Book Review: Private India by Ashwin Sanghi & James Patterson

About the Author(s): Ashwin Sanghi—entrepreneur by day, novelist by night
Read more about Ashwin at his website: http://www.ashwinsanghi.com/

James Patterson -  The New York Times Magazine featured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having "transformed book publishing," and that Time magazine hailed him as "The Man Who Can't Miss."
Read more about James at his website: http://www.jamespatterson.com/

The Blurb:
In Mumbai seemingly unconnected people are dying, strangled in a chilling ritual and with strange objects carefully arranged with the corpses. For Santosh Wagh, head of Private India, the Mumbai branch of the world’s finest investigation agency, it's a race against time to stop the killer striking again. In a city of over thirteen million, he'd have his work cut out at the best of times but this case has him battling Mumbai's biggest gang-lord and a godman who isn't all he seems and then he discovers there may be an even greater danger facing Private India. Hidden in the shadows is someone who could destroy the whole organisation along with thousands of innocent Mumbai citizens.

Review: ★★★

The Cover Page: I feel bad to say this, but I did not find it captivating  enough to make me pick it from a pile of books and try it. Even after reading the book, It made me no sense to put gateway of India except that it's in Mumbai. Definitely, it could have been much better.

What I felt about the book:
First, one word summary, no, two words - "Bollywood Blockbuster". That is given the condition, that it fell into right director and absolutely stunning performances. A single leak  into the condition can make it fall on its face and the biggest disaster ever. I could imagine sexy, witty, bitchy drop dead gorgeous women roles. Males in all shapes and sizes would definitely fit into one or another roles.  

To be honest, I did not read the blur. Yes! It sounds false, but I did not. When I saw it's availability on blogadda, I thought it to be some kind of patriotic book about India by its name. Sooner I realised that it was a fiction...;-P

Coming back to the book, it was good. Very good in-fact at some points. I wonder how did two writers managed to come up with a single story - that too a serial killer! Or, having more than one mind at would have helped. One made a plot and the other made it even more spooky!

I don't know why, but at some point in the beginning of story, if reminded me of the movie 'Samay''. The killer leaving some hints for the experts. Human mind is always fascinated by puzzles. The moment it spots a piece, it tries to find another and continues the struggle to connect them. The two authors were utterly successful in getting a - "Oh yes, I knew it. How come it didn't come to mind" - reactions many times. 

There were obviously some turn-offs which make me say that the book is good and not awesome, mind bowling.
First one was my inability to find the reason behind two concepts - serial killing and terrorism clubbed into one. I think they were better narrated separately. While it was very interesting to read about the background of plot and characters, the need to get ISI, Pakistan and terror attacks did not sound captivating to me.
Second, only 11 favourite lines from that thick book. Yeah, I had a tough time finding my favourite lines without letting the suspense out. Never the less, whatever the number is, I bet you won't regret reading them and reading them and smiling at different angles with some of them. Read my puck of favourite lines from "private India" here - Quotes from Private India.

Altogether, it was a good and worth one time reading book. I enjoyed the thrill and excitement. 
On a scale of five, I have 3 points for this piece of writing by  Mr. James Patterson and Mr. Ashwin Sanghi.

This review is part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers by Blogadda.

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How did you like the book? Would you go ahead and read it after my thoughts on it? Write your heart/mind in comments section. I would be glad to read out your end of thinking on the book.