കൃഷ്‌ണ

Inspector Gowda #2

by Anita Nair

CHAIN OF CUSTODY

ഇൻസ്പെക്ടർ ഗൗഡയുടെ മൊബൈൽ ഫോൺ രാവിലെ ഏഴരമണിക്ക് ഇടതടവില്ലാതെ ശബ്ദിച്ചു. ബൈബിൾ കോളേജിനടുത്തുള്ള ഷാങ്ഗ്രിലാ എന്ന വീട്ടിൽ പതിനഞ്ച് മിനിറ്റിനുള്ളിൽ ഗൗഡ എത്തിച്ചേർന്നു. തറയിൽ കമഴ്ന്ന് കിടക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യന്റെ തലയുടെ ഒരു ഭാഗം തകർന്നിരുന്നു. ഇരുണ്ടു കട്ടയായിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന രക്തക്കളം തലയ്ക്കു ചുറ്റും. അയാൾക്കടുത്തായി ചെരിഞ്ഞുകിടക്കുന്ന ബുദ്ധപ്രതിമ. അഭിഭാഷകൻ ഡോ. റാത്തോർ ആണ് കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടത്. ആരാണ് കൊലയാളി? ഗൗഡ അന്വേഷണം തുടങ്ങിക്കഴിഞ്ഞു.

ഇൻസ്പെക്ടർ ഗൗഡ നോവൽപരമ്പരയിലെ രണ്ടാമത്തെ പുസ്തകം. ബെംഗളൂരു നഗരത്തിന്റെ അറിയപ്പെടാത്തതും അസുഖകരവുമായ ഒരു ലോകത്തെ അനാവരണം ചെയ്യുന്ന ക്രൈം നോവൽ. ആകാംക്ഷയും ഉദ്വേഗവും ശില്പഭദ്രതയും സൂക്ഷിക്കുന്ന രചനയുടെ രസതന്ത്രം.

പരിഭാഷ: സ്മിത മീനാക്ഷി

Genres: India, Mystery, Crime, Asia, Murder Mystery, Fiction

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Anita Nair is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the novels The Better Man, Ladies Coupé, Mistress, Lessons in Forgetting, Idris: Keeper of the Light and Alphabet Soup for Lovers. She has also authored a crime series featuring Inspector Gowda.

Anita Nair’s other books include a collection of poems titled Malabar Mind, a collection of essays titled Goodnight & God Bless and six books for children. Anita Nair has also written two plays and the screenplay for the movie adaptation of her novel Lessons in Forgetting which was part of the Indian Panorama at IFFI 2012 and won the National Film Award in 2013. Among other awards, she was also given the Central Sahitya Akademi award and the Crossword Prize. Her books have been translated into over thirty one languages around the world. She is also the founder of the creative writing and mentorship program Anita’s Attic.

Reviews

[Ahtims · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Liked it much but towards the end it turned bizarre and unbelievable. Had to reduce a star ...
Was a very gripping and disturbing read .
Mostly about child trafficking , but even other crimes are mentioned ... Extortion, drug addiction and all the minor variations.
I have developed a partiality to Inspector Borei Gowda , despite him two timing his wife. I read this book mainly to find out what he was upto.
Would keenly watch out for next instalment of Borei's life , and the associated crime detection would just be a secondary objective .

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borei Gowda è un uomo che ha parecchi problemi nella vita privata, ma è soprattutto un poliziotto onesto che cerca di fare il proprio lavoro all’interno del sistema.
Un sistema marcio, che vede nella tratta dei bambini (soprattutto bambine) come schiavi del sesso, una delle piaghe più purulente del Paese, difficile da curare, impossibile da far guarire. Ma ci si deve provare sempre, anche se per una bambina salvata, molte altre vengono perse.
È stato veramente straziante leggere le storie di queste piccole creature.
Avevo già trovato questo argomento nel libro di Amita Trasi, altra autrice indiana, Il colore del nostro cielo; altro genere, ma lo stesso comune denominatore come sfondo sociale.

