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BARABANKI : The Professor, the Pandit and the Policeman
Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and his storyteller colleague Sub-Inspector Awasthi are called to investigate the death of a student at the Indian Engineering College, Lucknow. Little do they expect their investigation to uncover a connection with a crime nexus in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh. As the plot thickens, Jayanti, who is a student at the college, and Raghav, an alumnus of the college and now successful author, find themselves entangled with the investigation. Their reunion after three years is overshadowed by the mysterious death of Jayanti’s father and linked to the seemingly harmless professor at the college, Ansari.
Follow Naveen and Awasthi as they navigate a corrupt system, enemy bullets and a racket based out of Barabanki that can jeopardize the health of the entire nation.
Anuj Tiwari’s first crime thriller, this book captures the game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the ancient city of Parijat.
Follow Naveen and Awasthi as they navigate a corrupt system, enemy bullets and a racket based out of Barabanki that can jeopardize the health of the entire nation.
Anuj Tiwari’s first crime thriller, this book captures the game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the ancient city of Parijat.
- GenresThriller
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2022
3 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
December 18, 2022
Thrillers are something which fascinates a reader no matter what even if it is not written brilliantly. The intrinsic value it holds ,the anticipation of what is yet to unfold keeps us hooked to the storyline and this novel is no exception to this fact.
The story begins mysteriously when a scholar student was found dead in a college and without much investigation the case is passed off as suicide. Another crime regarding an army officer also unfolds soon and here as well it is not paid much heed to. Then enters the investigators in the form of Naveen and a few other side characters that tries to get to the root of this entire criminal syndicate .
The story is penned well in parts. The author has written the book with an assumption that readers are well versed with laws and too much superfluous details are added which doesn't add any value to the novel. The tale picks up pace in the latter part to somehow compensate the initial lag. The setting of Barabanki is used well and the sidekicks also play a significant role in solving the case.
All in all , a decent one time read.
The story begins mysteriously when a scholar student was found dead in a college and without much investigation the case is passed off as suicide. Another crime regarding an army officer also unfolds soon and here as well it is not paid much heed to. Then enters the investigators in the form of Naveen and a few other side characters that tries to get to the root of this entire criminal syndicate .
The story is penned well in parts. The author has written the book with an assumption that readers are well versed with laws and too much superfluous details are added which doesn't add any value to the novel. The tale picks up pace in the latter part to somehow compensate the initial lag. The setting of Barabanki is used well and the sidekicks also play a significant role in solving the case.
All in all , a decent one time read.
December 18, 2022
Barabanki is Anuj Tiwari's first crime thriller. It is about greed, power, betrayal, friendship, love, desire, revenge, lies, truth, crime and justice.
The book is about an investigation team led by the Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and a crime they are investigating. He and his colleague Awasthi is investigating the death of a college student at IEC. Their investigation leads them to a series of other crimes which further brings them into the lives of Jayanti, a student and Raghav, an alumnus of the college. This book also shows the misuse of power by the higher authorities. This book also displays how a police officer keeps us safe while keeping his life on the line. Being someone who ensures the safety of others, Jayanti's father never got a chance to get involved in her academic life.
There were romance, mystery, crime and conspiracy in the book. There weren't many twists in the plot, but the book would keep the reader engaged. I read this book in about 160 minutes. It has a well-written plot and I like the narrative style. I wish the book was a little bit longer. I liked the characters. I hated Jayanti at some point. But it changed with progress in the story. Overall, Barabanki was a good read.
I read this book in one sitting and I liked how the flashbacks were shown. It was like watching a crime series. I didn't like it when Naveen lied to Asim. The characters were all well described. Some parts are quite unfortunate. This is a fast-paced thriller. Overall, Barabanki was a good read.
The book is about an investigation team led by the Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and a crime they are investigating. He and his colleague Awasthi is investigating the death of a college student at IEC. Their investigation leads them to a series of other crimes which further brings them into the lives of Jayanti, a student and Raghav, an alumnus of the college. This book also shows the misuse of power by the higher authorities. This book also displays how a police officer keeps us safe while keeping his life on the line. Being someone who ensures the safety of others, Jayanti's father never got a chance to get involved in her academic life.
There were romance, mystery, crime and conspiracy in the book. There weren't many twists in the plot, but the book would keep the reader engaged. I read this book in about 160 minutes. It has a well-written plot and I like the narrative style. I wish the book was a little bit longer. I liked the characters. I hated Jayanti at some point. But it changed with progress in the story. Overall, Barabanki was a good read.
I read this book in one sitting and I liked how the flashbacks were shown. It was like watching a crime series. I didn't like it when Naveen lied to Asim. The characters were all well described. Some parts are quite unfortunate. This is a fast-paced thriller. Overall, Barabanki was a good read.
January 3, 2023
A good writer can set a thriller anywhere and make it convincing. The trick is to evoke the setting in such a way that it highlights the crime or unsettles the reader. Reading a thriller always gives a high.
Barabanki is written by Anuj Tiwari. This book is a crime thriller which is also filled with power, justice, money, lies, truth, revenge, love and friendship. Ajay a student of Indian engineering college, lucknow found dead then Naveen Mishra superintendent of police and his colleague R.K.Awasthi sub-inspector enters to investigate about the death. While investigating the case further many secrets were revealed. Jayanthi a college student and raghav former student and novelist goes to naveen for help. A picture went viral which was clicked by asim, professor ansari's son. Jayanthi's father an army officer was also murdered. When the police officer naveen saw that other deaths were linked to this he started digging more to find out the hidden truths.
This book is fast paced and thrillng. The language used in this book is simple and easy to understand. The plot is also good. The story will keep you hooked to the book until you finish it. Overall it is a good read.
Barabanki is written by Anuj Tiwari. This book is a crime thriller which is also filled with power, justice, money, lies, truth, revenge, love and friendship. Ajay a student of Indian engineering college, lucknow found dead then Naveen Mishra superintendent of police and his colleague R.K.Awasthi sub-inspector enters to investigate about the death. While investigating the case further many secrets were revealed. Jayanthi a college student and raghav former student and novelist goes to naveen for help. A picture went viral which was clicked by asim, professor ansari's son. Jayanthi's father an army officer was also murdered. When the police officer naveen saw that other deaths were linked to this he started digging more to find out the hidden truths.
This book is fast paced and thrillng. The language used in this book is simple and easy to understand. The plot is also good. The story will keep you hooked to the book until you finish it. Overall it is a good read.
January 19, 2023
The vital temptation of solving a murder mystery and finding the culprit will lead one to the pious land of Barabanki plagued with land disputes, counterfeit medicine racket, religious tensions, murders and much more.
☕
An exciting concoction of love hate, lust for power and fame and inhuman activities by humans will greet the readers in the story.Raghav a celebrated writer and an alumnus of IEC reunites with his old flame Jayanti a student of the same college after three years.But things didn't went as planned, they found themselves embroiled in a murder investigation.While searching for the answers to the present mystery and the past they tumble upon a can of dirty secrets which will change everyone's life.
☕
Written in an engaging manner peppered with colloquial language, the author beautifully captures the essence of the place and situations in his words.The detailed description and fine character development will keep the readers hooked to the fast paced story till the end.
☕
The place Barabanki is famous for the sacred tree Parijat planted by a celestial god.The book filled with snippets from mythology which adds a different dimension to the storyline.The climax is good but it could be better.
☕
An exciting concoction of love hate, lust for power and fame and inhuman activities by humans will greet the readers in the story.Raghav a celebrated writer and an alumnus of IEC reunites with his old flame Jayanti a student of the same college after three years.But things didn't went as planned, they found themselves embroiled in a murder investigation.While searching for the answers to the present mystery and the past they tumble upon a can of dirty secrets which will change everyone's life.
☕
Written in an engaging manner peppered with colloquial language, the author beautifully captures the essence of the place and situations in his words.The detailed description and fine character development will keep the readers hooked to the fast paced story till the end.
