pavi_fictionalworm's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: A physical copy was provided via Hachette India as part of the Blog Tour. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are however my own.
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
This is my first book by RV Raman – and I have to say, I have become a fan. He has created a world that is terrifyingly realistic in its portrayal of a world that is as real to the laymen as it is fictional.
In fact, that’s the exact thought that comes to mind when I read this book – “Does this fantastical world could actually be real?” “Do people in power actually work like this?” “Do mechanisms in place work like a well – oiled machine to produce news that is beneficial just to a part of the population?”
The terrifying answer comes to me – Yes. Yes. It is definitely possible. And that’s the USP of this book; the fact that every mechanism, every manipulation in this book is definitely fictional but could also definitely be real!
The plot started off with the introduction of a media mogul, his worries, his manipulations and his way of doing business and moves forward to deceit, murder and mayhem.
When Inspector Dhruvi, a very competent police officer walks into the madness of the aftermath – she is left with unravelling webs of lies, manipulation and fabrications.
I adored the writing style of the author – it is clean, cut, simple yet confident it’s ability to engross the reader’s attention right till the end. The plot is engaging its monstrosity, the murder mystery at its core has the readers scrambling to understand the what, why, and who’s. The characters are strong, decisive and even when they creep you out, you can’t help but respect them.
Any readers of mystery, crime thrillers would enjoy the heck out of this book – strong, appealing plotline with solid characters, yes even the female ones with no sleazy situations. Highly recommended.
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anukritimalik_'s review
5.0
rating : 4.75
I am a sucker for mystery novels. It is a total win-win moment when you race your mind along the book to find who the culprit is but what happens when you can't figure out who the mastermind is? Conspirators by RV Raman had me at the edge of my seat throughout the book and it was a shock to find out who was behind all the mystery.
RV Raman through his book sheds light on the trend of "fake news" followed by the new-gen media industry. The book opens up in a private party by one of the leading media houses where something big is going to drop down. But what? Amidst all the manipulations and fabrications , a girl is found dead. A ruckus is created amidst the high profile names present in the party and before the police arrives , many fled the scene.
With no guest list in hand or witness to question , Inspector Dhruvi is in a rough state. Page by page some mysteries unfold , some lose connections and private affairs come in light and what comes thereafter is for you to guess.
Honestly, this book had me at every single chapter. I couldn't put down the book. The writing style is engrossing , clear and cut and gripping. The author has done a commendable job in not only highlighting the fake news tailoring trend but has also provided in depth analysis of how the whole "fake news" comes into the print and digital media.
This is not your usual mystery novel but an eye opening story too. Highly recommended.
Ambition is a powerful drug. Once it takes over you , you are no longer yourself.
I am a sucker for mystery novels. It is a total win-win moment when you race your mind along the book to find who the culprit is but what happens when you can't figure out who the mastermind is? Conspirators by RV Raman had me at the edge of my seat throughout the book and it was a shock to find out who was behind all the mystery.
RV Raman through his book sheds light on the trend of "fake news" followed by the new-gen media industry. The book opens up in a private party by one of the leading media houses where something big is going to drop down. But what? Amidst all the manipulations and fabrications , a girl is found dead. A ruckus is created amidst the high profile names present in the party and before the police arrives , many fled the scene.
With no guest list in hand or witness to question , Inspector Dhruvi is in a rough state. Page by page some mysteries unfold , some lose connections and private affairs come in light and what comes thereafter is for you to guess.
When headlines are for hire, greed in inevitable. So is murder.
Honestly, this book had me at every single chapter. I couldn't put down the book. The writing style is engrossing , clear and cut and gripping. The author has done a commendable job in not only highlighting the fake news tailoring trend but has also provided in depth analysis of how the whole "fake news" comes into the print and digital media.
