Skip to main content

Love, Lies and Lust: Death in the Darkness by R Radhakrishnan

 Love, Lies and Lust: Death in the Darkness by R Radhakrishnan | Book Review

Love, Lies and Lust: Death in the Darkness by R Radhakrishnan

"Love, Lies and Lust: Death in the Darkness" by R. Radhakrishnan is a gripping crime thriller set in the heart of Mumbai. The story begins with the mysterious death of Ranjit Desai, a respected corporate professional and a mentor to slum children.

This story revolves around Ranjit Desai, a simple quadragenarian—a poet and an interior designer. His loving wife, Sushma Desai, and their children are settled in Pune. Sushma is more successful in her career, which led her to stay back in Pune when Ranjit moved to Mumbai. He visits his family every weekend, but on weekdays, he leads a solitary life.

In the same residential community lives Alka Shinde—a painter, a mother, an independent corporate professional, and a widow. Alka lost the love of her life to cancer three years ago. To the world, she appears strong, but within, she carries an unspoken loneliness. Loneliness is life’s cruellest irony, and it is this irony, combined with their shared creative spirits, that brings Ranjit and Alka closer. What begins as friendship soon deepens into love. And as Rumi says, one cannot hide love. Eventually, their bond becomes known to everyone.

Sushma travels to Mumbai to confront the situation and decide the course of her life. That very night, after dinner, Ranjit goes for a walk and mysteriously disappears into the night.

Inspector Joshi, a once-brilliant cop now struggling with his own demons, takes on the case. As he digs deeper, he uncovers a dangerous conspiracy involving powerful people who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. Joshi’s journey is not just about solving the case—it’s about finding redemption for himself. The suspense builds with every chapter, and the twists keep you guessing till the very end.

What touched me most was how the story highlights Ranjit’s quiet efforts to help the city’s underprivileged children. Despite his flaws, his heart was in the right place, and that made his disappearance even more heartbreaking. Alka and Sushma, despite being caught in a difficult situation, show remarkable strength and grace, making their characters feel real and relatable.

The novel beautifully contrasts Mumbai’s glittering high-rises with its dark underbelly, showing the harsh reality behind the city’s glamour. Radhakrishnan's writing is sharp yet descriptive, and he has a keen sense of pacing that heightens the suspense. As the story unfolds, readers find themselves entangled in a complex web of deception, love, lust, and deadly secrets.

R. Radhakrishnan’s writing is detailed and immersive, making you feel the tension in every chapter. The way he describes the investigation, the power struggles, and the hidden crimes feels real and intense.

Overall, the story isn’t just about solving a murder—it also sheds light on the lives of street children and how they become victims of a cruel system. This added layer makes the book more than just a thriller; it’s a reflection of society.

Purchase Love, Lies and Dust here.

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. 

#Bookishlife2022_ #OpinionMatters #loveliesanddust #bookrecommendations #books2read #A2ZChallenge2025 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

For any query, do message me. I will surely try to resolve at my earliest.

Popular posts from this blog

Taming the Turbulent Mind: Yogic Meditation and Mindfulness by Deekay

 Taming the Turbulent Mind: Yogic Meditation and Mindfulness for Combating Overthinking, Achieving Stress Relief, and Attaining Absolute Peace  Deekay | Book Review What is turbulence? Any thoughts, or have you ever tried to tame any animal? I remember watching circus shows organised once a year in the city's open area for all the locals to enjoy. There I used to cherish the person who tamed the elephants or the lion (if any). But today I thought of taming my mind. Every second our thoughts are randomly moving and giving us goosebumps. Nowadays people have so many threads of work looming in their minds that they feel like completing but fail to prioritise. To dive into a river is not easy. But only a few people have the calibre to do that. The same is true with diving in your mind. This practice needs calmness of mind and anxiety levels to be very low. I had heard about meditation and its techniques to apply in your daily routine, but when I stumbled upon this book, my myths w...
23 comments
Read more

The Health And Wealth Paradox: How to Use First Principles Thinking to Achieve Both Ankush Datar , Mihir Patki

 The Health And Wealth Paradox: How to Use First Principles Thinking to Achieve Both  Ankush Datar ,  Mihir Patki | Book Review Investing is known as an interdisciplinary practice, but we would say so is health. In fact, the principles of health and wealth are so deeply intertwined that no one can learn from either discipline and apply the lessons across both. This book dives deep into the timeless link between smart investing and healthy eating. The book improves on complex subjects like smart dieting, wellness schedules, and monetary preparation. The creators draw matches between wellness and money, showing how standards like compounding apply to both. Their recommendations are commonsense, feasible, and grounded in private insight, making them simple to connect with and follow. This book is a straightforward, simple way to deal with setting your well-being and funds up. It's a very fun read stacked with significant counsel. The writers work hard at building trust by sh...
23 comments
Read more

The Psychology of Marketing: How Marketers Trick Us Into Buying More by Harinder Singh Pelia

 The Psychology of Marketing: How Marketers Trick Us Into Buying More by Harinder Singh Pelia | Book Review Marketing is such an in-depth concept that it always transitions according to consumer preferences. The extent to which marketers go to sell their products will blow our minds away, as money comes first rather than people's needs. Even the bare detail that hints at our desires is manoeuvred to boost sales figures, often overshadowing the genuine connection between a brand and its audience. This relentless pursuit of profit can lead to practices that prioritise persuasive tactics over transparency, leaving consumers feeling manipulated rather than empowered. sales. How to make money might be in our control, but how money goes out of our pocket might not be, as psychology is in cohesion with marketing. Harinder Singh Pelia’s “The Psychology of Marketing” is all about how marketing creates a bond with the audience, thus tricking the audience into dwelling deep into purchasing th...
22 comments
Read more