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One Arranged Murder
Keshav has set up an investigation agency with his best friend, Saurabh. Can the two amateur detectives successfully solve another murder case that affects them personally? And where will it leave their friendship?
'Ever since you found Prerna, I lost my best friend' is what I told Saurabh.
Hi, this is Keshav, and Saurabh, my best friend, flatmate, colleague and business partner, won't talk to me. Because I made fun of him and his fiancé,
Saurabh and Prerna will be getting married soon. It is an arranged marriage. However, there is more cheesy romance between them than any love-marriage couple.
On Karva Chauth, she fasted for him. She didn't eat all day. In the evening, she called him and waited on the terrace for the moon and for Saurabh to break her fast. Excited, Saurabh ran up the steps of her three-storey house. But when he reached ...
Welcome to One Arranged Murder, an unputdownable thriller from India's highest-selling author. A story about love, friendship, family and crime. It will keep you entertained and hooked right till the end.
'Ever since you found Prerna, I lost my best friend' is what I told Saurabh.
Hi, this is Keshav, and Saurabh, my best friend, flatmate, colleague and business partner, won't talk to me. Because I made fun of him and his fiancé,
Saurabh and Prerna will be getting married soon. It is an arranged marriage. However, there is more cheesy romance between them than any love-marriage couple.
On Karva Chauth, she fasted for him. She didn't eat all day. In the evening, she called him and waited on the terrace for the moon and for Saurabh to break her fast. Excited, Saurabh ran up the steps of her three-storey house. But when he reached ...
Welcome to One Arranged Murder, an unputdownable thriller from India's highest-selling author. A story about love, friendship, family and crime. It will keep you entertained and hooked right till the end.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
1052 people are currently reading
4105 people want to read
About the author
Chetan Bhagat
46 books5,519 followersChetan Bhagat writes op-ed columns for English and Hindi newspapers, including Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar, focusing on youth and issues based on national development. Bhagat is also a motivational speaker and has given talks in leading MNCs and other institutions. He quit his international investment banking career in 2009, to devote his entire time to writing. In 2008, The New York Times called Bhagat "the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history". Bhagat, a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, is seen more as a youth icon than as an author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,220 reviews
January 5, 2023
This novel tells the story of two young detectives Keshav and Saurabh. Prerna (Saurabh's fiancée) gets murdered on the day of Karwa Chauth in her own house amid all the celebrations. Can Keshav and Saurabh find out the killer? This forms the nub of this story.
Three things I learned from this book
1) Mistranslation of Carpe diem in 21st century
If you ask me to describe this novel in one sentence, I can say that the mistranslation of the Latin aphorism carpe diem to the millennials and the wrong interpretation of it by them forms the crux of this story. We can see one of the main characters in this novel so much influenced by this mistranslation, which led the character even to tattoo it on the side of the chest.
What Roman poet Horace meant by Carpe diem is to "Pluck the day" just like plucking a fully ripened fruit. Gathering or plucking flowers or fruits is a gentler image of enjoyment than the forceful and violent interpolation of "Seize the day." One of the main reasons for this mistranslation was the movie Dead Poet's Society, which stars Robin Williams as an inspiring English teacher at an all-boys prep school. "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary", William's character says in the movie.
"Seizing the day brings up images of people taking what they can get, people who can get things done — active, self-reliant individuals who are agents in pursuit of their own happiness, reflected in the #YOLO-infused, instant-gratification-obsessed consumer culture that exhorts us to 'Just Do It' by buying products. Even life experiences have become commodities in a world where people can no longer afford to buy a place to live. We're encouraged instead to buy into precarious economic lifestyles celebrated by ad campaigns like freelance startup Fiverr's 'You eat a coffee for lunch … Sleep deprivation is your drug of choice. You might be a doer.' This is the 'carpe diem' aesthetic of a modern world of aggressive action, not all that different from the 'work till you drop' mentality of industrialism." Chi Luu (NLP researcher about the consequences of the mistranslation of carpe diem in the 21st century)
"Hijacking of Carpe diem is an existential crime of the century- and one we have barely noticed" - Roman Krznaric (Australian Philosopher)
I am sure Chetan Bhagat might have thought about this angle of carpe diem while writing this novel. As he was well aware that he was writing a murder mystery and not literary fiction, he didn't dive deep into it even when it formed this novel's central theme.
2) Difference between Normal grief and Depression after breakup
This is a very serious topic to be discussed among the millennials. We can see one of the characters deluded by his own conscience saying in this novel,
"After the break-up, she was in depression for six months. It was not the depression that needed treatment. But she was sad for a long time."
This is the common mistake that everyone makes nowadays. Misinterpreting normal grief as depression.
We should be able to distinguish between normal grief and depression as the latter needs medical treatment to cure it. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM- 5) delineates the criteria for diagnosing depression. I am enclosing it below.
If you cannot distinguish between normal grief and depression, I request you to seek professional help from a Doctor. Depression is a severe condition that should be treated as early as possible.
3) Intellectualism in real life
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, intellectualism is, "the ability to think about or discuss a subject in a detailed and intelligent way, without involving your emotions or feelings"
The nuances in the interpretation of intellectualism and its negative implication of single-mindedness of purpose, causing emotional coldness are critical in modern society, especially for erudite. Due to this, many professionals like Doctors, Lawyers, Researchers, and many others consider people as just cases instead of real human beings with emotions.
The author perfectly portrays that we should be cautious about intellectualism's negative connotations during our conversations through this novel.
"I am just curious about the case. We can't just drop it. In fact, things have become more complex and interesting.", Keshav said.
“Is that all this is to you? An interesting puzzle? You realize there are people with real emotions here?,” Saurabh shouted back”
My favourite lines from this book
"It is funny how you forget fights and automatically switch back to caring mode when your best friend really needs you"
"I am afraid of liking you too much and not knowing what to do with it"
"One of the signs that you've planned a murder well is that people find it hard to believe you did it even after you confess"
"Yes, Buddha said," What's better? The mosquito doesn't bite you at all, or that it does and you get to scratch it?" Think about it ”
Rating 4/5 This is a fast-paced murder mystery and surprisingly good compared to his previous few books. (I loved Chetan Bhagat's initial few novels (while I was not too fond of his last few ones like Revolution 2020 (which even his ardent fans didn't like)). I request him to be more careful about what the protagonist is telling in his novels. I did not like the protagonist behaving like body-shaming tendency is something very normal in this world. The author had dealt with some vital topics in this book. But he decided not to go deep into those topics as it might not be palatable to the target audience of this book and had to stick to the formula for a murder mystery so that the narrative flow won't be thwarted. Despite these small snags, I loved the experience of reading this book.
