#Review: Death in Shambles by Stephen Alter

Death in Shambles
Author: Stephen Alter
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Rating: ⅘

An unforced homespun mystery that comprises lively characters and an intriguing plot, this double murder suspense will surely keep you hooked till the very end. The premise of the story is who-dun-it and it primarily follows IPS officer Lionel Carmichael’s intervention in a double murder that stuns the small town of Debrakot. While Lionel hasn’t seen a case of this sort throughout his career, he is up for the challenge even when the quest to find the culprit might put him in the killer’s crosshairs.

Everybody seems to be hiding one thing or another, and the investigations yield enough suspects to keep readers guessing. The narrative unspools smoothly and steadily, matching the recreational pace of the quaint setting of the hills, leaving time for enjoyable character-defining dialogue and some nerve-wracking moments of pure surprise. Despite inevitable blemishes in the form of verbose writing in some chapters, this is a truly indispensable story. Lionel’s character is well-defined and his eagerness to crack the case involving the death of two people belonging to the opposite strata of society is palpable.

The author successfully brings forth the irrelevance of occult practices adopted by the small-town people and highlights how stereotypes and myths breed hatred that cannot be bridged by any other emotion. He also brings forth the nuances of online operations that hold so many secret webs in the garb of easy process. Hence, overall, this murder mystery, about a Godman and his follower, is interesting and offers twists and turns at the right moment. The ending was predictable for me but the wait was worth all the time spent.

Best wishes to the author!

Buy this book from here: Amazon