| Title | : | In the Shadows of Death |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | Published December 1, 2015 |
found murdered in the toilet of a Kolkata hotel after an office
party. ACP Agni Mitra finds out about her adulterous ways as he starts
investigating into the murder. The miffed husband, a lecherous boss, one of her
many jilted admirers – anyone could have killed her.
The investigation is stuck in myriad perplexing questions when the murder of
Meenakshi Menon, a Director with Altius Finance, hits the headlines.
As more murders rock the city, it is not too long before the battle of wits with his
unseen adversary turns personal for Agni.
A ruthless killer walking the rain-washed streets of Kolkata.
A detective battling storms brewing in his private life.
Human relations infested with deceit. A generation struggling to cope
with fast-changing ambitions and desires.
In the Shadows of Death is a gripping page-turner with a heart-rending
emotional core.
In the Shadows of Death Reviews
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As soon as a murder is committed, the search for the killer begins. In Sourabh Mukherjee's thriller, Detective Agni has come to rescue and he'll not stop until he puts the criminal behind the bars.
When a murder mystery is about a serial killer, the reader tries to find a pattern in which the criminal could be killing the innocents treacherously. The best part of In The Shadows of Death is that you can't figure out the motives of the crime.
Detective Agni's life is going ups and downs. We get to see his own side of the story, why it is not so perfect and more importantly, why it is absolute necessity to prevent the murderer from victimizing anyone else.
To let you guess more about the killer, the writer provides different POVs. The story becomes lively when you yourself want to be in place of Agni and want to solve the case anyhow. A fast paced and gripping tale has been narrated.
As the story progresses, the mystery keeps getting better and better. For a train ride, it is a good choice.
In the Shadows of Death kept me guessing till the end.
Engaging and entertaining. -
The novel begins with a murder, predictably. But from that point onwards it becomes a beautiful but well-paced exploration of lust, love, regret and memories.
Although the protagonist is a Police Officer cut out from established noir cloth, the novel is not a police procedural. Instead it works superbly as a psychological thriller. While talking about motives and movements of various suspects, it slowly takes the reader along a dark path. As a result, we start asking ourselves some uncomfortable questions. At the end we try to answer those questions rather indulgently, but the doubt persists.
And the wait for next 'Agni Mitra mystery' begins right there!
Recommended. -
ACP Agni is summoned to investigate the death of Sheetal Mehra, who, while attending a company party, was found dead in the restroom - in a manner suggestive of a sexual crime.
Was it a crime of sexuality?
ACP Agni, with his partner Arya, set out to solve the mystery.
And then follow a barrage of crimes, that Agni is asked to contribute to.
Are the crimes related? Is there a serial killer to look out for? Or are these crimes of vendetta?
Can he get over the mess of his own personal life, in the process?
As Agni and Arya delve deeper into the case - they will be left questioning their thoughts and beliefs.
Set in Kolkata, this was a mystery I finished in a sitting.
The language was easy to follow; the momentum built up rightly. Though predictable at parts, this is a simply written, yet fast-paced who-dunnit.
The human mind can baffle you to pieces, and the psychological insight into this very human mind will definitely leave you thinking.
Prof. Ray reminded me of “Sidhu Jetha” in the Feluda series, and makes me believe that perhaps in the common Bong household, this is the literature we grow up with.
Whether we read or don’t, whether we believe or not; Feluda remains an inspiration to all book-lovers; readers and authors alike.
I love discovering new authors - and this was no exception.
So much so, I looked up two more books by him. -
This one was really awesome. A page turner
One of the best books I have read written by Indian writters.
Hooked me from the very first page. -
Kolkata is my hometown and I am always eager to read books set there. It makes me feel closer to Kolkata, no matter where I am. And when a mystery book is set in Kolkata, it is like the icing on the cake.
When Sheetal Mehra is found murdered in a hotel, it was a straightforward murder case that Agni Mitra had to solve. Soon enough Sheetal’s adulterous life is uncovered giving Agni quite a few suspects – the husband, the boss and a number of jilted lovers. Then a second body turns up and things are not so straightforward any more. When a third body turns up, one thing is clear – there is a serial killer on the loose. Or is it? What is the connection between the victims? Is the killer a psychopath on the loose who kills for fun or is he targeting specific people? And why is the killer making it so personal for Agni?