Three things I learned from this book
1) Mistranslation of Carpe diem in 21st century
If you ask me to describe this novel in one sentence, I can say that the mistranslation of the Latin aphorism carpe diem to the millennials and the wrong interpretation of it by them forms the crux of this story. We can see one of the main characters in this novel so much influenced by this mistranslation, which led the character even to tattoo it on the side of the chest.
What Roman poet Horace meant by Carpe diem is to "Pluck the day" just like plucking a fully ripened fruit. Gathering or plucking flowers or fruits is a gentler image of enjoyment than the forceful and violent interpolation of "Seize the day." One of the main reasons for this mistranslation was the movie Dead Poet's Society, which stars Robin Williams as an inspiring English teacher at an all-boys prep school. "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary", William's character says in the movie.
"Seizing the day brings up images of people taking what they can get, people who can get things done — active, self-reliant individuals who are agents in pursuit of their own happiness, reflected in the #YOLO-infused, instant-gratification-obsessed consumer culture that exhorts us to 'Just Do It' by buying products. Even life experiences have become commodities in a world where people can no longer afford to buy a place to live. We're encouraged instead to buy into precarious economic lifestyles celebrated by ad campaigns like freelance startup Fiverr's 'You eat a coffee for lunch … Sleep deprivation is your drug of choice. You might be a doer.' This is the 'carpe diem' aesthetic of a modern world of aggressive action, not all that different from the 'work till you drop' mentality of industrialism." Chi Luu (NLP researcher about the consequences of the mistranslation of carpe diem in the 21st century)
"Hijacking of Carpe diem is an existential crime of the century- and one we have barely noticed" - Roman Krznaric (Australian Philosopher)
I am sure Chetan Bhagat might have thought about this angle of carpe diem while writing this novel. As he was well aware that he was writing a murder mystery and not literary fiction, he didn't dive deep into it even when it formed this novel's central theme.
2) Difference between Normal grief and Depression after breakup
This is a very serious topic to be discussed among the millennials. We can see one of the characters deluded by his own conscience saying in this novel,
"After the break-up, she was in depression for six months. It was not the depression that needed treatment. But she was sad for a long time."
This is the common mistake that everyone makes nowadays. Misinterpreting normal grief as depression.
We should be able to distinguish between normal grief and depression as the latter needs medical treatment to cure it. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM- 5) delineates the criteria for diagnosing depression. I am enclosing it below.
If you cannot distinguish between normal grief and depression, I request you to seek professional help from a Doctor. Depression is a severe condition that should be treated as early as possible.
3) Intellectualism in real life
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, intellectualism is, "the ability to think about or discuss a subject in a detailed and intelligent way, without involving your emotions or feelings"
The nuances in the interpretation of intellectualism and its negative implication of single-mindedness of purpose, causing emotional coldness are critical in modern society, especially for erudite. Due to this, many professionals like Doctors, Lawyers, Researchers, and many others consider people as just cases instead of real human beings with emotions.
The author perfectly portrays that we should be cautious about intellectualism's negative connotations during our conversations through this novel.
"I am just curious about the case. We can't just drop it. In fact, things have become more complex and interesting.", Keshav said.
“Is that all this is to you? An interesting puzzle? You realize there are people with real emotions here?,” Saurabh shouted back”
My favourite lines from this book
"It is funny how you forget fights and automatically switch back to caring mode when your best friend really needs you"
"I am afraid of liking you too much and not knowing what to do with it"
"One of the signs that you've planned a murder well is that people find it hard to believe you did it even after you confess"
"Yes, Buddha said," What's better? The mosquito doesn't bite you at all, or that it does and you get to scratch it?" Think about it ”
Rating 4/5 This is a fast-paced murder mystery and surprisingly good compared to his previous few books. (I loved Chetan Bhagat's initial few novels (while I was not too fond of his last few ones like Revolution 2020 (which even his ardent fans didn't like)). I request him to be more careful about what the protagonist is telling in his novels. I did not like the protagonist behaving like body-shaming tendency is something very normal in this world. The author had dealt with some vital topics in this book. But he decided not to go deep into those topics as it might not be palatable to the target audience of this book and had to stick to the formula for a murder mystery so that the narrative flow won't be thwarted. Despite these small snags, I loved the experience of reading this book.
June 4, 2022
If you have read Chetan Bhagat’s books, at least in terms of style, you pretty much know what to expect – mainly a light read. In this book, as is usual, a lot of things are average – the character development, the plot, the motive, the writing..but the story moves fast and this is a book you can relax with.
Keshav and friend Saurabh work for a Cyber Security firm, while running an investigation agency on the side. The lease on the flat they stay together is ending and they are due to go their separate ways. Their relationship has been strained in the recent past. Saurabh is engaged to Prerna. It is ‘Karva Chauth’ (when wives fast till they sight the moon), and Prerna decides to fast for her fiancé and is waiting for Saurabh to arrive, so that she can break her fast. The back door is left open and Saurabh races to the terrace and finds no one there. He hears some commotion down below, and finds Prerna lying dead. Prerna stays in a joint family, and her dad Ramesh has a successful business. While it is possible that Prerna fell to her death accidentally, the police also think foul play is a possibility. There are a number of characters who Keshav and Saurabh speak to – Prerna’s dad Ramesh & his wife Neelam, her aunt Bindu, her uncle Adi, her grandmother, her cousin Anjali, Prerna’s ex-boyfriend Neeraj, to understand what could have happened.
The story itself is decent, though I could see where the story is going near about 40%. The sleuthing is amateur (including some silly stuff - consider that the two manage to coax the family to allow them to stay in the house under some lame pretext), motive passable and there is a touch of drama, probably in the hope that this can be made into a film. After all, many of us are more forgiving of logic and realism in movies than in books.
Take this up as a book you can relax with – possibly in between heavier reads.