La trama è lenta; da un fatto presente (il delitto di un personaggio di spicco), di fatto si snoda con gli eventi avvenuti nel passato, eventi che hanno condotto all’azione criminosa, per tornare poi all’inizio e andare verso la soluzione.
I personaggi implicati sono tantissimi, alcuni dai nomi impossibili, i titoli e gli appellativi non mancano e mi hanno fatto andare spesso in confusione (il glossario è solo alla fine, sarebbero state utili alcune note).
La parte finale è scadenzata dalle ore che passano, è leggermente più serrata, veloce e apprezzabile, la soluzione (per quanto mi riguarda) quasi una sorpresa.

Se volete uno spaccato dell’India meridionale, il quel di Bangalore lo troverete: la modernità contro la tradizione, il lustro del centro contro il degrado della periferia, la ricchezza più sfrontata contro la povertà più nera, e la classica lotta tra il bene (legge/giustizia) e il male (corruzione/depravazione/potere) comune in tutto il mondo.

Voto: 3 stelle accademiche, perché nel finale si è ripreso un po’.


⛓ RC 2020 - Catena nov/20 (1)
📖 Tema del mese (nov/20): l’India
🌏 LdM Mini sfida Asia: T28 - India 🇮🇳
🌏 Asia: India 🇮🇳

[Deepthi Terenz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading Borei Gowda for the first time, an adulterer, not even a good father, and hence the sketching of his character doesn’t warm me to the story or investigation. Some people thinks that writing about dark matters or the life in gallies holds a charm, as in this book. Child abduction and sex trafficking is the plot, most are cliche scenes/ dialogues, so suggestible for one time read.

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that portrays the extent to which evil and depravity has spread in our society.

Child trafficking, prostitution, drugs, corruption... this book brings to life the unseen, dark side of Bangalore.
A few genuine police officers led by Inspector Borei Gowda are committed to fight these crimes and take the reader on a thrilling adventure filled with gore, blood, action and also some laugh out loud moments. A lawyer is murdered in a gated community, a child goes missing. Two seemingly unconnected incidents, yet there are too many chains that connects the two.

Gowda is more composed and determined this time. Ratna the new member in Gowda's team is an interesting addition.
Looking forward to many more adventures from Gowda.

[Shreya Vaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Putting Inspector Gowda at par with world's best fictional detectives, Chain of Custody by Anita Nair is a book which is heart pacing and full of dark stories from the underbelly of Bengaluru. Among top companies and tower-like structures, a gutter of crime flows under the city. And Inspector Gowda is the one who now has to solve a case so tricky that he and his team can't ever see the finishing line.

Chain of Custody is set in Neelgubbi, a rural district of Bengaluru which is now being developed into a city. Along with development, the people can see crime go up day by day, slowly engulfing the town and filling the FIR register of the station. Inspector Borei Gowda is living away from his family in Neelgubbi with his college sweetheart Urmila, an extramarital affair that Gowda tries best to hide from his colleagues and friends, something that keeps him sane.


The Chain of Custody opens to Inspector Gowda investigating the murder of Dr. Rathore, a lawyer by profession who is found brutally murdered near his apartment compound. Parallel to this, nine days before Gowda got to know that his maid's daughter, Nandini never returned home from school. Gowda and his team are working and running against time to find the Nandini, but will they be able to??

On the other end of Chain of Custody is Moina, a girl kidnapped from Bangladesh and forced to submit to multiple “customers”, to Krishna, who has no qualms about exploiting children (he is, after all, just doing what had been done to him as a boy). And a girl Rekha, who is being persuaded by her boyfriend to perform some services for him.

With Gowda's personal life on the verge of collapsing, his Deputy Santosh back and in love with a lady constable, and the gang of constables Gajendra and Byrappa who are witty and wise when time requires being, Gowda now has to manage a lot. Because this is not just a simple disappearance of Nandini, this is a web of lies and Bengaluru's underbelly, waters which Gowda and his team have never tested before. A Chain of missing Nandini, murdered Rathore, Moina, and Krishna, will Gowda be able to intercept this chain before it gets too late?