☕
The place Barabanki is famous for the sacred tree Parijat planted by a celestial god.The book filled with snippets from mythology which adds a different dimension to the storyline.The climax is good but it could be better.
December 5, 2022
A bright student was found dead in college which is being passed off as 'suicide'.
An Army officer mysteriously found dead on an isolated field and the investigation has been abruptly ended terming it as a cold case.
Enter Superintendent Naveen Mishra and his 'Robin', Sub-Inspector Awasthi who unravelled a mysterious connection to these isolated cases which is leading them towards a big crime syndicate in UP.
✒VERDICT:
🥇Pros:
1) I loved how the plot started thickening towards the end which had me on the tenterhooks. The author did well to capture the flavour of the location on which he based his story. The significance of Barabanki, the rich dollops of religious politics, and the crime syndicate of spurious medicines have been concocted well by the author to form a decent storyline.
2) I loved the character of Awasthi, which reminds me of a 'merry' yet 'dutiful' sidekick who is very essential to uplift the protagonist. I found myself rooting for Awasthi whenever he came into the story space.
3) The author has smartly portrayed the essence of every character through literature. For Raghav, who is shown as an author, the literature is written more poetically with good command on language. For Naveen, who is a go-getter of a police officer, his language is shown as gruff and no-nonsense.
👎Cons:
1) I felt the story lacked pace in the beginning wherein I found myself dragging with the hope of reaching to the meatier plot soon. The end picked up well.
2) I felt the author added a few unnecessary details and context which made the plot slightly lengthy. For example, the initial section focused on Naveen's OCD which I expected the author to take it forward and show it as a strength in solving cases. However, nothing of the sorts happened and it just felt like an unnecessary additional information about a character.
🌟Overall, a decent one-time thriller read which you can enjoy.
An Army officer mysteriously found dead on an isolated field and the investigation has been abruptly ended terming it as a cold case.
Enter Superintendent Naveen Mishra and his 'Robin', Sub-Inspector Awasthi who unravelled a mysterious connection to these isolated cases which is leading them towards a big crime syndicate in UP.
✒VERDICT:
🥇Pros:
1) I loved how the plot started thickening towards the end which had me on the tenterhooks. The author did well to capture the flavour of the location on which he based his story. The significance of Barabanki, the rich dollops of religious politics, and the crime syndicate of spurious medicines have been concocted well by the author to form a decent storyline.
2) I loved the character of Awasthi, which reminds me of a 'merry' yet 'dutiful' sidekick who is very essential to uplift the protagonist. I found myself rooting for Awasthi whenever he came into the story space.
3) The author has smartly portrayed the essence of every character through literature. For Raghav, who is shown as an author, the literature is written more poetically with good command on language. For Naveen, who is a go-getter of a police officer, his language is shown as gruff and no-nonsense.
👎Cons:
1) I felt the story lacked pace in the beginning wherein I found myself dragging with the hope of reaching to the meatier plot soon. The end picked up well.
2) I felt the author added a few unnecessary details and context which made the plot slightly lengthy. For example, the initial section focused on Naveen's OCD which I expected the author to take it forward and show it as a strength in solving cases. However, nothing of the sorts happened and it just felt like an unnecessary additional information about a character.
🌟Overall, a decent one-time thriller read which you can enjoy.
January 22, 2023
BARABANKI: The Professor, the Pandit, and the Policeman penned by Anuj Tiwari.
Pages- 192
Language - English
Genre- Crime, thriller, and mystery.
This book revolves around crime, thriller, and mystery. This book implies a fake medicine racket running in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh. The central characters of this book are 27 years old IPS officer Naveen Mishra enlisted under UPSC rank 201, his colleague Sub-Inspector R.K. Awasthi, a college student Jayanti, Raghav is an alumnus of IEC, Secretary of the youth club, and a writer, DCP Harsh Vardhan, and professor Ansari. Many mysteries and tensions arise after Ajay Nagar's death. Some people are considering it suicide while some people are pondering it is murder in this story. Jayanthi and Raghav adore each other very much. There are many characters in this story whose truth comes out in the end which is very startling. Some characters also lose their lives in this story which is relatively tragic and some questions remain unresolved till the end.
I found this story relatively engaging. That's why once I start reading it, I keep reading till the end. The thing was that the crime, thriller, and mystery shown in it were not boring. I found the ending a little bit confusing for me but I relished it.
I felt like the story would be perfect for a web series on Netflix, & Amazon Prime videos.
Pages- 192
Language - English
Genre- Crime, thriller, and mystery.
This book revolves around crime, thriller, and mystery. This book implies a fake medicine racket running in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh. The central characters of this book are 27 years old IPS officer Naveen Mishra enlisted under UPSC rank 201, his colleague Sub-Inspector R.K. Awasthi, a college student Jayanti, Raghav is an alumnus of IEC, Secretary of the youth club, and a writer, DCP Harsh Vardhan, and professor Ansari. Many mysteries and tensions arise after Ajay Nagar's death. Some people are considering it suicide while some people are pondering it is murder in this story. Jayanthi and Raghav adore each other very much. There are many characters in this story whose truth comes out in the end which is very startling. Some characters also lose their lives in this story which is relatively tragic and some questions remain unresolved till the end.
I found this story relatively engaging. That's why once I start reading it, I keep reading till the end. The thing was that the crime, thriller, and mystery shown in it were not boring. I found the ending a little bit confusing for me but I relished it.
I felt like the story would be perfect for a web series on Netflix, & Amazon Prime videos.
January 13, 2023
3rd Book of 2023
It is almost 1.25 decade since I am reading books. There are few authors whom I am reading right since their 1st book and seeing their progression with content and subjects with each book. One of them is definitely Anuj Tiwari who has just released his 5th book named “Barabanki”. It is published in around 185-pages by Rupa publications. The book also has a tagline which says “The Professor, the Pandit and the Policeman”. The story basically revolves around these three characters in a thrilling concept where right in the beginning of the book, a student dies in mysterious condition at the Indian Engineering college located in Lucknow. And from here begins investigation which revolves around these and many other important characters named Raghav and Jayanti. This is the 1st time Anuj has attempted a thriller and I am glad he experimented at the right time.
The book is nicely sectioned into different chapters which makes our experience easier as you can easily pace your reading accordingly. Author has not complicated the story by making it switch into different timelines or going through unwanted narration – as it’s generally done in the thriller books. As obvious from the 185-pages length, the writing is crisp and focuses on the main plot. The location of Barabanki and the whole aesthetics around it and Lucknow is wonderfully utilized. Though there could have been a lot being done with the locale but still, author manages to make you understand people belonging from the region. The use of religious topics in conversation between characters makes you interested in how it is going to be related with the situation the characters are in.
The characterization and the small romantic angle between Raghav and Jayanti are very beautifully handled – which I believe is author’s strength point too. Anuj has been quite vocal about the religious angle in the book for which I must applaud him for not talking in whispering voice but spoke what needed to be spoken. There are many such instances where you can relate the sub-plots with many things which we hear in news everyday from the region of Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the book sounds realistic.
Now talking about the thrilling aspect, I must say how the three different cases are interlinked together is really interesting. The backstory of Jayanti’s father really adds up flavour to the story. The camaraderie between Awasthi and Naveen is superb and hilarious. There are many places which will make you giggle. Author’s research on how police department and legal sections work in our country is commendable. Unfortunately, you guess the culprit too soon in this thriller which takes away the charm of the climax. It only leaves for you to understand how exactly things took place but you already know the mastermind behind them. That’s the only thing I wish author could have worked more or the editor from the publishing side could have helped in reframing the narration of the story.