Keshav and friend Saurabh work for a Cyber Security firm, while running an investigation agency on the side. The lease on the flat they stay together is ending and they are due to go their separate ways. Their relationship has been strained in the recent past. Saurabh is engaged to Prerna. It is ‘Karva Chauth’ (when wives fast till they sight the moon), and Prerna decides to fast for her fiancé and is waiting for Saurabh to arrive, so that she can break her fast. The back door is left open and Saurabh races to the terrace and finds no one there. He hears some commotion down below, and finds Prerna lying dead. Prerna stays in a joint family, and her dad Ramesh has a successful business. While it is possible that Prerna fell to her death accidentally, the police also think foul play is a possibility. There are a number of characters who Keshav and Saurabh speak to – Prerna’s dad Ramesh & his wife Neelam, her aunt Bindu, her uncle Adi, her grandmother, her cousin Anjali, Prerna’s ex-boyfriend Neeraj, to understand what could have happened.
The story itself is decent, though I could see where the story is going near about 40%. The sleuthing is amateur (including some silly stuff - consider that the two manage to coax the family to allow them to stay in the house under some lame pretext), motive passable and there is a touch of drama, probably in the hope that this can be made into a film. After all, many of us are more forgiving of logic and realism in movies than in books.
Take this up as a book you can relax with – possibly in between heavier reads.
September 29, 2020
A modern day Agatha Christie's Crooked House with a mix of typical Indian family drama! It is amazing how sometimes I forgot the murder in all of the drama that went on. :P
Loved the ending! Definitely, there was an "aha" moment for me. I did not see that brilliant twist coming!!
A murder in a rich joint family and all family members are suspects. Sounds too familiar? But, I have to accept that the author had executed it in a very unique manner. The story is true to its Indian setting and captures the day to day life in Delhi beautifully.
Funny at times but some jokes were in extremely poor taste. [I will get to this later]
Saurabh and Keshav who are private detectives set out to solve the murder of Saurabh's fiance. We have a murder in the first two chapters, then a bunch of chapters for investigation. It was interesting in the beginning, but once the investigation took the usual "life insurance" angle, I was losing patience. After a chunk of dull chapters, the ending was indeed satisfying.
There were two instances where the detectives sneak into someone's room/ office to collect evidence. It required a lot of suspension of disbelief yet enjoyable.
Chetan Bhagat and his stereotypes need no introduction.
I did not understand what was with all the fat shaming in this book?
As mentioned in the book,"it is not wrong to call a fat person as fat". I would have forgiven if it was used just once (maybe).
But, seriously that occurred too many times to just let it go. The author did it again and again throughout the pages and it showed poor taste. Honestly, Chetan Bhagat needs to treat his readers better than that. I don't think anyone enjoys such regressive silly jokes in this day and age.
Overall, a well executed murder mystery [or should I say murder-drama?]
I would have loved it more (and given four stars) if the author had showed some maturity while trying to be funny.
Loved the ending! Definitely, there was an "aha" moment for me. I did not see that brilliant twist coming!!
A murder in a rich joint family and all family members are suspects. Sounds too familiar? But, I have to accept that the author had executed it in a very unique manner. The story is true to its Indian setting and captures the day to day life in Delhi beautifully.
Funny at times but some jokes were in extremely poor taste. [I will get to this later]
Saurabh and Keshav who are private detectives set out to solve the murder of Saurabh's fiance. We have a murder in the first two chapters, then a bunch of chapters for investigation. It was interesting in the beginning, but once the investigation took the usual "life insurance" angle, I was losing patience. After a chunk of dull chapters, the ending was indeed satisfying.
There were two instances where the detectives sneak into someone's room/ office to collect evidence. It required a lot of suspension of disbelief yet enjoyable.
Chetan Bhagat and his stereotypes need no introduction.
I did not understand what was with all the fat shaming in this book?
As mentioned in the book,"it is not wrong to call a fat person as fat". I would have forgiven if it was used just once (maybe).
But, seriously that occurred too many times to just let it go. The author did it again and again throughout the pages and it showed poor taste. Honestly, Chetan Bhagat needs to treat his readers better than that. I don't think anyone enjoys such regressive silly jokes in this day and age.
Overall, a well executed murder mystery [or should I say murder-drama?]
I would have loved it more (and given four stars) if the author had showed some maturity while trying to be funny.
September 5, 2024
2.5/5
I read the first 32 Chapters (50% of the book), and then stopped because the shallow, fat-shaming and annoying protagonist, Keshav, was getting on my nerves. I couldn't take another second of him, a 'man' in his late-20s, calling his fat friend 'Golu', and shaming and judging every fat person in the book. If the "light-heartedness" of a book depends entirely on immature jokes cracked at the expense of "heavier" people, then I do not get ANY enjoyment out of reading that book. It's a shame because I was warming up to the 'mystery' aspect of the story.
The 'mystery' had an Agatha-Christie-Meets-Balaji-Telefilms vibe that I was completely onboard with. I generally like the 'Someone in the family did it!' kind of mystery, so I read the last 4 chapters to find out which backstabbing family member killed Prerna and why. The ending was fairly predictable and *obviously* dramatic, but I didn't mind that at all, because it was also quite satisfactory.
If only Chetan Bhagat's protagonist was less of an ass, I would have probably finished the entire book and rated it one star higher.
I read the first 32 Chapters (50% of the book), and then stopped because the shallow, fat-shaming and annoying protagonist, Keshav, was getting on my nerves. I couldn't take another second of him, a 'man' in his late-20s, calling his fat friend 'Golu', and shaming and judging every fat person in the book. If the "light-heartedness" of a book depends entirely on immature jokes cracked at the expense of "heavier" people, then I do not get ANY enjoyment out of reading that book. It's a shame because I was warming up to the 'mystery' aspect of the story.
The 'mystery' had an Agatha-Christie-Meets-Balaji-Telefilms vibe that I was completely onboard with. I generally like the 'Someone in the family did it!' kind of mystery, so I read the last 4 chapters to find out which backstabbing family member killed Prerna and why. The ending was fairly predictable and *obviously* dramatic, but I didn't mind that at all, because it was also quite satisfactory.
If only Chetan Bhagat's protagonist was less of an ass, I would have probably finished the entire book and rated it one star higher.
