By Monojit Mandal
Double One Zero spins around a character who, in the process of reviving his identity, goes through a series of action-packed sequential events and journeys. The story is set in Delhi and begins with an injured man who has no clue about his identity except for some clues in his pocket. He has to unwind them one after another to be acquainted with his true individuality.
The beginning itself is quite intriguing and with titles like The Dead Body and My Name Is 110, one will certainly feel like, “My name is Bond…” aptly complemented by the cover of the book laying accent to the gun. It generates nippy curiosity among readers to take a plunge into the depth of the tale ahead. Even the title of each chapter leaves a clue for the readers to get a suitable apparition about the storyline to the fore.
The story demands hasty plot jumps to specifically portray the protagonist’s unexpected expedition between his own memories, present and past. Timelines are thus vigilantly handled by the author to give it a smooth ride on a bumpy road and not leave the readers bewildered by the use of flashbacks. That apart, the plot is full of twists and turns to keep the readers guessing all the time.
The language that Dangi uses is lucid and the narrative, though slow at times, is gripping.
The most interesting aspect of this book is its ability to hold the suspense till the end and plot-prediction will not be an easy task. As one reads on, the plot unfolds in unforeseen manner, which adds to the orientation and essence of the book.
However, if we take out the only Achilles’ heel of the book, being a bit too stretchy, I must say it is overall a good read for readers of all genres.
Dangi is an award-winning health and safety professional. Double One Zero is his third book in three years. The other two books are Version 1 ½ (2018) and Diary from Heaven (2019).
Book: Double One
Zero: Out of the Shadows; Author: Jasveer Singh Dangi; Publisher: The Suman Publications;
Pages: 375; Price: Rs 399