India is in love with crime and thriller novels. Why else would all the popular authors rush to release their own thriller novels? I have been reading quite a few thrillers and crime fiction this year… from the Chetan Bhagat’s second attempt to Anuja Chauhan’s latest contemporary thriller, I have read them and reviewed them on this channel.
But today, I am reviewing a debut author who has written a forensic thriller – Murdrum: The Probe Begins. I am so glad to be working with the author of this book to present you this review.
Let’s get started!
So today, I am giving you the spoiler-free review of Murdrum. But first, let’s talk of the genre – forensic crime fiction.
While there are many kinds of crime fiction novels and all are very common, specific genres like legal thrillers, medical crime fiction & forensic crime fiction are rare because of the barrier of entry. Such genres are usually written by actual practitioners of this profession. In India, it’s hard to find legal thrillers or forensic thrillers because of that. So, Murdrum already wins a major point just because of the genre.
The author of the book, Dr Sohil Makwana wears multiple hats – he’s a doctor (MBBS, and MD) and he’s also a photographer. With this book, he has earned the tag of an author as well.
Now, let’s talk of the story of this book – Murdrum.
It follows this CBI intern – Komal. Komal has her own past and hidden motives driving her chase to be in the CBI. And then, there’s also a serial killer on lose. The killer is smart and has been on a killing spree. On the other hand, Komal is a skilled forensic scientist and has the power of technological advancements in the medical field. Who’s going to win this battle of wits? That’s what the story is about.
I’ll tell you what are the noticeable things in the book.
Number one is the great lot of medical and forensic stuff shared in the book – Murdrum: The Probe Begins. All this stuff has been effortlessly incorporated in the story and that makes it super interesting. I am sure if you don’t like the book for anything, anything… you’ll still end up liking this part of the book. It’s interesting and often, amazing. Even if you know a great deal about such medical advancements already, you’ll still find it a good read because of how everything is presented in the story.
There’s also a caper story element going on in the book. You not only follow Komal and her chase leading her towards a serial killer, but also follow this mysterious person developing into a serial killer. Like a typical caper story, the book manages to make the reader question – is that bad person really so bad or was it the circumstances and other people that made them so.
The plot of the book is another noticeable thing in the book. It’s good. It’s full of forensic investigation stuff, police investigation stuff, the Indian police system touch and a pinch of feel of the Bombay city. The whole plot is very interesting and intriguing. I mean, by the middle of the book, all my expectations on how the story could go went for a toss and I was just reading to find out what really happens. It felt like a fresh and unique story, to me, at least.
The language of the book is simple and easy to follow. It’s good for beginner to moderate level readers.
If I have to point one thing I didn’t like about the book, that would be the characters. There’s a lot of character back story and interesting characters in the book, but I still felt their character arcs could’ve been better.
Overall, Murdrum is a really good hardcore crime thriller with elements of a forensic crime fiction and a caper story. It’s easy to read, and interesting with a plot that’s fresh and intriguing & the forensic elements in the book just make it a unique read.
If you’re looking for an Indian book in this genre, you must pick it up! It’s worth giving a shot. I gave it 4.3/5 stars
P.S. The author of the book is also sharing the profits from this book to help out the Covid Warriors, being a COVID warrior himself, who by the way, also went viral during the beginning of the COVID in 2020.
