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Book Review: The Affairs of Baxiganj by Subhobroto Mazumder

This is a terrific small-town crime cum psychological thriller. As the title suggests the story is staged against the town Baxiganj, somewhere in Chota Nagpur plateau. This is kind of unique crime thriller/murder mystery. The author has pulled the plot gradually…solely on the psychological sweeps and traits of the characters.


There are more than five important characters in the storyline that drive the novel ahead. They are posted to Baxiganj may be due to their problematic attitude in the previous office by their boss PK. Ironically, as the circumstance change, their boss is transported to Baxiganj – now all unpleasant people have to face each other where they have all the facilities but bereaved of one another’s trust and respect. Each one is a suspect when the wife of PK – their boss – is shot down on a scooter.

She is almost murdered! But why and by whom? The quest begins quite soon as you chug ahead with the book. There is a terrific yet brilliant study of characters under various circumstances. The author takes the storyline in a different suspenseful way, juggling through random avenues, as no one can smell predictability.

A novel which is entirely character driven…and most importantly a detective interferes and then reaches to the depth of the case but returns empty handed. All major characters work in the field of geology, in a company named PMO – Pioneer Minerals & Oil Inc.

As it is about minerals, there with time takes place cases of data theft, a lady involvement for romance aspects, back hand conspiracies, personal life struggles of each of the characters and a few more twists. It is not just about one murder…the number of such cases increases as the reader plunges under the skeins of the plotline.

Slightly intriguing as the author cleverly narrated the story from many characters’ single point of view…at times it may be confusing but as one reads…the gist of the novel seems handy. This novel is way different from stereotype thrillers, as owing to the author’s geological backdrop that he masterfully leveraged in the storyline.

Pulling up such an awesome thriller with a murder mystery twist in just 125 pages is commendable. Moreover, the narration and description of events and feelings is so smooth that readers will never feel out of it…but the condition is that they should read every page, each line. Amazing novel – highly recommended!

You can buy your copy from Amazon India

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