Title: Heartquake

Author: K. Vijaykarthikeyan

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Publication date: 20 July 2019

Rating: 4/5⭐

Blurb (as on Goodreads) :

An IAS officer’s tale of survival against all odds.

Once upon a time there was a city plagued by greed, corruption and mysterious deaths…

A patriotic IAS officer, Vikram, decides to expose a corrupt and powerful minister, Rudra Pratap Rana (aka RPR), during the latter’s visit to the IAS training academy. The video of Vikram asking the minister some highly embarrassing questions in front of a packed auditorium goes viral.

Instead of having Vikram suspended from service, a vengeful RPR unleashes violence on the officer’s family, and to continue the torture, RPR gets Vikram posted as the sub-divisional magistrate in Laxmipur—the politician’s backyard.

As soon as Vikram joins duty, RPR resumes his vengeance. However, a new drama unfolds when a large number of people start dying of heart attacks across Laxmipur. As Vikram tries to unravel these mysterious deaths with the help of Veda, a cardiologist, and Raghu, a police officer, extreme panic grips the city, which soon leads to riots and pandemonium. Vikram is left with no other choice but to risk his life to get to the bottom of this mind-numbing situation.

Join Vikram in this fast-paced thriller as he fights to save Laxmipur from HEARTQUAKE

My Take:

Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect this book to be this good, but with a completely unique plot line, this book did surprise me to a different level. I liked the simple and to the point narrative style of the author.

I see the incidents and the situations stated in this book as a reflection of what’s happening in our society. The author had very realistically presented what a powerful politician like RPR is capable of and to what extent they can go to secure their position and power.

RPR was a perfect fit for an antagonist. Vikram’s character was set as a fine example of an honest IAS officer. I liked how he stood against all the odds and didn’t back down on any situation, unlike his friend who was also an IAS officer.

The details and information the author had shared about telemedicine have given a clear idea of what it is all about. Even thinking about the possibilities of the effects mentioned in this book because of the misuse of this medical advancement is terrifying.

The romance part between Vikram and Veda was neat. The suspense element carried throughout the book kept me hooked until the very end. I wish this book could have few more extended chapters and be told in a bit slower pace. Also, I felt that the title could’ve been better. Overall it’s a good read.

I would like to thank Vandana Choudhary, founder of VInfluencers for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Purchase Link: Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback