Sniper's Eye by Mainak Dhar Review
What are the qualities you search in your suspense thriller? I look for the following things: the protagonist should be in real mess or the worst kind of scenario which I can’t even imagine, there should be a sense of urgency, a lot is at stake, thrilling suspense till the end. Sniper’s Eye written by Mainak Dhar is the suspense thriller fiction. It is the first book in the 7even series. Does the book meet all my requirements to become an awesome read? Read on to find out.
The Story in Brief
The story is about Aaditya Ghosh who is a quiet person and very secretive about his past life. Until one day he witnesses a terror attack and get himself embroiled by killing a terrorist. He becomes a hero in the public and the media’s eyes but along with the fame his past also comes tumbling out to haunt him.
His name appears on the terrorist’s hit list. Now he had a choice either to run away or to face the terrorists. He chose the latter option but there are more secrets in the story than the eyes meet.
Good Story Line
The storyline of the book is unique. The author has well used the international politics of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan to carve out his own story.
Great Start
But the plot lacks the depth and thrill which will keep you on the edge. It starts with a bang. There was thrill and suspense in the beginning. And I was continuously guessing about the past of Aaditya and the sudden murder takes me by surprise.
Then The Grip Slips
That was it. After that initial euphoria, the thrill almost dies in the middle of the story. There was no major turn of event. Everything was happening according to my prediction.
The protagonist Aaditya was kidnapped by the terrorists. But he always seems to be under control. He just knows how to get out of a situation and turn it into his favour. Just like our Telugu film heroes.
The suspense was revealed very early and it did not surprise me. Nothing was really at stake. The terrorists had finished their work. Only the real mastermind behind all the mayhem needed to be exposed. It was never revealed. The readers have to satisfy themselves that there were some powerful politicians behind it.
The book lacked the basic details of the story and character. How old was Aaditya? The author never mentioned his age. The author didn’t even drop the hint about his age. I was not able to imagine the protagonist well. Things were very ambiguous.
The Army in Good Books
After reading about the excesses of the army in couple of fiction like The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, The Tree With The Thousands Apple by Sanchit Gupta, it was nice to read about shining
side of the army in this book.
There are always two side of the coin. People believe what they are shown by the media and the media always give more weightage to the sensational side of the story and conveniently ignore the darker side of the truth. The author very well depicted that manipulative side of media.
The Verdict
Overall, it was an average read. The story line was real good but the novel lacked thrill and suspense.
It could have been much better.
It’s a three starer read.