Overall, this is a light thriller and you can enjoy it while traveling or if you are new to the genre. I give the book a fine attempt 3.5 stars out of 5. Author has also given a clue in the end that there might be 2nd part of this story releasing soon. So let’s see how story further unfolds.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
It is almost 1.25 decade since I am reading books. There are few authors whom I am reading right since their 1st book and seeing their progression with content and subjects with each book. One of them is definitely Anuj Tiwari who has just released his 5th book named “Barabanki”. It is published in around 185-pages by Rupa publications. The book also has a tagline which says “The Professor, the Pandit and the Policeman”. The story basically revolves around these three characters in a thrilling concept where right in the beginning of the book, a student dies in mysterious condition at the Indian Engineering college located in Lucknow. And from here begins investigation which revolves around these and many other important characters named Raghav and Jayanti. This is the 1st time Anuj has attempted a thriller and I am glad he experimented at the right time.
The book is nicely sectioned into different chapters which makes our experience easier as you can easily pace your reading accordingly. Author has not complicated the story by making it switch into different timelines or going through unwanted narration – as it’s generally done in the thriller books. As obvious from the 185-pages length, the writing is crisp and focuses on the main plot. The location of Barabanki and the whole aesthetics around it and Lucknow is wonderfully utilized. Though there could have been a lot being done with the locale but still, author manages to make you understand people belonging from the region. The use of religious topics in conversation between characters makes you interested in how it is going to be related with the situation the characters are in.
The characterization and the small romantic angle between Raghav and Jayanti are very beautifully handled – which I believe is author’s strength point too. Anuj has been quite vocal about the religious angle in the book for which I must applaud him for not talking in whispering voice but spoke what needed to be spoken. There are many such instances where you can relate the sub-plots with many things which we hear in news everyday from the region of Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the book sounds realistic.
Now talking about the thrilling aspect, I must say how the three different cases are interlinked together is really interesting. The backstory of Jayanti’s father really adds up flavour to the story. The camaraderie between Awasthi and Naveen is superb and hilarious. There are many places which will make you giggle. Author’s research on how police department and legal sections work in our country is commendable. Unfortunately, you guess the culprit too soon in this thriller which takes away the charm of the climax. It only leaves for you to understand how exactly things took place but you already know the mastermind behind them. That’s the only thing I wish author could have worked more or the editor from the publishing side could have helped in reframing the narration of the story.
Overall, this is a light thriller and you can enjoy it while traveling or if you are new to the genre. I give the book a fine attempt 3.5 stars out of 5. Author has also given a clue in the end that there might be 2nd part of this story releasing soon. So let’s see how story further unfolds.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
January 28, 2023
Barabanki is around two wrongdoings and the teacher, the pandit and the police officer. It rotates around the Indian Designing School and the offer of fake drugs. Controller Naveen and Awasthi examine the passing of an undergrad. The examination includes a school graduate, Raghav and an ongoing understudy, Jayanti.
Being Anuj Tiwari's most memorable spine chiller, it genuinely is an astounding story. In the expressions of the creator himself, "He consolidates fiction and reality, and this ideal blend makes (could make) him India's Top rated Creator"
The original advances without a hitch and is fit to peruse in a solitary go. The story makes it excessively simple to think about who the offender would end up being. Be that as it may, the snare of this story lies in figuring out how he will be rebuffed rather than who will be rebuffed. I think this makes it not the same as different stories that we read. The precision of realities, political clash and the working of the Indian Police make the story reasonable for the peruser and builds their advantage.
Be that as it may, at focuses, the story or the strategy for introducing the cases appears to be excessively emotional. I won't call attention to the scenes since I know, nobody likes spoilers. However, scarcely any appeared as though an embellishment that I simply needed to skip perusing.
The story additionally appears to zero in a lot on data that isn't pertinent to the focal point of the book. For example, Naveen's OCD is something that can be referenced in the story however it ought not be the focal point of the text. This is the motivation behind why even his visit to the specialist appears to be insignificant and pointless. I comprehend that it is a technique for acquainting Dr Shaina with us, however I wish that the creator would have picked a superior strategy for show.
Generally speaking, it is a decent one-time read for a solitary sitting. Notwithstanding, assuming you are somebody who preferences perusing thrill rides with exciting bends in the road that keep you snared, you should stay away from this book.
Being Anuj Tiwari's most memorable spine chiller, it genuinely is an astounding story. In the expressions of the creator himself, "He consolidates fiction and reality, and this ideal blend makes (could make) him India's Top rated Creator"
The original advances without a hitch and is fit to peruse in a solitary go. The story makes it excessively simple to think about who the offender would end up being. Be that as it may, the snare of this story lies in figuring out how he will be rebuffed rather than who will be rebuffed. I think this makes it not the same as different stories that we read. The precision of realities, political clash and the working of the Indian Police make the story reasonable for the peruser and builds their advantage.
Be that as it may, at focuses, the story or the strategy for introducing the cases appears to be excessively emotional. I won't call attention to the scenes since I know, nobody likes spoilers. However, scarcely any appeared as though an embellishment that I simply needed to skip perusing.
The story additionally appears to zero in a lot on data that isn't pertinent to the focal point of the book. For example, Naveen's OCD is something that can be referenced in the story however it ought not be the focal point of the text. This is the motivation behind why even his visit to the specialist appears to be insignificant and pointless. I comprehend that it is a technique for acquainting Dr Shaina with us, however I wish that the creator would have picked a superior strategy for show.
Generally speaking, it is a decent one-time read for a solitary sitting. Notwithstanding, assuming you are somebody who preferences perusing thrill rides with exciting bends in the road that keep you snared, you should stay away from this book.
January 1, 2023
Not all readers desire to turn to cosy romance books because of today's repetitive lifestyle. An adrenaline high is what they would much rather have. This is where a good thriller is helpful! An excellent criminal thriller book has intriguing plot twists and turns that will keep readers interested and intrigued. As a result, the thriller genre offers some readers a much-needed break from their routine daily obligations.
Barabanki by Anuj Tiwari is about two crimes that happened in Lucknow and Barabanki and how the police solve it. The individuals that are introduced as the plot develops are connected to the cities and the events. The onset of the subsequent events and plot twists in the novel are set off by death on a college campus. Sub-Inspector Awasthi and Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra are looking into a student's death at the Indian Engineering College in Lucknow. Numerous underlying twists start to emerge during the research. Jayanti, a college student and Raghav, a former student who is now a prominent novelist are brought into the case as middle-ground participants. The mysterious murder of Jayanti's father, which is connected to Ansari, a professor at the institution, casts a shadow over their three-year separation and subsequent reunion. Naveen and Awasthi navigate the system while being startled by the gaps.
The book uses straightforward language and a vocabulary that is simple to understand. The tale is readable when the narration is interesting and there are thrilling situations. The plot is unpredictable and moves quickly, leaving the reader wondering what will happen next. Each of the characters was well-detailed. The narrative had some tragic moments, but it also had some expected moments. If included, a few more pages into the tale would have been preferable.
I would strongly suggest this book to anybody who appreciates a good criminal thriller filled with money, power, betrayal, friendship, love, passion, revenge, lies, truth, crime and justice.
Barabanki by Anuj Tiwari is about two crimes that happened in Lucknow and Barabanki and how the police solve it. The individuals that are introduced as the plot develops are connected to the cities and the events. The onset of the subsequent events and plot twists in the novel are set off by death on a college campus. Sub-Inspector Awasthi and Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra are looking into a student's death at the Indian Engineering College in Lucknow. Numerous underlying twists start to emerge during the research. Jayanti, a college student and Raghav, a former student who is now a prominent novelist are brought into the case as middle-ground participants. The mysterious murder of Jayanti's father, which is connected to Ansari, a professor at the institution, casts a shadow over their three-year separation and subsequent reunion. Naveen and Awasthi navigate the system while being startled by the gaps.
The book uses straightforward language and a vocabulary that is simple to understand. The tale is readable when the narration is interesting and there are thrilling situations. The plot is unpredictable and moves quickly, leaving the reader wondering what will happen next. Each of the characters was well-detailed. The narrative had some tragic moments, but it also had some expected moments. If included, a few more pages into the tale would have been preferable.
I would strongly suggest this book to anybody who appreciates a good criminal thriller filled with money, power, betrayal, friendship, love, passion, revenge, lies, truth, crime and justice.
