Reading sensational fiction allows readers to escape from the mundane realities of life, just for a while and that’s totally worth it! Such books that allow one to escape the realities of life – job, work, domestic and away affairs and bills – are gems for contemporary readers. I have read one from this lot recently. It was the very first novel by Prasad Bag, an emerging author of crime and mystery fiction (I can assume) – Maya, the Blindfolded: Her Mistake? She Trusted Him. The title reminded me of T. S. Eliot’s Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock… the sheer length of it, though. 

The storyline in the novel Maya runs on a pretty straight track. You meet with events in a series and keep moving on, from one to another. However, the twists do keep coming in between. Murder in the office where Maya, the lead character, works is at the centre. Other murders take place as well. Maya also loses her memory because of an accident as soon as the court gives her some time to prove her innocence. What will Maya do? How will the search for truth go about? Who will help Maya prove she is innocent? And, what’s the fact in Maya’s claims that she sees and interacts with ghosts? 

The novelist has proven that experience comes with age rather than being involved in a job. Just for fun, though. Well, you cannot deny that Prasad Bag has worked very well on the plot and was successful in hiding all the lights at the end of the tunnels (of perception) until he wanted to reveal all. The novel has been successful in keeping the interest and excitement of the readers alive till the very end. The ending of Maya, the Blindfolded, offers a twist that readers will like… and it might change the novel’s conclusion for many! 

Reading 300 pages of this novel will not be as tough as it sounds in the beginning. As the novel progresses, the events get intense, connected and take the story further. The second part or the latter half of the story is gripping and quicker compared to the first one. And this is the secret behind any successfully completed work on the part of the novelist. Start it with a moderate pace and end it with a bang. The novelist has done the same and the job is commendable. 

Yes, like all the books out there, there are shortcomings in the novel. However, these things that lack in the story are not as huge as the richness of its plot and the simplicity of its language. There overstretching of a few episodes, the lack of characters outside the ‘circle’ and the slower beginning are some of the noticeable things that might be visually comprehended by the readers. 

Overall, the novel makes sense as a perfect one-time read. It’s thrilling, exciting, interesting and worth a read. Enjoy the horror and thriller show on the pages. Buy the book from Amazon India in Kindle format. Get a copy by clicking the link below: 

Get a copy in Kindle format – buy from Amazon India 

Review by Nishant