March 20, 2021
Total 8 people requested me to review 'One Arranged Murder', so I read this book. And it SUCKS, shitty as expected. A typical Ekta Kapoor's Indian serial story with lots of drama and body shaming. A similar plot like 'The Girl in The Room 105', slow-paced, predictable, average amount of thriller. I will NOT suggest you read this book. N E V E R.
September 28, 2020
Not bad. It is fast-paced, has all the drama one can expect from a Chetan Bhagat book, and has a convincing mystery.
It is a book that is easy to read and is meant for the masses.
Obviously, not the best mystery and thriller, and certainly not even the amongst 'Best 50 Thrillers' I've read, but by Chetan Bhagat standards, it is a decent book.
It is a book that is easy to read and is meant for the masses.
Obviously, not the best mystery and thriller, and certainly not even the amongst 'Best 50 Thrillers' I've read, but by Chetan Bhagat standards, it is a decent book.
November 26, 2020
Chetan Bhagat's second crime thriller, One Arranged Murder, following his well-liked work, 'Girl in Room 105' is okayish. He strives to build up a narrative, including twists and plots, in the belief that it becomes transformed into a blockbuster Bollywood film. But the central crux of penning a novel in the first place, to relish reading it, is all wasted in the process. At least such an approach is staggering of a 'best-selling' artist.
Chetan Bhagat's novel-writing is too simplistic. Anyone who grasps essential English can understand his stories, a big plus point for a nation like India, where not everyone might be capable of knowing fluent English. One thing that puzzled me is his knowledge of female attire, make-up, and color differentiation, unheard of in men. It's not a book you would desire to see forward to if you are a hardcore crime thriller follower.
Chetan Bhagat's novel-writing is too simplistic. Anyone who grasps essential English can understand his stories, a big plus point for a nation like India, where not everyone might be capable of knowing fluent English. One thing that puzzled me is his knowledge of female attire, make-up, and color differentiation, unheard of in men. It's not a book you would desire to see forward to if you are a hardcore crime thriller follower.
March 16, 2021
Chetan Bhagat and the mystery of his bestsellers! I should probably do a post on only that😊
There’s a reason why this author’s books have always held the No.1 position in the list of bestsellers in India. There could be 1000’s reasons that can be studied to the minutest details, some love his writing, majority disses him but the simple truth is that he succeeds in getting readers to read his work no matter what and if that is not the mark of a successful author, I have no idea what is!
I have a love-hate relationship with this author, some books I have loved immensely, some have disappointed me beyond words.
Now, where does One Arranged Murder stand?
What worked wonderfully:
*The friendship between Keshav and Saurabh, Chetan Bhagath has always been exceptional in creating these excellent relationships between friends that is quite enviable. Keshav and Saurabh as a team are a hoot.
*The sarcastic dry humor sometimes self-deprecating, that was hilarious.
*The mouth-watering delicacies that are mentioned in the book, no seriously, there’s quite a lot of food being discussed in the story that half the time I waiting to see what food will pop up now whilst reading
*The dysfunctional family dynamics adds a dark mystery to the story.
What failed miserably:
*The MYSTERY of the murder, fans of thrillers are gonna catch the whiff of the killer from a mile away, it is probably the WHY that would be a bit surprising.
*The character of the villain is more promising and exciting than the main two protagonists which was sad.
As my friend told me, it is Chetan Bhagat, don’t expect a mind-numbing thriller. It is just FUN!
3.5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ for entertainment.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, and Twitter.
There’s a reason why this author’s books have always held the No.1 position in the list of bestsellers in India. There could be 1000’s reasons that can be studied to the minutest details, some love his writing, majority disses him but the simple truth is that he succeeds in getting readers to read his work no matter what and if that is not the mark of a successful author, I have no idea what is!
I have a love-hate relationship with this author, some books I have loved immensely, some have disappointed me beyond words.
Now, where does One Arranged Murder stand?
What worked wonderfully:
*The friendship between Keshav and Saurabh, Chetan Bhagath has always been exceptional in creating these excellent relationships between friends that is quite enviable. Keshav and Saurabh as a team are a hoot.
*The sarcastic dry humor sometimes self-deprecating, that was hilarious.
*The mouth-watering delicacies that are mentioned in the book, no seriously, there’s quite a lot of food being discussed in the story that half the time I waiting to see what food will pop up now whilst reading
*The dysfunctional family dynamics adds a dark mystery to the story.
What failed miserably:
*The MYSTERY of the murder, fans of thrillers are gonna catch the whiff of the killer from a mile away, it is probably the WHY that would be a bit surprising.
*The character of the villain is more promising and exciting than the main two protagonists which was sad.
As my friend told me, it is Chetan Bhagat, don’t expect a mind-numbing thriller. It is just FUN!
3.5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ for entertainment.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, and Twitter.
November 17, 2020
The introduction to the novel is a great emotional acknowledgement by India's best selling author. He writes- 'Congratulations-You picked bu a book! You left YouTube, Instagram, Facebook pr whatever exciting stuff we have on our phones and picked up a book. And you picked up my book-so than you for that". This is his first attempt at a Crime and Mystery genre and he comes up with a first rate thriller. In typical Chetan Bhagat style, the plot revolves around a Punjabi family settled in Delhi. Those of us who are from Delhi can identify with most of the places in the novel where 'action'takes place. The story line is gripping and holds your complete attention. And when the murderer is revealed in the end you are left wondering at the brilliance of the plot. With this novel Chetan has once again proved that he has no match in Indian publishing scene when it comes to writing what Young India wants. Brilliant read
October 31, 2020
Chetan attempts to do a Christie and doesn't do it too badly. If you are a Agatha Christie fan, you know how she brilliantly gives almost every damn character in the book some motivation to murder and in the end it turns out to be the least likely one of them. Bhagat also sort of does that, although not as smoothly as Christie. Not a bad book for some time-pass.
October 14, 2021
2.5 or 3 i dont know!! I hate this kind of Hindi serial books 🙂
It was okay at the ending...but till 276 page, it was like waste of time...well this is my opinion..
It was okay at the ending...but till 276 page, it was like waste of time...well this is my opinion..
Read
October 5, 2020So apparently Chetan Bhagat has realised that incorrect and the old typical representation of Indian characters and relationship is not something that most people like. There goes a mystery again after the success of the last one which I liked more than any of his books..
