Good, the Bad and the Unknown: Deep, Dark and Captivating Crime Stories from India By Raj Tilak Roushan
Genre: Non-Fiction
The book Good, the Bad and the Unknown: Deep, Dark, and Captivating Crime Stories from India is written by Raj Tilak Roushan, an IPS Officer and a poet.
A short story collection, The Good, the Bad and the Unknown carries the reader into the world of crime and gives them a glimpse into the mind of both the lawbreakers and law keepers.
Gripping and unputdownable in its storytelling style, the collection of 18 stories depicts not only the dark side of our society but also tries to show what motivates people to take up a life of crime. The theme of these stories center on how a person’s behavior can change when forced into extreme situations.
The stories revolve around the protagonist of all the stories, Rishi, a police officer, who goes ahead to solve different cases. Each story portrays different shades of human character and behavior – greed, love, guilt, and fear. The stories are interconnected in some ways and also follow the protagonist’s life and his passion for solving crime. The backdrop of the city with its big old houses with dim unseen spaces and damp rooms along long broad avenues creates the perfect ambiance required in a crime thriller.
The story has been beautifully blended with the mystery of the Kanha Kisli forest and its wildlife which Guha has sketched in detail.
The word “Madhuraki” portrays going from door to door with humility. It is similar to a honey bee going from flower to flower collecting honey. This humility has been projected by the book’s protagonist who is a wandering soul who finds pain and happiness in the form of love, affection, enmity, hatred, and even indifference from the women and men in his life.
The author has created magic in this book with his imagination and extensive research which left no ends loose. As the stories unfold, there are certain hints for the readers to look at the crime from different angles and decipher as per their own perception.
The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown have an interesting appeal that grows with each unraveling of unlikely characters showcasing the deepest and darkest human emotions as each story progresses.
Overall, it is an interesting read which keeps the readers on the toes till they reach the end.