight, each hope and each discouragement have all been designed, calculated, and decided by the other.
The case was well set. I felt like the case was made up of tiny puzzle parts that no longer fit together. Imagine working on a puzzle only to find that the final picture can never be complete because one of its pieces is missing. This is exactly what had happened to the case; it had become impossible to put it back together.
But the, How Vikram solves the case?
Read the book from-
https://www.amazon.in/Behind-Scenes-V...
to find out.
RATINGS-
Overall I would like to rate the book 45 on a scale of 50.
3 stars out of 5
1. Originality of the plot and sub plots- 8/10
2. Net emotions in the story- 9/10
3. Usage of words and phrases-10/10
4. The title, cover and the illustration-10/10
5. The net impact on the readers- 8/10

Reviewed by-
Sayan Basak
Kolkata

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Behind the scenes is the third book of Vikram Rana series. Having read the previous two books of this series I knew some of the characters and the author's writing style. The Author has written a good one. I liked the way the author has woven a web of mystery but in some places felt the pace is slowed and the story is being dragged.

Nevertheless, Behind the scenes is a good read if one wants to enjoy a murder mystery along with some gossip of what happens Behind the scenes of famous movie stars.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5

Even though I am not too much into reading murder mysteries, I was more than excited to offer myself as a reader and a reviewer to Sharmishtha Shenoy for ‘Behind the Scenes: A Vikram Rana Mystery’. We became friends through a common friend and so, I found about this book and certainly about this lovely face Sharmishtha through him. We became friends on Facebook in the very first moment and I was amazed by the humble lady’s gesture of sending me a Kindle Gift Voucher. 🙂

Thank you dear.

So, as I said that Behind the Scenes is my, perhaps, third or fourth murder mystery [I am more into reading romance or just anything but a thriller!], I wasn’t much sure if I will love it. But as I started reading this suspenseful book, I got engrossed only a while later.

I could reckon from the book cover that it is about solving the mystery behind a man’s murder and that the story is plotted in the city of Kolkata and I was so correct. Behind the Scenes is a story of celebrated film Director Ryan Gomez’s mysterious murder that is sentimental at one time and scary at another; predictable at one time, but then completely astonishing at many times.

Ryan who was an esteemed Director from Tollywood [The cinema of West Bengal is so called, for it refers to the Indian Bengali language film industry based in the Tollygunge region of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The origins of the nickname Tollywood, a portmanteau of the words Tollygunge and Hollywood, dates back to 1932] gets murdered under shadowy circumstances and the chief suspect is none other than his fiancé and lead co-actor Shiela Dhar who commits suicide in a few hours’ time of Ryan’s death.

Amongst suspects galore including Shiela’s mother Jaya to Screenplay Writer Allan with whome Ryan had a public tiff to Olivia, Ryan’s first wife, Vikram Rana is expected to find the real culprit and so he does in the end!

This murder mystery is an adorable quick read for all the mystery lovers, for it is woven so intricately that you feel trapped and edited so finely that you continue solving maze only to reach at the closed doors. Each character is built with finest traits, for example, if I would have to characterise Sophie, I may fall short of words.

What made Behind the Scenes a wonderful read that inspires me to write this book review is the simplest of the language used by the charming author. Subtle language skills took me on a journey that I travelled in one night. I was so hooked to the book that I read it on laptop in dark so that I wouldn’t disturb my mom. And, I was, to be completely honest, scared whilst reading some of the scenes that talked about dark, thrilling, horrifying experiences! I had horripilation! I had frightening dreams the whole night later!

I haven’t read Agatha Christie or Dan Brown ever, because I hate reading murders, but to me Sharmishtha Shenoy is a thriller tycoon! This is so because she flawlessly and effortlessly flabbergasts her readers at the end with a climax that no one could imagine!

I personally would give this book four out of five stars, not because Sharmishtha Shenoy is my dear friend, but because I genuinely was thrilled by reading “Behind the Scenes: A Vikram Rana Mystery”!

PS: I write my movie and book review like this only, like I would prefer talking about how the movie or the book made me feel!

[Namrata Bhagtani-Sadhvani · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Behind the Scenes” is the latest addition to the Vikram Rana Murder Series by author Sharmishtha Shenoy, and the 194-page taut, gripping thriller is available to read in the form of an e-book.

Now, I must admit, when I think of crime, murder mysteries and thrillers I do prefer them to be in the form of movies and not books, but when a good friend recommended this e-book to me, I thought why not give it a try.

The one thing that really stands out for me in this book is the amazingly crisp editing. There is not one word extra, not one scene that could have been made a little shorter and not chapter which is long drawn out. It’s sharp, taut and to-the-point while keeping the reader hooked onto the story, and that I feel is the hallmark of a good “mystery” writer.

