Door No 13 by Salome Nirmal

My Rating - 3 out of 5 stars

Publisher - Astitva Prakashan

Genre - Mystery
Publishing year - 2024
Language - English
ISBN - 978-93-5838-407-9
Pages - 164

Book Review - 

I recently finished Door No 13, a mystery novel by Salome Nirmal. This is the author's second book, and while the cover might initially suggest a horror story, the contents reveal a mystery instead. 

The novel takes us to a residential society in bustling Mumbai, where a murder shakes the community and leads to the arrest of three unlikely suspects: Samara, Akira, and Gautham.

Samara is an introverted IT professional who has recently relocated from Chennai to Mumbai, seeking a fresh start. She resides in the Mayflower Apartment, where she becomes friends with Akira and her young daughter, Nila.

On the other hand, we have Gautham, a doctor with a tainted reputation due to a mysterious incident from his past. His negative image has left him ostracized by his family and community, forcing him to live a solitary life.  The book delves into how these past shadows continue to haunt him, adding to the suspense and mystery of his involvement in the murder.

Akira is portrayed as a mother and housewife trying to maintain normalcy for her daughter amidst the chaos, but also looking for love and affection. Her relationship with Samara adds a touch of emotion to the story. 

Their lives become inextricably linked with the murder investigation, and as the plot unfolds, the interplay between these characters becomes the crux of the story.

One of the highlights of the novel for me was the unexpected reveal of the true killer. The twist was genuinely surprising and kept me engaged until the very end. 

It's always a pleasure when a mystery novel successfully conceals its secrets until the final pages, and this book certainly delivered on that front.

However, despite this satisfying twist, I found several aspects of the book lacking. The characters, while interesting, felt underdeveloped and seemed somewhat disjointed throughout the narrative. This lack of cohesion made it challenging to fully invest in their journeys. 

The author's attempt to juggle multiple perspectives might have contributed to this disconnect, as the transitions were not smooth at all.

Additionally, I encountered numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, which disrupted the reading experience. At times, it felt like I was reading a draft rather than a finished product. 

These issues could have been addressed with more rigorous editing, as they detracted from the overall quality of the narrative. 

Moreover, while police brutality and corruption are prevalent themes in contemporary fiction, I felt that the portrayal in this book leaned towards the cliché. 

Although the author made an effort to balance this by introducing characters representing the honest side of law enforcement, the lack of narrative structure and compelling twists weakened their impact. The story's potential was there, but it needed more polish to truly shine.

I believe Salome Nirmal has a keen sense of storytelling that, with more refinement, could truly captivate readers in her future works. 

I hope she takes this feedback constructively and crafts her next book with more attention to detail and character depth.

I would recommend this book primarily to readers new to the mystery genre or those looking for a quick, read to break a reading slump. 

While it may not be a standout in the mystery genre, it still provides enough intrigue and suspense to keep casual readers entertained.

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