Review: The Coin

The Coin

by 

Sandeep Sharma

Published: 2018

• Amazon: The Coin
• Goodreads: The Coin
• Pages: 164
• BOOK BLURB
• “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 the 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 is the murderer taking personal interest in Raunak? 
  Is there any other side of this coin or both the faces are just the same? 
  Welcome to the Brutal world!
• 
  
• MY REVIEW

The best part of this book is its plot. It is solid, concise and has just the right pacing. There are flashback scenes in the book that provides us with the back-story. The past and present sequences are arranged well which helps in building up the plot. So three solid stars for the plot. 

There are dialogues in the book that I found really compelling. They're like hidden gems that one has to be on the look out for.
"... The definition of human is wrong. We are just animals with a higher intellect. There's no difference between the wilds who are wandering outside and the one who is wandering inside in all of us."

The significance of the burnt coin and how it links the three major characters; their back-story is another highlight. The accounts of the murders, the unique way the serial-killer kills, then the corrosive and ugly side of human beings, the stronghold a person of influence has on others; there are a many intriguing facets to this story. I seriously wished I could give it a higher rating. 

The two points where this book loses its stars are the numerous syntax errors and the somewhat typified cast of characters. There are just so many mistakes in the writing. Tenses also keep changing. It got very distracting and rather annoying after a while. I really like the plots this author comes up with. They’re all atypical, slightly hatke is what I mean and I like that aspect. However, the poorly proofread book simply ruined my enjoyment this time. I would have made concession had this been a debut work but that is not so. Being that the author is not exactly new to writing, this indicated callousness. Even the book summary on the back cover has errors. 

The persona of the MC (Raunak) initially seems like the stereotypical genius detective with enough quirks that make him seem odd to his colleagues. We don’t get enough of a picture until later in the book as his persona is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the story. Now, this is not necessarily a misstep but it resulted in a lack of empathy, in my case. I felt detached almost to the point of being indifferent, even during the more sensitive episodes narrated here. 
The supporting cast is more or less overlooked; physical descriptions of most are (curiously) absent. The killer’s features are only described early on because it is essential for the plot.

Plot is really the back bone of Sandeep Sharma’s latest detective novel. With its fast pacing and intriguing reveals, it definitely showcases enough potential to keep one hooked.

My sincere thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

View my review on Goodreads