January 16, 2023
Some books brings you great expectations but doesn’t really work out. “Barabanki” by Anuj Tiwari was one such book. The book not just talks about a crime that takes place but also covers the political, religious, social, personal and romantic aspect of it. Based during the times of Covid, and in 2022, the book took me back to the time when we were all struggling with the virus and hence, every bit of time period could be connected with. The “About the author” also speaks a lot about how Tiwari took real life events together to create his pieces.
Politics and religion are correlated and one won’t/can’t deny that. India has been a victim of political and social riots. This idea is very well presented through the characters like Ansari and Guruji, a professor and a religious political respectively. The intensity of real problems being hidden due to political and religious agendas are well brought up throughout. Though bits and parts felt to be missing, it ultimately made a lot of sense.
Stories are usually incomplete with romance. The romantic relationship between Raghav and Jayanti was very needed and not something over-presented in the book. The term romantic also comes up with “relationship” which in itself holds deep essence. Humans hold upon and let go off relationships according to the situation but death of loved ones can make them helpless. The relationship between Naveen and Awasthi was one such, bringing in the truth of life- reality, death and challenges of the same.
It was a great attempt to present a crime thriller without actually making it complicated which authors tend to do with this genre. Somehow, the “suspect” was pretty predictable and hence the idea of thrill wasn’t profoundly present. Though I started this book for spine chilling hours, it didn’t really bring me chills. No matter, I was intrigued to the plot and the story till the end. I would recommend it to people who might be starting up with this genre. My disappointment and dissatisfaction might prove otherwise for you. And hence, the book deserves a read.
Politics and religion are correlated and one won’t/can’t deny that. India has been a victim of political and social riots. This idea is very well presented through the characters like Ansari and Guruji, a professor and a religious political respectively. The intensity of real problems being hidden due to political and religious agendas are well brought up throughout. Though bits and parts felt to be missing, it ultimately made a lot of sense.
Stories are usually incomplete with romance. The romantic relationship between Raghav and Jayanti was very needed and not something over-presented in the book. The term romantic also comes up with “relationship” which in itself holds deep essence. Humans hold upon and let go off relationships according to the situation but death of loved ones can make them helpless. The relationship between Naveen and Awasthi was one such, bringing in the truth of life- reality, death and challenges of the same.
It was a great attempt to present a crime thriller without actually making it complicated which authors tend to do with this genre. Somehow, the “suspect” was pretty predictable and hence the idea of thrill wasn’t profoundly present. Though I started this book for spine chilling hours, it didn’t really bring me chills. No matter, I was intrigued to the plot and the story till the end. I would recommend it to people who might be starting up with this genre. My disappointment and dissatisfaction might prove otherwise for you. And hence, the book deserves a read.
January 11, 2023
Barabanki is about two crimes and the professor, the pandit and the policeman. It revolves around the Indian Engineering College and the sale of counterfeit medicines. Inspector Naveen and Awasthi investigate the death of a college student. The investigation involves a college alumnus, Raghav and a current student, Jayanti.
Being Anuj Tiwari’s first thriller, it truly is an amazing story. In the words of the author himself, “He combines fiction and reality, and this perfect combination makes (might make) him India’s Best-selling Author”
The novel progresses smoothly and is fit to read in a single go. The story makes it a little too easy to guess who the culprit would turn out to be. However, the hook of this story lies in finding out how he will be punished instead of who will be punished. I think this makes it different from the other stories that we read. The accuracy of facts, political conflict and the working of the Indian Police make the story realistic for the reader and increases their interest.
However, at points, the story or the method of presenting the instances seems too dramatic. I will not point out the scenes because I know, no one likes spoilers. But few seemed like an exaggeration that I just wanted to skip reading.
The story also seems to focus too much on information that isn't relevant to the centre of the novel. For instance, Naveen’s OCD is something that can be mentioned in the story but it should not be the focus of the text. This is the reason why even his visit to the doctor seems irrelevant and unnecessary. I understand that it is a method of introducing Dr Shaina to us, but I wish that the author would have chosen a better method of presentation.
Overall, it is a good one-time read for a single sitting. However, if you are someone who likes reading thrillers with twists and turns that keep you hooked, you might want to avoid this book.
Being Anuj Tiwari’s first thriller, it truly is an amazing story. In the words of the author himself, “He combines fiction and reality, and this perfect combination makes (might make) him India’s Best-selling Author”
The novel progresses smoothly and is fit to read in a single go. The story makes it a little too easy to guess who the culprit would turn out to be. However, the hook of this story lies in finding out how he will be punished instead of who will be punished. I think this makes it different from the other stories that we read. The accuracy of facts, political conflict and the working of the Indian Police make the story realistic for the reader and increases their interest.
However, at points, the story or the method of presenting the instances seems too dramatic. I will not point out the scenes because I know, no one likes spoilers. But few seemed like an exaggeration that I just wanted to skip reading.
The story also seems to focus too much on information that isn't relevant to the centre of the novel. For instance, Naveen’s OCD is something that can be mentioned in the story but it should not be the focus of the text. This is the reason why even his visit to the doctor seems irrelevant and unnecessary. I understand that it is a method of introducing Dr Shaina to us, but I wish that the author would have chosen a better method of presentation.
Overall, it is a good one-time read for a single sitting. However, if you are someone who likes reading thrillers with twists and turns that keep you hooked, you might want to avoid this book.
November 12, 2022
The book has an interesting plotline that explores two crimes and how the characters are related to both of them. I liked how the author has used the local area and the geopolitics to supplement the story and create this book. The story opens with a death in a college campus and as you wrap your head around it this event, you read about a cartel making fake medicines. The entire journey is about the police solving the two crimes through the cities of Lucknow and Barabanki. The storytelling is gripping and keeps you engaged as you journey along with the characters, however the book suffers from some flaws that affect the reading experience. The first issue is that the timelines in the story do not align, specifically that of Raghav and Jayanti. Not revealing much here, but the years mentioned in the book have a significant time gap between the two and their story doesn’t match up. Another issue with the book is that the author has crammed in too much details with respect to the law and while he mentions the clauses, he is assuming the fact that the reader is well versed with the law. The crime thriller part of the book moves as a side plot rather than the central story. The climax is quite cliché and somehow didn’t seem satisfactory for the story.
The characters of the book are interesting in the concept and I specifically loved the character of Naveen as a police officer and the way he handles the case in the story. The author has chosen an interesting set of people who make the story a good read. I would have appreciated if a bit more attention was paid to the character details. For example, it is mentioned that Prakash was in the army, but in the later part of the book, we find out that he was a police officer. This could have been fixed with a fresh round of proofreading.
The characters of the book are interesting in the concept and I specifically loved the character of Naveen as a police officer and the way he handles the case in the story. The author has chosen an interesting set of people who make the story a good read. I would have appreciated if a bit more attention was paid to the character details. For example, it is mentioned that Prakash was in the army, but in the later part of the book, we find out that he was a police officer. This could have been fixed with a fresh round of proofreading.
February 9, 2023
In Barabanki, a professor, a pandit, and a police officer are all involved in two crimes. The marketing of fake pharmaceuticals and the Indian Engineering College are important themes. Awasthi and Inspector Naveen look into the death of a college student. Both Raghav, a college graduate, and Jayanti, a current student, are involved in the probe.
Being Anuj Tiwari's debut thriller, it's a genuinely remarkable tale. "He combines fantasy and reality, and this perfect mixture makes (could make) him India's Best-Selling Author," the author himself said.
The plot of the book moves along easily, making it suitable for one sitting. The narrative makes it somewhat simple to identify the true offender. But rather than focusing on who would be penalized, the story's hook is in learning how he will be sanctioned. This, in my opinion, sets it apart from the previous stories we've read. The reader's interest is piqued by the story's realistic portrayal of events, political tension, and the operations of the Indian Police.
However, there are times when the narrative or the way the incidents are presented seem overly dramatic. Since I am aware that no one enjoys spoilers, I won't mention the scenes. However, a lot of them felt so over the top that I just wanted to skip reading them.
