Manjula Senaratne is a prominent Sri Lankan author known for his diverse literary contributions. He began his writing career at the young age of 18 as a feature writer for the "Tharunaya" newspaper. A year later, he became the sports editor for the "Lankadeepa" newspaper, making him one of the youngest journalists in the media industry at that time.
Senaratne's works often explore themes of love, human relationships, and their complexities. He has written several popular books, including "12.12.12," a detective and mystery thriller that gained significant popularity. Other notable works include "Bureau," "Rosa Maligave Manusaththu," and "Priya Samaga Iridawak," which span genres from romance to suspense.
Despite moving to Paris, Senaratne continued his literary pursuits, editing a monthly magazine named "Kawula". His storytelling is known for its depth and the intricate portrayal of human emotions and interactions.
Definitely one of the best thrillers/detective stories I have read, written by a Sinhala writer. The story was a page turner, and the author had invested significant efforts into building context and characters. Highly recommended!
I read this book twice. Although it felt like a mind-boggling plot twist at the first reading, the impression drastically dropped when I read for the second time.
It is indeed nice to see a Sri Lankan novel at this level, and I should definitely praise the effort the writer has put into explaining the procedures and techniques used in investigations. Also, the story flow is really good, although it’s factually lacking.
Spoilers…
Although the truth is revealed at the end, in the first couple of chapters it mentions that Bhathiya is thinking why his son has not gone to school, why Kalpana is not answering the phone, and constantly thinks how he didn’t kill his wife or son. So it feels like the author deliberately tries to misguide the reader when the story is narrated by Bhathiya, the main accused.
And it’s hard to think that the French Police Forensics and their autopsy procedures are flawed to the level to stop the investigation merely from a visual inspection and ‘assume’ that the woman was indeed killed by a throat slit. Even if the initial judgement is that, wouldn’t they proceed any other kinds of tests or rigor mortis to determine the time of death? If so, how can Dr. Pathang determine Kalpana was killed at 3:30am when it was actually at least 2-3 hours beforehand?
Also, how can Inspector Natalie be so sure of the exact location of the serial killer just by looking at some drawings of the contractor? Yes, it’s mentioned as a hunch but I find it a bit hard to accept.
So, it feels like the book is factually lacking when it comes to the authenticity. It’s a good read, but could have been better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
As mentioned on the cover of the book, this is a real suspense thriller. Two horrific murders in cold-frozen Paris. The CID continues to find loose evidence. What was the cause of the event that connected Sri Lanka and France? Will the police be able to catch the killer? 12.12.12 can be read with curiosity until the end. More such works of the new generation should be added to Sinhala literature.
I finished reading this book in a one sitting and it was really entertaining. However, due to someone's post in a fb group the story was spoiled for me. Due to one sentence of her post I knew who was the murderer even before I opened the book. All I didn't know was how and why it happened. So I think that pre knowledge of the murderer's identity sort of ruined the excitement for me. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading and looking for clues in the story. First of all I'm so grateful for the author for writing something in a different style and nature. We rarely get these sort of well developed crime novels in sinhala. I actually as a habit don't read much sinhala novels but this book changed that. I'm looking forward to read more from him and I hope he will become that sinhala author whose books I will buy despite the story because of his unique style. The plot of the book is a cliché but he was able to turn it into something unique. It was absolutely wonderful to run along with Paris Police to solve the murder. However, there are few things I wished if presented differently. One thing is the plot twist. In some stories plot twist comes at the very end of the story and in some in comes in the middle. It's the earlier scenario with this novel. But I wished if the plot twist appeared a little earlier than the last couple of pages. Also the portrait of the emotional aspect of the murderer was sort of a let down. Because I expected a bit more calculated and ruthlessness from the murder. Because the murder committed was not a sudden decision. It was premeditated. So the aftermath was definitely expected and I can't believe the murderer didn't have the proper mental capacity to grasp it and adapt to it. Well despite that the story was really good and I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good crime mystery.
A wonderful page turner about a double murder and a detective’s relentless search for the murderer.
The plot twist at the end wasn’t so convincing. The author has incorporated a medical essay in to the narrative and also an eye roll worthy incompetence from a forensic doctor to support the twist.
Enjoyed 80 percent of the story without a hitch and can claim the book is not a waste of time and money.
Did not have high hopes for this since the hype created on social media for 99% the any product in general overstates the facts, but was pleasantly surprised by the time I finished reading.
For a crime thriller written by a Sri Lankan author, 12.12.12 deserves praise for the worldbuilding, how believable and immersive the setting and story are, and the twists and turns in the plot that are able to keep the reader hooked until the end. Would not want to say I am an expert on the genre but I did see the final twist coming by the time I was done with about 80% of the story; which did not really affect the overall experience that much, but was ultimately predictable.
Most of the main characters were very well written, but personally felt that Sophie could have benefitted from more involvement with the rest of the characters, rather then being "reported on" per se, since the final twist and premise with crimes of passion and criminal psychology depends quite heavily on her characterization. This also relates to the feeling that the final twist did not land as much as shocking and ruthless as it was supposed to.