Chain of Custody is a crime fiction that will leave you shocked and in awe of the protagonist, Borei Gowda. A man who is constantly juggling his professional goals and personal life, but doesn't let it come between his hunting of criminals. The center line of the book, child trafficking is something that is not easy on the eyes or on the mind. But if you are reading it in Anita Nair's words, you understand the situation well and approach it practically.

Now, If I speak about Inspector Gowda, I am in sheer love with him after reading Chain of Custody. An Inspector of grit and wit, sidelined by bosses and politicians for being too intrusive and asking about things that one should not ask. He is not a hero, he is one out of thousand policemen who try to be as true as they can towards their duty. Gowda deals with red tape, barks orders, massage the ego of bosses and politicians and deal with bad office space to get things moving in the city. He is not a typical Police Inspector, he is one of the few who fight for what is right. And that's deeply refreshing to see in Chain of Custody.

Another brilliant thing about Chain of Custody is that Nair doesn't shy away from writing the truth. She doesn't show you rainbows and ponies, she shows you children being pushed into the sex trade and recounting their horrific stories. Children who are working in shops and roadsides, who feel that one can of coke/Pepsi can make their world a happy place, even if for just a few minutes. She makes the reader aware that even after being rescued, these children might never have a normal life again. And some of them may even grow up to inflict the same pain that they felt.

All in all, Chain of Custody is a book that you will thoroughly enjoy while cringing at some places. A book that shows you a different side of Bengaluru, something that is not discussed openly. An absolutely terrific read, something that you should not miss.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho letto questo libro in collaborazione con ThrillerNord, trovate anche qui la mia recensione: http://www.thrillernord.it/liradeglii...

L'India non è più la stessa, Bangalore non è più la stessa. L'ispettore Gowda ci è cresciuto, nel distretto urbano di Bangalore dell'India meridionale, ma non riesce a riconoscere né i viali, né i ricordi.
Le multinazionali stanno mangiando non solo il verde che incorniciava le strade, ma anche le peculiarità etniche di quella regione, la loro identità; e con la perdita dell'individualità, nel distretto iniziano ad affiorare nuove problematiche e nuovi crimini di entità più violenta e brutale.
Se tutto attorno a lui sembra modellarsi a seconda delle necessità dei poteri forti, Borei Gowda resiste contro i venti del cambiamento, col suo carattere austero e vigoroso.

La narrazione si apre con un prologo datato 14 Marzo, giorno nel quale la polizia di Bangalore trova il corpo del dottor Rathore, famoso avvocato, senza vita nella propria abitazione; un crimine sul quale è chiamato ad investigare Gowda, col proprio fidato gruppo di uomini.
Da quel momento la storia si riavvolgerà, seguendo un folto gruppo di personaggi ed intrecciandosi con il caso di una bambina dodicenne scomparsa, Nandita, dal 5 Marzo in poi.
Con una disamina molto familiare all'ambiente letterario noir, veniamo guidati all'interno della fascia più agiata della popolazione indiana, avvezza a passatempi decisamente illegali, recapitati loro da un'intera rete clandestina di criminali.


“Una volta qualcuno mi ha chiesto se non mi sentivo in colpa per quello che facevo. Risposi di no. Il senso di colpa è un lusso per i poveri. Quando si cerca di sopravvivere, bisogna mettere al primo posto l'interesse. Si deve salvare il proprio respiro prima di pensare a chiunque altro”


