A Killer Among Us
~ Ushasi Sen Basu
Read: April 11, 2020
Just what I needed to get me out of my lockdown reading lethargy. I was reading at snail’s pace for the past few weeks. I was also reading non-fiction with the reasoning that the book needed to be savored. It is true, they do. Yet, it was too much of non-fiction and I needed the right nudge with a quick work of fiction that would get my senses up. I finished it in less than 24 hours!!
Ushasi Sen Basu’s A Killer Among Us (AKAU) did just that.
After her last book, Kathputli, I was interested to read another of her works. Also, because I know her personally, I wanted to ensure (for myself) that I was able to objectively & subjectively review the book. Reason – I was just not able to go past a few pages of another friend’s work. That’s probably a theme for another blog post, but for now, AKAU.
Firstly, do not judge the book by its cover, right? I’m glad I had read the previous book and had an idea of what to expect between the book covers. This book cover, was not appealing to me. I didn’t like it. So I’m glad I read the Kindle version.
It usually takes a few pages to get to the theme and setting of the plot. The author, thankfully, set the tone fairly quickly. The language was contemporary and well used – simple enough for anyone to read, yet with some choice vocabulary. This, I particularly note, because I know how the author speaks and the writing was not her voice. It took the voice of the characters and the plot.
Another note of interest was the fact that the plot predominantly exists in a residential complex – and the author & I are neighbors. I must admit I kept my eyes peeled for any similarities – and the afterword does justice to the fact that there is no similarity to any of our neighbors – though I’d love to have seen some! (Hahaha…. after all, the best way for an author to get even with people is to kill them in their stories!) My teensie hurt: the author didn’t account for her neighbors in Cinnamon & Saffron.
The book kept making me pause, think and try to guess whodunnit. For me, it was a page-turner to figure out who the killer was after all!
But, beyond the classic murder mystery, there were some interesting social issues that that author has consistently brought up in the narrative – and often with subtle grace without making it too obvious. I found this to be a gentle approach that could hold space for fence-sitters to at least bring to mind where they stand without having to necessarily buy into the author’s perspective on delicate matters – despite them being of significance. In this regard, I feel the author has used her experiences as a member of society to observe and put forward what could be the experiences of many other members in other residential complexes too.
I, personally, have noticed the hesitation in neighbors when it came to being of help when it came to matters of safety and especially, domestic help or sexual harrassment. The author’s awareness of the middle class reluctance to dip into the murky waters of standing by the victim was assuring.
“When your thing happened…it would have been easy to take the stronger side against you and no one would have blamed me for it. But I would have blamed me for it. Because I pride myself on knowing what’s right and what’s wrong.”
~ Mrs. Bhattacharjee
I felt that the characters could have had more depth, but with what was offered especially with two primary protagonists sharing their view of each other, it was good enough to create a mental image of the women.
And so… women!
I love that this book, again, gives a woman’s perspective and women centric narrative to a murder. The patriarchy and misogyny from the male association members (ugh!!) is well expressed and the dead man’s voice gives an eerie, hair raising insight into the thoughts of a disturbed & poorly conditioned mind.
Arre, what love will she find out there? A forty-year old divorcee with two children, bolo?
This one cut deep. Especially when the voice is a reflection of how society looks upon single women and divorcees. I must say that it was also good to hear because I have thought this myself, as a single parent, not necessarily with as much misgiving and pessimism, but one does think, doesn’t she? Or do we think because society gossips and makes us undermine ourselves? It was a worthy pause… until this one came along…
“You haven’t worked in a corporate for over a decade, there’s no way you can command anything close to a salary that will cover all our EMIs and bills.”
Oooh… the sting in this one! I’ve been there, I’ve heard very similar words. Thankfully, I was just away from work for about 2 years. While we work to inspire women to get back to work and do our bit to lift them out of their low morale, these messages that are constantly thrown at women almost are an indication to keep them home bound, not explore greater challenges, insist they embrace motherhood and homemaking beyond their love for home & hearth… and make it their identity.
I loved the simple, yet provoking questions the authored posited on behalf of Nandana, as she questioned her identity, her worth and her existence. It validated many experiences and I hope women take the time to pause & reflect beyond just a murder mystery.
The character vilification of single women in the residential community was nicely portrayed – from verbalizing the fears of ‘stealing women’s husbands‘ and the shake-my-head truth behind ‘Like you would even want to steal those husbands of their. Big old bellies and hair sprouting out of their ears.‘ It was hilarious, but gently preserved the reservations against single women – them being an ‘anomaly‘ that provoked strong reactions.
…as if any decent man in his right mind would even look at her that way. She had missed the bus.
The author neatly moves between conflicting and self deprecating but confused thoughts – because identity it not just about a romantic fling or clandestine relationship, it was beyond that. The loneliness, lack of attention, appreciation & acknowledgement from those the protagonist held dearest was shown and at the same time how those emotions were perceived & misunderstood by others was also nicely expressed.
This is a woman centric book – it revolves around women in our everyday lives – it speaks about us as and who we are, who we become in our everyday living. It shows the different shades women can take on – emotionally & mentally – the strength, grit, fallability, scope to falsify and leaning to pretence as well as the dark and sinister side of manipulation and ever capacity for causing harm and even murder.
The book is an exploration of women in society and how we behave as individuals in social circles – how we either build each other up and hold space for each other, or actively and insidiously work to break each other down. It highlights the gender disparity at work and at home, the pain that members of the LGBTQ community suffer when their ‘coming out’ is treated as a crime deserving shame, it shines light on the exclusive ladies groups in communities that cannot be penetrated, the hypocrisy and self-righteousness of men in power, the hurt of gossip and the thread of ‘what will people say?!‘ and the deep-rooted truth that neighbors often choose to remain bystanders.
I cannot help but also note that the author’s inclusion of an everyday activity, the skirting of ‘some treaded-in poop of dubious origin‘ reminded me of why I had christened her the ‘Poop Patrol’ where we stood every morning waiting for the school bus! Yes, authors bring everday observations to make their story telling more relatable and honest.
I enjoyed AKAU – very much. It was a simple read yet filled with possibilities to explore about how we live. It, very simply, made me feel heard & seen.
My rating: 4.5/5
Ponders & Reads 