Chhimi Tenduf-LA, the Sri Lankan author of repute, has given the readers a domestic thriller that’s a ‘can’t put it down’.
Written in a present-past-present-past-present format, the book travels between 2025 and 2007 effortlessly. It starts with kidnapping of a boy in 2024. Goes back to the childhood of the boy’s mother in 2007. It goes back and forth keeping the reader guessing. And it also, almost, forces the reader to go to last pages and start reading the book in reverse! Reason being the complicated backstories that make you so curious that you quickly want to know what’s the end, who’s the culprit and is the child found.
Author is from Sri Lanka, so he has vividly sketched out the locations of his country. The city clubs, lodges, homes and the countryside, forests; everything. You almost picturise it and the story moves like a film in front of your eyes. He does the same with UK when he describes the pubs or countryside.
As you keep reading and going back ’n’ forth in time, you realise that there are many who have a reason to capture Devin, the child of Neja and Ramesh. As each character is introduced, one is intrigued by the convoluted personality of each one. Be it Ramesh’s extremely powerful mother, or Devin’s swimming coach who’s having affair with Neja, or the British High Commission employee who is not what she appears to be; each one has defined characteristics which force you to think about their backstories. Some have them, some don’t.
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Chhimi successfully keeps us guessing about who has a better reason to harm the child or the couple. It’s clear within first 40 pages that the child is not kidnapped for a ransom but there’s a bigger and more dense play on.
While the plot is captivating, the continuous back n forth after just two or three pages kind of unnerves you somewhere mid-book. Despite the interest you keep the book down for a while, only to return to it a little later.
The twists and turns in the plot are enthralling. Especially the revelation at the end about how there were more than one people involved in the kidnapping. It is riveting to know the reason behind it. The final twist when Neja is sent to jail for no fault of hers is a little heart-breaking because by then you have started sympathising with her.
Language of the book is lucid. It’s obvious that the author has a good sense of humour when you read his acknowledgements, especially the end. And I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Book: A Hiding To Nothing
Author: Chhimi Tenduf-LA
Publisher: Hachette India
Pages: 320
Price: Rs 599