Numerose identità e storie personali si intrecciano per creare una trama molto complicata, eppure dalla soluzione più consona.
C'è l'ispettore Gowda con il suo matrimonio e la sua amante; c'è l'agente Santosh vittima di un tentato omicidio in servizio; ci sono Rekha e Sid, coppia di giovani fidanzatini che si invischiano in affari loschi per la prima volta; c'è Krishna, navigato malfattore che si occupa di traffico di persone per qualcuno di molto importante; e ci sono Pujari e Gita, un marito devoto alla propria moglie disabile, vittima di un amore servile.
La Nair non ha paura di sporcarsi le mani: scava fino al fondo delle depravazioni dell'animo umano, ed ancora un po' più in giù. Nonostante le linee narrative e i nomi da ricordare siano molti, ci troviamo davanti ad una storia intrigante, grazie alla quale torneremo a tifare per i buoni e a dedicargli tutta la nostra attenzione per via di una narrazione non troppo incalzante, ma ad ogni modo delicatamente attenta e lineare.

Ogni personaggio è ben costruito, tanto da apparire al lettore come avente una propria vita, fatta di ricordi e emozioni precedenti al nostro incontro, e che continueranno una volta girata l'ultima pagina; uno su tutti l'indimenticabile personaggio di Borei Gowda. Un uomo che tenta di fare pace con la propria età e i molti ruoli che è chiamato ad interpretare dalla vita: quello di padre, marito, amante, figlio, e soprattutto di uomo di polizia e di legge.


“Il sistema fa schifo. Ma noi dobbiamo fare tutto quello che è possibile. Per quanto lo odi, questo sistema, senza di esso ci sarebbe l'anarchia. Quindi, dobbiamo sperare per il meglio.”


Trovo inoltre che sia sempre stimolante e istruttivo venire immersi in una cultura a noi estranea da parte di qualcuno che la conosce bene, perché la vive ogni giorno.
Così Anita Nair ci racconta la sua Bangalore – nella quale tuttora vive – ed i suoi problemi: cosa c'è sotto la patina argentata che all'estero passa come etnica peculiarità?

Se volete scoprire uno scorcio dell'India meno turistica e commercializzata e allo stesso tempo, dei più oscuri anfratti delle necessità umane, leggete questo libro.

[Vijayalakshmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the first book, the solutions are easy. It is the process of arriving at the truth that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The book is perfectly paced and it is to Anita Nair’s credit, that even as she writes the fast-paced action scenes brilliantly, so also does she manage take the reader out of the “action”, to a visit to Gowda’s brother’s house, for example, without the attention or the interest of the reader flagging even a little bit! It certainly is an entertaining read, until one begins to realize that not all of this is fiction–some of it may very well be true.

It is at this point that the book becomes social commentary–on the dark underbelly of flashy, progressive cities, on the trafficking of innocence and the pure evil that grows out of greed. There are sections of this book that are very difficult to read, and so I recommend this book with content warnings for physical and sexual abuse of children. However, Nair deftly handles the narration, and never lets the book get too dark or visually threatening, and yet at the same time creates awareness about this urgent and important topic.

As always, Nair’s characters are drawn with perfection. Each character is given the importance they deserve and each character feels like a real person!

I should mention here, that while Chain of Custody can be read as a stand-alone book, it references some of the events in Cut Like Wound, and therefore may act as a spoiler to the first book. I would recommend reading Cut Like Wound first.

Full review at: https://thereadingdesk.wordpress.com/...

[WortGestalt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Mann, was für ein großartiger Kriminalroman! Inhaltlich wie sprachlich absolut top, dazu großartig geplottet und erzählt und dann noch der Schauplatz Bangalore, ganz ohne erklärendes Touristenchichi, sondern eine reelle Innenansicht mit einerseits sehr harter und beklemmender Wirklichkeit und gleichzeitig sehr lebendigen Figuren und Alltagsmomenten. Riesengroße Begeisterung hier.

