Book Review # 137 The Speaking Stone : Ratnadip Acharya

Blurb:

Mumbai, December 2016: A young man found an ancient-looking piece of stone with strange images and Sanskrit inscriptions. A quest to know the origin of the stone brought him to the distant part of the country. Chandannagar, December 2016: A young vivacious historian woman read an old book on a century-old secret story about a little known part of the country. Her curiosity got the better of her as the book disappeared mysteriously before she could complete it. She reached a sleepy quaint state of the country to satiate her curiosity. Eventually they both met and their search began from the city museum to a far-flung rock mountain which revealed a century-old story of a seductive danseuse, her enigmatic lover, a string of her admirers, a painter with a photographic memory, a bird that could speak in many voices, a benevolent king and a gruesome conspiracy. And the most important clue to decode the final secret was with the missing part of The Speaking Stone But in the process of unearthing old secrets their lives were also in danger… To know more read... The Speaking Stone

My Take:

A beautifully crafted book. The research and the depth of the thinking is very prominently highlighted. Jumping from the busy Mumbai to Chandannagar to Tiripura to Unakoti this one is simply unputdownable.

Saikat chances upon a stone with a seller and on a whim buys the half stone. The stone has depictions of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and  a beautiful lady and a few Sanskrit words written.Curiosity piqued he starts observing it carefully and tries locating the place where these could be found. A few descriptions from the seller and he decides to solve the mystery by finding the other stone which has the remaining set of clues.

Shuvashini is interested in history and culture and wishes to do her PhD in the same. But after being snubbed by the mentor and determined to prove her wrong she visits the library and picks a book on Rajmala.Only to not find it the next day. She starts reading about Tripura and decides to visit the city for more research.

When they both meet and start exploring the city and musuem they get more clues and set for an adventure of finding the treasure. But there are people who have found them suspicious and are on their trail .The adventure begins . Will they be able to crack the mystery? Or it gets lost forever? Read to find out.

The story jumps between the past and present and yet maintains the rhythm which is commendable. The narration is smooth with minute detailing taken care of. The author has finesse.The story is fast paced with lots of twists and turns that keep you engaged till the end. All the characters are intelligently created and brought together to get the bigger picture.Elements of history, fantasy,mystery, thrill and suspense are well balanced.

Pick this and enjoy the mystery unveil. Waiting for the next one.

I would rate this 4.7/5 .