Additionally, it appears like the story spends too much time discussing details that are unrelated to the novel's main plot. For instance, while Naveen's OCD can be referenced in the narrative, it shouldn't serve as the primary emphasis. Because of this, even his trip to the doctor feels pointless and needless. I am aware that it is a means of introducing us to Dr. Shaina, but I wish the author had made a better presentational choice.
Overall, it's a good book to read all at once. However, you might wish to skip this book if you enjoy reading suspenseful thrillers with unexpected turns.
Being Anuj Tiwari's debut thriller, it's a genuinely remarkable tale. "He combines fantasy and reality, and this perfect mixture makes (could make) him India's Best-Selling Author," the author himself said.
The plot of the book moves along easily, making it suitable for one sitting. The narrative makes it somewhat simple to identify the true offender. But rather than focusing on who would be penalized, the story's hook is in learning how he will be sanctioned. This, in my opinion, sets it apart from the previous stories we've read. The reader's interest is piqued by the story's realistic portrayal of events, political tension, and the operations of the Indian Police.
However, there are times when the narrative or the way the incidents are presented seem overly dramatic. Since I am aware that no one enjoys spoilers, I won't mention the scenes. However, a lot of them felt so over the top that I just wanted to skip reading them.
Additionally, it appears like the story spends too much time discussing details that are unrelated to the novel's main plot. For instance, while Naveen's OCD can be referenced in the narrative, it shouldn't serve as the primary emphasis. Because of this, even his trip to the doctor feels pointless and needless. I am aware that it is a means of introducing us to Dr. Shaina, but I wish the author had made a better presentational choice.
Overall, it's a good book to read all at once. However, you might wish to skip this book if you enjoy reading suspenseful thrillers with unexpected turns.
January 9, 2023
Book Blurb :
Naveen, SP of Lucknow, teams up with his ever faithful friend, Awasthi, to solve a (apparently suicide) case, that his cousin, Raghav, has also gotten involved with. While tensions run high in the state due to forthcoming elections and continuous police crackdowns, Naveen finds him in an array of political, religious and duty bound confusion, and things are not what they seem in Barabanki.
Thoughts 💭 :
Absolute first things first. Given the vulnerable political and religious situation of the country, especially Uttar Pradesh right now, a reader will be bound to think of certain parts in the book in... certain ways, to be very discreet. I felt a hint of communal undertones myself, but I won't elaborate. If you pick it up, you're obviously free to read and interpret it in your own way!
There were a few things that put me off :
📕 Naveen often cites information that is, in a situational context, unnecessary. The information in those instances could be supplied to the reader as normal text instead of a dialogue or monologue. For example, when he talks about his UPSC rank or the sections under which to implicate offenders.
📕Naveen's OCD hasn't been mentioned for a considerable part in the book, midway. Thankfully, the author picks it up towards the end, and the theme is successfully maintained.
📕The ease with which Naveen agreed to an encounter, given his background, was quite uncanny to me. I expected him to put up further resistance, and cite the inherent injustice of the act. I am curious to see how his character might develop, later. I have a similar thought regarding the DCP, it has been quite difficult to gauge his exact moral standing in the story, which I take in a positive way. I do feel he has layered significance in the greater plot of things.
📕 I think I would have appreciated the book being a little longer, to elaborate on Ajay's death properly. The ending seemed a tad bit too rushed.
Now,
Through the lens of Raghav and Guruji, both sides of a communal debate can be seen, that goes to show that religion is never truly the problem, the people practicing it, are. The book was a good reminder to revisit certain aspects of life : the effect of journalism, the stunts pulled by spiritual leaders, mental health issues in sensitive professions, the importance of diplomacy, the layered extent to which corruption can penetrate, the laws an ordinary citizen must be aware of, the fallacy of our justice system, the cost an honest officer must bear.
It is fast paced, and a quick read, with simple English. I would recommend it to anyone who's into not too intense thrillers, and short reads. I am definitely looking forward to more of the author's work on this genre.
Naveen, SP of Lucknow, teams up with his ever faithful friend, Awasthi, to solve a (apparently suicide) case, that his cousin, Raghav, has also gotten involved with. While tensions run high in the state due to forthcoming elections and continuous police crackdowns, Naveen finds him in an array of political, religious and duty bound confusion, and things are not what they seem in Barabanki.
Thoughts 💭 :
Absolute first things first. Given the vulnerable political and religious situation of the country, especially Uttar Pradesh right now, a reader will be bound to think of certain parts in the book in... certain ways, to be very discreet. I felt a hint of communal undertones myself, but I won't elaborate. If you pick it up, you're obviously free to read and interpret it in your own way!
There were a few things that put me off :
📕 Naveen often cites information that is, in a situational context, unnecessary. The information in those instances could be supplied to the reader as normal text instead of a dialogue or monologue. For example, when he talks about his UPSC rank or the sections under which to implicate offenders.
📕Naveen's OCD hasn't been mentioned for a considerable part in the book, midway. Thankfully, the author picks it up towards the end, and the theme is successfully maintained.
📕The ease with which Naveen agreed to an encounter, given his background, was quite uncanny to me. I expected him to put up further resistance, and cite the inherent injustice of the act. I am curious to see how his character might develop, later. I have a similar thought regarding the DCP, it has been quite difficult to gauge his exact moral standing in the story, which I take in a positive way. I do feel he has layered significance in the greater plot of things.
📕 I think I would have appreciated the book being a little longer, to elaborate on Ajay's death properly. The ending seemed a tad bit too rushed.
Now,
Through the lens of Raghav and Guruji, both sides of a communal debate can be seen, that goes to show that religion is never truly the problem, the people practicing it, are. The book was a good reminder to revisit certain aspects of life : the effect of journalism, the stunts pulled by spiritual leaders, mental health issues in sensitive professions, the importance of diplomacy, the layered extent to which corruption can penetrate, the laws an ordinary citizen must be aware of, the fallacy of our justice system, the cost an honest officer must bear.
It is fast paced, and a quick read, with simple English. I would recommend it to anyone who's into not too intense thrillers, and short reads. I am definitely looking forward to more of the author's work on this genre.
February 2, 2023
"At times, people fail to understand the beauty of affection. Not everyone can feel it; not everyone can understand it either."
Such a beautiful and apt line which we can relate.
The plot of the story moves around Naveen and his colleague Awasthi solving a crime which happened at IEC, Lucknow. As the investigation moves forward some shocking and dark secrets of college gets revealed. Who is the guruji that keeps visiting every function of IEC, What is the past of Professor Ansari? How is Jayanti connected to the crime?
Raghav and Jayanti who were students At IEC, met each other after a long time at the workshop. Was it a fate or planned ? Read out to know more.
Some Highlights of the book -
1) The way the author has portrayed each character is amazing. (Naveen, Raghav, Jayanti and Awasthi).
2) The language is also very simple and lucid and easy to understand.
3) The story was fast paced and had few twists that will keep you guessing what will happen next ? You can finish the book within a day as it is a short book of approx 185 pages.
4) Each of the characters was well-detailed. The narrative had some shocking moments, which adds on to the excitement level.
5) You'll be able to connect with the story and the characters and will be able to visualise things happening in front of your eyes.
Follow Naveen and Awasthi as they navigate a corrupt system, enemy bullets and a racket based out of Barabanki that can jeopardize the health of the entire nation. Anuj Tiwari's first crime thriller, this book captures the game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the ancient city of Parijat.
It is a must read for all lovers of crime fiction and thrillers.
Such a beautiful and apt line which we can relate.
The plot of the story moves around Naveen and his colleague Awasthi solving a crime which happened at IEC, Lucknow. As the investigation moves forward some shocking and dark secrets of college gets revealed. Who is the guruji that keeps visiting every function of IEC, What is the past of Professor Ansari? How is Jayanti connected to the crime?
Raghav and Jayanti who were students At IEC, met each other after a long time at the workshop. Was it a fate or planned ? Read out to know more.
