Book Review : A Murder Is Fixed

Book Name: A Murder Is Fixed
Author: Madhav Nayak

Publisher: Harper Fiction India

Genre: Crime Fiction

Format: Paperback

Print length: 320 pages 

Rating: 4/5




A Murder Is Fixed by Madhav Nayak is a crime and mystery fiction novel that will keep readers on the edge of the bed biting their nails till the mystery is unfolded.


Blurb on Amazon


Late on a Sunday night, Shreya Ved, an investigator of a commission probing match-fixing in the Mega Cricket League, is found murdered in her office.

Even as Inspector Vichare and Constable Lobo of Dhobi Talao Police Station begin their investigation, Russi Batliwala, the one-eyed, indefatigably curious Parsi cricket umpire (now retired), manages to wriggle his way onto the team. As clues tumble out, the trio discovers a rather long list of people who had the motive and the opportunity to kill Shreya that night, including India's beloved cricket star - Rishi Girhotra.

But with their prime suspects dying mysteriously around them and a deadly cat-and-mouse game afoot, can Russi employ his keen eye for detail and unravel the bewildering puzzle before all their leads are stumped out?

A Murder Is Fixed is a rollicking murder mystery that takes readers on a ride through the posh cricket clubs, vada-pav stalls and chawls of Mumbai into the murky depths of a nefarious scandal.


Review


Madhav Nayak's book A Murder is Fixed combines one of the most loved sports, Cricket, with crime. Set in Mumbai, the story revolves around Shreya Ved, an integral part of the Shankar Commission, an investigation committee probing match-fixing in MCL (Mega Cricket League). Readers would love the fast-paced story with twists and turns, keeping them hooked to the book until they would uncover the mystery behind the murder.


The unfolding of the characters will leave the readers in false guessing of who the murderer is in the story. Characters like Russi Batliwala will leave no chance to make readers laugh and feel intrigued about the story. The author detailed each of his characters such that the readers would feel different emotions for them at distinctive points in the story, including sympathy, anger, disguise, and many more.


The storytelling in the book is captivating and engaging throughout, holding readers curious to know what comes next and not letting them guess the murderer's name till the very end with turns and twists that lead to bringing each character under suspicion of the heinous deed of murdering innocents. The author's writing style is commendable. He did not fail to bring Mumbai into the story, including Juhu Beach essence, police station, club, and bar. Talking about the culture and the standard of living is something the author well-established in this book. 


As this book features cricket and match-fixing, there is no doubt about the author's knowledge in this field. The best part was that the involvement of the retired umpire in the investigation showed the perspective on how the umpires need to be attentive on the match ground to avoid any mislead. 


For seasoned readers of crime fiction, a few twists and turns could turn out to be guessable. But guessing the murderer would be a bit challenging till the end, which is something readers would enjoy and love about this book.


To all crime fiction lovers, you cannot miss this book.


Buy it from Amazon - A Murder Is Fixed

I’m participating in #TBRChallenge2024 by Blogchatter.



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