March 23, 2024
-Unputdownable book for sure
-But predictable at the same time
-Simple writing
-Biased outlook for beauty and thin figure
-Contains adult scenes
-But predictable at the same time
-Simple writing
-Biased outlook for beauty and thin figure
-Contains adult scenes
September 30, 2020
Every Chetan Bhagat Book reminds me of the desire of why I ever started reading.
His characters are always relatable. Like you have a best friend, or a cousin, or neighbor, or bestie's fiancee, or someone you know like one of the characters.
I got a signed copy on the day of the book release, so that was a first for me.
Ok, talking about the book. If you have read Chetan Bhagat in the past you will understand this. "it is a typical Chetan Bhagat Book". What I mean is -
1)you don't have to sit with the dictionary,
2)you would want to finish reading this in one go. (I took two nights since I read on weekdays after work),
3)There is no eye-opener, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking moments. You just enjoy reading it out of curiosity and the juiciness.
I don't want to send out spoilers since this is a new book and I would let people buy their copy and judge.
But I had a lot of exciting and relatable moments, as the story is set up in NCR. I have visited the Bikaners and Haldirams they are talking about. The metro stations of "Okla NSIC" and "Sukdev Vihar" was once my daily committing stations. The "New Friends colony" is one of my favorite places and I used to visit the market almost every other day after work specially in winter for chai, momos, or hot milk. The mention of the "Fifty shades" Trilogy and all 3 movies are on my admired list.
It was a good break for me after reading some serious books in a row.
I would just want to conclude with this. "Love it or hate it, you can't miss a Chetan Bhagat book.
His characters are always relatable. Like you have a best friend, or a cousin, or neighbor, or bestie's fiancee, or someone you know like one of the characters.
I got a signed copy on the day of the book release, so that was a first for me.
Ok, talking about the book. If you have read Chetan Bhagat in the past you will understand this. "it is a typical Chetan Bhagat Book". What I mean is -
1)you don't have to sit with the dictionary,
2)you would want to finish reading this in one go. (I took two nights since I read on weekdays after work),
3)There is no eye-opener, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking moments. You just enjoy reading it out of curiosity and the juiciness.
I don't want to send out spoilers since this is a new book and I would let people buy their copy and judge.
But I had a lot of exciting and relatable moments, as the story is set up in NCR. I have visited the Bikaners and Haldirams they are talking about. The metro stations of "Okla NSIC" and "Sukdev Vihar" was once my daily committing stations. The "New Friends colony" is one of my favorite places and I used to visit the market almost every other day after work specially in winter for chai, momos, or hot milk. The mention of the "Fifty shades" Trilogy and all 3 movies are on my admired list.
It was a good break for me after reading some serious books in a row.
I would just want to conclude with this. "Love it or hate it, you can't miss a Chetan Bhagat book.
October 5, 2020
A Fast-Paced Mysterious Thriller!
This book was such a page-turner with lots of twists and turns, special mention to the last few pages! I would say this can be a wrong choice of book if you are preoccupied with your acads or work. It was SO DIFFICULT to put this book down and so had to complete it in 3 sittings. This book has all the elements of the Indian family drama and at the same time keeps the reader on the edge of his seat to find out what happens next. Felt that a few characters could have been constructed a little better and given a little more importance but nonetheless, it didn't spoil the flavor of the book. At a point, I sensed that the book was coming to a common conclusion but, the final twist...didn't see that coming!!! Definitely a good book for a one time read!
This book was such a page-turner with lots of twists and turns, special mention to the last few pages! I would say this can be a wrong choice of book if you are preoccupied with your acads or work. It was SO DIFFICULT to put this book down and so had to complete it in 3 sittings. This book has all the elements of the Indian family drama and at the same time keeps the reader on the edge of his seat to find out what happens next. Felt that a few characters could have been constructed a little better and given a little more importance but nonetheless, it didn't spoil the flavor of the book. At a point, I sensed that the book was coming to a common conclusion but, the final twist...didn't see that coming!!! Definitely a good book for a one time read!
January 17, 2021
ಬಹುಷಃ ಚೇತನ್ ಭಗತರು ಬರೆದ ಮೊದಲ ಪತ್ತೇದಾರಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಇದೇ ಇರಬಹುದು, ಆದರೆ ಕಥೆ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಶುರುವಾಗಿ ಸಾಧಾರಣವಾಗಿ ಸಾಗಿ ಬಹು ಕೆಟ್ಟದಾಗಿ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತದೆ...
ಒಬ್ಬ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರನನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತ ಮನುಜನ ಕ್ರೂರ ಮುಖವೊಂದನ್ನು ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೇಖಕರು ಸೋತಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಚೇತನ್ ಭಗತ್ ಅಂದರೆ ನನಗೆ ಗೌರವ... ಕಾರಣ ಬಹುತೇಕರಂತೆ ನನಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಕಾಲೇಜು ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಮೋಡಿ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದವು... ಇವರ ಸುಲಭ ಭಾಷೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಖುಷಿ ಕೊಡುತಿತ್ತು ಮತ್ತು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸುವದಕ್ಕೆ catalyst ಆಗಿದ್ದವು... ಆ ಗೌರವದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಈಗಲೂ ಓದುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಮುಂದೆಯು ಓದುತ್ತೇನೆ...
ಒಬ್ಬ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರನನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತ ಮನುಜನ ಕ್ರೂರ ಮುಖವೊಂದನ್ನು ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೇಖಕರು ಸೋತಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಚೇತನ್ ಭಗತ್ ಅಂದರೆ ನನಗೆ ಗೌರವ... ಕಾರಣ ಬಹುತೇಕರಂತೆ ನನಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಕಾಲೇಜು ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಮೋಡಿ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದವು... ಇವರ ಸುಲಭ ಭಾಷೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಖುಷಿ ಕೊಡುತಿತ್ತು ಮತ್ತು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸುವದಕ್ಕೆ catalyst ಆಗಿದ್ದವು... ಆ ಗೌರವದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಈಗಲೂ ಓದುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಮುಂದೆಯು ಓದುತ್ತೇನೆ...
February 3, 2023
The only reason I finished reading this book in one day is because I’m a masochist, but also so that I can justifiably give it the one star. It deserves negative 5. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK is this book!?!?!? Let me tell you. It’s not a murder mystery. That’s just the vehicle to carry this monologue on body shaming, because that is exactly what this bullshit is.
Let me give you some examples: (none of these are spoilers)
“But no, nobody can say a word against his fat bride- to- be. Yeah, I called her fat. Fat just like Saurabh. Am I body- shaming? I told you, I'm not so likeable.”
“It was I who took Saurabh's profile picture from his thinnest angle, or his least fat angle, for the matrimonial websites.”
“Okay, let me come to the point, however shallow it might be. Prerna is actually a nice person-affectionate, smart and loving. But ... she is-how do I put it?-big, large, overweight. I won't beat around the bush-I've already said it before, haven't I? She is fat. Yes, I called a perfect girl in a perfect relationship with my best friend fat. So judge me. But then, let me judge people's weight too.”
“I could see that, given her large frame.” (For a dead body btw)
“The well- rounded parents sat with their well- rounded son as they awaited their well- rounded bahu. Okay, I'm being a bit mean here, but at least well- rounded sounds better than obese or fat.”
I hate this book. And I read it so that you don’t have to. Life’s too short, read better books.
Let me give you some examples: (none of these are spoilers)
“But no, nobody can say a word against his fat bride- to- be. Yeah, I called her fat. Fat just like Saurabh. Am I body- shaming? I told you, I'm not so likeable.”
“It was I who took Saurabh's profile picture from his thinnest angle, or his least fat angle, for the matrimonial websites.”
“Okay, let me come to the point, however shallow it might be. Prerna is actually a nice person-affectionate, smart and loving. But ... she is-how do I put it?-big, large, overweight. I won't beat around the bush-I've already said it before, haven't I? She is fat. Yes, I called a perfect girl in a perfect relationship with my best friend fat. So judge me. But then, let me judge people's weight too.”
“I could see that, given her large frame.” (For a dead body btw)
“The well- rounded parents sat with their well- rounded son as they awaited their well- rounded bahu. Okay, I'm being a bit mean here, but at least well- rounded sounds better than obese or fat.”
I hate this book. And I read it so that you don’t have to. Life’s too short, read better books.
May 17, 2021
This book is a murder mystery. It starts off with two friends Keshav and Saurav and the latter is getting married to a girl named Prerna and then we have her being murdered on the night of Karva chauth like someone pushed her off the ledge and the whole mystery starts. Its a case of suspense, revelations, dark secrets, messed up family, obese jokes, love gone wrong and the love story and then a final twist at the end revealing the real suspect and the explanation of their motive, I finished it in two sittings, some messed up stuff for sure but really good towards the end. Like the way the protagonist is able to decipher who did it and all is brilliant and there are some corny scenes sure but overall its awesome, its simple language, set in the town of Delhi and tells and actual story. Plus that friendship between them and the burgeoning gap and reconciliation at the end was my favorite part. One of my favorite books by the author for sure.
January 10, 2021
Lack narrative consistency, character depth, plot points to carry the story forward. Close to a masala movie with simplistic treatment of many themes packed into suspense. Not nessesarily a fan of criticism for Chetan just for the heck of it, and also conscious of the fact that I might not be in his target audience set - hence comparing it to his own work standards, this has ambition & challenge for him in attempting the genre but lacks any moment of depth or clarity of the world he approaches. A lot is half baked in it :) hoping he finds moment of truth and inspiration to write for himself again
October 1, 2020
One Arranged Murder is a sequel to The Girl in Room 105, Chetan Bhagat’s previous release.
Keshav and Saurabh aren’t friends anymore. Saurabh is engaged to a woman named Prerna and are deeply in love. So much in love that even though they are only engaged, Prerna is observing a Karva Chauth fast for Saurabh.
Karva Chauth is a festival celebrated mostly in North India and in it, the wife fasts throughout the day till the evening and breaks the fast after looking at the moon and her husband.
The story opens on the very day of Karva Chauth and Saurabh goes over to Prerna’s place and goes up to the terrace where she is supposed to be waiting to see him and the moon and break her fast. But upon reaching the terrace, Prerna is nowhere to be found.
Turns out Prerna has fallen off the terrace and died. While a lot of people believe it to be an accident (even her post-mortem reports don’t point at a murder), Keshav, Saurabh and a few others strongly believe it to be a murder and the duo are determined to get to the bottom of the case.
I liked the second-half of the book better than the first half. The first half is slightly monotonous with very little exciting things going on, but the second half is packed with unexpected twists, turns, secrets, discoveries and more! The climax was also executed wonderfully and I really liked how the motive of the killer was not something cliche`.
I did not like the writing style much… I felt the author could have done a better job in adding the elements of suspense, thrill, mystery, etc. . I also felt the author did a very poor job in portraying Saurabh’s emotions when it came to the death of the woman he loved.
I also really don’t understand why there was so much body-shaming in the book…
It was a good mystery and I can say I really liked it! I enjoyed reading it, and I definitely liked it better than The Girl in Room 105…
Keshav and Saurabh aren’t friends anymore. Saurabh is engaged to a woman named Prerna and are deeply in love. So much in love that even though they are only engaged, Prerna is observing a Karva Chauth fast for Saurabh.
Karva Chauth is a festival celebrated mostly in North India and in it, the wife fasts throughout the day till the evening and breaks the fast after looking at the moon and her husband.
The story opens on the very day of Karva Chauth and Saurabh goes over to Prerna’s place and goes up to the terrace where she is supposed to be waiting to see him and the moon and break her fast. But upon reaching the terrace, Prerna is nowhere to be found.
Turns out Prerna has fallen off the terrace and died. While a lot of people believe it to be an accident (even her post-mortem reports don’t point at a murder), Keshav, Saurabh and a few others strongly believe it to be a murder and the duo are determined to get to the bottom of the case.
I liked the second-half of the book better than the first half. The first half is slightly monotonous with very little exciting things going on, but the second half is packed with unexpected twists, turns, secrets, discoveries and more! The climax was also executed wonderfully and I really liked how the motive of the killer was not something cliche`.
I did not like the writing style much… I felt the author could have done a better job in adding the elements of suspense, thrill, mystery, etc. . I also felt the author did a very poor job in portraying Saurabh’s emotions when it came to the death of the woman he loved.
