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_askthebookbug's review against another edition
4.0
Praying Mantis is the third book in Harith Athreya series. I’ve read only the first book in the series before and remember enjoying it as well. Much like A Will to Kill, this one too is set in a picturesque landscape, in the Himalayan foothills where Athreya solves a murder mystery. More than once I felt as if I had entered into the world of Janardhan Maity, who happens to be the protagonist of Bhaskar Chattopadhyay’s books. There’s a lot of similarity between the writing style of the two authors. And much like the previous time, it didn’t take me long to fall into Raman’s hypnotic narration and be swept away.
Praying Mantis is a fast paced detective novel which takes place in Peter Dann Castle, a fictional resort in Himalayas. When Javed, a retired police psychologist and friend of Athreya requests him to stay over at his resort to oversee a suspicious situation, he readily agrees. Javed has a nagging feeling that a friend of his daughter is involved in something sinister along with a bunch of other young people. These five youngsters have a secret that they guard fiercely. The characters are diverse, each different from the other and soon Javed’s instinct prevails when a murder is committed. Athreya’s mind gets whirring and he sets about resolving the case with the help of the local police.
The investigation gets complicated when every character has a motive for the murder. While he sets about to discover the truth, we see the spotlight shifting from one character to the next, not knowing who is the killer. We see the efficiency and cleverness with which Athreya works and as he finds the culprit, the process of him piecing together the clues is enjoyable to read. I couldn’t guess who the killer was until the very end and even though the story may seem a bit hard to believe, I have no complaints.
I associate his books with cosy winter/monsoon reads where all you need is a cup of coffee to finish reading them like a breeze. The reason behind choosing the title Praying Mantis was an intelligent thing to do and did justice to the book. If you’re looking to explore Indian murder mystery authors, this series may just be up your alley.
Praying Mantis is a fast paced detective novel which takes place in Peter Dann Castle, a fictional resort in Himalayas. When Javed, a retired police psychologist and friend of Athreya requests him to stay over at his resort to oversee a suspicious situation, he readily agrees. Javed has a nagging feeling that a friend of his daughter is involved in something sinister along with a bunch of other young people. These five youngsters have a secret that they guard fiercely. The characters are diverse, each different from the other and soon Javed’s instinct prevails when a murder is committed. Athreya’s mind gets whirring and he sets about resolving the case with the help of the local police.
The investigation gets complicated when every character has a motive for the murder. While he sets about to discover the truth, we see the spotlight shifting from one character to the next, not knowing who is the killer. We see the efficiency and cleverness with which Athreya works and as he finds the culprit, the process of him piecing together the clues is enjoyable to read. I couldn’t guess who the killer was until the very end and even though the story may seem a bit hard to believe, I have no complaints.
I associate his books with cosy winter/monsoon reads where all you need is a cup of coffee to finish reading them like a breeze. The reason behind choosing the title Praying Mantis was an intelligent thing to do and did justice to the book. If you’re looking to explore Indian murder mystery authors, this series may just be up your alley.
runeonilyn's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
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