The protagonist is the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Agni Mitra. He along with his team takes on the responsibility of solving these murders. But it is not easy, especially for Agni Mitra. On one hand, the killer is meticulous in his methods giving the authorities very little to work with. On the other hand things are too close to home for Agni. The author has done a really good job of building up the character of Agni Mitra and for most parts I found that I liked the guy. But there was something (that I cannot put my fingers on) missing from his personality. I wished for a little more of ‘x-factor’ in him. It is the antagonist that the author has done a perfect job with. I couldn’t tell if I actually wanted the culprit to be caught or not for reasons that I cannot divulge in fear of spoiling the story for you. The plot of the story is well laid out. It is not a complex one but the author has managed to keep things entertaining by throwing in quite a few red herrings. Plus there is the factor of the author indulging his readers to take a second look at the modern urban lifestyle and relationship. The definitions have changed without us really realizing and not all changes are for good. The complexities of relationships have become more complex with time.
Overall, Sourabh Mukherjee definitely has a winner here. It is not perfect in every way but it is a really good one.
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2016/01/in-... -
A homicide secret that prompted more murders even before the killer was found!
A bothered Officer with his own evil presences to battle at home is given the undertaking of comprehending the puzzle. During the time spent finding the guilty party, the expert assignment gets individual as the story advances.
A book that I had grabbed as of late had left a severe persistent flavor and I was careful about grammatical errors and the dialect.
The book manages issues like our inward fiends decimating connections we esteem, it takes a gander at a city in the cusp of progress and an era attempting to deal with quick changing aspirations and goals.
The novel is a homicide riddle, involving the enterprises of Detective Agni Mitra, a splendid cop examining a no-pieces of information found-on-the-scene homicide of an adulteress spouse, while adapting to the passionate hurricane of a fizzled marriage and an "improperly adulteress" ex of his own.
While the book is certainly an unquestionable requirement read, the story would have been exceptional if the riddle of the executioner lay somewhat more profound, rather than being one-layered.
With the turning pages it was clear that the killer was pyscho executioner. These cases go under criminal pyschology and there are different reasons when individual begin carrying on like this. The examination was on its crest. In the wake of scanning for a long time,and after a long persistence the killer was gotten.
It is a decent, light read and I could complete it in couple of hours. I would prescribe the book to new perusers, the ones who are not acquainted with thrillers and need to look at the class. It is likewise a decent perused for youthful perusers.
On a whole, I love the cover page and plot of the novel! -
The beauty of writing a thriller lies in the revealing of facts in such a way that it hides the master stroke for the climax. Sourabh Mukerjee's In the Shadow of Death proves to be an exciting read for all the thriller lovers. The story is about a psycho killer who is targeting victims in a random pattern and killing them without leaving any evidence. On the parallel hand, Detective's Agni Mitra's personal life opens up the sub plot for the protagonist which explains the his own character. I loved the experiment of writer in introducing different POV's during murder just to explain what is running in the killer's mind while committing the crime.
Personally I am a big fan of David Baldacci when it comes to thrillers and for some instants, Sourabh's writing style does ignites the illusion as if I am reading David's writing.
I enjoyed the book to the core and was unable to guess the killer till the very end. -
Read full review here:
https://thereandtheir.com/2016/05/25/...
This is by far one of the best books by Indian Books, really tight woven plot line, strong characterization, zero grammatical or stylization errors, I just wish all books were this good!
The main premise of the story is that the detective Agni Mitra finds himself looking for a serial killer. In order to give an interesting subplot, we also find out that he is going through a divorce. While unrelated to the case, it does have a humanizing effect on the protagonist, so we find ourselves to be more involved in this case.
The author has even added murder’s POV in between, so we know what the murder is thinking, we just have no idea who he or she is. -
Book Title: In the shadows of death
Author: Sourabh Mukherjee
Format: Paper Back
Total Number of Pages: 224
Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors
Publishing Date: 14th December 2015
Printed Price: INR 195
ISBN-10: 9382665579
ISBN-13: 978-9382665571
Book Title:
The title of the book 'In the shadows of death' gives a very easy guess that it might be a mystery or a thriller. To read something apart from a regular emotional story or a love story from an Indian author is very exciting.