I also really don’t understand why there was so much body-shaming in the book…
It was a good mystery and I can say I really liked it! I enjoyed reading it, and I definitely liked it better than The Girl in Room 105…
July 15, 2021
Two friends
One of them is to get married
His fiancee dies on karva chauth night by falling from the terrace
Is it a murder or an accident?
Okay, I enjoyed the drama CB has portrayed throughout. That's what his skill lies in. Lots of funny one liners too. I liked the writing. However, didn't like the fat shaming in the book. If you consider it a part of the character, then it can be pushed aside but it happens almost every 10 pages. Now, the mystery part was fine; it could've been better. It would be a good book for a dramatic murder mystery.
One of them is to get married
His fiancee dies on karva chauth night by falling from the terrace
Is it a murder or an accident?
Okay, I enjoyed the drama CB has portrayed throughout. That's what his skill lies in. Lots of funny one liners too. I liked the writing. However, didn't like the fat shaming in the book. If you consider it a part of the character, then it can be pushed aside but it happens almost every 10 pages. Now, the mystery part was fine; it could've been better. It would be a good book for a dramatic murder mystery.
December 27, 2020
Better than his other books but still an average whodunit with a predictable suspense. A rich punjabi girl, engaged to be married to Saurabh, one of the partners of the detective firm dies due to a fall from her terrace and they have to find out if it was accident or murder. The English is so-so, better than his previous books but still at times feels like a literal Hindi-English translation. Phrases like "Nothing you know" grind on the cerebral cortex.
Overall a good reading for a casual weekend.
Overall a good reading for a casual weekend.
October 8, 2020
3.5 stars!
Full review up on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQiZk...
Full review up on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQiZk...
November 8, 2020
Hooter: An Agatha Christie whodunnit with ample helpings of desi tadka.
Chetan Bhagat isn't a literary genius but he knows the pulse of the average Indian aspiring to be part of the English literature milieu. His books while sticking to simple English are always filled with relatable Indian places and concepts starting from his Five Point Someone. This makes his book fast and light reads - sort of like watching sitcoms on TV, you don't walk away with anything new but that was never the plan.
This is him trying his hand at whodunnit murder mysteries as a series focusing on Keshav and Saurabh, this time including Saurabh's fiance Prerna in the mix. Without giving much away if you are looking for a quick read on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you can go about sleuthing but like any Agatha Christie book, expect some twists and turns. I figured the culprit somewhere in the middle of the book, but only got the reason partially as CB threw a few more twists and turns to the mix. He does pretty well on this front and being an Agatha Christie fan, I feel he's done well for himself in attempting that genre. He's also made sure there is enough content for a Bollywood director to feel inspired and convert this onto the big screen with a joint family setting where everyone has a shady past and is suspect. Obviously there is a lot of drama added in the setting of locales around Delhi.
What I am completely clueless about though is the emphasis on weight of some of the characters in the book with repeated references. If he was trying to increase the humour quotient, totally backfired with these juvenile and regressive jokes. There are other ways to make the protagonist unlikeable if that was what he was trying to get at.
Overall, if you need a quick breezy mindless read while waiting for your flight at the airport, this is the book for you.
Chetan Bhagat isn't a literary genius but he knows the pulse of the average Indian aspiring to be part of the English literature milieu. His books while sticking to simple English are always filled with relatable Indian places and concepts starting from his Five Point Someone. This makes his book fast and light reads - sort of like watching sitcoms on TV, you don't walk away with anything new but that was never the plan.
This is him trying his hand at whodunnit murder mysteries as a series focusing on Keshav and Saurabh, this time including Saurabh's fiance Prerna in the mix. Without giving much away if you are looking for a quick read on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you can go about sleuthing but like any Agatha Christie book, expect some twists and turns. I figured the culprit somewhere in the middle of the book, but only got the reason partially as CB threw a few more twists and turns to the mix. He does pretty well on this front and being an Agatha Christie fan, I feel he's done well for himself in attempting that genre. He's also made sure there is enough content for a Bollywood director to feel inspired and convert this onto the big screen with a joint family setting where everyone has a shady past and is suspect. Obviously there is a lot of drama added in the setting of locales around Delhi.
What I am completely clueless about though is the emphasis on weight of some of the characters in the book with repeated references. If he was trying to increase the humour quotient, totally backfired with these juvenile and regressive jokes. There are other ways to make the protagonist unlikeable if that was what he was trying to get at.
Overall, if you need a quick breezy mindless read while waiting for your flight at the airport, this is the book for you.
June 30, 2021
A rich punjabi girl named Prerna, engaged and soon to be married to Saurabh, one of the partners of the detective firm. Prerna dies due to a fall from her terrace on karva chauth. Now Saurabh and others have to find out if it was accident or murder.
The story is narrated by Saurabh's best friend/ room mate Keshav. And honestly I find him annoying and irrational. He just fat shames and judges his best friend and any person he meets immediately. 🙄
The English here is like Hindi-English translation. All that stupid gibberish stuff. Personally I find it very cringey.
I read first 35 pages and was already annoyed with this book. Read last 4 chapters to find out who and why Prerna was killed. The ending was predictable and so like "Hindi TV serial" dramatic. 🙂👌🏼
This book has so much of immature jokes on "heavier" people that at some point that gets on your nerves. This jokes do NOT bring any joy to you. This Keshav character also makes fun of people's eating habits which is umm ... HORRIBLE.
I personally enjoy reading mystery books and I don't hate Chetan Bhagat at all.. But this was just waste of time and money!
If you want to read 1 "mystery thriller" book, I wouldn't suggest this. If you want to read 1000 "mystery thriller" books, I still would NEVER suggest this book to be one of it. 🙂
The story is narrated by Saurabh's best friend/ room mate Keshav. And honestly I find him annoying and irrational. He just fat shames and judges his best friend and any person he meets immediately. 🙄
The English here is like Hindi-English translation. All that stupid gibberish stuff. Personally I find it very cringey.
I read first 35 pages and was already annoyed with this book. Read last 4 chapters to find out who and why Prerna was killed. The ending was predictable and so like "Hindi TV serial" dramatic. 🙂👌🏼
This book has so much of immature jokes on "heavier" people that at some point that gets on your nerves. This jokes do NOT bring any joy to you. This Keshav character also makes fun of people's eating habits which is umm ... HORRIBLE.
