Review: A Time To Burnish

A Time To Burnish by Radhika Nathan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay.”
― Shashi Tharoor

India is a poor country having a rich cultural heritage. We are the oldest civilization. The diversity in cultures and rulers across the ages and width and breadth of the country the legacy is huge. We have temples, caves, palaces, idols and much much more in terms of historical legacy. This book is story of one such idol. Nataraja the dancing Shiva’s idol of Chola empire times is at the centre of the book.

There are three main characters in the book. Josh and Tom are brothers and Vidya is a friend of Tom’s. Tom is affable and makes fired easily. He is studious and devotes time to ancient artefacts. In an unfortunate accident he became wheelchair bound. Vidya is his online friend. They know each other very well and admire mutually. Josh is a computer expert and a contrast to Tom. Still both brothers love each other dearly. A bronze Nataraja idol is stolen from India and smuggled into London. Tom thinks he might be an accessory in crime. As he cannot move much he asks Josh to go to Chennai and uncover the mystery. He requests Vidya to help Josh. Initially Josh find Vidya unbearable but later on they come close. Will they be able to solve the mystery?

India is a vast country and ASI does not have the resources even to protect the heritage forget about restoring it. The antiques fetch high price in international market and the theft are common. The book has some insights into the rich history. Vidya and Josh trace the origin to a non-descript village of Tamil Nadu.

The book has a promising premise but it became slow and meandering after initial chapters. Nothing much happened until it was too late. The chemistry of Vidya and Josh was tedious and uninspiring. Then Tom keep on mentioning about a detective who gives him information. What and how and when is unanswered? Also, why didn’t he send this detective to India alone or with Josh when he was so resourceful. The story was stuck and I was hoping a fast pace thriller a la Clive Cussler, Dan Brown or Steve Barry. But this disappointed me in that sense.

Keeping in view the pros and cons 3/ 5 stars.




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