Sitharaam Jayakumar is a good story teller. This is his second book and I had reviewed the first one too. When you read a second book of an author you’d normally expect a better work. I was a little disappointed in that regard while reading The Krishnapur Kidnappings . The narrative structure has improved, however, with “episodes” and an “interlude” interspersing it. As the title indicates, this is about kidnaps. The motive is not money, however. Motives matter much in crime thrillers. Money is the most hackneyed motive. Revenge is equally clichéd. What about witchcraft? That too with a dash of Dan Brown? The author has succeeded in creating a villain who has a convincing and equally interesting motive for committing the crime. The very opening of the novella is gripping: “The woman looked frightened. She looked up at the man apprehensively and said, ‘I think it is a sin, dear.’” Fear is an alluring theme in crime fiction. When it is fear of sin, it becomes philosophica
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