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A Bad Place
When the twin disasters of their tenant’s suicide and a financial setback strike on the same day, Aniket and Suchitra “Su” Shah are forced to move into the suicide house along with their five-year-old daughter Reva. But Row-house no 49 is no ordinary house. Su soon realizes that the suicide of her tenant was a mere harbinger of the imminent evil. Who are the young mother and baby Su keeps seeing in the bedroom where her tenant killed herself? And why does the mother; an obvious victim of domestic abuse, insists on telling Su “he says he loves us”?
Trapped on the horrors that only she can see on one hand, and the inexorable deterioration of her marriage on the other, Su realizes that the time is running out for her family. But when the evil that resides in Row-house no 49 casts its eye towards Reva, the mother in Su will go to any length, even to murder, to protect her child.
Trapped on the horrors that only she can see on one hand, and the inexorable deterioration of her marriage on the other, Su realizes that the time is running out for her family. But when the evil that resides in Row-house no 49 casts its eye towards Reva, the mother in Su will go to any length, even to murder, to protect her child.
196 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 15, 2021
It is not always I pick a horror story book willingly. In fact, it is never the case I do it. However, I got my hands on this book, ‘A Bad Place’ by Mayur Didolkar when Indic Book Club sent it across to me and I thought of giving it a try.
The story is about a house where a suicide of a young woman takes place. A seemingly upsetting event that starts a chain reaction of more horrific things to come. The landlord family had to move to this new house and suddenly the house becomes alive, and the matriarch of the family starts getting visions of the young woman who died by suicide, another young mother who’s bleeding from pores. All this while when no one else is ready to believe in these visions.
The thing about a good horror story is that it lets the reader churn the story within themselves, it lets the reader imagine how the story unfolds in their minds to heighten the eerie sensation. Another thing about a good horror is that it prolongs the revealing of the reality as long as possible (something that Spielberg did so well with the movie Jaws). A Bad Place does this so well for the majority of the book. Mayur brilliantly draws out the eeriness of the place while slowly upping the ante. I can guarantee for most of the reading I could feel goosebumps on my neck and arms experiencing the horror the protagonist feels.
Another thing to note in this book is that Mayur is successful in eking out the house as a character as the human ones. The house feels like a living, breathing specimen ready to pounce on his residents as the story unfolds. The feel that walls are conspiring against you is as sinister in his writing as the main reason for the horrors of the family.
Save for a misspell in the very first line of the story and probably a couple of missed paragraphs around at the end of page 115 when the protagonist visits the police station, the story holds up well. While the author is able to sustain the uneasy feeling for the majority of the story, I feel that the reveal was a bit tepid in comparison. Other than that, it was a good introduction to the world of horror writing.
P.S. The content page also misses mentioning of Part Four on Page 111. These silly editorial mistakes takes away from the overall experience of reading a book.
The story is about a house where a suicide of a young woman takes place. A seemingly upsetting event that starts a chain reaction of more horrific things to come. The landlord family had to move to this new house and suddenly the house becomes alive, and the matriarch of the family starts getting visions of the young woman who died by suicide, another young mother who’s bleeding from pores. All this while when no one else is ready to believe in these visions.
The thing about a good horror story is that it lets the reader churn the story within themselves, it lets the reader imagine how the story unfolds in their minds to heighten the eerie sensation. Another thing about a good horror is that it prolongs the revealing of the reality as long as possible (something that Spielberg did so well with the movie Jaws). A Bad Place does this so well for the majority of the book. Mayur brilliantly draws out the eeriness of the place while slowly upping the ante. I can guarantee for most of the reading I could feel goosebumps on my neck and arms experiencing the horror the protagonist feels.
Another thing to note in this book is that Mayur is successful in eking out the house as a character as the human ones. The house feels like a living, breathing specimen ready to pounce on his residents as the story unfolds. The feel that walls are conspiring against you is as sinister in his writing as the main reason for the horrors of the family.
Save for a misspell in the very first line of the story and probably a couple of missed paragraphs around at the end of page 115 when the protagonist visits the police station, the story holds up well. While the author is able to sustain the uneasy feeling for the majority of the story, I feel that the reveal was a bit tepid in comparison. Other than that, it was a good introduction to the world of horror writing.
P.S. The content page also misses mentioning of Part Four on Page 111. These silly editorial mistakes takes away from the overall experience of reading a book.
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October 8, 2021The first thing that impressed me about this spirit-ual thriller novel was the organization of the book into small chapters without breaking the flow of the narrative. It’s a boon for a modern reader who is usually pressed for time and keeps postponing the reading on that account. I could easily read a few chapters every time I sat down to read it and even if I restarted after a few days break, the story reconnected in my mind seamlessly.
The calm and happy life of the Shah family comprising of Suchitra, Aniket and their little daughter Reva is like a dream and suddenly the reverie is rudely jolted by the strange happenings at the Gardenia Estate, row house number 49 that shows how fragile life truly is. And the danger is unseen that makes it visible to different actors in different ways at a time of its own choosing.
