Book Review: The Disappearance of Sally Sequiera by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay

Blurb (as on Goodreads):

With its pristine beaches and clear turquoise waters, the picturesque hamlet of Movim in Goa seems like the perfect holiday spot for detective Janardan Maity and his friend Prakash Ray. But when the father of a local teenage girl receives a letter asking for a large sum of money in exchange for his daughter, Maity and Prakash find themselves in the thick of an unlikely mystery. For, they discover, the girl has not been kidnapped at all, and is safe and sound in her house.

As they begin to investigate, the duo encounter the mysterious characters who inhabit the tiny village, each hiding a secret of their own – not least the frail and shy Sally Sequeira, who keeps to herself but steps out at night to dance to the notes of a piano.

What truth does Movim hide? And how will Janardan Maity solve a crime that has not yet been committed?

The Disappearance of Sally Sequiera is a classic case of kidnapping. The girl has disappeared, there’s demand for Ransom with clear instructions about the drop etc. But how does a girl who is shy and somewhat “not normal” suddenly get kidnapped?

Sally suffers from a childhood trauma which keeps her confined to her home. She hardly knows anyone in the tiny, secluded Village of Movim in South Goa. These are the events that make Mr. Maity take interest in this case. That and the villagers don’t want the police involved.

Meet Mr. Janardhan Maity- a wonderful detective, smart, charming and somewhat impatient. He is everything any detective is, not a single feather out of place. As he goes into the depth of the story and looks for clues, he fails to notice that someone wants him dead too, for poking and prodding in his master plan.

The writing style is like any other mystery novel. I say that in a good way. It kept me engaged throughout the book. The book also gives us a healthy dose of Goa, its beauty, and serenity. The characters we meet along the plot are equally interesting and very, very suspicious.

The book has been narrated by Mr. Prakash Ray, friend to Mr. Maity, and this makes the story more interesting as he is naive and will force you to think of all the wrong questions.

The ending was a bit disappointing because a very big part of a Mystery is picking up clues and making vague guesses. The ending, however, takes us to a completely different reality.

Overall, the book kept me hooked throughout and was thoroughly entertaining.

Purchase Links:                           |Amazon Paperback|

**Huge thanks to Hachette India for the copy. All opinions are my own**