Book of Thrillers: A quick delightful indulgence

Book: The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers (Anthology – various authors)
Genre: Thriller
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Readomania

If you’ve been reading my posts here, you’ll know that short stories are my new-found love. Yeah yeah I know, I’m late to the party, however, I’m well on my way to rectifying the situation. As part of forging a deeper friendship with this genre, I picked up the Book of Thrillers.

On offer is a set of 15 stories by various authors, some haunted some not, but thrillers all.

I loved that I could read the book in bite-sized pieces and come away with my spine atingle or simply blown away by the beauty of the writing.

The standout stories for me were those told in the first person, some by unusual and/or unreliable narrators. That’s the kind of narrative I enjoy the most because it adds an extra layer of mystery leaving the reader to distil fact from imagination or fabrication. It lends itself exceptionally well to the thriller genre.

Black by Dr Alpana Das 

is the one I’d pick as my absolute favourite for its amazingly creative symbolism. It tells the story of a young girl, sidelined by society simply for being a girl. Her frustration and longing for a more fulfilling life is expressed so well here:

Though I had a tight rein on my dreams, sometimes they slipped.

She’s constantly silenced until finally, she decides to take things into her own hands leading to a sinister end. I loved the unusual use of black and white and all that the two colours stand for — white losing its purity along the way and black becoming the colour of comfort, of safety.

Hartoli’s Duty by Suchita Agarwal 

should be read for its most unusual setting. That image of a man ferrying dead people sets the stage for a dark and thrilling experience. The story doesn’t disappoint weaving in an unexpected twist.

One Night by Tarang Sinha 

touched a nerve, with both my children at the edge of college, it was only too real. I hope every youngster has someone who tells them that:

…. sometimes, even hard work is not enough. You don’t get what you want; nothing changes, no matter how hard you try.

The Silver Anklet by Harshita Nanda

though a spooky revenge story, remains a poignant tale of lost love.

The Fields by Nirmiti Narain

is recommended for the most unusual narrator and a gorgeous description of the lush fields.

The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers fits the bill if you’re looking for a quick and easy read for the scary season.

Buy the book here.

This review is powered by the Blogchatter Book Review Programme. I received a copy of the book for an honest review.