Some Highlights of the book -
1) The way the author has portrayed each character is amazing. (Naveen, Raghav, Jayanti and Awasthi).
2) The language is also very simple and lucid and easy to understand.
3) The story was fast paced and had few twists that will keep you guessing what will happen next ? You can finish the book within a day as it is a short book of approx 185 pages.
4) Each of the characters was well-detailed. The narrative had some shocking moments, which adds on to the excitement level.
5) You'll be able to connect with the story and the characters and will be able to visualise things happening in front of your eyes.
Follow Naveen and Awasthi as they navigate a corrupt system, enemy bullets and a racket based out of Barabanki that can jeopardize the health of the entire nation. Anuj Tiwari's first crime thriller, this book captures the game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the ancient city of Parijat.
It is a must read for all lovers of crime fiction and thrillers.
January 16, 2023
*Synopsis*
Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and his storyteller colleague Sub-Inspector Awasthi are called to investigate the death of a student at the Indian Engineering College, Lucknow. Little do they expect their investigation to uncover a connection with a crime nexus in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh. As the plot thickens, Jayanti, who is a student at the college, and Raghav, an alumnus of the college and now successful author, find themselves entangled with the investigation. Their reunion after three years is overshadowed by the mysterious death of Jayanti’s father and linked to the seemingly harmless professor at the college, Ansari.
Follow Naveen and Awasthi as they navigate a corrupt system, enemy bullets and a racket based out of Barabanki that can jeopardize the health of the entire nation.
Anuj Tiwari’s first crime thriller, this book captures the game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the ancient city of Parijat.
*My review*
Barbanki is an interesting crime thriller story. The characters POVs are impressive...the story has Humour, thrill, a touch of reality...but it was a little bit easy to guess the culprit...though I am impressed by the end! The turns and twists had a bit to hook.
The writing style is simple... making it beginners' friendly.
As the first crime thriller by the Author, I will say it is good...I enjoyed reading it...though I will recommend adding a but more thrill and will be looking forward to read his next work on this genre.
Thank you @anujtiwariofficial and @reviewyourbooks for this review copy ☺️
January 10, 2023
Barabanki: The Professor, the Pandit and the Police by Anuj Tiwari
Pages: 192
Ratings: 4.5/5⭐
Barabanki is a complete thriller and a page turner story. The full on action packed thriller and lots of twists and turns ensures that you finish the book in one sitting and keep you engrossed in the story. The story is beautifully portrayed and that's why you will be on the edge till the end to know what will happen next.
The story revolves around 2 police officers, Naveen and Awasthi who are investigating a murder of a college student in the Indian College of Engineering. The sudden death of a student put up a lot of questions without clear answers for both of them and they are far from finding the culprit. The story take lots of twists and turns and some new characters like Raghav and Jayanti come to the picture. The path to the truth and finding the real killer is a very dangerous, thrilling and mysterious. Would they be able to find the real killer? Would there be any more twists? Pick up the book to know more.
The author has done a really tremendous job by writing such a good thriller book. I loved the narration style and the story building. The character development by the author is really good. The language of the book is also very easy and the story just flows very smoothly. Each and every element of the book has been formed very thoughtfully. Kudos to the author for doing such a commendable job. Will love to read more such thrilling stories in the future.
Pages: 192
Ratings: 4.5/5⭐
Barabanki is a complete thriller and a page turner story. The full on action packed thriller and lots of twists and turns ensures that you finish the book in one sitting and keep you engrossed in the story. The story is beautifully portrayed and that's why you will be on the edge till the end to know what will happen next.
The story revolves around 2 police officers, Naveen and Awasthi who are investigating a murder of a college student in the Indian College of Engineering. The sudden death of a student put up a lot of questions without clear answers for both of them and they are far from finding the culprit. The story take lots of twists and turns and some new characters like Raghav and Jayanti come to the picture. The path to the truth and finding the real killer is a very dangerous, thrilling and mysterious. Would they be able to find the real killer? Would there be any more twists? Pick up the book to know more.
The author has done a really tremendous job by writing such a good thriller book. I loved the narration style and the story building. The character development by the author is really good. The language of the book is also very easy and the story just flows very smoothly. Each and every element of the book has been formed very thoughtfully. Kudos to the author for doing such a commendable job. Will love to read more such thrilling stories in the future.
February 9, 2024
Barabanki is Anuj Tiwari's first crime thriller. It is about greed, power, betrayal, friendship, love, desire, revenge, lies, truth, crime and justice.
The book is about an investigation team led by the Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and a crime they are investigating. He and his colleague Awasthi is investigating the death of a college student at IEC. Their investigation leads them to a series of other crimes which further brings them into the lives of Jayanti, a student and Raghav, an alumnus of the college. This book also shows the misuse of power by the higher authorities. This book also displays how a police officer keeps us safe while keeping his life on the line.
The story is penned well in parts.The characters were all well described. Some parts are quite unfortunate. This is a fast-paced thriller. Overall, Barabanki was a good read. The language used in this book is simple and easy to understand. The plot is also good.The story will keep you hooked to the book until you finish it. Overall it is a good read.
I loved how the plot started thickening towards the end which had me on the tenterhooks. The author did well to capture the flavour of the location on which he based his story. The significance of Barabanki, the rich dollops of religious politics, and the crime syndicate of spurious medicines have been concocted well by the author to form a decent storyline.
The book is about an investigation team led by the Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and a crime they are investigating. He and his colleague Awasthi is investigating the death of a college student at IEC. Their investigation leads them to a series of other crimes which further brings them into the lives of Jayanti, a student and Raghav, an alumnus of the college. This book also shows the misuse of power by the higher authorities. This book also displays how a police officer keeps us safe while keeping his life on the line.
The story is penned well in parts.The characters were all well described. Some parts are quite unfortunate. This is a fast-paced thriller. Overall, Barabanki was a good read. The language used in this book is simple and easy to understand. The plot is also good.The story will keep you hooked to the book until you finish it. Overall it is a good read.
I loved how the plot started thickening towards the end which had me on the tenterhooks. The author did well to capture the flavour of the location on which he based his story. The significance of Barabanki, the rich dollops of religious politics, and the crime syndicate of spurious medicines have been concocted well by the author to form a decent storyline.
December 19, 2022
Barabanki is a crime thriller by author anuj tiwari that revolves around the main three characters as shown in the title - the professor , the pandit , the policeman
The plot revolves around naveen the police officer and his colleague awasthi solving a crime at IEC, with the investigation leads further the plot reveals shocking deep secrets of college as well as raghav and jayanti who are in love with each other and student of EIC.
Raghav and jayanti who were students At EIC , met each other after a long time at the workshop having raghav as guests.
As officer naveen and awasthi investigate further many dark secrets of college , professor ansari who was teaching at EIC came across them, who is the guruji that keeps visiting every function of EIC , how jayanti is connected to that ? What will raghav and jayanti find out ? What is the real identity of professor ansari who keeps giving threats to raghav to stay away from jayanti ?
Read the book to find out.
The story was fast paced and had so many twists that you keep guessing what will happen next ?, raghav and jayanti are also a good set of support characters of story, however the story was little predictable at some point, but the twists and secrets that are hidden in depth of story is diffrent.
A must read.
January 18, 2023
I recently read the book "Barabanki" written by Anuj tiwari.
The Professor, The Pandit, And The Police Man is an engaging and thought-provoking short story by Anuj Tiwari. An intriguing story of three characters and their fictional lives in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, India. The story follows the lives of a professor, a pandit, and a policeman, each of them with their own ambitions and anxieties. The story creatively interweaves their individual lives with one another and the complex dynamics of the small town that they live in.
Anuj Tiwari paints a vivid picture of the characters and the environment, and the intricate relationships between them. The story revolves around the town's entrenched hierarchy and caste system, the conflict between tradition and progress, and the unexpected consequences of those conflicts. The characters' painfully human struggles and their perseverance to survive the challenges presented in their daily lives make the story come alive.
Overall, The Professor, The Pandit, And The PoliceMan is engaging.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a murder mystery story that takes you on a powerful journey. The characters are incredibly well-crafted and each of them comes to life in an incredibly beautiful way. This book is definitely a must read!
The Professor, The Pandit, And The Police Man is an engaging and thought-provoking short story by Anuj Tiwari. An intriguing story of three characters and their fictional lives in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, India. The story follows the lives of a professor, a pandit, and a policeman, each of them with their own ambitions and anxieties. The story creatively interweaves their individual lives with one another and the complex dynamics of the small town that they live in.
Anuj Tiwari paints a vivid picture of the characters and the environment, and the intricate relationships between them. The story revolves around the town's entrenched hierarchy and caste system, the conflict between tradition and progress, and the unexpected consequences of those conflicts. The characters' painfully human struggles and their perseverance to survive the challenges presented in their daily lives make the story come alive.
Overall, The Professor, The Pandit, And The PoliceMan is engaging.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a murder mystery story that takes you on a powerful journey. The characters are incredibly well-crafted and each of them comes to life in an incredibly beautiful way. This book is definitely a must read!
November 19, 2022
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you”.
The 192 pages long book at hand mainly concerns the life of 2 characters namely Jayanti and Raghav and both of their lives are going well, however, a murder changes the course of direction of their lives. Further, the book has been divided into 19 Chapters. The book’s prologue sets the tone of the book as an instance of a flourishing illegal drug business hints at the existing state and sets the appropriate context. The first chapter of the book starts by setting the scene of a hospital and introduces the readers to the character of Naveen and his further nuances are also duly expressed. As the chapters go further, the title of the book gets justified as a labyrinth of corruption and other vices collide together creating a slow implosion in the lives of those involved in any form or manner.
The writing style of the book has been kept simple, comprehensive, descriptive, and comprehensible. As far as the plot of the book goes, a consistent pace gets maintained thereby allowing all the necessary elements to infuse with each other.
The 192 pages long book at hand mainly concerns the life of 2 characters namely Jayanti and Raghav and both of their lives are going well, however, a murder changes the course of direction of their lives. Further, the book has been divided into 19 Chapters. The book’s prologue sets the tone of the book as an instance of a flourishing illegal drug business hints at the existing state and sets the appropriate context. The first chapter of the book starts by setting the scene of a hospital and introduces the readers to the character of Naveen and his further nuances are also duly expressed. As the chapters go further, the title of the book gets justified as a labyrinth of corruption and other vices collide together creating a slow implosion in the lives of those involved in any form or manner.
The writing style of the book has been kept simple, comprehensive, descriptive, and comprehensible. As far as the plot of the book goes, a consistent pace gets maintained thereby allowing all the necessary elements to infuse with each other.
January 12, 2023
The story revolves around Naveen, Awasthi, Raghav, Jayanti, Ansari. They are not directly connected to one another, but at the end of the day, they are standing at the same point. Two murder cases- one disguised as random gunshot and other as suicide, but are they really what the case sheet says to be? To know about why of the murders, read this murder mystery book.
This is the author's debut in murder mystery and has written one good plot. There is no lag or dragging in the story, but sometimes the story dives from fast to super fast and then back to track. If the language used was better, this would have been a wonderful thriller. There is no thrill rush or what-happens-next factor in this book. That dulls the genre and some loose connections makes you think "why is this guy even here ?" Or "why is this scene here ?" These are some lags I found in this book.
Otherwise, the plot conveys what it wanted to say. The law sections mentioned here are pretty useful and new, especially the law with personal photos getting posted online. And the little histories Awasthi shared in between are sublime.
The line that got my attention the most :
"At times, people fail to understand the beauty of affection. Not everyone can feel it; not everyone can understand it either."
This is the author's debut in murder mystery and has written one good plot. There is no lag or dragging in the story, but sometimes the story dives from fast to super fast and then back to track. If the language used was better, this would have been a wonderful thriller. There is no thrill rush or what-happens-next factor in this book. That dulls the genre and some loose connections makes you think "why is this guy even here ?" Or "why is this scene here ?" These are some lags I found in this book.
Otherwise, the plot conveys what it wanted to say. The law sections mentioned here are pretty useful and new, especially the law with personal photos getting posted online. And the little histories Awasthi shared in between are sublime.
The line that got my attention the most :
"At times, people fail to understand the beauty of affection. Not everyone can feel it; not everyone can understand it either."
January 15, 2023
BARABANKI by ANUJ TIWARI is a mysterious crime thrilling novel. The story revolves around the investigation of a student's death, who belongs to an Indian Engineering College, Lucknow.
Superintendent of police Naveen Mishra and his storyteller colleague Sub-Inspector Awasthi were called to investigate the case. They discovered a connection with a crime nexus in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh.
Further as the plot proceeds, more characters were introduced, Jayanti - a student at the college & Raghav - an alumnus of the college, they two produced a new twist and turn in the murder case.
*CURIOSITY*
Was it a random-normal death or a planned murder..?
Who was the mastermind, and why was he/she doing this..?
I liked the plot. It was a perfect mysterious and suspenseful read for me. The turns and twists are very well plotted. A new mystery was disclosing with the turning pages. The way author managed to interlink the mysteries within a limited plot is well appreciated.
The language used is professional with a fluent usage of vocabulary. I loved the book cover which is totally theme based and obviously attractive. I recommend it to all the mystery and suspense readers. It's just lit, the turns and twists of this plot will definitely stay with you for a long time.
THRILLING
Superintendent of police Naveen Mishra and his storyteller colleague Sub-Inspector Awasthi were called to investigate the case. They discovered a connection with a crime nexus in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh.
Further as the plot proceeds, more characters were introduced, Jayanti - a student at the college & Raghav - an alumnus of the college, they two produced a new twist and turn in the murder case.
*CURIOSITY*
Was it a random-normal death or a planned murder..?
Who was the mastermind, and why was he/she doing this..?
I liked the plot. It was a perfect mysterious and suspenseful read for me. The turns and twists are very well plotted. A new mystery was disclosing with the turning pages. The way author managed to interlink the mysteries within a limited plot is well appreciated.
The language used is professional with a fluent usage of vocabulary. I loved the book cover which is totally theme based and obviously attractive. I recommend it to all the mystery and suspense readers. It's just lit, the turns and twists of this plot will definitely stay with you for a long time.
THRILLING
May 1, 2023
Anuj Tiwari is known for writing love stories... I never thought I would be reading a murder mystery written by him!
Since he is an accomplished author, he knows how to spin an engaging story for his readers. Hence, he has now debuted in the thriller category with his book 'Barabanki'.
As the title suggests, the story revolves around something happening in Barabanki, it all begins with a suicide case being reported in the prestigious institute, Indian Engineering College (IEC).
Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and his colleague Sub-Inspector Awasthi were appointed to investigate this case.
A report that appeared to be an open and shut case of suicide took a huge turn as Navneen and Awasthi started their investigation to join the dots of this case to a previous case that was closed without proper investigation.
As the author has mentioned on the book cover, the professor, the pandit, and the policeman were involved in this case; With this fantastic plot begins a series of twists and turns in the book that will leave you wanting to read the book in one go.
This murder mystery is a page-turner and is definitely a beginner-friendly book.
Brownie point for it being fast-paced and a short read!
Since he is an accomplished author, he knows how to spin an engaging story for his readers. Hence, he has now debuted in the thriller category with his book 'Barabanki'.
As the title suggests, the story revolves around something happening in Barabanki, it all begins with a suicide case being reported in the prestigious institute, Indian Engineering College (IEC).
Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra and his colleague Sub-Inspector Awasthi were appointed to investigate this case.
A report that appeared to be an open and shut case of suicide took a huge turn as Navneen and Awasthi started their investigation to join the dots of this case to a previous case that was closed without proper investigation.
As the author has mentioned on the book cover, the professor, the pandit, and the policeman were involved in this case; With this fantastic plot begins a series of twists and turns in the book that will leave you wanting to read the book in one go.
This murder mystery is a page-turner and is definitely a beginner-friendly book.
