Dead Air

A very well written suspense thriller by my friend Dr Biju James. Easy flowing language. The Plot is great and one is curious to know what happens next. Some of the scenes are described in vivid and graphic detail almost macabre. In the end things happen very fast and leaves the reader a bit dazed. Overall a gripping hair raiser.

When I picked up Dead Air, it was because of the intriguing blurb. Following the life of a washed-up journalist Vikram who finds a new found interest in a brutal murder case, Dead Air tends to tackle a variety of related issues in one packed thriller.Vikram Shetty is a fascinating main character through whose eyes we basically follow the whole story. A critical character arc for sure, he made some interesting choices throughout the book. Giving us a glimpse into his backstory was a great choice. What I enjoyed about him was how his character developed throughout the story and slowly got back on his feet. His boss was a great person too, and I was very intrigued by his assistant.To talk of the plot here would be difficult in the sense that there is a lot to unpack. The author takes three themes of the class hierarchy in the country, the threats of the digital world and the dangers of power in this book, and molds it into an explosive thriller. From the beginning, the author uses a sense of doom and misery – narrated in a form of anonymity – that creates a perfect suspense and sets up the story. There was a sense of rush towards the end which complimented well with the nature of the story.From the way it was written, the amount of research gone into details was pretty evident. The author has an easy-to-read writing style. The story was pretty easy to follow and keeps the suspense intact, making me as a reader intrigued to move to the next page to find out the secrets.However, I cannot overlook a few things that bothered me as a lover of thriller and as a reader. The author’s use of the extra anonymous scenes – as a form of commentary – was good up until one point. After a certain point, they revealed the secrets out too early and pulled out the excitement from the end of the book. Because instead of keeping it a mystery and unfolding in a big climax, I felt as if the twists were given to us very early on.At the same time, I wish there was more focus on the character’s individual self. I would have loved to see more scenes of Vikram in solitary, more of him in his past, scheming, writing, dealing with his grief. It was a big downer for me when his past was revealed in one big dialogue instead of showing to us the event gradually as the plot developed. This also brings me to my personal issue with dialogues in the book. I felt like most of the story happened through dialogues – too long dialogues broke the flow for me in between. The story was fast paced, no doubt, but a little set back into serene moments would have been a great balance.Overall, I did have a good time reading this book. It kept me at the edge and I liked that the author didn’t shy away from including hard topics in it. The author has a vivid and wide imagination, which is brought forth through the words. I’m looking forward to the next stories and what they will bring to the table.

Well written story. Equal measures of suspense, modern technology, twists and…blood and gore! The author’s medical knowledge and local Bangalore setting was an added interest for me.

It's one of the finest novels I read in recent past. I read this Gripping and informative book in one read..Must be made into a movie and I'm waiting for more books from the author....

Full of suspense, unexpected twists, futuristic crimes and a lot of Bangalore….The books is well written…Enjoyed the book!

From the very first page,'Dead Air' takes off at a splendid pace.All characters are well-portrayed and unique.Highly recommended for those who like thrillers.Great going Biju James! Awaiting your next book soon.

One of the best thrillers I have read in a long time, especially from an Indian writer. The Indian authors too can churn out spine-chilling thrillers like this one here by Biju C James. Can there be a perfect crime? Can there be a 'Dead Air?' Can a criminal commit the goriest of gory crimes and still leave no evidence behind? When Investigative Journalism meets digitilization and the topic of Cybersecurity comes up -- that's when the books like 'Dead Air' are written, and read.Filled with interesting twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, 'Dead Air,' gives you one message -- Anything that can be hacked is waiting to be hacked!

Tanya Khanna, a drop-dead gorgeous supermodel with hazel eyes, high cheekbones, and a captivating personality, is found brutally murdered in her posh apartment. It seems like a perfect crime, for there are no clues, no security footage, no DNA evidence, and yet the apartment is fully bathed in blood and gore. The police are baffled. It seems like a crime committed by an apparition, for no human can vanish without a trace.Vikram Shetty, a journalist once known for his fearless and edgy journalism, but whose career is headed towards a steady decline, is reluctantly forced to cover the story. For his editor knows that only a man of Vikram’s caliber can make some sense of this bewildering mystery.But after weeks of persistence, Vikram too is none the wiser. Just when he is about to give up all his hopes, faced as he is, with the same set of challenges as the police, there comes a person who can help Vikram unravel the mystery.The plotThe plot of Dead Air is multi-layered and non-linear, which is always a good thing when it comes to thrillers. The mystery is revealed to us in layers, giving some, while teasing some more, making sure that the readers know there’s more where it came from. As the pages turn, the mystery thickens, connecting the past with the present, and intertwining the fate of the many characters.What works well?One thing that works quite well in Dead Air is the way it connects crime to power, and technology to money. Not intending to reveal much here, I would simply ask the readers to take one good look at the book cover. Maybe, you’ll get the hint.

Very well-written, gripping contemporary thriller, taking you through the updated world of what the internet is. The characters are interesting and admirable. You can identify with them easily. The plot is intelligent. Throughout there is an evocative, accurate potrayal of Bangalore - one of those rare books, set in India as it is and not just the India of slums and poverty.

A very well written gripping thriller. Author’s story telling is great with many twists in the plot which keeps u on the edge.Overall a very good read set in modern day Bangalore

Fast paced. Keeps you on the edge. Once you start reading you are drawn into this intricate uncanny plot which keeps having mysterious turns. One of those you might not want to put down till you finish.Well researched characters, locations and plot.Set in modern day Bangalore. If you ever been to Bangalore it is a must read .