Review: The Last Chai: Bringing the Nation to a Halt

-
The Last Chai: Bringing the Nation to a Halt The Last Chai: Bringing the Nation to a Halt by Varun T.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With evolving technology and counter terrorism methods, even the terrorists has benefited. They also become more tech savvy and use deadlier weapons to kill and spread terror. And the network is global and their motives are many. With a nationalistic PM they want to thwart the progress of India at any cost.

Ajay Kamate is under a lot of stress and is sent on leave by Doshi, The PM. But he is paranoid for his safety and come back before end of leave. Now the terrorist are using cyanide as their favourite weapon. He has nabbed a young boy who killed Bhardwaj his partner too. They try to get information from him but in vain. Now with Bhardwaj gone Ajay is under double pressure. Poorvi is a left leaning journalist who breaks the story of that young terrorist. When Doshi goes to Pakistan for SAARC summit Ajay goes with him. Somehow Doshi is poisoned and he goes in to coma. Ajay is arrested and Poorvi is sent to Israel by some mystery helper. What happens next?

Book is very topical. Even the latest Rohingya issue is incorporated. The writer does not try to mask the identity of politicians or other players. Terrorist threats are real. Biological warfare threat is also real. The plot is complex and spans the globe. Left leaning media’s hypocrisy is brought to fore. The pressure under PM and security agencies work is brought out nicely. So many agencies working like RAW, IB, NIA, SPG etc is shown.

But that is also the weakness. With this extensive plot the book length should have been more because many things remained unexplained. Varun Tejwani weaved an intricate web but the resolution and explanation did not satisfy me. The Akahdn Bharat Bal track is so outlandish that nobody leave alone seasoned espionage agencies like Mossad, ISI etc will buy it. Emergency also is treated very lightly. And neutralizing 7000 terrorists in one go seems improbable. First thing is how come they knew their exact locations? Nalini and Raghuram track according to me is totally irritating and it slowed the pace.

But keeping in view the pace and intricate plot 4/5 stars.




View all my reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Ashadh Ka Ek Din by Mohan Rakesh

-
Image
Ashadh Ka Ek Din (Hindi: आषाढ़ का एक दिन , One Day in the season of rain) is a debut Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh in 1958. Since the month of Ashadh (beginning on 22 June and ending on 22 July) is usually the onset period of the monsoon in North India, the name can be understood to mean One day during the Monsoon. The title of the play derives from the opening line of the Sanskrit dramatist Kalidas's play Meghadūta (Sanskrit: मेघदूत literally "cloud (Megh) messenger (Doot)"). The play is divided into three acts. First Act: The love of poet Kalidas and Mallika is not approved by Mallika's mother, Ambika. At this time, Kalidas has composed his first long poem Ritusambar. He wins recognition in the court of Ujjaini and the king has sent his horsemen to bring him. Another villager by the name of Vilom (also interested in Mallika) says that if Kalidas leaves for Ujjaini, he must take Mallika along. Kalidas, however, does not wish to go from the mou
Read more

Review of Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda

-
Image
“Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda” literally means “The seventh horse pulling the chariot of the sun.” It is one of the books of which I first saw the movie and then read the book. Movie by Shyam Benegal is brilliant so is Manik Mulla played by Rajat Kapoor. Usually in case of movie adaptations of literature movie is disappointing. But in this rare case both are brilliant. The novel is in narration style where Manik Mulla (name is very suggestive Hindu and Muslim both) tells story of failed romance of three women, to his friends on seven lazy summer afternoons. There are three heroines Jamuna (a simple middle class homely girl), Leela or Lily (the intellectual, independent, strong, feminist) and Satti (a feisty lower class woman). All three were in love with Manik Mulla at different points of time. Jamuna couldn’t marry her lover Tanna, because he is a coward and subsequently married off to an old man who dies. Widow Jamuna finds solace and happiness in extramarital r
Read more

Review: Dus June ki Raat

-
Image
Dus June ki Raat by Santosh Pathak My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is one fast paced novel by Santosh Pathak. The protagonist is Vishal Saxena who is called Panauti i.e. bad luck by his friends. wherever he goes bad luck follows. But he has a sharp detective mind which is like Sherlock Holmes. The story starts with a simple road accident which turns into a tale of political and police corruption and drugs. He is very honest and doesn't back down even with the threat to his and his GF life. I saw glimpses of SMP in Santosh Pathak. Please read. View all my reviews
Read more