The narration and the language was quite inconsistent throughout, though it was not off-putting. There were chapters and expressions that were very well written, but there were also a lot of instances where it was evident that the sentence structure and the scene were originally conceptualized in a different language but finally expressed in Sinhala. This is mostly evident in dialogues involving the investigation and interactions occurring between characters of different nationalities. There were more than a couple of factual inconsistencies in the details of dates of certain incidents and the names involving some locations and characters, where most were obvious typos but were hard to ignore since they were frequent.
A thoroughly enjoyable read overall and sets the bar high for crime thrillers written in Sinhala with a complicated plot and well established characters that are set in a foreign landscape, but there is a lot of room for improvement as well. Quite excited to check out the next installments.
Took awhile to finish but liked the story. However the sorry first gives you hint about the murderer then tries to show it like it was someone else. The ending was predictable but, the story is written nicely. Looking forward to read the next.
Author is very talented. No doubt about that. But i want to say few things. - Natalie didn't ask questions from Bhathiya when he's arrested. As i remembered he was in police during 3 or 4 days. It is something hard to believe that police will do and it made me to suspect Bhathiya is the murderer. - Natalie keep saying Bhathiya can't be the murderer without even ask questions from him and she keeps saying it may done by a professional killer. That made me more suspicious about Bhathiya and i surprised why author keep doing that. Because i had read lots of translated detective and thrillers. They never do that. They always let the reader to be confused without giving direct hints by the author. If author try to protect someone, definitely he's the bad guy. And the other thing is, there was huge part about the police building. Why? And about the software that draw suspects faces. I don't think, it should describe that much.
There's best parts of the story also. You'll never guess how he killed her until the author tells you. Last part make you angey and upset for sure. The ending was not something you expected. It's a real surprise. Hope to read more detective and thriller novels by this author. I wish he can be an international author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Deep down i always thought the husband is not innocent or is he?? But these suspicions had no foundation until the mistress stepped because it quickly changed all facts about somebody else’s involvement. The crime was on her until the last chapter. The double murder case of Kalpana and her son is intriguing yet tragic. One of the best sinhalese crime/thriller i have ever come across.
12.12.12 surprised me in the best way. From the beginning, it pulled me into its atmosphere—quiet, emotional, and strangely intense. I found myself getting attached to the story, even when I didn’t realize it. There’s a raw honesty in the writing that keeps you thinking, long after you turn the page. But I’ll be honest—this book made me angry sometimes. Not because it was bad, but because it made me feel too much. Especially toward the end, I felt a strong mix of frustration and sadness. I actually sat there for a moment, staring at the last page, trying to digest it. I wanted answers, I wanted closure… but instead, it left me with questions. And maybe that’s the power of it. It’s not a loud story. It doesn’t try to impress with action. It speaks through emotion, through silence, through little truths about life that we don’t always want to face. I respect that. Even if the ending didn’t give me what I “wanted,” it gave me something else—reflection. If you’re a reader who likes books that linger and make you feel, even uncomfortably, 12.12.12 is worth it. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t leave your mind easily—even if it leaves you slightly angry.
4.5/5 ⭐ 12 12 12 by Manjula Senaratne is an engaging and well-crafted Sinhala thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish.
The story was suspenseful and structured with great attention to detail, especially in its depiction of Paris law enforcement, which felt authentic and vivid. The character arc of Nathalie Muniye was particularly strong and one of the highlights of the book. At one point, I even found myself double-checking if this was based on a true story, that’s how convincing it was.
That said, there were a few minor drawbacks: some explanations went on longer than necessary, and there were small plot holes (for example, why the husband worried about the wife if he killed her in the first place). Still, these didn’t take away much from the overall experience.
This book feels like a turning point for Sinhala thrillers, setting a new standard for the genre. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping, locally rooted yet internationally flavored thriller.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was quite the read. Equal parts pulpy and sophisticated, it was engrossing throughout. Can’t say I’ve read anything like it in Sinhala before. I’m not qualified to comment on the quality of the prose, but it was fairly immersive. Unexpectedly intricate plotting too.
It's possible that I'm just impressed by its sheer originality (for a Sri Lankan book) and overlooking the flaws, which there are more than a few. It's a twisty story, and some readers may not be as forgiving of the many turns it takes.
I couldn’t wait to read this book after all the buzz it generated at the 2019 Colombo International Book Fair, where it was so popular I couldn’t even get my hands on a copy! After reading it, I’m happy to say it’s a fast-paced read that never drags and easily ranks among my favorites. I’m only docking one star because the highly anticipated plot twist that everyone talked about didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Nevertheless, it’s still an excellent thriller and a standout work by a Sri Lankan author.
I really don't get why people have rated it this low. This book is definitely better than a 3.43 rated book. The ending is very good. I never expected that final twist.
SPOILER: Anyway the author had ruined the ending somewhat by the last couple of pages by saying it is a true story. That is something that he shouldn't have done. IMO No author has the right to say that a book is a true story when clearly it's not. That is a disgraceful act.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a very good book. The first book of the author if i am not wrong. To be frank one of the best sinhala triller crime story book .story is wrapped around a murder of a family and how the main suspect the father is facing the issue. The background is in paris where the family lives. Its a must read for a sinhala book reader