Silent Fires | Poojitha Prasad | Book Review

Author: Poojitha Prasad
Publisher: Notion Press (9 February 2021)
Language: English
Paperback: 220 pages

It’s been quite some time since I read a gripping and hard-hitting story. A story that kept me on the edges and pulled me straight into it. A story that had more substance and preciseness that could go on raving about!

Silent Fires by Poojitha Prasad is a mystery thriller set around a hotshot celebrity Arun and his wife, Shravya’s, sudden disappearance. It also takes into account the lives of two brothers – Ashish and Manav – who are poles apart. Several theories are put on the table, many people involved, dynamics of relationships explored along with touching surfaces of existing gender biases. And while one keeps guessing and arriving at conclusions regarding the mystery case, the truth comes stomping its feet, leaving one baffled.

Right from the start, the author has set the perfect tone for the book. It’s racy, intriguing, and good enough for the reader’s mental gymnastics. Be it well-sketched characters or power-packed writing, the story does hold its reader’s attention. What I certainly enjoyed about this book is its atmospheric writing, rich with precise expressions and vivid description. I also loved the development of the plot, full of unexpected twists and turns.

I always enjoy a well-conceived and well-written mystery thriller. It takes a certain flair to pen down a story that makes one jolt out of their reveries. Silent Fires had a similar effect on me. I truly appreciated how subtly it points to domestic abuse, toxic relationships, gender biases, and patriarchy. Through the stories of its characters, the story sends out a message – a woman is not meek. Once they realise their power, you simply cannot knock them down.

A noteworthy line from the book goes like this – Not every fight is your fight. Some are mine and I can choose how I want to handle them.

Replete with drama, entertainment, love, betrayal, friendships, mystery, Silent Fires would surely prove to be a roller-coaster ride. It is notably one of the best thrillers coming from an Indian author.

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