The Zamindar's Ghost | Book Review

 Review of Khayaal Patel's Book - The Zamindars Ghost

At a glance:

• Title -The Zamindar's Ghost
• Author - Khayaal Patel
• Publisher - Harper Collins
• Year published - 27th July, 2023
• Pages - 248
• Genre - Fiction / Thriller
• Format - Paperback / eBook
• Buy the book on Amazon

Blurb :

An idyllic town.

A haunted manor.

Five deaths.

Ooty, 1933

Presumed dead in a bloody coup to quell Indian revolutionaries, Arjun Rana returns to the sleepy town of Ooty after six years, throwing the townsfolk, and his household, in disarray.

Troubled by the suicide of his father, Zamindar Digvijay Rana, Arjun tries his best to live up to the town's expectations as he takes up the mantle of Zamindar. Little does he know that his detractors are many and formidable. Within days of his arrival, a spate of unexplained deaths occur. The town doctor does not have a clear assessment, the local head constable thinks they are the work of a spy sent by the revolutionaries to bring down the British East India Company, but the townsfolk speak in hushed whispers:

The ghost of Zamindar Digvijay Rana is responsible for the deaths.

As events hurl towards a chilling climax, the residents of the quaint little town will discover that each of them is right in their assumptions and each of them is wrong ...

My thoughts:

The words of Ishita Dhiman, "You can take a girl out of Ooty but not Ooty out of a girl," resonated deeply with me, evoking memories of my hometown that still holds my heart. Ooty's presence in the blurb was what actually made me pick up this book. 

This being the second work by this author had my anticipation set high in anticipation of a fast paced thriller. 

Set in the British Era within the quaint town of Ooty, the tale centers around the haunting of the Zamindar's manor by his ghost, unsettling the locals.

As Miss Shravani Mehta retires and Ishita assumes the role of Matron at the orphanage, the town remains uneventful until a series of murders unfurl, attributed to the Zamindar's vengeful spirit. Arjun Rana’s return and the incidents that follow add to the melodrama.

The narrative initially unfolds at a leisurely pace, with the real crescendo materializing in the last few chapters, characterized by rapid, adrenaline-inducing events that had me fervently flipping pages. The whirlwind of twists demanded a second read to fully grasp their implications. 

The characters, as unveiled in the final chapters, are a maze of deception and unexpected motives, shattering preconceived notions. The majority of characters exhibit questionable ethics, engaging in actions driven by greed or vengeance that evoke a strong sense of repulsion.

Set against the backdrop of 1933, the story interweaves British espionage, local enlistment, and mentions of historical tragedies like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

My initial letdown arose from the book's limited portrayal of Ooty, with a repetitive presence of chill and rain making their appearance in almost all the pages but lacking the essence I sought. The enchanting allure and distinctive facets of the town, which prompted me to pick up the book, seemed conspicuously absent.

Another aspect that could have benefited from clearer elaboration is the transition of the Ghost from its appearance and communication to its sudden transformation into dust.

On a positive note, the book lends itself to continuous reading in a single sitting. The culmination crescendos in an exhilarating roller coaster of twists, ultimately justifying the Zamindar's ghostly quest to safeguard his legacy.

The unraveling of the murders and the underlying motive took a sharp and unforeseen detour from my initial expectation. That was the interesting part of the book!

For those seeking a swift-paced thriller, this is a worthy choice. A rating of 3.5 stars encapsulates my experience.

About the author:

Khayaal Patel is a bestselling author. His book Tarikshir: The Awakening was consistently #1 on the Amazon bestseller charts in Indian Writing and Fantasy. [ Read my review here]

He has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate and, on occasion, eats cake for breakfast. Sometimes he wants to give up his writing career, train hard, and fight crime dressed like a flying rodent. Until that happens, he's going to keep writing books in various genres always picking genre mashups over anything else.

You can connect with him on IG: kyakhayaalhaiaapka

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