Brief about the story: Set in the hills of Darjeeling and the City of Joy Kolkata, ‘Behind the Scenes’ also has another one of my interests intelligently interwoven in its story i.e. the film industry. When a fading superstar of the Bengali film industry is poisoned to death, just about everyone and anyone who was in close contact with him in recent years is immediately suspect, particularly the film crew and actors with whom he was shooting with in Darjeeling where he was killed.

The architect is me was impressed by the wonderful depiction of the “spaces” in the book – the movie sets, the hospital, the lanes of Kolkata and the hills of Darjeeling. It never ventures into the poetic territory, but yet manages to be perfectly descriptive.

The man in the spotlight is here is the swashbuckling Detective Vikram Rana, who is accompanied by the charming Lobo is this book. The book keeps you guessing till the end about the identity of the murderer, with its clever twists and turns, all seen through the eyes of Rana and set against the background of the film industry to spice up the ante.

And that I feel is the speciality of a true murder mystery – keeping a reader hooked till the last page to figure out who the perpetrator of the crime is, never giving it away in the previous pages lest the viewer loses interest.

I read this book from first page to last in one sitting, which is truly remarkable for me now that I am a busy working mom of two kids, but that’s just how engaging it was. At a couple of points, I did try and guess the identity of the murderer but me saying any more would be a spoiler for everyone else reading the book so let me not go any further.

I do feel however a better job could have been done with the cover, but I guess not too much attention was paid to it because it is an e-book.

The title is apt, since it literally is a "behind the scenes" look at a murder mystery involving the film industry!

If you’re looking for a quick, interesting and engaging read to enjoy in the middle of a busy yet mundane week, go for this book and enjoy the twists and turns that it reveals.

[SCULPTOR Of EMOTIONS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurb-
Fading superstar of the Bengali film industry Ryan Gomez is poisoned to death while shooting for a film in the pretty hill town of Darjeeling. Sheila Dhar, the film’s beautiful female lead with whom Ryan had recently broken his engagement is the chief suspect. Sheila attempts suicide and is shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The CID, Kolkata, takes over the investigation and the film crew is allowed to move back to the “City of Joy”.
Though revenge for the broken engagement seems the obvious motive for the murder, there are several others who had reason to wish Ryan dead. Powerful film producer Rustom, the love of whose life ended up becoming Ryan’s first wife. Screenplay writer Allan, who was in danger of being fired from the production house thanks to a public tiff with Ryan. Acclaimed film director Paddy, who was in love with Sheila. Sheila’s mother, Jaya, who was strongly opposed to her marrying Ryan. The family of Ryan’s first wife, who bear a deep grudge against him.
There are suspects galore, but the murderer has not reckoned with the tenacity of Vikram Rana.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Review-
I'm sure before purchasing the book you would have read the Blurb, the reviews related to the book. I did the same. I started searching for a link to get this book as I was low with my wallet. Recieved this amazing book today and started reading it. One by one as and when I turned the pages I kept taking pictures of scenes, the dialogues. An amazing book by Author and her hard work cannot be ignored. 'Behind the scenes- A Vikram Rana Mystery' will leave you thinking and scratching your mind for hours when you find the suspense disclosing itself. A suggestion I would like to give, do not leave the book until it is completed. A bit confusing because of numerous characters but the way this book is penned down, I've read it for the first time. This is my first book I read from the Author and I've turned into a fan of her writing style. Sometimes watching crime based thrillers in television is not so interesting when it comes to reading a book of this kind. I'm a fan of CID and and investigation related aspects since childhood and this book made my weekend.
Every scene is beautifully portrayed and I hope of this book ever turns into a movie, it's gonna be one of the best.
A good worthy read.
Overall ratings-5/5
Characterization-4.5/5
Narration-5/5
Phrases-4.8/5
Plot-5/5
Cover-4/5
Title-4/5

[Anamitra Debnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Product Details

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 2300.0 KB

Print Length: 194 pages

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Sold by: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited

Language: English

ASIN: B0771NXNXX

What is this book all about?

Behind the Scenes A Vikram Rana Mystery is the story of the fading super star of the Bengali film industry Ryan Gomez who is poisoned to death while shooting for the film in Darjeeling. Sheila Dhar the female lead of the film and his love interest with whom the engagement is broken is the chief suspect of his death. Sheila commits suicide and is rushed to the hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The police thinks Sheila Dhar and her mother Jaya is the prime suspect and they want to shutdown the case. The case is shifted to Kolkata CBI for further investigation where Vikram Rana investigates the case with inspector Lobo. Will they able to nab the killer?