Book Cover :
A very intriguing book cover that complements perfect with the book title.
Plot:
The book is a murder mystery thriller novel but with a distinct storyline. A serial psycho killer is on the verge of hunting the women to satisfy his sexual hunger and he targets married and matured women. After few murders, the detective who is the protagonist in the story works on the case and tries to unveil the face of the murderer.
Characters
Every character in the book is really very interesting and has a role to play in the story that unearths a new sub-story.
Narration
An absolute fantastic and excellent narration has been carried out by the author. The story is very well composed and the reader doesn't miss the flow at any point. A reader cannot find some dangling threads in the story that would make the reader irritated.
There are some really good points that are to be highlighted that almost none of the stories of this genre has ever done in recent times. One of those points is trusting someone whom we do not know with blind guts is not appreciated. Other point is the procrastinated and laid back attitude of some departments in our country's security system.
Language and Vocabulary
The language is at its best with no noted grammatical glitches and vocabulary is also up to the needed standards.
My Final Verdict—
Though I belong to the southern part of India, due to various things I have been a fan of Kolkata, the city's rich heritage and food since a long time. It's always a special feeling to read about this wonderful city.
And the best and exciting part is that 'I HAVE RECIEVED THIS WONDERFUL BOOK AS A SURPRISE GIFT WITH THE AUTHOR'S PERSONALISED LETTER'.
This review is written after almost two years of the book release, the main motive behind this is to encourage more people to grab a copy of theirs' and give a read.
Book title: 4/5
Book Cover: 3.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 5/5
Language and Vocabulary: 4/5
I personally rate the book 4 out of 5 -
A gripping suspense thriller that I totally loved. Agni Mitra is here to stay. Excellent plot, characterization, and build-up. The author's writing style is simple and that's why it appeals more. As a debutant crime writer, it is not easy to hold the attention of the reader all along! But Sourabh Mukherjee excels in his storytelling. I look forward to more thrillers from the author.
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Review Point: 3.75
Author: Sourabh Mukherjee
Publisher: Srishti Publishers
Genre: Fiction/Murder Mystery
ISBN: 978-93-83655-57-1
Edition: First, 2015
Page Count: 382
Platform
Sheetal Mehra who until few minutes ago was alive and working in an IT company, located at Kolkata, is suddenly no more. She is found dead in one of the official parties. Her husband Abhinav Mishra and other colleagues are the very first suspect of that murder. To solve the mystery of this unexpected murder, ACP Agni Mitra takes charge of this case and starting working upon with his assistant Arya. Meanwhile, Agni is also having a bitter taste in his personal life, as he is married to Megha. Agni holds both situations properly and proceed accordingly. Will he be able to solve the case? What can be the reasons of murder of Sheetal Mehra as she was naked in the toilet? What problems Agni will face while ablating the truth? How far he is from the actual truth? To know, go through In the Shadows of Death.
Strength of the Book:
Maintaining the curiosity of readers in every line, this book is knitted in very close manner of perfection. Step by step writer has revealed the things whenever required to keep the consistency through out the story. Character justification is properly done. Characters are given proper values as per requirement of the investigation of the case. Sharpness of Agni is really admirable. The way he concludes from the talks with suspects to solve the case is presented beautifully. At many points, writer has made characters alive. A girl dead at half naked state is very reporting work for readers which tie them to know whether she was raped or died during struggle to save herself.
Weakness of the Book:
Story runs of pace and leaves breath at mid. Much fluctuation can be seen. Also, the personal life of Agni could be depicted more beautifully as it appears as brief to entangle the situations of his professional life. Story starts with the scene of theme which is expected by readers in the later delivery of pages.
Conclusion:
The actual theme of the novel perfect suits to the title "In the Shadows of Death". Amazing suspense and thrill based this work raises admiration for the writer in the heart of readers. Though theme is so common but the way he has presented the characters and their role does not say that this is debut work by him. Writer is right to say that no matter how far we are educated and having well-knowledge and power, but if there is any who is narrow minded thinking, he will definitely make us feel shaken from inside. Beauty of the theme has given a light on the pity thing running in our society. Depicted well, the story is stated not only for engaging readers with suspense but also to bring at front a part of human which is never beneficial to human-kind in anyway. Besides, cover page could be attractive. Blurb is not that much impressive but the book is.
