Book Title: A will to kill
Author: R.V.Raman
Format: Paperback

Book Title:
The title of the book ' A will to kill ' is shocking and intriguing

Book Cover:
The cover image of the book is a blood-dripping knife depicting the story to be a crime thriller.

Plot:
The story is about a young man explaining to a detective about his father. The discussion is about his father's final will of the property. There comes the twist while going through the will. The father mentions that he has written two kinds of will - one accordingly if his death is natural, another unnatural.

This is the starting point of the interesting story that unfolds into a very interesting roller coaster ride of subplots, thrilling sequences, and interesting narratives. As the story progresses, the story also talks about the mansion being cursed, and subplots attached to this facet of the mansion.

What I like:
1. The plot is very intriguing.
2. Strong storytelling is found in the book without any loose threads.
3. The honest attempt in building up the characters with ample details is very interesting
4. With a clear and colloquial language, the readers find the story smooth and at a good pace.

What I didn't like:
Many characters at some places may create little confusion within the reader's mind. Other than that, the story is absolutely flawless!

Characters:
Every character with a perfect background story is woven beautifully

Narration:
An engaging narration is observed in the story.

Language & Grammar:
Usage of clear and easy language with good vocabulary comforts the readers while reading.

My Final Verdict:
A perfect fictional thriller!

Book Title: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language & Grammar: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5

( )

This book was billed as an 'Agatha Christie style mystery set in India for fans of Knives Out'. I can confirm that it was set in India and there was a knife...but Agatha Christie this is not.

This is the first in a series and yet it reads as if we are supposed to know all about this sleuth (Harith Athreya) and implicitly trust him because of all his many detective-y accomplishments. But there's no backstory on this guy and nothing that occurs within the story led me to believe that he was anything extraordinary. (Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are leagues away from this dude.) The author does not lay out the features of the case in any way to make it exciting and I really could have cared less about the characters or the murderer in their midst. Now my last gripe may have less to do with the author than with the translating/editing. Every single time a certain character delivered any lines it was so-and-so "growled" or in a "growling voice" so-and-so said blah blah blah. It set my teeth on edge! There had to be a more dynamic way to write this dialogue...or maybe take more time with the setting or mystery instead of having the characters talk and talk and talk...

I was really excited to read this book because I was hoping to find a new detective to love in a setting that I'd love to learn more about but unfortunately this one didn't deliver. ( )

This is a very traditional mystery, steeped in a good sense of place and character. Remote Greybrooke Manor has had a curse upon it since it was owned by the British, which seemes to be following the contemporary Indian family who owns it now. Patriarch and true crime aficionado Bhaskar Fernandez has invited investigator Harith Athreya to visit after a recent home invasion. There are now two wills, the family only gets to see which one takes effect upon the manner of his death. There is a lot of mist (and ghost story), an unlucky thirteenth guest at dinner and enough family drama to keep the story playing out until the end. ( )

This is a traditional country house whodunit mystery set in contemporary India, narrated by Indian detective Harith Athreya, He is invited to Greybrooke Manor in the Nilgiris outside Chennai (formerly Madras) by a wealthy retired antiques dealer, Bhaskar Fernandez, who fears someone is plotting to kill him. There has been several mysterious accidents and events aimed at him. One was an unsuccessful break-in at the manor when an intruder attacked Bhasker with a dagger. Bhasker shot his attacker, who escaped with only a gunshot wound. Since that attack, Bhasker wants to protect himself by writing two wills, each of which will distribute his estate differently depending upon the manner of his death. If he dies of natural causes his assets are distributed one way, but if he dies "unnaturally" there is a different distribution which is kept secret from the beneficiaries. This plan has been successful in warding off further attacks. Bhaskar has planned a family reunion of sorts, bringing together his family following the settlement of a lengthy legal dispute over the family's property. Athreya has been invited to this event, even though he is an outsider. After a long journey to the manor by steam train and jeep, Athreya arrives at Greybrooke and is marooned there by a landslide. After meeting his host and the other residents and guests, Athreya is embroiled in events which soon culminate in the discovery of a body, and surprisingly it's someone other than his host.

The story is told with a lengthy lead in and a suspenseful sense of place. The mountainous location of the manor in the Blue Mountains is prone to mist and rain creating an atmospheric backdrop for the mysterious Greystone Manor. It has a "chequered" history of mysterious deaths and even a resident ghost. Complementing this atmosphere is the large cast of supporting characters: the family members, manor household staff, the shifty owner of a nearby resort, an offbeat artist, and the local priest. The people and their individual stories are woven into a complex narrative which concludes in a classic drawing room reveal.

This is a cleverly crafted mystery with a cast of unique characters, some of them either not who they first appear to be, or hiding secrets. There's plenty of atmosphere and local colour against which the sleuthing is conducted in order to resolve a complex set of puzzles. It's been inspired by the traditional country house detective stories of the Golden Age of Mystery writers like Agatha Christie.

Recommended for fans of golden age detective fiction, particularly for its exotic locale and clever plotting.

My thanks to Polis Books and Netgalley for providing a complementary advance reading copy of the eBook for my review. The opinions expressed about it are unbiased and entirely my own. ( )

I was quite taken by this mystery, a nod to Agatha Christie’s “locked room” mystery. The first in the Harith Athreya series, it features an intelligent detective summoned to an estate in southern India, to find out how tried to kill the owner of the mansion. Greybrooke Manor is said to have a curse which ends the owner’s life by non-natural means. Cut off by a landslide, the 13 people are stuck there for three days. During that time another man is murdered. And Athreya finds himself solving several mysteries. The red herrings are excellent in this book. Misdirection abounds and when the mysteries including the murder is solved it is very satisfying. ( )