Decapitated By Mantha Pavan is a serial killer investigation thriller with all the gripping aspects.
“Only God has the power to take life. I am doing that duty. I am God!”
With a book cover that is startling, evocative of horror and tension and signals at the danger that is lurking just right round the corner, Decapitated is symbolic of the spirit that is unwilling to give up against the odds that life throws at it, shuns the idea that there are dead ends despite having to chase the red herrings constantly and stands for the deep seated desire to provide hope in the face of hopelessness by healing trauma and sharing the loss of lives.
Spine chilling incidents irradiate the essence of this thriller that keeps readers on the edge, struggling for breath and screaming for help when a serial killer is on the chase and hard to pin down. Filled with suspense and full of blood curdling, gory scenes and deadly incidents, this novel is a must read for those who enjoy thrillers, suspense novels and murder mysteries.
Regardless of the lovers of these genres, it can also still be enjoyed by other readers too who are avid fiction lovers. Yet, unlike usual murder mysteries or thrillers, the twist in the plot comes with the fact that the real drama is not in the chase of the suspect as he is already caught after a short chase and is in the custody of the police.
The real suspense begins with the fact that there is nothing to prove the suspect guilty. It seems like a dead end, yet the police officer who was on duty on the night of the murder cannot erase the sights that he had to take in while he was on patrol. ASP Darpan’s horrifying experience may add to the plot but at the initial stage there are more questions than answers which brings readers to the ultimate question:
Will ASP Darpan be able to solve this case and within the time frame that is required to mete out justice to the people who have suffered loss of loved ones and continue to mourn them?
Will ASP Darpan be able to put an answer to eyes that look up to him as the sole saviour?
While the plot is interesting in and of itself, the characterisation is key to bringing out the intricacies of the plot. This includes the central character of ASP Darshan who is not portrayed as a demi God but a human who is having to fit himself in absurd roles which bring about the idea that he is having to play God to some extent.
This runs parallel to his own existential angst and despair that comes with the mystery of having to solve blood curdling crimes. Yet, he is not shown to be someone who is other worldly or performs feats that are beyond human capacity. On the contrary, ASP Darshan is intelligent, smart and hardworking. He works tirelessly to bring about a solution to an otherwise unsolvable crime case. It is his chivalry, ardour and charisma that gives an edge to the plot.
He is quite literally the driving force of the novel. Otherwise, the plot is not scattered with too many characters which keeps the limelight on ASP Darshan and allows the plot to unfold from his perspective of a learned, responsible and honest police officer for most of the novel.
Apart from this, the writing style is easy to follow but has several twists and turns that helps to uphold the suspense of the plot. The vocabulary is moderately difficult but the entire book is clearly not a book for beginner level readers who may find it difficult to keep up with the extremes of suspense and the gory nature of the plot. It is clearly not a book for the faint hearted because there are points when the suspense and the murderous events just seem to haunt the reader’s mind.
The pace of the novel is a mix of moderate to moderately fast and for most of the time it oscillates between these two but may seem to slow down a bit especially before the rapid plot twists. Coming to the dialogues, they are the key to bringing out the thought process, work habits, and idiosyncrasies of the characters and helps to explain the inner workings of the character’s minds.
This helps to bring the characters closer to the reader who feels connected and will go through several moments when they feel that they may have solved the mystery before the character is able to only to be dodged further into an abysmal dungeon of never- ending mysteries that seem to be cooking up and brewing with each page of the novel.
Dialogues in this novel often raise issues or questions that may have not occurred to the reader as well. Most importantly, dialogues influence the reader, present contrasting views. This helps sustain the multiple climaxes of the novel and makes for a gripping read.
Book: Decapitated
Author: Mantha Pavan
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing (2022)
Total Pages: 226
Reviewed By: Tasnima Yasmin