[Havers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bangalore, drittgrößte Stadt Indiens, Technologie- und IT-Zentrum, auf den ersten Blick eine moderne Metropole, die stellvertretend für die Anstrengungen Indiens auf dem Weg in eine bessere Zukunft steht . Kratzt man jedoch an der Oberfläche, offenbart sich eine zutiefst zerissene Gesellschaft, die versucht, sich aus der Tradition zu lösen, aber noch nicht in der Moderne angekommen ist. Postkolonialismus und Kastenwesen prägen noch immer den Alltag, dazu kommen die negativen Auswüchse moderner Industriegesellschaften. Landflucht und Übervölkerung, bittere Armut und protzender Reichtum, Slums und Paläste, Kriminalität und Korruption.

Hier ermittelt Inspektor Gowda, unterstützt von seinem Team. Und wie Bangalore vereint auch Gowda zahlreiche Widersprüche in sich. Beruflich kann man ihm nichts vorwerfen, er ist absolut professionell, integer, ein Mann mit Grundsätzen. Anders hingegen sieht es im Privaten aus, hier nimmt er es mit der gängigen Moral nicht so genau, hat außer seiner Ehefrau auch noch eine Geliebte und wird weder der einen noch der anderen gerecht.

Aktuell arbeitet er an zwei Fällen. Zum einen ist da der bekannte Anwalts, wohnhaft in einer hochgesicherten Luxussiedlung, der dort mit eingeschlagenem Schädel aufgefunden wird, zum anderen ist die zwölfjährige Tochter seiner Haushaltshilfe spurlos verschwunden. Zuerst scheint es, als ob das eine mit dem anderen nichts zu tun hätte, aber im Laufe der Ermittlungen muss Gowda feststellen, dass zwischen beiden Ereignissen eine unheilvolle Verbindung besteht.

Kinder als Ware, verschleppt, verkauft, misshandelt und prostituiert. Kinder, die den Reichen und Mächtigen zu Willen sein müssen - ein Thema, das an die Nieren geht. Aber Anita Nair entwickelt ihre Story behutsam und mit viel Fingerspitzengefühl. Wo andere Autoren mit drastischen Szenen aufwarten macht sie Andeutungen und überlässt so vieles den Vorstellungen des Lesers. Und gerade das macht ihre Schilderungen umso eindringlicher. „Gewaltkette“ bietet einen ungeschönten Blick auf Indien, ein Land, das sich als Industrienation präsentiert, aber noch immer seine patriarchalische Prägung in einem Alltag lebt, in dem Frauen und Kinder ausgebeutet und ihnen jegliche Rechte verweigert werden. Lesen!

[Kalyanaraman Durgadas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Gowda is back again. He still has his Bullet, his dazzling flashes of insight and his barely suppressed irascibility. But something has changed. Something dark and revolting has entered his life, paradoxically making him a tad softer and vulnerable, but also leaving behind a stink that any amount of showering and washing won’t completely mask. Neither Smiley nor JG Reeder or any of the unlikely fictional detectives before him have had to contend with something so soul-shattering.

Chain of custody has all the elements of a page-turning whodunit, a lawyer battered to death in his house in a gated community, a missing child or rather, several, jigsaw puzzles that seem connect but don’t seem to fit together and unexpected twists. But the book is really something more.

Anita Nair narrates in chilling detail, a chain of custody— not of an object, but of trafficked children-- that is often a circle, leading the victims back to the monstrous perpetrators. As a reader you want to look away, but are forced to read on, transfixed in horror and loathing, looking at times through the perpetrators’ eyes, at times through the victim’s eyes and often through the eyes of the detectives.

It’s a book that everyone should read. Maybe something will change then.

[Sindhura Motaparthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner. Well narrated. The horrors some kids have to face made me mad and sad at the same time. A thought provoking book..

[Shweta B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice book.Suspense is maintained till the end.

[Sindhuja R · Rating 4 out of 5]

An okay to a good read. Author has been realistic and almost brutal with her treatment of child abuse. Would have liked more descriptions of the places at Bangalore..

