The Monsoon Mystic

Rating:
Summary: Indian Masala!
Review: Against an intricate plot where characters interact on the chessboard of life in Southern India, Nair has written a novel that entertains, instructs and satisfies. The author deftly puts into context various esoteric Indian words like maya, tantra, karma, dharma, etc. Also, this book reads like a travelogue in some places and I can't wait to visit Kerala during the monsoons!

If you want to read stories set in India by, say, a Nobel Prize winner, then read V.S. Naipaul or by someone who writes in beautiful prose, then Vikram Seth is your man and if you are looking for a fast-paced Indian masala mystery, then I think you will enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: A story well coned around the contemporary backdrop
Review: Author has done an excellent job in entwining the contemporary events with otherwise ordinary situations in an earnest attempt to explore seeming reality and expose the clandestine deception. The content is rich with references to the cultural, religious and political aspects that are deep rooted in Indian thoughts. This makes the book an interesting reading. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Great Suspense!
Review: Monsoon Mystic was very enjoyable, entertaining and easy reading!

It truly captured the mysticism that the West feels about India and made the plot that much more full of suspense and adventure. The author had done much research and the chapters were well organized in telling the story logically. Also a great marriage between the East and West.

I did feel that some of the plot could have been broader and thought that it ended too suddenly; I wanted to know more.