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Close Call in Kashmir
A gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat SELLING POINTS Topography and history of the city, kidnapping, violence zz and terrorism, all woven into a fast-paced narrative zz Set in Kashmir, the book beautifully weaves in the topography of the state THE BOOK I was told that your lives were in danger, Badruddin said. Our lives are still in danger, Mike said, because the people we re with are unlikely to set us free unless we give them what they want. Which is? The treasure, the amanat--that s what everybody is after, Noor said. Terrorist violence and a nightmare drive Shamsuddin Bandey, head priest of a shrine in Aishmuqam village in Jammu and Kashmir, to find out more about some of the 300-year-old scrolls kept in his family s custody for generations. But his actions arouse the suspicions of a top bureaucrat and a history professor. The corrupt duo believe the scrolls may point the way to a vast, buried treasure and they will stop at nothing to get it. Elsewhere, mi
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 28, 2019
A good weekend timepass read. I expected this book to be infused with more history and information. I unfortunately found it to be less historically informative. The action and fiction was okay but not as engrossing as it could have been. The plot is good; however the author has not capitalized enough on the 'thriller' aspect of this book and has used history frugally. This makes it a bit boring.
February 9, 2025
I listened to the Audible audio edition. The narration was very difficult to follow. I tried to listen to this book twice, but it was so poorly written that I did not finish. I am fascinated by the Kashmir setting, but it wasn't enough.
Read
May 10, 2021Read to get a better hold on Kashmir and its people, quite disappointed.
February 16, 2013
Close Call in Kashmir, a maiden novel by Bharat Wakhlu, is Da Vinci code on steroids. Set in the beautiful vale of Kashmir one loses sense of Time and Space as Bharat hurtles the reader at breathtaking speed around the globe. Mike Zutshi is the Harrison Ford/James Bond character who as a Professor of South Asian antiquities at State University of New York has to return back to his roots in Kashmir to rescue his kidnapped blood sister Namrata. He faces a deadly enemy in the ISI which has replaced SMERSH as the latest agglomeration of bad guys and who the writer has presciently identified as the UE Unknown Enemy of Kashmir.
The writer displays a deft command of the history and geography of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. He correctly identifies that the external enemy only thrives when internal maggots like Abdul weaken society and that internal turncoats like Prakash have no religion beyond that of greed and inhumanity. But a great civilization responds to its challenges by turning to its historic strength and tragic Prince Dara Shukoh rises out of the mists of time to unite Noor, a Sufi scholar and Zutshi whose roots are in Shaivism, in a collaborative effort not only to save Namrata but also perhaps the very soul of Kashmir.
An extraordinary first effort revealing great strengths of story telling and imagination. Perhaps in a future sequel the writer can provide a little more detail on the central characters. What does Michael Zutshi look like? Why is he more attached to Namrata in India when he has grown up in America? What is in the heart of a person like Abdul who does what he does? The brief sex scenes are not upto the aesthetic standards of great Kashmiri writers so the author needs to be less bashful about the subject or else the scenes seem to be out of place. The good news is that the story does not end because the Treasure is still awaiting its discovery so there is a lot to look forward to.
The writer displays a deft command of the history and geography of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. He correctly identifies that the external enemy only thrives when internal maggots like Abdul weaken society and that internal turncoats like Prakash have no religion beyond that of greed and inhumanity. But a great civilization responds to its challenges by turning to its historic strength and tragic Prince Dara Shukoh rises out of the mists of time to unite Noor, a Sufi scholar and Zutshi whose roots are in Shaivism, in a collaborative effort not only to save Namrata but also perhaps the very soul of Kashmir.
An extraordinary first effort revealing great strengths of story telling and imagination. Perhaps in a future sequel the writer can provide a little more detail on the central characters. What does Michael Zutshi look like? Why is he more attached to Namrata in India when he has grown up in America? What is in the heart of a person like Abdul who does what he does? The brief sex scenes are not upto the aesthetic standards of great Kashmiri writers so the author needs to be less bashful about the subject or else the scenes seem to be out of place. The good news is that the story does not end because the Treasure is still awaiting its discovery so there is a lot to look forward to.
