Title: The extra ordinary life of Max Bulandi 

Author: Sidharth Singh 

Genre: Fiction 

Pages: 244

Publisher: Harper Collins 

The writer Sidharth Singh is a filmmaker too (I learnt it at the end of the book, when I reached that section.) That's highly unlikely of me because I usually like to know more about the author before I start reading. However, I was attracted to the cover and started reading right away. Now, knowing that he's a filmmaker too, I can truly relate the vivid descriptions of his narration. Long story short, it's an entertaining read!

I had heard about the hippie culture of the 70s  a lot from my parents. But couldn't get into the sordid details. Thankfully this book explores that era in an amazingly entertaining manner. 

Max Bulandi or Maximus Boulandi is a music artist and a drug dealer of ambiguous nationality who comes to India and wrecks havoc on the young aspiring musicians of this country by showing them ecstacy (pun intended) and the desire to make it big at any cost. It was love, sex and drugs all the way. They form the band "Flow" which is very promising, yet struggles to get a big commercial break; courtesy of their unreasonable behaviour because of drugs.

Nirvana, the protagonist is a journalist who hasn't been at his best self after his breakup. Once while going through a pile of old magazines which his landlady was getting cleared, he stumbles across a 70s magazine, where he learns about the glory of Flow and the glamour Max Bulandi and his bandmates. Curious, he sets out to dig in further. He pulls a few strings and gets hold of a couple of names in Kolkata. He decides to take a break from his already sinking job and sets out to unravel the mystery of Flow on his own savings. 

When he is almost on the verge of giving up, Jimmy Stewart, the bandmate of Flow decides to finally open up to him and what he learns is mind baffling entertainment. From watching his brother Allen get into a threesome with Max and his girlfriend to his un ceremonial death in front of his eyes, from Flow getting a big break to crumbling of the band, he was a witness to all the drama.

 Title: Dakini

Author: K. Hari Kumar 

Genre: Fiction/ Horror 

Pages: 368

Publisher: Harper Collins 

The name sounds scary and so does the cover. However is it a horror book?

When I picked up this book, I thought of it as a horror story. However it's more of a mystery book, the suspense of which will keep you glued to the book till the end.

The tale starts with a gory picture. However when you proceed further, you realise that it's a very practical setting, which is totally relatable. An international journalist, who had been on a sabbatical because of personal reasons decides to take up an unconventional project. She hires an intern and travels to the town of Birpur, a traditional village, inhabited by tribals and devoid of any modern amenities or education or even mobile signal. Initially, the crude customs and archaic beliefs of the residents are a little bit too much for her. However as a gory murder takes place, she realises that she's is in grave trouble as the life of her assistant and herself is in danger. But she decides to stay back, like a true journalist, to get to the bottom of the serial murders and for the sake of the life of an innocent woman.

I won't be divulging any details so as not to reveal any spoilers. However I would like to share that this story is a combination of thrill, gore, horror and mystery. There is a fair dose of paranormal environment as well. The protagonist Mamta, is clairvoyant and she is able to visualise the murders even before they take place. 

This book is such a desirable departure from the usual fiction books I read. It's a very novel idea which combines folklore, blind superstitions, corruption, crime and faith. The protagonist Mamta Mathews is an orphan, who had been brought up in a Catholic orphanage. The father figure of her life was the clergyman Simon. 

Mamta was a pro in her field and an internationally renowned journalist. Her life took a beating when she had to face a devastating miscarriage. She sunk into PTSD after that and had to take a break from journalism. Her personal life and her career was in shambles but most importantly, it was her wish for motherhood that had shattered.

So when her erstwhile boss offers her this challenging job of uncovering the truth of the people of Birpur, she couldn't resist. What starts as a crude tale of tribal people turns into a gory murder mystery.

Read this book for thrill and faith. You will be rooting till the end to unravel the mystery, the truth behind the inhuman killings and the true identity of Mamta Mathews. The narration is fantastic with excellent scene description. I loved the writing style of Hari Kumar.

Rating: 4.5/5

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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.