Mayur Dindolkar is a skilled craftsman who weaves a tapestry of words that are so silky that they almost slide and envelope you without you noticing and then its touch suddenly jolts you when you run into a dark corner of the story quite unexpectedly.
The happy ending to the book comes almost as a relief when the ghost who was tormenting the Shahs turns out to be a tormented and failed father who is suffering from a painful separation from his dear daughter who has gone astray in her life. The very humane confusion of a ghost who has created his own hateful and revengeful world of maya is weird and touching at the same time. The moment the veil of confusion is lifted he is released from the self created illusion causing him untold pain and so many lives- the Shah’s and the ghost’s surviving daughter and wife come back on track.
There is a message here for the living- the web of illusion based on selfishness and misunderstanding that we create has the potential to give us pain in this life and beyond. Let go.
The calm and happy life of the Shah family comprising of Suchitra, Aniket and their little daughter Reva is like a dream and suddenly the reverie is rudely jolted by the strange happenings at the Gardenia Estate, row house number 49 that shows how fragile life truly is. And the danger is unseen that makes it visible to different actors in different ways at a time of its own choosing.
Mayur Dindolkar is a skilled craftsman who weaves a tapestry of words that are so silky that they almost slide and envelope you without you noticing and then its touch suddenly jolts you when you run into a dark corner of the story quite unexpectedly.
The happy ending to the book comes almost as a relief when the ghost who was tormenting the Shahs turns out to be a tormented and failed father who is suffering from a painful separation from his dear daughter who has gone astray in her life. The very humane confusion of a ghost who has created his own hateful and revengeful world of maya is weird and touching at the same time. The moment the veil of confusion is lifted he is released from the self created illusion causing him untold pain and so many lives- the Shah’s and the ghost’s surviving daughter and wife come back on track.
There is a message here for the living- the web of illusion based on selfishness and misunderstanding that we create has the potential to give us pain in this life and beyond. Let go.
November 16, 2021
A 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 is a fiction, a psycho-horror fiction, written by Mayur Didolkar, an author-screenwriter, and published by Vishwakarma Publications.
The story takes place in Pune and revolves around Aniket and his family (Suchitra the wife and Reva the five-year-old daughter).
Aniket's tenant commits suicide in his rented row house. She was a young girl in her twenties.
He had rented the house for four working women. The reason for death forms one of the moot point that pushes the story.
Aniket gets another bad news on the same day — a theft involving huge cash in his office.
Now what's next for Aniket, as he is screwed emotionally as well as financially.
He convinces his family to move to the Row House 49 temporarily to settle the money issues.
Thus begins the horror show involving a young woman and her daughter visiting the family and scaring them, to say the least.
A dead dog comes alive, Reva makes friends with a girl from an imaginary neighbouring house, and Suchitra loses her mind from her already fucked-up mental state. All hell breaks loose.
The premise and setup of this novel was extraordinary, and the mood the author sets from page one was incredible. It is not an easy read.
This story was spooky and psychedelic and mind-numbing at times. Here, I have to appreciate the thought process of the author as he rubbishes our guesses with a twist unimaginable. Very impressed!
However, I think the author was in a hurry to publish the book and make the world read his story, he had missed polishing and sharpening his writing and editing skills.
The end product we get is a poorly written, unedited story (which is excellent plot-wise). It was a definite miss for me.
The story takes place in Pune and revolves around Aniket and his family (Suchitra the wife and Reva the five-year-old daughter).
Aniket's tenant commits suicide in his rented row house. She was a young girl in her twenties.
He had rented the house for four working women. The reason for death forms one of the moot point that pushes the story.
Aniket gets another bad news on the same day — a theft involving huge cash in his office.
Now what's next for Aniket, as he is screwed emotionally as well as financially.
He convinces his family to move to the Row House 49 temporarily to settle the money issues.
Thus begins the horror show involving a young woman and her daughter visiting the family and scaring them, to say the least.
A dead dog comes alive, Reva makes friends with a girl from an imaginary neighbouring house, and Suchitra loses her mind from her already fucked-up mental state. All hell breaks loose.
The premise and setup of this novel was extraordinary, and the mood the author sets from page one was incredible. It is not an easy read.
This story was spooky and psychedelic and mind-numbing at times. Here, I have to appreciate the thought process of the author as he rubbishes our guesses with a twist unimaginable. Very impressed!
However, I think the author was in a hurry to publish the book and make the world read his story, he had missed polishing and sharpening his writing and editing skills.
The end product we get is a poorly written, unedited story (which is excellent plot-wise). It was a definite miss for me.
September 16, 2021
Genre:Horror.
The last time I read a book about a house being haunted was This house is haunted by John Boyles and Home before Dark by Riley Sagar. Both were completely different, but they had one common thing that is the House is Evil.
A bad place is also a story about a house. Shah family, SUE, Aniketh and their daughter Reva move into Rowhouse no 49 where their tenant Dipali committed suicide. The Shah’s also met with a tragic financial theft, which left them with no choice but to move to this place. After the suicide incident, it was difficult for them to sell the property or give it to rent and they had a huge loan to pay, so they rented their current living area and moved to Row House no 49.
