The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas

 

“The good thing about blood is that everyone’s is the same, mine and theirs…No difference.”

So what is it that veers us towards evil, circumstances or choice?

The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas is a gritty, chilling, whodunit. A book that goes beyond the crime itself, to dwell into the reason behind the existence of it.

Mumbai, the city of dreams,the glitz and glamour of Bollywood; attracts people from all over India. Shimmering, full of shine and sparkles just like a blue sequined sari, it sways, mesmerizes, entices,  hiding the danger within.

Weaving  the story around Mumbai’s dance bars and the people connected to them from the dancers, pimps, customers and of course the police, Damyanti tells a tale rooted in mystery and suspense ,leaving you guessing till the last.

The book follows the life of policeman Arnav Rajput and his quest for love and justice.

Love of his long lost girlfriend, Tara, a dancer from the famous Blue Bar, who disappeared  from his life 13 years ago.

Justice for his dead sister Asha.

Along this journey Arnav gets assigned to a routine case of a body being found on a construction site.

A mutilated torso of a young woman with no head, hands or feet.The only clue – a few splattered blue sequins.

A not so ‘routine’ case after all.

Drama, Gossip, Action, yep, this case has a connection to Bollywood and its superstars (albeit  fictional ones of course) along with corrupt politicians and the dark seedy underworld 'bhai's' of Mumbai.

Will Arnav fulfil his quests? 

Will the dead get justice?

The Blue Bar shines in the mystery quotient, with it being very tough to predict. Keeps you on your toes trying to guess the culprit. It is Damyanti’s lyrical, gritty narrative style that is where this book truly excels. Layer by layer, she peels of the veneer of crime, why it is committed and the psyche behind it. Until you ask yourself - So what is it that veers us towards evil, circumstances or choice?

The answer my friend, is staring us right in the face, isn’t it?

 

 

So glad I got this ARC, it was an exhilarating and introspective read. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.

Happy Reading☺