This is not your usual mystery novel but an eye opening story too. Highly recommended.
varunob's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
My introduction to the work of Chennai-based R.V. Raman was pure chance. I happened to come across his third book Saboteur on Amazon last year and was taken in by the cover, black and blue with a shadow loitering around what seemed to be a server room. The book was a corporate thriller (all of Raman’s four till now are) set against the backdrop of a booming e-commerce venture in Bangalore. A thoroughly enjoyable read but more so because Raman did not mind explaining the intricacies of the sector to a virtual novice like me and that too by weaving it into the plot through bits of dialogue rather than a half-page sermon-like paragraph. Insider, Raman’s second novel, shined a light on insider trading in India’s financial capital: Bombay. Once again, he drew up a compelling set of characters, a sticky, potentially dangerous situation and a smart plot. Thus, I was quite keen on reading his latest – Conspirator – which investigates the world of tailored and fake news as well as the wretched nexus of politics and media.
Conspirator marks the return of Bangalore police inspector Dhruvi Kishore, first introduced to Raman’s readers in Saboteur. The book kicks off in Coorg (or, if you prefer the actual name, Kodagu) with a getaway organised by media baron Nihir Seth for his friends and colleagues. This getaway is rather secretive. It is at a resort Seth is the sethji of (bad, I know!) and there is no record of who the guests are. A large number of them don’t know each other. Things at this rather shady get-together take a turn for the worse when two people die. Inspector Kishore is handed the case but as she is making the journey from Mysore to Coorg, guests start to leave. Now she has a double murder on her hands with quite a few possible suspects already having taken off from the scene of crime.
As with Saboteur and Insider, Raman gives the reader a bevy of interesting characters: an upright journalist, a young and enthusiastic woman keen on making her mark in the news media, one who has already done so but suffered considerably on her way to the top, a media mogul who has secrets aplenty are just some the reader comes across. It’s nice to see a writer not going down the frankly offensive path of having women in a book only for sexual purposes. No woman in any of Raman’s books comes across as a bimbo or a moll. They all have purposes and are strong characters in their own right.
Fake news has become a part of almost everyone’s dictionary ever since the time the President of the USA starting talking about it while going about his morning business (I suspect he suffers from constipation or some other shit-based medical issue. Explains his mood). Then there is tailored news. For the unaware, tailored news is news that reports the facts but selectively so and may even shed the objectivity a news report should carry, opting for a subjective point-of-view instead. What Raman’s narrative with regard to this aspect of the novel carries can be gauged from the recent Cobrapost exposé. Makes you think of what is real in today’s day and age, whether anything we read about is actually true or not. Raman also enters the murky political dealings in such sectors of the corporate world: how party IT cells are creating fake facts about their opponents or their own party and putting them up on Whatsapp and Facebook and Twitter. I felt particularly glad about this since I’m always warning people to verify what they send to others and am not exactly a part of the forwarding change.
fortheloveoffictionalworlds's review
4.0
Disclaimer: A physical copy was provided via Hachette India as part of the Blog Tour. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are however my own.
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
This is my first book by RV Raman – and I have to say, I have become a fan. He has created a world that is terrifyingly realistic in its portrayal of a world that is as real to the laymen as it is fictional.
In fact, that’s the exact thought that comes to mind when I read this book – “Does this fantastical world could actually be real?” “Do people in power actually work like this?” “Do mechanisms in place work like a well – oiled machine to produce news that is beneficial just to a part of the population?”
The terrifying answer comes to me – Yes. Yes. It is definitely possible. And that’s the USP of this book; the fact that every mechanism, every manipulation in this book is definitely fictional but could also definitely be real!
The plot started off with the introduction of a media mogul, his worries, his manipulations and his way of doing business and moves forward to deceit, murder and mayhem.
When Inspector Dhruvi, a very competent police officer walks into the madness of the aftermath – she is left with unravelling webs of lies, manipulation and fabrications.
I adored the writing style of the author – it is clean, cut, simple yet confident it’s ability to engross the reader’s attention right till the end. The plot is engaging its monstrosity, the murder mystery at its core has the readers scrambling to understand the what, why, and who’s. The characters are strong, decisive and even when they creep you out, you can’t help but respect them.
Any readers of mystery, crime thrillers would enjoy the heck out of this book – strong, appealing plotline with solid characters, yes even the female ones with no sleazy situations. Highly recommended.
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon |
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