Book Review – Heartquake By K. Vijayakarthikeyan
Title: Heartquake
Author: K. Vijayakarthikeyan
Genre: Thriller
No. of Pages: 147
Link For Purchase: Heartquake
Synopsis: Once upon a time there was a city plagued by greed, corruption and mysterious deaths… A patriotic IAS officer, Vikram, decides to expose a corrupt and powerful minister, Rudra Pratap Rana (aka RPR), during the latter’s visit to the IAS training academy. The video of Vikram asking the minister some highly embarrassing questions in front of a packed auditorium goes viral. Instead of having Vikram suspended from service, a
vengeful RPR unleashes violence on the officer’s family, and to continue the torture, RPR gets Vikram posted as the sub-divisional magistrate in
Laxmipur—the politician’s backyard.
As soon as Vikram joins duty, RPR resumes his vengeance. However, a new drama unfolds when a large number of people start dying of heart attacks across Laxmipur. As Vikram tries to unravel these mysterious deaths with the help of Veda, a cardiologist, and Raghu, a police officer, extreme panic grips the city, which soon leads to riots and pandemonium. Vikram is left with no other choice but to risk his life to get to the bottom of this mind-numbing situation. Join Vikram in this fast-paced thriller as he fights to save Laxmipur from HEARTQUAKE.
My Take:
Pros: The story moves at a rapid pace. The author gives us an excellent insight into the trials and tribulations faced by a bureaucrat when he finds himself pitted against a system that is corrupt. I really liked the technical details of the modus operandi of the crimes. The author has kept the theme centralized without trying to indulge in any side plots. The protagonist is portrayed with aplomb and the reader can really identify with the angst and agony he goes through when he is unable to act against the villains. The author also gives us an excellent idea of the working of the bureaucracy in India and how difficult it is for them to wield their powers. It makes us realize that it is easy to criticize the system but it is very difficult to understand the difficulties faced by the people within the system who struggle to make things work properly.
Cons: I would have liked it if the author had painted the picture of the villain more subtly. As it is, the villain sounds too much like what we encounter in masala movies: too loud and too boorish. Similarly, the love that blossoms between the protagonist and his lady love could have been brought out in a more interesting way. As such the conversations between them sound bland. By and large the narration is okay, but there are some places where it could be improved. The book is a good read though it would have been better if it had been narrated more lucidly.
Conclusion: I would definitely recommend this book for people who are fond of quick thrillers.
Rating: I am going with a rating of 4/5 for K. Vijayakarthikeyan’s Heartquake.
Rating Chart:
1 – Poor
2 – Fair
3 – Good
4 – Excellent
5 – Outstanding