No Flying from Fate - Book Review

chillibreeze writer — Mariette Valsan

A wealthy family, a horrific murder, a detective with a past and much more – the elements that traditionally make up a detective novel have been well utilized in No Flying from Fate by Saurbh Katyal.

A celebration in a powerful household changes tune with the murder of a family member. Detective Vishal is drawn into the picture with a phone call from his Ex, who has married into this family. What follows is a riveting murder mystery as Katyal’s cynical but sentimental protagonist enters the rose-tinted world of the rich and exposes the cracks that strain seemingly perfect relationships.

Katyal successfully spins out a racing storyline that falls into place like a complex jigsaw puzzle. Throughout the novel, the slow unraveling of situations keeps the reader on the edge, with crucial elements exposed tantalizingly just in the nick of time.

The novel is presented from Vishal’s point of view, giving the reader delightful hints into the working of an analytical mind. At times the reader has a nagging feeling that Vishal is hiding something. And at other times, you are Vishal’s ally, bursting with suggestions for him. Katyal succeeds completely in drawing the reader into the intricacies of the crime solving process. It is especially interesting how he prods the reader out of his comfort zone, forcing you to think and rethink the method of the crime and also the possible killer.

No Flying From Fate is delightfully punctuated with a host of colourful characters – Vishal and his bumbling assistant Pranay, Paras, the cold patriarch of the victim’s family, Aditi, Vishal’s old flame, Leo, the victim’s lover, Anjali, the bold and ever inquisitive journalist, and Inspector Babu, to name a few. Katyal does not attempt to oversimplify his fictional world – rather, he illustrates different shades of grey in human character with great insight.

Katyal’s dry wit is evident in Vishal’s dialogues with his assistant Pranay. He also uses subplots and smaller characters for comic relief. Situations and insinuations are employed subtly to showcase the numerous dimensions of his characters.

The first person treatment of the plot is a refreshing touch. Katyal not only uses Vishal to judge the flaws of others, but also showcases Vishal’s own flaws, exposing an all too human side of the detective. The reader bears witness to not only the highly deductive skills of the protagonist but also his personal turmoil.

Katyal’s treatment of situations is explicit in nature, with graphic descriptions and vivid pictures. He uses each encounter between characters to either add to the mystery or its resolution. The sequences where Vishal picks fights with some opponents are treated with great attention to detail. A blow-by-blow account gives the reader the vivid feeling of watching the scene live, thus increasing involvement in the plot. Conversations are all used to make pivotal points.

The opulence and extravagance surrounding the elite are very skillfully depicted in the novel. Is Katyal using his subplots to comment on the upper class society? Maybe. He definitely allows the reader the luxury of being part of this fantasy land, if only through fiction.

While the subtle nuances of suspense are well planned, there are times the reader flounders in the maze of subplots. Although most of the book speaks to the reader directly and in a simple way, it does have its share of contrived and complex situations. But finally, these do not deter from the fact that the novel is an absolute page turner.

All in all, an engaging novel with multidimensional characters, and an interesting, raw and jagged protagonist. Join Vishal in his quest for the murderer and challenge your skills of deduction.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in March, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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Mariette writes for chillibreeze.

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