June 3, 2011
مكان الأحداث كشمير الرائعة التي تمنيت زيارتها لروعة طبيعتها ولخطورة تاريخها. ولكن وفي هذه الظروف أنى لي أن أزورها؟ ولذا اكتفيت بالقراءة عنها دون الزيارة فوجدت هذه الرواية. وفيها ذكر لأسماء أماكن من كشمير موجودة في الحقيقة ولكنه مجرد ذكر أعلام دون وصف، الواضح أن الرواية لا يمكن تصنيفها في كتب الرحلات
الرواية عبارة عن فيلم هندي باقتدار ، كل الأحداث متوقعة ومملة مثل قصص ما قبل النوم للأطفال، و إن كان هناك مفاجآت في أحداث الرواية فهي صدف مثل صدف الأفلام الهندية لا حبكة ولا إثارة ولا عاطفة
الموضوع الذي اختاره الكاتب مميز فهو يدور حول العنف في كشمير ولكنه واضح أنه من وجهة نظر هندية. تعلمت منه أن الهندوس في كشمير يعتبرون أنفسهم مظلومين من قبل الأغلبية المسلمة ويرون أنهم والمسلمين المعتدلين (الصوفية) في نفس الجبهة ضد المتزمتين الجهاديين الدمويين! وهذا هو موقف الهند الرسمي المعلن ولكن الواقع غير ذلك. فقد تعلمت سابقاً وقرأت حديثاً أن هناك جرائم ترتكب ضد المسلمين في كشمير من قبل العسكر الهندي. ولهذا شبهت سكان كشمير من الهندوس بالصرب في البوسنة واليهود الصهاينة في فلسطين الذين يدعون أنهم مغلوب على أمرهم ومضطهدين من قبل الأغلبية أصحاب الأرض. ولذا تجدهم يتباكون في المحافل الدولية والاعلام العالمي، وهم لاشك أقوى عسكرياً ويسعون بهمة وثبات لإبادة مناوئيهم ويعولون على الزمن والأجيال الجديدة التي ستنسى حقها في الأرض
وجدت هذه المواقع مفيدة في الشأن الكشميري لمن يرغب
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/kashmir
http://www.kashmirnewz.com/
الرواية عبارة عن فيلم هندي باقتدار ، كل الأحداث متوقعة ومملة مثل قصص ما قبل النوم للأطفال، و إن كان هناك مفاجآت في أحداث الرواية فهي صدف مثل صدف الأفلام الهندية لا حبكة ولا إثارة ولا عاطفة
الموضوع الذي اختاره الكاتب مميز فهو يدور حول العنف في كشمير ولكنه واضح أنه من وجهة نظر هندية. تعلمت منه أن الهندوس في كشمير يعتبرون أنفسهم مظلومين من قبل الأغلبية المسلمة ويرون أنهم والمسلمين المعتدلين (الصوفية) في نفس الجبهة ضد المتزمتين الجهاديين الدمويين! وهذا هو موقف الهند الرسمي المعلن ولكن الواقع غير ذلك. فقد تعلمت سابقاً وقرأت حديثاً أن هناك جرائم ترتكب ضد المسلمين في كشمير من قبل العسكر الهندي. ولهذا شبهت سكان كشمير من الهندوس بالصرب في البوسنة واليهود الصهاينة في فلسطين الذين يدعون أنهم مغلوب على أمرهم ومضطهدين من قبل الأغلبية أصحاب الأرض. ولذا تجدهم يتباكون في المحافل الدولية والاعلام العالمي، وهم لاشك أقوى عسكرياً ويسعون بهمة وثبات لإبادة مناوئيهم ويعولون على الزمن والأجيال الجديدة التي ستنسى حقها في الأرض
وجدت هذه المواقع مفيدة في الشأن الكشميري لمن يرغب
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/kashmir
http://www.kashmirnewz.com/
April 5, 2013
It seems that Wakhlu unskillfully skinned The Davinchi Code and used the damaged pelt to advance his Indian nationalistic agenda. The pro India message is so obvious, it seems to be hitting the reader repeatedly on the head.
June 29, 2015
A wonderful read. Author very beautifully explained the whole concept...
Must read for every book lover
Must read for every book lover
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews