Yes, Robert Galbraith (the name under which J.K. Rowling pens her detective series Cormoran Strike) may rule the roost now but here is Max Clearwater from an Indian author, who is sure to give competition.

As a reader, I guess, I have the right to say that here is a police inspector from an Indian author who can easily create a stir in the literary world, just like Feluda and Kakababu and Byomkesh Bakshi did in their days.

Am I going too far in making such a comparison? Somehow I don’t think so.

Max Clearwater really did get to me and I can’t wait to read the next instalment now.

First things first—Max Clearwater is an aged police inspector who is badly craving for a vacation. He has been working nonstop since the time he joined the police force and he has never taken a day off for himself.

Just as he decides that the time is ripe for the overdue vacation, he is given the reins of an alarming crime.

Mayoral candidate, the popular and lovable, Alex declared in a public speech that he had kidnapped a little girl, the news of whose murder had taken the society by storm.

Alex had just been just saying something about a secret society that was behind the kidnapping and the murder when Alex himself was shot.

Alex is unconscious; he may or may not survive and Max has to find out all he can about this whole mystery, this secret society.

But this secret society has been in operation for millenniums. Will it be so easy to get to the root of this case? That is for the readers to find out.

There are loads of things that I love about this novel so I’ll just list them one by one.
1) The plot—it’s absolutely delightful, though I hate the ending and I need to get hold of the next volume as soon as possible. Mr Author, are you listening? I need the next book so hurry up and finish the second book quickly.
2) Indians as a whole has this distrust for the police force. And characters like Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi are all private investigators. But here the central figure is a police inspector. I think this will create a positive image for the police force as a whole. This was a good decision that the author took. It certainly makes his character stand out from the crowd.
3) The character of Zaleema, or Z. Oh man, is she evil! May I dare say, a lady Voldemort! I love her...or I love to hate her...both works. A woman has never been so crazy evil before this and so all-powerful and adept.
4) Max and Jones and Julie make such a cool and kickass trio. Will this trio really be broken? I so hope not. Have to find out in the next volume. Sigh!
5) Max Clearwater...well, is the man who makes it all happen. How could I not love him? He is so normal and still he is the best.

So yeah, loved the first book in the series and waiting for the next one with my fingers crossed.

(Reviewed by Priya Das)