THE COIN BY SANDEEP SHARMA

TITLE- THE COIN

AUTHOR- SANDEEP SHARMA

NO:OF PAGES- 164

GENRE- THRILLER

PUBLISHERS- REDGRAB BOOKS AND ANY BOOK

FORMAT- PAPERBACK

About the book-

"Who likes sudden death?" That's the only question he used to ask before killing his prey. Random people are being abducted from the capital city, Delhi and are being killed mercilessly. Before killing, the murderer is reciting them a story, a story about a 9 year old child who saw the brutal side of the world at a very young age. All the stories are being recorded for the police department to see. 

Raunak Upadhyay, the police inspector who is handling the case, links the style of serial killing to a case he solved years ago. But the murderer of that case is in jail then who is following the footsteps?

Does the murderer want to convey something? Whose story is being recited? Why the murderer is taking personal interest in Raunak? Is there any other side side of this coin or both the faces are just the same.

My rating- ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

My review-

"We are born same but rules of the game for everyone of us is different. For everyone the struggles are different. Everyone is on a different level  but what makes us the same?- it is pain. Suffering is life and suffering is the only thing that keeps us moving." 

A serial killer is on the loose in the capital, a killer who seems to be walking in the footsteps of another murderer- they have the same style of murdering. The police is on it's toes to find this one out- the most capable inspector Raunak is entangled in this case for the killer seems to take personal interest in him. 

Who is the killer? Is he connected to Raunak? What's the motive behind all these murders? Is the murderer the one the police suspects or is he someone entirely different?

This is an absolutely indulging story right from the start where the murders are narrated. The journey Raunak embarks on to find the killer is filled with surprises. The story is mostly connected to Raunak and his childhood, with snatches of his early life. Also another story of a child is told who turns out to be the most important link in solving these murders. The best part of this novella is the ending where the readers are in for a surprise. Yes ,the ending seems to be a bit predictable, but the way it is executed is noteworthy.

The story conveys all kinds of emotions to the reader- suspense, confusion, empathy, love, praise for the intelligence of the characters, anger at certain points, it also reveals certain scientific inventions, the vulnerability of human beings and the cruel world which the characters had faced in their early childhood. This story takes the readers on a rollercoaster ride, with twists and turns at every point.

The only flaw in this book is the narration, where at times there are thoughts which are not well constructed, resulting in meaning something entirely different- also the book has a lot of spelling errors.

Apart from these minor flaws it is a great thriller, can be finished in one sitting and it is really difficult to keep it down.

Characters-

Raunak- he is the protagonist around whom the story revolves, the killer has a keen interest in him. He is the head-strong character who loves challenges and perhaps is even responsible for starting the chain of the murders. An intelligent investigator with a powerful yet difficult childhood, in this story he is shown the real side of life.

The antagonist- not naming him, because that would reveal the story partly. This person also had a troubled childhood which is somewhere connected with Raunak. A victim of the brutal world and puppet of another mastermind, the story takes it's turns with the revelations related to him.

Other characters are the ones involved in the crime or the ones solving it.

Writing style-

The writing style is lucid, easily comprehensible except for some places where the thought formation is inadequate. 

The story flows with a few deviations which are ultimately connected in the end. Also a few characters are lost during the course of the narration. However the suspense is held on till the end, though in the middle the plot seems to be given away- but that is where the twist lies.

A well structured story which gives the chills, an absolute page turner it is.

I would recommend this to all the thriller lovers- you will be in for a surprise, the plot everytime will leave you wondering what just happened. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you Sandeep Sharma for a copy of this book in exchange on an honest review.

About the author-

He is the best selling author of The Coin and Let the game begin!, is well known for his unusual plots and unexpected story-lines. He is currently working on his start-up venture named 'Author Paradise' that works for the benefit of authors to provide them well organized online and offline publicity. By education, he is a civil engineer. he is very passionate about writing and has been writing in his blog for 8 years, some of his short stories have also been made into short movies.