Bombay Crime Bureau

Eight stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to Krishnaraj HK for providing me with a copy of this novella, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I was pleased to be handed yet another ARC for this series, a well-paced novella this time. Always ready to enjoy a great police procedural, I was eager to return to the Bombay Crime Bureau, where SSP Dev Shinde has a daunting case on his blotter. Using an Indian flavouring to advance the story, Krishnaraj succeeds once more with this series, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. Well-paced and with a few twists at the right spots, I found myself devouring the latest in the series.

After a young woman leaves a note to say that she’s gone off with her lover, the family is unsure how to proceed. Noor’s husband cannot face the rejection and won’t go looking for her, while their son is only ten and cannot wrap his head around what’s happened. Local police treat this with disdain and choose to let a number of days go by without putting any effort into the search. What’s even more baffling is that many of the city’s CCTV cameras show no sign of Noor whatsoever. Something seems off, but local police remain disinterested.

SSP Dev Shinde and the Bombay Crime Bureau are soon brought in to lead the case, with too many loose ends left dangling. Shinde has his team begin the investigation from scratch, in case previous members of the squad missed something. Questioning anyone and everyone, SSP Shinde and the Crime Bureau soon make a little headway in the form of another missing person, this time a young girl. Might the two be connected? If anyone can figure that out, it’s SSP Dev Shinde. Still, it will take all his efforts and a keen sense of the criminal mind to bring things to a reasonable close. A great story that takes the reader on quite the journey.

It was a gamble when first I tried one of these ARCs, but found myself completely absorbed and intrigued with how Krishnaraj writes and presents his stories. I readily accepted this latest police procedural novella, still waiting in for the full-length novel the author promised is on its way. I hoped that it would prove to be as strong as the previous publications, soon proven correct. The story is clear and creates twists throughout to keep the reader on their toes. Introducing the reader to some great characters and policing techniques, Krishnaraj has done it again with this story.

Police procedurals often require strong narrative direction, particularly for those unfamiliar with the local customs or laws. The reader can easily follow Krishnaraj’s writing, which keeps things moving briskly. Characters offer some depth throughout, which provides strong development. Plot twists keep the reader wondering, as well as providing an unpredictable realisation when things come together. I gladly read these shorter piece, but am also waiting for the full novel that appears to be ‘just around the corner’.

Kudos, Mr. Krishnaraj, for reaching out and providing a wonderful way to pass a few hours. Keep the stories coming, whenever you can.

Eight stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to Krishnaraj HK for providing me with a copy of this short story, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I was pleased to be handed an ARC for this short story, which proves to be highly entertaining. As I am one who always enjoys a great police procedural, I was eager to sink my teeth into one that uses an Indian flavouring to advance the story. Well-paced and with a few twists to keep me forging onwards, I was pleased to begin my journey reading Krishnaraj and his work.

After an early-morning vehicle accident claims the lives of two people, a teenaged boy is the only survivor with answers as to what’s might have happened. Scanning the scenes the police cannot answer all their queries, but are fairly certain that sleeping at the wheel as the likely cause of the vehicle veering into the path of an oncoming truck. However, Forensics may have something else to say on the matter, which leads Dev Shinde, Senior Superintendent with the Bombay Crime Bureau, to take a closer look.

When a container of pills are found in the glove box, Superintendent Shinde wonders if there may be more to the story. He digs a little deeper to learn that the family has a history of addiction, including the teenager who was on his way back from a facility with his parents. As Superintendent Shinde probes a little more, additional secrets begin tumbling out, which only adds motive and depth to this road incident. Might there be more than a freak accident to investigate here? Who might have wanted others in the vehicle to suffer and how did this all come about? A great introduction to the Bombay Crime Bureau. I look forward to the full-length novel to come.

It is always a gamble when an author approaches you, in hopes of you reading their work. The pressure is on, but I am happy to keep things honest throughout the review, as this is the only way an author will grow. I readily accepted this police procedural short story by Krishnaraj and hoped that it would whet my appetite for the upcoming novel with the same cast of characters. The story is strong and follows well, creating twists throughout to keep the reader on their toes. There are some good characters whose backstory will surely be developed as the series takes root. I am eager to see where things are headed and am happy to have taken the gamble with this piece.

Police procedurals the world round rely on strong narrative direction, particularly for those who are not familiar with the local customs or system of law. The reader is led quite nicely along with this piece and Krishnaraj keeps things moving at a brisk pace. Characters offer some depth, as well as comic relief, throughout the piece, which opens the door to some great development, once the series gets rolling. Plot twists throughout keep the reader on their toes, but also provide some ‘aha’ moments as Krishnaraj surely does not want things to become too predictable. I am glad that I took the time to read this shorter piece and await news on the full novel, which is sure to come soon.

Kudos, Mr. Krishnaraj, for reaching out and providing such a nice introduction to your series, I am eager to see how things go.