The Mussoorie Murders: two murders 60 years apart…

Author: Divyaroop Bhatnagar

My Rating: 3/5 ^{(*have a look at my rating scale here)}

Mussoorie, the queen of hill stations in India, has always been an inspiration for many stories, legends and folk tales. Be it Ruskin Bond and his musings or its hauntings, Mussoorie has never lost its old world charm. The two murders that happened 60 years apart (1909 & 1973) and their connection is the premise of this 208 pages novel-“The Mussoorie Murders” by Divyaroop Bhatnagar. What I missed in this novel is quintessential Mussoorie of that era. The atmosphere, the vibe of the place where the entire story happens, is missing. I found the pace of the novel very slow. The initial back and forth story line were confusing at times and created disconnect.

Usually the detective of a story makes it immortal… be it Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Miss Marple, Feluda or Byomkesh Bakshi. One can forget a story but not its detective and their eccentricities and whims. To my disappointment, the character of Avijit Sikdar was not built to great details. What one most wants in such detective stories is the connect with the detective. Here I missed the connect. I hope the author lets his reader know more about Avijit Sikdar in his future works.

The story line was simple and I admit I could get a hint to the solution to the mystery by page number 156.

The cover of the book says that this novel is ‘soon to be adapted on screen’.  I hope that the mystic Mussoorie of the 1900 and 1970s, the two murders that happened in those times, and the detective who solved these mysteries are cinematographically enriched on screen.