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

In questo secondo romanzo l’ispettore Borei Gowda viene convocato sulla scena di un crimine e ha ancora la mente turbata sia dagli effetti della sbornia serale che dagli incubi che lo hanno perseguitato nottetempo. Il dottor Sanjay Rathore, avvocato di grande successo e fama a Bangalore, è stato assassinato a casa sua, il cranio sfondato e nessun segno di effrazione: le indagini si concentrano quindi fin da subito fra le varie conoscenze dell’avvocato, che ha probabilmente aperto la porta al suo assassino.

E man mano che il caso prende forma Gowda e i suoi collaboratori, compreso l’indispensabile Santosh che torna dal precedente romanzo dopo essersi salvato a stento da un tentativo di omicidio, si troveranno ad aggirarsi sempre più nei bassifondi della città, un enorme serbatoio umano che la classe agiata sfrutta per ogni suo desiderio, legale o meno che sia, attraverso una rete criminale che unisce i ricchi e e privilegiati ai poveri e oppressi.

Particolari si sommano a particolari, anche la scomparsa di Nandita, la figlia dodicenne della domestica di Gowda potrebbe avere a che fare con l’omicidio di Rathore: il caso diventa una vera e propria corsa contro il tempo.
Consigliato, anche se a tratti un po' crudo.

[Jawahar Surti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the end seems a bit contrived, overall it was a wonderfully written book. The backdrop of child-trafficking is painful to go through and one is filled with remorse and anguish at the stark realities of our society. Loved the character of Inspector Gowda.

[DunklesSchaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deutschland, Skandinavien, England, Frankreich, USA… das sind so die Länder aus denen 90% der Krimis in unserer Krimilandschaft hierzulande stammen (ja, die Zahl ist nur meine Schätzung, doch ich denke, damit liege ich gar nicht so fern). So ist es immer wieder ein Erlebnis in die Krimikulturen anderer Länder reinzuschnuppern. Ferne Länder, andere Kulturen, Länder, die ich persönlich vielleicht nicht besuchen werde – na, seien wir ehrlich, vermutlich werde ich die meisten davon niemals sehen. Umso spannender ist es, diese Länder literarisch zu besuchen – und für die Krimi-Nerds unter Euch ist ja klar, dass es für mich auch immer ein Krimi sein muss, der diesen Besuch einleitet. So wie Anita Nairs Krimi um Inspector Borei Gowda aus Indien.

2 Ermittlungen
Inspector Gowda hat zwei Probleme: der Mord an dem angesehenen Anwalt, Dr. Rathore, bereitet ihm und seinem Team Kopfzerbrechen und auch im privaten Umfeld sind seine Fähigkeiten gefragt, da Nandita, die Tochter seiner Haushälterin, verschwunden ist. Derweil es im Fall des Anwaltes erst mal keine Spur gibt und die Ermittlungen sich schwer gestalten, finden sie immerhin Anhaltspunkte im anderen Fall: Nandita wurde entführt.

Der Moloch
Bangalore – für mich eine Stadt, die ich mit Entwicklern und der IT-Branche verbinde. So ganz unrichtig ist das auch gar nicht, denn Bangalore stellt sich im Krimi als arbeitsame Stadt dar. Viele, vor allem Männer, strömen in die Stadt, um Arbeit zu suchen. Doch auch das ist nicht genügend, für die boomende Stadt. Arbeitskräfte werden gebraucht, aber auch Vergnügen, für die vielen Männer, die in die Stadt strömen. Was liegt da näher, als Kinder zu requirieren? Als Arbeitskräfte, als Huren. Je nach Bedarf werden die Kinder von den Straßen gelockt, fast schon gepflückt wie reife Äpfel. Menschenhandel, eigentlich Kinderhandel. Eine grausige Realität, die mich fragen lässt, wie indische Eltern sich überhaupt trauen, ihre Kinder aus dem Haus zu lassen. Die Gefahren sind allgegenwärtig und grausam. Die Polizei ist oft machtlos oder gar korrupt, die Verstrickungen reichen auch in wirtschaftliche und politische Kreise und sind umso schwerer an der Wurzel auszurupfen.