Sue felt the awkwardness inside the house from the first day itself. She saw women with a baby in the middle of the night in the same room where the tenant committed suicide. First she felt it was her depression, which is causing her to hallucinate, but later she was in horror when her daughter jumped from the balcony and injured herself. Reva too started seeing a girl of her age.
The book surely gave me chills, the part where Sue was in need to use the restroom on the day of the suicide. She sees a woman with the baby sitting in the dark in one of the rooms or even locking her dog in a room just to realize that her dog is dead for years
The story had a good character backstory, did make me emotional at times; written in lucid language, the mystery behind this bad place will keep you on your toes from the beginning till the end.
I am thankful to the Indic book club for sending me this book.
September 2, 2021
A Bad Place
A confession from me first: I do not have a taste for the thriller-horror-supernatural-ghostly-other worldly kind of genre. So having received Mr Mayur Didolkar’s book ‘A Bad Place’ was a test of nerves for me whose dalliance with this genre has been far too less for me to claim of any accumulated insights about it. However the story has kept up my interest spiked from the first chapter itself and I have found myself curious to know the twists and turns about to be unleashed upon me. As curious as the characters in the story who knew some new facet/twist/shock was expected and yet they opened the forbidden door to enter and came out uninjured but changed nevertheless every time. And I too exhaled in relief!
The author has used the local Maharashtrian lingo and set up for his story premise but that doesn’t mar the narrative. It effectively helps one place the story in its right background and moves it to the cityscape to show the choices, turmoils and decisions of a modern day resident who has to also deal with a superstitious ‘humbug’ of the supernatural elements. Despite the modern setup of the story I had butterflies in my stomach while reading.
The writing is good, clear headed, pictorial and engaging. It’s a goodread for anyone that loves the unsettling feeling as if being in ‘A bad place’.
A confession from me first: I do not have a taste for the thriller-horror-supernatural-ghostly-other worldly kind of genre. So having received Mr Mayur Didolkar’s book ‘A Bad Place’ was a test of nerves for me whose dalliance with this genre has been far too less for me to claim of any accumulated insights about it. However the story has kept up my interest spiked from the first chapter itself and I have found myself curious to know the twists and turns about to be unleashed upon me. As curious as the characters in the story who knew some new facet/twist/shock was expected and yet they opened the forbidden door to enter and came out uninjured but changed nevertheless every time. And I too exhaled in relief!
The author has used the local Maharashtrian lingo and set up for his story premise but that doesn’t mar the narrative. It effectively helps one place the story in its right background and moves it to the cityscape to show the choices, turmoils and decisions of a modern day resident who has to also deal with a superstitious ‘humbug’ of the supernatural elements. Despite the modern setup of the story I had butterflies in my stomach while reading.
The writing is good, clear headed, pictorial and engaging. It’s a goodread for anyone that loves the unsettling feeling as if being in ‘A bad place’.
September 8, 2021
A Bad Place
Can any place be bad? Well, I'll say no. We make it bad with our knowing or unknowing deeds.
A Bad place by Mayur Didolkar is a story of a family who suffered due to their knowing and unknowing deeds. The story starts with a young girl tenant's suicide and afterward other chain incidents. All the characters are well entwined that you can imagine each and every part of the page in your mind. You can literally live the story within your conscious mind. I'd say that a writer made a very good effort for engaging all the characters while keeping thrilled & suspense. I was literally biting my nails at a few points and it gave me goosebumps.
Horror & thriller are my most favorite genres but here I'd accept that "A Bad Place" is my first Horror Thriller reading so far. I decided to give it a try after receiving it from IBC. I fall into that crazy Hollywood horror fan category. Maybe this is the reason I feel the story is bit long.
However, it Compelled me to complete the story in just four sittings. I was not able to hold the suspense any longer. The way the writer unfolds the story is quite impressive. I'd definitely recommend this book if you love to read horror, thrillers.
Can any place be bad? Well, I'll say no. We make it bad with our knowing or unknowing deeds.
A Bad place by Mayur Didolkar is a story of a family who suffered due to their knowing and unknowing deeds. The story starts with a young girl tenant's suicide and afterward other chain incidents. All the characters are well entwined that you can imagine each and every part of the page in your mind. You can literally live the story within your conscious mind. I'd say that a writer made a very good effort for engaging all the characters while keeping thrilled & suspense. I was literally biting my nails at a few points and it gave me goosebumps.
Horror & thriller are my most favorite genres but here I'd accept that "A Bad Place" is my first Horror Thriller reading so far. I decided to give it a try after receiving it from IBC. I fall into that crazy Hollywood horror fan category. Maybe this is the reason I feel the story is bit long.
However, it Compelled me to complete the story in just four sittings. I was not able to hold the suspense any longer. The way the writer unfolds the story is quite impressive. I'd definitely recommend this book if you love to read horror, thrillers.
November 10, 2021
Finished the book in less then a day and it was a full page turner. Every chapter had its own gripping story & thrill, which didn’t allow me to keep the book down.
Everything from the characters to the locations was well defined & had a proper climax.
Everything from the characters to the locations was well defined & had a proper climax.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews