Casacio: Review: The Bankster

The Bankster - by Ravi Subramanian

Synopsis
Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threaten to destroy the reputation that the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive? Is the banker at GB2 fast turning into a bankster? Or was he always one?

When Karan Panjabi, press reporter and ex-banker, digs deeper, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a global conspiracy with far-reaching ramifications - a secret that could not only destroy the bank, but also cast a shadow on the entire nation.
With only thirty-six hours at his disposal, he must fight the clock and trust no one if he is to stay alive and uncover the truth.

About the Author
Ravi Subramanian, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. It is but natural that his stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Dharini and daughter Anusha. In 2008, he won the Golden Quill Readers Choice award for his debut novel, If god was a Banker.

Review
The cover of the book is appealing. The use of dark shades and the person in shadow with a briefcase in one hand and a revolver in another in the backdrop of the skyline gives you an impression of an impressive thriller. The cover is sure to catch your attention and shine out among others on a book shelf.

The story is like a jig saw puzzle. Four completely different stories going on, but when the jig saw puzzle completes itself towards a meaning, it just blows away your mind.
Mumbai: Four key employees of GB2 have committed suicide, or that's what it seems like. When Karan Panjabi digs deep into the actual cause of such ruthful events, he realizes that he is now a part of a global conspiracy, and there is no way turning back.
Kerela: Krishnan Menon, would do anything to fulfill his promise made to his dying son, who died in a nuclear disaster in Ukraine. He actively leads a protest against a nuclear power plant to be set up in the vicinity of his neighborhood. Gaining support from an NGO and a local MLA, it is too late for him to realize what he is now a part of.
Angola: Mr. Joseph Braganza, a covert CIA agent, completes a deal for armaments and blood diamonds worth millions of dollars.
Vienna: When two capable investigating officers comes to know what they had assumed to be an accident, is actually a murder, they'll give whatever it takes to reach the culprits to keep their success rate unchanged.

The way the author switches between these four stories in a seamless manner is a thing to be appreciated. The plot will definitively keep you hooked. The protagonist arrives pretty late in the plot, but once he is there the plot progresses at a blazing speed. You'd just want to read more and more. And what happens in the end, will leave you completely dumbstruck. All the while, whatever calculations you make about the end, it turns out to be completely opposite. You'll wish for the story to stay in Mumbai when it'll take you to Kerala which makes you keep turning the pages. Never during your whole read you'll feel that you are left fragmented, it's the beauty of the author's narration that everything seems to be in a flow. Author's knowledge about the banking industry clearly stands out in the plot.

But, there are a few minor issues here and there. The fact that author uses certain hindi words, is something that I don't really appreciate. Though the author wanted to create an "indianized" effect, this might prove to be an hindrance for the international audience. I would have liked if the author would have atleast italicized the words. Also, spoon feeding at certain sections could have been avoided. There were also certain sections, which really didn't had any relevance with the plot and could have been omitted There are also a few typographical errors here and there. But these were just minor blemishes.

On the whole, I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves reading thriller. It will surely keep you hooked and the end would leave you surprised. This is really worth it, buy and you won't regret it.

Rating: 4/5

Book: The Bankster
Author: Ravi Subramanian
ISBN: 8129120488
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Pages: 364
Genre: Fiction
Language: English

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