Hot Stage by Anita Nair
Borei Gowda is a splendidly grumpy, hard-drinking cop, an Indian Rebus with a complicated love life. When Professor Mudgood is found dead in his decaying Bangalore house, it is considered a natural death; after all, he was 82 years old, but Gowda isn’t so sure. All the evidence points to a political murder since the professor was a fervent critic of right-wing forces in India.
But as Gowda launches a parallel investigation, he stumbles upon a secret and murky world where there are no rules or mercy. When Gowda’s hand is forced, he takes a calculated risk and infiltrates the sinister domain to bring the truth out into the open. Will he succeed? And at what price?
About the author
Anita Nair is one of India’s most acclaimed authors. Her oeuvre ranges from literary fiction to noir to children’s literature. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages around the world. Anita is the recipient of several prizes and honours including the Indian National Film Award in 2013 and the Central Sahitya Akademi award. Her novel Ladies Coupe, first published ten years ago, is a feminist classic. The other two novels in the Inspector Gowda series are Cut-Like Wound and Chain of Custody.
Review
‘Hot Stage’ is a look into the murky underbelly of Bengaluru society and is packed full of intrigue and misdirection! This is the third book in the series that follows an Indian policeman Borei Gowda but it can be read as a standalone easily. I do recommend reading the whole series though as I have thoroughly enjoyed them.
Gowda has been made an Assistant Commissioner of police, a promotion on the back of his last case but he sees it as a way for the establishment to shut him up. His love life is still as complicated as ever but he seems more settled and content than in the previous two books. When the body of an award-winning Professor is found by his daughter, Gowda and his team are asked to look at the minute of the case, while the CCB look into the political aspects. Professor Mudggood was a critic of religion and stated unequivocally that it was a means to control society. Although, now he in his 80s he still wielded power and influence politically and academically.
Nair’s writing is as crisp and taut as usual, highly descriptive with the mundane being as important as the overriding narrative. The political aspects is balanced by the more domestic threads and the possibility of the family being responsible for the death. Nair manages to create sharply defined characters with Gowda and the team forming an effective and cohesive unit. Santosh is now his number 2 and relies heavily on him. Ratna, I particularly like as she tries to work her way through a still-masculine police force with aplomb and determination. Santosh has recommended that a colleague and friend, Aqthar, join the team and he makes a splash with his movie star looks and quick intelligence.
This isn't a fast-paced novel but a real examination of the workings of the consciousness of Gowda’s investigation and domestic life. It's a slow burn which is full of red herrings, misdirections and brilliant reveals. The only criticism is the ending is quite abrupt. I was hyper-aware that we were at the few remaining pages and the final showdown had not occurred. More teasing an examination of this would have been my preference. However, it's a brilliant story which balances the mystery with the personal, the noir with the domestic and the light with the dark. I am already waiting with baited breath for the next book.
Let me know if you pick this one up!