Brownie point for it being fast-paced and a short read!
December 29, 2022
BARABANKI: The Professor, the Pandit and the Policeman by author Anuj Tiwari is a very engrossing and thrilling story. The plot revolves around Naveen a police officer and his colleague Awasthi, who along with the investigation to solving a case in Indian Engineering College. The story is about how he starts investigating and how he found out that something was really going wrong. The journey of finding the truth is very thrilling, action packed and mysterious. In the story,I really liked the bonding between Naveen and Awasthi and the break up letter of Jayanti to Raghav was really heart breaking...where my favourite line from the letter was " sometimes we break our own hearts through stupid expectations" and there are endless reasons why I am in love with this book !!
The characters are strong and well presented. The author crafted the story with extreme detailing. Reader can attach themselves till the last chapter of the engrossing book. Language is easy and lucid with a simple narrative style of writing. It was a good read 👍
The characters are strong and well presented. The author crafted the story with extreme detailing. Reader can attach themselves till the last chapter of the engrossing book. Language is easy and lucid with a simple narrative style of writing. It was a good read 👍
January 24, 2023
A student commits suicide (or it seems so). In the Campus of IEC when suddenly Ajay's body touched the ground with a thud everyone assumed it to be a suicide. Was it so? Or there is an another dimension to the story?
The book ‘Barabanki’ starts with a murder mystery but throughout the journey of the book the author touches many elements like drug trafficking, corruption, crime against body etc., in a subtle but distinctive way. I love the mention of violence incited by religious motive and how such issues grab everyone’s attention by distracting them from the real problem. All those issues were not the dominant subject in this book but it helped to build the atmosphere in this book.
One character that I enjoy reading in this book is Awasthi. His story telling nature gives this book a sprinkle of wittiness. SP Naveen Misra’s character too is a likable one.
Overall I enjoyed this book. I wished if the execution and narration was done in a better way than this book might have been among my top favourites.
The book ‘Barabanki’ starts with a murder mystery but throughout the journey of the book the author touches many elements like drug trafficking, corruption, crime against body etc., in a subtle but distinctive way. I love the mention of violence incited by religious motive and how such issues grab everyone’s attention by distracting them from the real problem. All those issues were not the dominant subject in this book but it helped to build the atmosphere in this book.
One character that I enjoy reading in this book is Awasthi. His story telling nature gives this book a sprinkle of wittiness. SP Naveen Misra’s character too is a likable one.
Overall I enjoyed this book. I wished if the execution and narration was done in a better way than this book might have been among my top favourites.
December 13, 2022
I've recently completed reading the book Barabanki: The Professor, the Pandit and the Policemean.
It's an amazing crime thriller based on an adventurous journey of exploring hidden truths and exposing naked lies.
The plot takes us with Sub-Inspector Awasthi and Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra, who are called in to look into a student's death at the Indian Engineering College in Lucknow. They had no idea that their research would turn up a link to a crime nexus in Uttar Pradesh's central region. As the plot develops, Raghav, a former pupil who is now a successful author, and Jayanti, a college student, find themselves involved in the inquiry.
The mysterious murder of Jayanti's father and its connection to the unassuming college professor Ansari overshadow their three-year separation and reunion.
It was an amazing read and I'm looking forward to read more books by Anuj Tiwari.
It's an amazing crime thriller based on an adventurous journey of exploring hidden truths and exposing naked lies.
The plot takes us with Sub-Inspector Awasthi and Superintendent of Police Naveen Mishra, who are called in to look into a student's death at the Indian Engineering College in Lucknow. They had no idea that their research would turn up a link to a crime nexus in Uttar Pradesh's central region. As the plot develops, Raghav, a former pupil who is now a successful author, and Jayanti, a college student, find themselves involved in the inquiry.
The mysterious murder of Jayanti's father and its connection to the unassuming college professor Ansari overshadow their three-year separation and reunion.
It was an amazing read and I'm looking forward to read more books by Anuj Tiwari.
December 16, 2022
Barabanki by Anuj Tiwari
Barabanki is a fast paced, crime thriller and will keep you at the edge of your seat.
It is a story about a suicide of a student, and how the story revolves around it.
Barabanki is a place in Uttar Pradesh near Lucknow. The place is notorious for illegal activities including manufacturing counterfeit medicines.
Police officer Navin is incharge of the suicide case and while solving it, he uncovers a whole modus operandi of illegal activities which involves quite a few high profile personnel.
The plot is all about how he goes about solving the murder or suicide case and in the process the author has thrown in a fair amount of romance, drama, emotion and action churning it into a full masala potboiler.
The story is fast paced, not too long, to the point and one would most probably finish in one sitting.
The vocabulary is easy and makes reading the book a breeze.
It is surely one of the good reads in recent times. Do check it out.
Barabanki is a fast paced, crime thriller and will keep you at the edge of your seat.
It is a story about a suicide of a student, and how the story revolves around it.
Barabanki is a place in Uttar Pradesh near Lucknow. The place is notorious for illegal activities including manufacturing counterfeit medicines.
Police officer Navin is incharge of the suicide case and while solving it, he uncovers a whole modus operandi of illegal activities which involves quite a few high profile personnel.
The plot is all about how he goes about solving the murder or suicide case and in the process the author has thrown in a fair amount of romance, drama, emotion and action churning it into a full masala potboiler.
The story is fast paced, not too long, to the point and one would most probably finish in one sitting.
The vocabulary is easy and makes reading the book a breeze.
It is surely one of the good reads in recent times. Do check it out.
December 28, 2022
We all are very much familiar to the popular line,"The first impression is the last impression"- the cover page. It gives me the true feelings of the line. The cover page is very much attractive and eye pleasing and the title gives you a hint about the summery of the book.
Anuj Tiwari's crime thriller Barabanki centers on a professor, a pandit and a police officer, who are the three primary characters.The plot turns around a freshman police officer and his colleague Awasthi solving a crime at IEC, as the investigation unfolds the tragic deep secrets of the college as well as Raghav and Jayanti who fall in love with each other and are students of EIC.
The language is also very simple and lucid and easy to understand.Very much pleased to read this book and also want to thank author for this great book.The author's smooth writing style really impressed me a lot. I am recommending everyone to read the book for one time .
Anuj Tiwari's crime thriller Barabanki centers on a professor, a pandit and a police officer, who are the three primary characters.The plot turns around a freshman police officer and his colleague Awasthi solving a crime at IEC, as the investigation unfolds the tragic deep secrets of the college as well as Raghav and Jayanti who fall in love with each other and are students of EIC.
The language is also very simple and lucid and easy to understand.Very much pleased to read this book and also want to thank author for this great book.The author's smooth writing style really impressed me a lot. I am recommending everyone to read the book for one time .
January 7, 2023
Barabanki is Anuj Tiwari's first crime thriller, and it's worth your time. The story follows a death at IEC Lucknow, proceeded with a police investigation led by SP Mishra. Somehow, this case is linked with a murder that happened a year ago. Soon this story turns into a cat-and-mouse chase and a good one, for that.
The first thought I had after finishing this book was: it's a good crime book with great story and beautiful characters. The second one, though, was: I wish he had written this in Hindi.
But hear me out! This is a great story, with not so great writing. Had Tiwari done it all in Hindi, he would've had a free pass to all the cuss words and the comfort of native tongue. To add to this, the 'map' shown at two places was more of a waste of space as the author would've easily used it for other purposes, including describing the said map.
Still, I'd say you try this. I liked it, and it was a good start of 2023.
The first thought I had after finishing this book was: it's a good crime book with great story and beautiful characters. The second one, though, was: I wish he had written this in Hindi.
But hear me out! This is a great story, with not so great writing. Had Tiwari done it all in Hindi, he would've had a free pass to all the cuss words and the comfort of native tongue. To add to this, the 'map' shown at two places was more of a waste of space as the author would've easily used it for other purposes, including describing the said map.
Still, I'd say you try this. I liked it, and it was a good start of 2023.
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