Ranjana Joshi created perfection. Crime, mystery, thrill, ass-kicking— it was all involved in this novel starring Arya Sarkar as a detective. The flow of ‘The Crimson Party’ was very smooth and easy to keep up with. There was so much excitement in each sentence written that it kept enchanted for the entire length of the novel. Arya is this super intelligent detective assigned to solve the case of Aditya’s disappearance. As I was reading her perspective, I could actually imagine the scene unfolding in front of my eyes. The language of the book was not complicated at all which made it even easier for me to follow the plot. As brilliant and skillful Arya was, she was also stubborn to a fault. This led to an almost burnout for her, but it was admirable how quick she came back to her senses. And Sid— Sid was Arya’s friend and the most adorable character, next to his dog, of course. Arya and Sid’s friendship is one thing more that kept my spirits alive when reading the book.
The thing I loved about Ranjana Joshi is that she created the plot to perfection. Each and every character had a well planned backstory which gave even more life to the book. Even the characters who were guilty blended in so well with everyone that it kept the reader guessing till the end. I will admit I had many theories in my mind as the book proceeded, but the more I felt like I was gravitating towards the truth, the more the plot thickened. It almost feels like music that leads you into the unknown— the faster you chase the end, the farther it becomes, yet you cannot stop listening, or in this case, reading. The action scenes, the combats and fights— they all deserve a compliment because, and I’ve said already, I could imagine everything playing out like a movie. I would also like to admit defeat, because I could not guess the offender. Even though my guess wasn’t very far off, it was not on point, either. Conclusively, The Crimson Party is a must-read for all those who are fans of a kick-ass heroine, her companion best friend and swoon-worthy puppies (love you, Simba). Oh, and somebody please pass me the address to Kuldeep’s restaurant, please!
By Bhumika Rawat