Bihar Diaries

Author- Amit Lodha (IPS)

Genre- Non Fiction / Crime Thriller

The book is based on author's life in the Indian Police Service. He is the subject of everyone's pity when he is allotted the Bihar cadre due to the state being the poster boy of crime  in India. But as destiny would have it, the author sets out to chase Bihar's dreadest criminal at a time when he is given a posting of a district which in services' parlance is a "punishment posting."

But from constant support of his wife who stands behind him like a rock in every testing situation, his team of competent officers and the tech-savvy approach of the officer, the author embarks on a mind-gripping chase that seems no less than a fiction. How he describes the situation of Bihar in the early 2000s creates visuals of "Gangs of Wasseypur" in the minds of readers.

Being the batchmate of the famous author Chetan Bhagat, the readers often find similarity in the type of writing of Bhagat and Lodha. Both of them have a knack for weaving a Bollywood style, masala sprinkled story that has its own crests and troughs. There is an inherent quality in both the writers to use their wit and humour in a way that keeps the readers hooked to the book.

It is not just a story of a cop-criminal duo, but the book gives insights into the demanding lives of the policemen, how they deliver their duties against all odds,their personal lives and professional hazards. The author leaves no stone unturned to give due credit to his team mates which gives an important life lesson to the readers.

The book is not a pacy-thriller, but a perfectly paced thriller and is a remarkable effort that too from a debutante author. There are moments when you get your adrenaline rushing when you really want the criminal to get caught and this is a justification enough for anyone who is searching for a story that can give him an escape mechanism from his daily mundane life.

I would highly recommend this book. Period.