Reviewing Point:
3.75 out of 5
Review By:
- Kamal Paneru -
The New Year began and so did the Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2016. So I thought why not read something that I wouldn't normally read. So here I was, holding a copy of In The Shadows of Death: A Detective Agni Mitra Thriller.
And then it began, a murder mystery that led to more murders even before the murderer was found!
This was the first thriller that I read by an Indian author and he seems to have done a pretty good job.
Any tale should be able to deftly tie up the loose threads towards the end but here, Sourabh not only ties all loose ends but also gives the reins of the tale to the reader. But hold on! It is not before he has brought in twists and turns to his satisfaction.
A disturbed Officer with his own demons to fight at home is given the task of solving the mystery. In the process of finding the culprit, the professional task gets personal as the story progresses.
The psyche of the human mind has deftly been explored and explained, leaving the reader with questions about how some experiences of childhood leave a mark deep down in one's system, only to surface at the unlikeliest hour.
A book that I had picked up recently had left a bitter aftertaste and I was wary of typos and the language. But here was a book that was devoid of "sophisticated" words and yet conveyed so much!
Here's wishing Sourabh great innings in the field that he seems to be good at!
Author of the book:
Other books by the Author:
-Divya Nambiar
http://critiquedontcriticize.blogspot... -
After a pretty long time, I have read a murder mystery written by an Indian author which has kept me on the edge. Not only the book is a page-turner, but even the writing is impeccable. Very rarely u come across an Indian book which puts so much emphasis on characterization. A gripping and engaging suspense thriller!
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An excellent crime thriller novel, this one can indeed be called a 'work of art'. Excellent narrative, tightly wound and not "letting you off the hook" at all.
The novel is a murder mystery, entailing the adventures of Detective Agni Mitra, a brilliant police officer investigating a no-clues-found-on-the-scene murder of an adulteress wife, while coping with the emotional whirlwind of a failed marriage and a “shamelessly adulteress” ex-wife of his own.
Slowly, a pattern emerges- and he realizes that a serial-killer ‘punisher’ of adulteress wives is on the loose, who strangulates them on their sexual zenith!
The case becomes personal when the killer kills Agni’s adulteress ex-wife Medha as well, with her corpse “..revealing a bare breast.”
I was quite skeptical, to be honest, when I started this one. In my mind, it was "yet another guy trying to be Ravi Subramanyam or Arthur Conan Doyle".. I don't think I was ever happier to be wrong. Once I started this book, every doubt and apprehension went out of the window, and I finished this book in one sitting..
While the book is definitely a must-read, the story would have been better if the mystery of the killer lay a bit deeper, instead of being one-layered. Once the first link to the murderer was found, the story took a bit frantic pace to get to the conclusion..
This being a murder mystery, I don't think I'll be letting out some huge 'spoiler' if I say that I was rooting for the killer almost as much as I sympathized with the cop.. -
'In the shadows of death' is a thriller written by Sourabh Mukherjee.
This book is a well written page turner that has paced story line. The author has also kept the language of this book interesting and standard, away from dilutions. This book has almost no grammatical mistakes, a boon for an Indian author's work.
The story starts with an undressed woman lying dead in a toilet in Central Plaza hotel, while she was attending an office meeting there. Inspector Arya with ACP initiates the investigation process. Before the crime could be solved, the readers witness other murders. All these murders don't follow a pattern, making this story more gripping. As a reader, one is really captivated by this plot.
In the story, we witness how beautifully the author describes the point of view of the murderer. He provides various reasons for his killings. It is interesting in knowing his point of view.
Detective Agni Mitra portrays an interesting character in the story. The author has done a stupendous job in creating suspense and maintaining it throughout the book.
Some avid readers of this theme might find the ending predictive. There was also a need of doing a bit of more scientific investigation.
Cover and title
Full points for this part. The cover and title, both are dark and matching the story theme.