I personally enjoy reading mystery books and I don't hate Chetan Bhagat at all.. But this was just waste of time and money!
If you want to read 1 "mystery thriller" book, I wouldn't suggest this. If you want to read 1000 "mystery thriller" books, I still would NEVER suggest this book to be one of it. 🙂
December 18, 2020
I don’t know why people dislike him. He writes so simply and engages the reader. Even if the content is not substantial its not bad either; his books are good for light reading once in a while.
I would have given it a 3.5 but this book was highly highly engaging. Fastest book I have read so far So I gave it an extra half point.
I would have given it a 3.5 but this book was highly highly engaging. Fastest book I have read so far So I gave it an extra half point.
October 18, 2020
This has same plot as the previous novel from Chetan Bhagat.
Very predictable and boring Inn parts. Stretched unnecessarily.
One star is for effort that he took to change the character names, their business and the murderer (sarcasm)..
Very predictable and boring Inn parts. Stretched unnecessarily.
One star is for effort that he took to change the character names, their business and the murderer (sarcasm)..
October 28, 2020
I read this because as I told myself - it's important to stay attuned to the zeitgeist of modern India.
I only speak half in jest - yes, I needed an 'light' read for an extended weekend break. But I also do feel that #CBag has got his pulse on the India of "the moment" quite well and represents that in his stories in an unpretentious and uncomplicated way. So I hoped to pick up something as I move further away from 'youth' territory into adulthood. Also the last book of his I read was Revolution 2020 almost 9 years ago, so would be good to get off of my moral high horse and re-acquainted.
Besides I never quite get the hate for him as an author. As an 'intellectual' he's annoying AF (as one of his characters would say), a know-it-all who flows with the tide and therefore not someone I particularly aspire to look up to. But as an author - well he's birthed an entire genre within India - and AFAIK he does that genre better than most of the copies which've come behind him (I found the only Durjoy Dutta I read far inferior). Sure it's no Arundhati Roy but then the expectations have always been clear and the demographic to which his work appeals to is also chalked out in a way that an FMCG marketing dept. would be proud.
So yes. Coming back to 'One Arranged Murder'. It is - exactly what I expected it to be. Gets to the 'murder' in the plot pretty quickly. Lays out relatable characters - protagonists and others - in an uncomplicated way. No problem is too tough for our heroes to think of a way around, in creative ways (hide in a cupboard, use cigarettes to set off the fire alarm etc.) but nothing James Bond-ish which we couldn't pull off ourselves. Sure none of these would probably work in real life, but they're all plausible enough to suspend disbelief and move on. Nice predictable feint at the end with the solution before the real solution which comes with a twist. Also what I seem to now remember as a staple in all his books - some ridiculous logic helping towards the deduction. Partial spoiler : get this - women apparently leave love bites on their lovers bodies in the same patterns which is a give-away in this plot!).
#CBag puts in all the stuff young urban India thinks about (or that middle aged men assume young urban India thinks about - Tinder, Zomato, Uber, corporate decks where you only make powerpoint 'pitches', creative liberal people obsessing about stuff no one cares about, a guy who believes in love v/s one who believes in sex, jibes etc. etc. Also I think with this change to a detective genre (complete with 2 guys in a corporate job who have a side gig as their own agency) - there is a bit of appeal to Enid Blyton fans who are now grown up where all of us visualized ourselves as Famous Fives and Secret Sevens. Sometimes I think he starts plotting the movie cast even before he's finished with the book.
Do read if : you want a quick read and an uncomplicated whodunit in a relatable milieu
Don't read if : You're expecting anything different from his previous works. Chetan Bhagat the writer has clearly not evolved at all in the last 16 since I read '5 point something' back in junior college
I only speak half in jest - yes, I needed an 'light' read for an extended weekend break. But I also do feel that #CBag has got his pulse on the India of "the moment" quite well and represents that in his stories in an unpretentious and uncomplicated way. So I hoped to pick up something as I move further away from 'youth' territory into adulthood. Also the last book of his I read was Revolution 2020 almost 9 years ago, so would be good to get off of my moral high horse and re-acquainted.
Besides I never quite get the hate for him as an author. As an 'intellectual' he's annoying AF (as one of his characters would say), a know-it-all who flows with the tide and therefore not someone I particularly aspire to look up to. But as an author - well he's birthed an entire genre within India - and AFAIK he does that genre better than most of the copies which've come behind him (I found the only Durjoy Dutta I read far inferior). Sure it's no Arundhati Roy but then the expectations have always been clear and the demographic to which his work appeals to is also chalked out in a way that an FMCG marketing dept. would be proud.
So yes. Coming back to 'One Arranged Murder'. It is - exactly what I expected it to be. Gets to the 'murder' in the plot pretty quickly. Lays out relatable characters - protagonists and others - in an uncomplicated way. No problem is too tough for our heroes to think of a way around, in creative ways (hide in a cupboard, use cigarettes to set off the fire alarm etc.) but nothing James Bond-ish which we couldn't pull off ourselves. Sure none of these would probably work in real life, but they're all plausible enough to suspend disbelief and move on. Nice predictable feint at the end with the solution before the real solution which comes with a twist. Also what I seem to now remember as a staple in all his books - some ridiculous logic helping towards the deduction. Partial spoiler : get this - women apparently leave love bites on their lovers bodies in the same patterns which is a give-away in this plot!).
#CBag puts in all the stuff young urban India thinks about (or that middle aged men assume young urban India thinks about - Tinder, Zomato, Uber, corporate decks where you only make powerpoint 'pitches', creative liberal people obsessing about stuff no one cares about, a guy who believes in love v/s one who believes in sex, jibes etc. etc. Also I think with this change to a detective genre (complete with 2 guys in a corporate job who have a side gig as their own agency) - there is a bit of appeal to Enid Blyton fans who are now grown up where all of us visualized ourselves as Famous Fives and Secret Sevens. Sometimes I think he starts plotting the movie cast even before he's finished with the book.
Do read if : you want a quick read and an uncomplicated whodunit in a relatable milieu
Don't read if : You're expecting anything different from his previous works. Chetan Bhagat the writer has clearly not evolved at all in the last 16 since I read '5 point something' back in junior college
May 26, 2021
Finally, A good one from the author.
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