„Überall in Bangalore wurden Bäume abgeholzt, Häuser schienen über Nacht aus dem Boden zu schießen wie Pilze nach einem Gewitter, auch das trug dazu bei. Klimaveränderung. Und nicht nur das Wetter änderte sich, auch das Verhalten der Menschen. In Bangalore tummelten sich über fünfhunderttausend Wanderarbeiter, die meisten davon Männer. Sie waren zu allem bereit, um ihre Bedürfnisse zu befriedigen und ein Gefühl von Macht zu spüren, statt nur als bedeutungslose Spielfiguren der Gesellschaft dahinzuvegetieren.“ (S. 309)

Type mit Bauchansatz
Ein Kämpfer gegen diesen Moloch ist Inspector Gowda. Er ist schon eine Type, mit seiner Geliebten Urmila, die er relativ frei treffen kann, da seine Frau wegen dem Sohn in einer anderen Stadt weilt. Frau und Sohn sind ihm fremd, doch eben Familie. Seine Untergebenen sind ihm treu ergeben, auch wenn er bei den Ranghöheren nicht gerade beliebt ist. Seine unorthodoxen Methoden und seine Unbestechlichkeit machen ihn suspekt, doch auch wenn er es selbst mit der Moral nicht ganz so genau nimmt, so nimmt er doch die Gerechtigkeit sehr ernst. Und so brummt er mit seiner Royal Enfield durch Bangalores Straßen, durchstreift sein Netzwerk aus Informanten und müht sich Schritt für Schritt durch den Sumpf der Stadt. Ja, das mag für einen Ermittler nicht ungewöhnlich klingen, doch in Bangalore und mit vielen verschiedenen indischen Gerichten untermalt ist es doch wieder etwas Anderes, etwas Neues und Spannendes.

Fazit:
Indische Kultur ganz und gar nicht bezaubernd, sondern als Nährboden für Menschenhandel und Kinderprostitution zeigt der Krimi an Inspector Gowdas Ermittlungen in der Boomtown Bangalore, zwischen Tradition und Moderne. Sehr empfehlenswert!

[Prasanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Inspector Borei Gowda book and I bought this book in a burst of love for my crime and thriller books(I also bought The Wife Between Us and The Woman in the Window along with this). But it was a mistake that I read this before the first book in the series- Cut Like Wound, because this novel gives some spoilers about the first one. So it would be better to read in the publishing order of this series.
I love edge of the seat crime and thriller genre and I have always felt that there is a major dearth of Indian writers in this genre. I am not talking of writers like Ashwin Sanghi or Ravi Subramanian who write mythological or financial thrillers but more like Ian Rankin or James Patterson who write about officers like Rebus and Alex Cross solving serial crimes. When I read Anita Nair's Chain of Custody, I thought she perfectly fit the bill of such writers. Inspector Borei Gowda is a flawed but likable police officer who fights crime while working in a corrupt bureaucratic system.
Gowda along with his team of officers seek to bust the rampant child-trafficking racket operating in the bustling city of Bangalore. At the same time, he has also to keep his mistress and his wife happy and struggle to become an exemplary father to his son. The action and adventure makes the book a quick read and doesn't let the interest of the reader slip. The humor and wit of the Inspector makes him a charming officer. And of course since it takes place in Bangalore, a place I call home from past 10 years, it makes the book all the more interesting to me. I couldn't get the picture of Late Shankar Nag as Inspector Gowda out of my mind. He would have perfectly fit the role(Remember him as Sangliana). I had two major grouses though- one was the graphic visualization of the child abuse which I thought was unnecessarily added in some places(especially towards the end) and the lack of the suspense. Its not really that difficult to guess the identity of the thekedar, the master-mind of the racket. But overall I loved the book. I am hoping to pick up Cut Like Wound even after the spoilers in this book because I just cant get enough of Borei Gowda :)

[Rashmi Ananthakrishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book of Inspector Gowda series and i loved it. Not as much as the 1st book "Cut like wound". I read this book before the 1st one and this had few mentions of the incidents in 1st book which tempted me to finish this faster and read 1st one.