Kudos to Sourabh Mukherjee for writing this intriguing thrill masterpiece and Srishti Publishers for their commendable work.
More on: dipanshuwrites.blogspot.in -
I got this book from the publisher in exchange for honest review.The story is set in the city of Kolkata.The story starts when one monsoon night , a dead body is found.An undressed woman discovered dead in a toilet after an office party.The murder takes place at Central Plaza Hotel. Inspector Arya with Assistant Commissioner Of Police starts the investigation process.
The women was in a sitting posture,her back resting on the wall,her legs folded at the knees. Her face was contorted ,possibly with the pain her last moments had brought on her,part of her tongue hung out, and her large rimmed eyes almost popped off her pale but sharp featured face. That beauty was history now.
Statements are taken from Crescent employees .The CCTV Footages of people entering and leaving the hotel were checked .
The whole investigation takes a turn when more murders rock the city.
The book deals with issues like our inner devils destroying relationships we value, it looks at a city in the cusp of change and a generation struggling to come to terms with fast-changing ambitions and desires.
I like the superior writing style of the author. There are twists and turns.The characterization is done well. It kept me hooked till the end.
All together its a complete thriller and all those who like reading crime fiction novels, would love reading it. I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. -
About the story-
The story starts with the murder of Sheetal Mehra and proceeds towards the other similar cases of murders that Agni Mitra comes across. But, when the murders become too personal for Agni, his vengeance for the murdered leads him to every nook and corner of the Kolkata city. Every page of the book is full of mysteries and the story is indeed gripping, as stated in the blurb.
Writing and narration-
The writing style of the author is indeed gripping. The story is a page turner. The way all those mysteries has been created and all those murders have been expressed, is highly commendable. The language is easy going and is presented without any fluff. However, you may come across one or two grammatical or printing errors.
Title and cover-
Being a murder mystery, the title is highly catchy and captivating. It also gels well with the story. The cover page is attractive and beguiling. You would definitely want to know what the book has in store behind that cover.
My verdict –
The story is exciting and full of mystery. Once I indulged myself in the story, it was hard for me to leave the book. I wanted to know the murder the moment I read the first page. So, it indeed kept me hooked till the very end. The way the author has presented the story is appreciating. Without any fluff, this book demands a read. -
Please visit
http://guptakaushal.blogspot.in/2016/... to read the complete review of the book.
The book, In The Shadows Of Death, starts with a death scene and then the story continues in the quest to find the killer. The Police investigation is led by Agni Mitra, one of the finest at his work who starts putting everything in place, but just before he can announce the killer, other reports of deaths in a very similar fashion start popping up around the city. Agni Mitra, while jotting down the similarities in all these killings, also suffers a not-so-personal loss which agitates him further and his determination to find the killer only raises the bar. The killer on the other hand keeps on hand-picking his targets and finds the investigation developments against him interesting and takes it another level by playing mind games with Agni Mitra and the killings that he does become thought through, but soon Agni Mitra closes the loop on the killing pattern and is set to get hold of the killer. In the end, it's not about who wins, but the underlying message that the book has to share about the modern day relationships and the problems that they surface. -
What I liked in the book -
- There is no gore in the book. Though it is about gruesome murders, I am glad the author spared me the graphics.
- The murders don't seem to follow a pattern. It is random women getting killed with hardly any clues like finger prints, dna, lost items. Nothing. Nada. It looks difficult to crack the case.
- I liked the psychopath's ramblings throughout the book. He gives his reasons for killing the women. During the course, he feels the noose tightening and tries to put the duo off the trail.
- By the end of the book, the psyche of the killer is very clear. He paints a scary picture.
It is a good, light read and I could finish it in couple of hours. I would recommend the book to new readers, the ones who are not familiar with thrillers and want to check out the genre. It is also a good read for young readers.
Here's my detailed review -
http://www.kaapitimes.com/2016/02/in-... -
The story starts with an HR Person being murdered at a toilet after an office party, where all the guest are being held as a suspects, but what happens when such series are frequently repeated but a different crime scene with twist. Is there a serial killer on Loose ??? where Mr. Agni Mitra is all set to find the killer is the story all about
The best part of the book is it’s not gripping but interesting that as a reader I want to know what will happen in the next part. I loved Agni Mitra as a character. Even I loved the killer and the way author has described both the version makes it more interesting.
