A cottage stood right in the middle of nowhere with pine trees all around reaching as high as one could possibly look. It was damp and dark as the sunlight barely managed to creep in through the branches. There was absolutely no sound except the occasional chirps of birds, flutter of branches due to the wind and of his steps as he passed slowly through the wet soil and fallen leaves. There seemed to be no activity inside the house, no movement at all. It was so quiet that he could almost hear his heart beat. As he hesitantly walked towards the door covered with weeds, he felt sweat all over his forehead inspite of the frosty wind. He raised his hands to push open the door but stopped. He felt scared and for a moment decided to turn back. But then curiosity won over his fear and he touched the door and began to push. It was damp and wet and he felt a chill run down his spine. The door made a peculiar sound as it slowly opened, as though it hadn’t been opened for ages.  There it was staring menacingly at him; as he saw his blood pressure instantly shot up. As he turned to run out of there something very heavy hit his head and at that moment everything turned blurred! What happens next? Well you turn to the next chapter of the novel without wasting a precious moment! Yes there’s something intriguing about mysteries and thrillers that you just can’t stop once you begin reading them.

Who doesn’t like a good dose of a thriller or a crime novel? You feel the anxieties and emotions of the characters. It makes you sweat and gets your heart beat up as you read through twists and turns that the brilliant author conjures.

With so many romance novels hitting the market in India, it was a welcome change when I got my hands on ‘When the Snow Melts’ by Vinod Joseph.  It is a book about spies, diplomats, religious fanatics and revolves around the widely popular and interesting topic of al-Qaeda and Intelligence Agencies. Well that was reason enough for me to jump right into reading as soon as I received it from blogadda.

Title: When the Snow Melts

Price: Rs 195

Publisher: AMARYLLIS

Rating: 3.5/5

Ritwik, the protagonist is the spy from India working with agents from all over the world in an elite Intelligence agency in London and defects to the side of the al Qaeda. But has he really turned sides or is there another aspect altogether to his new found love for the terrorist organisation? On whose side is he really? Is he a traitor or just putting up an act? Well you are kept guessing right till the end. Then there is Ayub, a Pakistani diplomat who is a sympathiser of the al Qaeda. His character is also beautifully crafted and you almost begin to like him if it wasn’t for his allegiance to the world’s most dangerous organisation. Another interesting aspect is the love story that blossomed between Ritwik and Nilofer, the tormented wife of one of the al Qaeda spectres. True love or just a honey trap! Well you would have to read the book to find out!

What I liked about ‘When the Snow Melts’ was that Vinod kept it true to its genre and never let romance overshadow and slow the pace of events. Is he or isn’t he a spy is the question about Ritwik that you find yourself asking constantly. Well I wouldn’t like to divulge any further details regarding the story for I want the readers to enjoy the experience. All I can say is it wasn’t anything like the books which have been recently hitting the Indian Markets which seem to have been written in a hurry with no regards for the intelligence of us readers. A welcome change I would say! To fairly conclude, it was a fascinating read for me and I would definitely look forward to reading the next brainchild of Vinod Joseph’s.