Lethal Spice by Swati Kaushal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one definitely deserves a read!

Most of the India-based books written by the 'best-selling' authors either have countless grammatical errors or have a 'Hinglish' narration. And sometimes, they are stuffed with unnecessary and complicated English words that makes even the most avid readers to recoil from them. So, I was hesitant to read this book initially.

But, this book is one of the rare exceptions, as I found out later. The style of the author is unique and charming, and the reader falls in love with the narration. Set in the backdrop of Shimla, the story captivates the reader as the mystery unfolds. The characters of the 'Hot Chef' show- from the contestants to the anchor, from the judges to the crew members- are very cleverly sketched and unforgettable. The complex psychologies of the characters are highlighted by the continuous revelations about them, one after the other. The character of the female protagonist, SP Marwah, who is in charge of solving the murder (or suicide, maybe) mystery, is brilliantly portrayed.

One more aspect that makes me love this book is the way it describes the contrasting feelings simultaneously- the wit and sarcasm (Inspector Sahay) with the depression (Mala), the spoilt-child ways (Pallavi Anand) with the hard-working dedication (Leena), the coolness (Shaq) with the boldness (Sharon 'InSen').

In between, the book conveys some social messages indirectly. The corruption in the system and lack of sensitiveness in the higher authorities in the various departments is also reflected.

I started and finished this book the same day, and that shows how spellbinding and engrossing the book is. I would recommend it to everyone.

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