Review

The language is simple and easy to understand. I loved the choice of words which was used in the middle of the book. The different places of Kolkata and the famous food joints have been researched and described well. The cover of the book is simple and the title is apt for the book. The suspense was built in every chapter and there were no loose ends in this book. The author had done the characterization well specially the character of Vikram Rana where he nabs the killer through his research and detective skills. The last chapter is written so well and it is described in a detailed manner where it showcases everything in terms of life.

Verdict

It is a good read for all the crime/thriller lovers and I would recommend this book to everyone.

Rating: 5/5*

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview
The book rehearses the story of a bunch of people in the showbiz and how their equally dramatic real life gets affected due to a series of events proceeded by the death of a fading superstar, Ryan Gomez. The story progresses with the investigation of Vikram Rana, a renowned private investigator who, in the end manages to uncurl the identity of the murderer along with a lot of dirty laundry.

This was my very first read by the author Sharmishtha Shenoy and I'd like to say that I am definitely going back for more! The title is certainly intriguing and when I was done with the book I did find it quite apropos as well. The flow with which the plot progresses is peachy and unhurried. The biggest gift which can be given to a reader is the detailed illustration of a scene and Miss. Shenoy didn't fail to deliver this. The manner in which each scene was depicted won my vote in favor of the book. The plot was astute and their was the element of closeness which was present at every stage of the story and kept the readers in darkness. There is this balance in her writing that is maintained throughout the book which is the reason for such suave flow in the story. I love how she built the characters and the way the readers are made acquainted to almost every significant character. I specially found the way Vikram Rana contemplated the situations humorous and whimsical. The language too is easy yet solid.
I just think that there was too much information at some points. That's my only qualm, else, this book is perfect light read for readers who adore a good mystery. Recommended to everyone.

[Anjali Anil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind the Scenes by Sharmishtha Shenoy was such a fun and fast read for me. I started it thinking I would read a few chapters and suddenly I was halfway through without even noticing. The setup itself is super dramatic, a fading superstar poisoned on set, a broken engagement, and a whole film crew full of motives. It felt like watching a messy celebrity scandal unfold page by page and I loved that.

Vikram Rana enters the story so casually, almost by accident because he is on holiday, but the moment he steps into the investigation the whole book gets sharper. I really enjoy how Shenoy writes him, calm, observant and always a step ahead even when everyone else looks guilty. There were so many suspects and honestly at one point I thought everyone had a valid reason to want Ryan dead. That kept the story interesting because every chapter added a new angle.

The writing is simple and easy to get into which made the book even faster to finish. I never felt overwhelmed by the number of characters because each one had something distinct about them. I had my own theories while reading but I was still shocked when the truth finally came out. That twist was genuinely unexpected and I love when a thriller catches me off guard like that.

Behind the Scenes is quick, entertaining and full of suspicion from start to end. If you enjoy light, fast paced crime stories with a clean mystery and a satisfying twist, this one is a great pick. The Vikram Rana books always deliver that familiar comfort of a classic whodunit and this one was no different.

[David Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

In looking for something a bit different within my favoured genre of crime fiction and with fond memories of a trip to India a few years ago, I decided to give Behind The Scenes by Sharmishtha Shenoy a try. The hero, Vikram Rana is an ex-Kolkata policeman, with a growing reputation as a private investigator. The story is set against the background of the Bengali film industry. When a big star, Dinesh Kumar is poisoned on-set during the final day of filming of his latest project, there appears to be no shortage of suspects. However, police suspicion falls on two individuals who just happen to be known to Vikram’s wife. And so he is drawn in to help find the truth.
Behind The Scenes captures the sights, sounds and flavours of India very well, helped by the fact that Vikram appreciates good food. I also know that the author is a big fan of Agatha Christie and in true Christie fashion, the denouement is played out when Vikram assembles the range of suspects to deliver his findings. With many twists and turns, this was a satisfying read.

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Behind the scenes" is a crime thriller novel, which commence with a murder of a Bengali Superstar Ryan. Story revolves around Ryan's unnatural death. His(Ryan) girlfriend and her Mom gets accused for his(Ryan) murder. Vikram Rana a high profile detective accidentally gets into this case. Will he be able to find who killed Ryan? How his past is related with his mysterious death?

This was an interesting read, characters and story goes with ease, it will not kill you with boredom. Every characters played its important role, whether it was Sophia, Ryan, Sheila or Vikram, author sketched their different personalities, and kept them in limited role. You will not keep this book until you find who's real killer. Cover and title is good and intrigues to read this novel.

To solve this mystery you have to read behind the scenes.

