Brief introduction – It is a novel written by emerging author Prasad Bag. Maya, the Blindfolded: Her Mistake? She trusted him… it’s a long title, no doubt. However, the novel is equally lengthy and fittingly complements the detailed title of the book by Prasad Bag. It is his first novel and has the impression of a debut novelist. You will experience the same. Part horror, part thriller, part psychological fiction, you will have too many things on offer once you begin reading the novel. A compelling murder mystery aids the appeal of the novel for those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

Plot Overview: Maya is a hard-working woman. She works for a private company as an encryption software developer. However, she does not get along well with her immediate boss Mrs Pinto. However, Maya does not hate her. She just doesn’t feel comfortable because Mrs Pinto treats her in an unhealthy manner, unlike other professionals and almost discriminates against her. Maya’s neighbour, Suzy (aunty) entices Maya into believing that ghosts do exist and one certain, Bhagat’s ghost, who claims to be the owner of the property on which Maya and her neighbour live, ghost wants to kill them all. Maya is perplexed. And in quick succession, Maya’s maid Suman dies of an accident. Suzy claims Bhagat killed her. Maya’s reporting boss Mrs Pinto is murdered soon after and Maya is the prime suspect. She loses her memory in an accident and gets only four weeks to prove her innocence. And there, the story begins… to entertain, excite and engage.

Critical Analysis: Prasad Bag’s novel offers a package that fits in the contemporary genre of ‘take it all’ and read me kind of novels. However, as the novel is his debut one, you can also, visibly, capture moments that make the novel drag itself towards the further event, chapter or scene. Some scenes are protracted more than enough and some are shrunk considerably more than they should have been. Nevertheless, the author has done his best when it came to scene creation, psychological dilemma, horror elements introduction and creating an atmosphere of suspense that compels the readers to get across the murder mystery involving a young professional. The novel’s length could have worked better.

Recommendation: If you are looking to read something that challenges you and keeps you on board for some hours, Maya is a perfect choice for you. You will feel like solving the murder mystery along with the characters. This novel does involve you and invites you to get along. Young adults, mystery and thriller fiction lovers, and horror novel readers will like reading this book. You can get a copy from Amazon India right now and give it a read!

Buy the novel – amazon India – click here 

Review by Sarthak for Novels to Read Blog