The plot itself is very simple. But the way it is written is what grips you. The characters are well defined and no one seems unnecessarily added to fill the book. The personal life of Gowda is continued here too but it was bit more this time which i personally didnt like.

The book talks about child trafficking, the horror the kids go through. I was really in tears when the kid describes what she went through. It also talks about a girl who is madly in love with a guy who makes her meet strangers to earn money.

There are different stories, which gets connected slowly to each other. Again, like in 1st book, here the actual criminal is not known to anyone except the inspector. I am hoping there is a 3rd book, which concludes all the unfinished stories and punishes the actual criminals.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A topical subject and an multifaceted detective made this a decent read made even better by the setting. If you aren't familiar with India, this is especially interesting. Gowda is not the nicest man but he's a skilled detective and that's what is needed in this situation. Child trafficking is a horror; Nair has done a good job bringing it to life without going overboard. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This is one to read if you like procedurals involving corruption and would like to expand your worldview. I'm going to look for more from Nair.

[Rachna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an engrossing, racy read. Set in Bangalore in the background of child trafficking, this books really hooks you. This is my first book of Inspector Gowda, who is a flawed police officer with his heart in the right place. The locales were so relatable and I was filled with fury and revulsion on reading the stories of young children who were trafficked. I have read/seen many such horror tales to know that it is true. Overall, an engaging read which disturbs you and makes you pontificate. Anita Nair at her best. Definitely a good read.

[Matthew Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. Despite this book being part of a series, I feel like it can stand strongly on its own too feet.

My only complaint is the ending as I felt like it left me slightly underwhelmed but I recognise that isn't supposed to wrap up all the loose ends to encourage you to keep reading the series and I have to say, Nair may have roped me into doing so.

Inspector Gowda is indeed a very compelling character and one that the reader will want to continue to get to know.

Great book about the horrors of human trafficking and an insight into the underbelly of modern India.

[Kevin Fernandes-Prabhu · Rating 2 out of 5]

disappointing after Cut Like Wound. While Nair has done extensive research on the issue and horrors of child sexual abuse and trafficking, has experimented (albeit with mediocre results) with polyphony, and tells in a manner which compels to read non-stop, the narrative itself is very forgettable with a not-so-ahaah climax. The only place where she scores is the subtle development of the character of Gowda, and his relationship with Urmila, and the realistic end, as disappointing as it may be.

[Aine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hard to follow all of the characters points of view (which probably would have been easier if I had read the first one) but was an interesting insight into Bangalore, modern India and the underworld of crime and child trafficking. After some research into caste, religion and modern day Bangalore my understanding has developed and I like it now significantly more than when I was reading it. An understanding of context is useful when reading.

[Anubhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character is conflicted (about everything), idealistic, is based in BLR and drives a 500 Classic Bullet - all highly redeeming points in his, and the books, favor. The book was an engaging read, with the parts that dealt with trafficking being a sobering read.

[Steve Castley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anita Nair is a great Indian writer. This is one of her Inspector Gowda Novels. I loved the twists and turns of this plot and the live displayed in the pages. I will read many more of her novels. She is a real find.

[Sharanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's my review:
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/z29Av...

[AlvinJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long winded. The story itself is interesting but there are too many characters and topics thrown around that it gets difficult to comprehend. Otherwise a good read.

[Chiara171 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anita Nair è incredibilmente brava a raccontare l'India.
Leggermente meno ad imbastire il giallo, ma la narrazione è talmente ricca e profonda che non ci si fa troppo caso.
Aspetto il prossimo.

[Roo MacLeod · Rating 3 out of 5]

So so, to be honest. I did get to like Gowda, the main copper in this tale of child trafficking, but there was a whole going on and I got lost.

[Aparna Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling, dark read. The only drawback I found were a few too many coincidences.