The flaws in the book is its predictable ending and I didn’t want the killer profile to be revealed so early. Apart from that I have no issues.
In The Shadows of Death – Case Solved!!!! ( go for it if you want murder thriller)
Ratings 4 out of 5 -
I always like Kolkatta in books and movies. And more so in crime/thriller books. I rarely leave indian crime fiction unread in hope that one day I will witness the rise and growth of one of the memorable characters. This book gives me same hope. The slowly unwrapping of the mystery and the very realistic Agni mitra kept me hooked to this book till the end. The human emotions explored here strike a chord with the reader. Do give this one a try !
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” In the Shadows of death” is a quite interesting book. The story is all set in Kolkata. The story begins with the dead body been found during an office Party. The lady was undressed and was found dead in toilet. Inspector Arya Sen also with Assistant Commissioner of Police... Read full review here
https://iwritenidhi.wordpress.com/201... -
Enthralling...!!! A new mystery unfolds at each page keeping the reader engrossed. The writing style is straightforward yet captivating.
Moreover, perfect twists and turns and correspondence between past and present served as an icing on the cake. Overall, it is a must read for all mystery lovers and for those who want to read some gripping story. -
This is an honest attempt and does most things right for a thriller. However I felt this could have been a lot better. There are few chapters in the book that are very well written but some chapters fall short that makes the writing seem hazy. I especially liked the fact on how the third person POV is changed to first person for the antagonist. The character building was right up to the point on this one. however I felt the professor character wasn't necessary and instead Agni himself would have the source of info and analysis. that way info dump through a third character would have been avoided and the protagonist would have many layers of complexity. The thriller element was right up to the point regarding the sequence but not the scenes themselves. Example when you almost expect a cat and mouse trial and escape at some point which could made the scene interesting there is none.. Also i felt the climax scene could have been done a lot better. Since the suspense is already revealed certain action could have been involved. Our ACP is more brains than brawn and a combination of both would have made the character more likable and interesting too. I also think the delusion part of a psychopath is explored really well and research really shows here. its a bonus that first person POV is used when in the mind of the antagonist. All in all I loved the potential in this book and this is a fine attempt at the thriller genre. Looking forward to read more from the Agni series.
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For a first time, this writing by the author is pretty decent. There are about few continuities that is not taken care of. And it was too obvious, probably because I read it in one sitting. However, the author doesn't stay in one scene expanding it more than needed. A very crisp writing indeed!
But!
1) Firstly, I could easily guess where the plot is going when I finished reading about 1/3rd of the book.
2) Secondly, why are these desi writers obsessed with writing in Bollywood style. Please do not restrict your imagination in your writing, such that one feels like reading Boolywood story's script. PLEASE!!
3) Finally, though the serial killer concept is the least touched plot and got me intrigued initially, I really really pity the way story shapes up, giving an explanation for the actions of a psychopath. And why should that reason always be a betrayal?? For God's sake, I really wish the writer gets out of this narrow thinking in his upcoming stories.
What should've been an offbeat story has been purposefully mended into something that would fit into Bollywood cliche. Not so impressed after finishing the book. -
3.5 stars
The book wasn't what I was expecting, it was much better than that. Going by some thrillers I have read by Indian authors, I was ready to be disappointed when I had started it. I started looking for plot-holes, over-dramafications, cliches and road-blocks, I won't say I didn't find any but the few I found don't count at all. So yeah, I enjoyed it.
It isn't a nerve-wracking thriller, that'll twist your senses, its just a plain fast-paced murder mystery aided with captive writing.
If you are looking for a fresh and groundbreaking plot this book isn't for you. It just another book in the same genre.
The overall plot of the book might sound like a classic thriller movie, with a hero and his sidekick, hunting a psycho killer, and it is. But it is narration that shoves life in passages and sequences. All the facts have been laid bare by the author lucidly so that you won't have to juggle around pages looking for clues.
In short, if you are free this weekend and want a decent and light read, grab it and feast on it.