[Pompi Mazumdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful writeup by Sharmistha Shenoy. I was awestruck to read the book. She had created such an excellent plot with such amazing multiple characters and yet she linked all of them so nicely without leaving any loopholes. From the beginning to the end, I could not even guess who could be the murderer. But the last part kept me in shock. I lived all the characters while reading, and even after completing the book, I am still in shock and wondering how this could happen to the beautiful love story of the leading Character Ryan and Sophie and the mystery behind his murder. It was a perfect end. A perfect murder mystery thriller. And as usual Vikram Rana, the detective investigated the case in his amazing and speechless style. Behind the Scene is a must read book. I can bet that it won't disappoint the reader.

[Arti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. The story is fast paced and has been written in a way that I felt that I was Vikram Rana investigating the case. The characters are realistic and have been described well. The descriptions of the scenes are detailed and it was very easy to picturise them. The author has described Kolkata and Darjeeling in detail, that I could actually feel that I was actually there. The language is simple and easy to understand. The editing is commendable. The cover of the book is apt.
There is suspense, and there are twists and turns. Many a times I felt, so this is the culprit, but the spotlight would just move to someone else.
The end is the best, so go on read it

[Rahul Basu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fading superstar of the Bengali film industry Ryan Gomez is poisoned to death while shooting for a film in the pretty hill town of Darjeeling. Sheila Dhar, the film’s beautiful female lead with whom Ryan had recently broken his engagement is the chief suspect. Sheila attempts suicide and is shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for treatment. Though revenge for the broken engagement seems the obvious motive for the murder, there are several others who had reason to wish Ryan dead.
Packed with plenty of mystery and intrigue, as well as the appropriate suspense and those ever present mists of Darjeeling, this tale should keep the reader guessing until the very last page. The city of Kolkata is woven very well with the tale and demonstrates the author’s love for the “City of Joy”.

Ms. Sharmishtha Shenoy is a gifted storyteller and is a must read for fans of the “romantic suspense" genre.

[Aditya Sathe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly speaking, I was quite skeptical about starting this book. The second book in this series was quite disappointing. However, I believe in second chances, so I started and I am very happy that I did start reading this book. Sharmishta has managed to recoup the series with this story.
Taken out of his home territory, Vikram faces a new challenge in Darjiling in form of a murder investigation of a famous Bengali film star. Please do read the book to enjoy another good murder mystery by Sharmistha Shenoy.

[Harsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Read

A nice book and very compelling. Was difficult to keep it down. Liked the setting of Hyderabad on the first part and then moving to Kolkata. Got a list of To Do's in next Kolkata trip and must tries

[Aradhana Kar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Its a great book. Till the last it was not to guess the murderer... Hats off to author... Waiting for more books from the author..

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had wanted to get my hands on this book from the moment when I discovered the author and this series. Why do you ask? Well, the setting of the book promises to take its readers to a city that is my hometown and a town where I spent my formative years. Both are very close to my heart and visiting them through even a fictional work is an attractive idea to me.

A movie star getting murdered in Darjeeling while shooting for a movie is enough to set tongues waggling. But when the main suspect of that murder, who also happens to be a movie star with a personal history, tries to commit suicide, there is only frenzy among people and the media to try and find out the truth. When Kolkata CID takes over the case, the whole crew moves back to Kolkata; and Vikram Rana finds an in on the case through a personal source. But one murder mostly leads to more. Will there be more deaths or will the Police and Vikram be able to solve the case before that?

The plot is interesting at many levels. First being the motive for the murder of Ryan Gomez… Did Sheila actually kill Ryan for breaking their engagement? Everyone around seems to have a motive for murder and each is as likely to have caused the death of the star who seems to rub everyone around him the wrong way. Second is the variety of characters in the story and their development. The author has worked hard at developing each character just right and giving each one of them a unique voice. That made for an interesting whodunit game for me as a reader. The author has taken care in setting up the plot in a way so as to maintain a steady pace while providing the readers with ample information.

Coming to my reason for picking up the book, I do wish there was a bit more description of the setting in Darjeeling. But, that is a personal feeling that I do not think any author would be able to satisfy. The author has painted the settings in ample details in order to give the readers a fair idea while not hampering the pace. This being my second Vikram Rana book, I can now confidently say that I like the author’s narrative style quite a bit. She manages to keep things steady while reeling in the readers with a feeling of familiarity.

I am pretty sure that I am going to pick up the rest of the books in the series.

[Pooja T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was such a fun ride. A fun mix of films, murder, Darjeeling, secrets and resentments in families. I guessed the perpetrator at the 40% mark but I still enjoyed this book.