Anti-Social Network by Piyush Jha: A Review

Blurb: When college students across Mumbai are murdered one after another in gruesome ways, Inspector Virkar from the Crime Branch called in. As Virkar Investigates, he stumbles upon a ruthless gang of young, tech-savvy miscreants who use social networking sites and the Internet for blackmailing and sextortion. But how are the two cases linked? And who is the mastermind behind these killings?

As the case grows murkier, the computer-challenged Virkar finds himself greatly out of his depth, chasing a killer who always seems to be one step ahead, and a group that soon trains its sights on him. He must race against time to unmask the gang and to find the murderer before his reputation is ruined forever.

Thick with suspense and layered with grit, Anti-Social Network brings to you Inspector Virkar’s toughest case yet.

Verdict: ‘Anti-Social Network’ is the third successive book by Piyush Jha in the Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller series. Needless to say that the name and the cover complements each other and if the readers haven’t read the previous installments of the series, they won’t hesitate much before picking up this book to start with.

After completing the whole book readers are going to find the real cause of spotting a girl in the front cover holding a knife dipped in blood, though in middle the author was successful to distract his readers’ attention. A speedy thriller with a lot of surprise elements.

This book is a treat to those readers who are searching for a quality crime thriller. The way the author has narrated the whole story, is wonderful. Each and every chapter will open a few gates in the readers mind to solve the case and will block the previous one. Every character was introduced in the exact place and described in well-maintained words. No unnecessary description or no stretched scene which keeps the speed going. The way the author has divided the story im short and crisp chapters is appreciable.

The story unfolds in the streets of Mumbai, where Inspector Virkar was called from the Crime Branch to inspect unusual murders of college students. From the very first page the author catches the reader’s attention with his story telling style and efficiently framed plot. As Inspector Virkar finds a clue to reach out for the mastermind of the ‘Anti-Social Network’, readers will experience a same feeling along with the main protagonist. The author, like his previous novels, is able to keep the suspense till the end and haven’t left any clue for the readers to antedate the end.

This book is one of the best in its series but certainly not the best of its series. Comparing to its earlier parts, I would like to say that this book can be a bit better but it is definitely one of the best in its genre. I along with the fans of Inspector Virkar will wait for its next instalment.

Final Words: Piyush Jha has the ability to fasten his readers reading speed by his narrating style. The author will keep his reader on the edge of a knife while reading this book. Murder mystery at its best.

Title: Anti-Social Network
Author: Piyush Jha
Publisher: Rupa
Page Count: 193
My Rating: 4.5/5

Note: The book was received as part of Reviewers Program on The Tales Pensieve