NBS recommends thrilling reads
Six Suspects
By Vikas Swarup
P695
MANILA, Philippines - This satirical crime novel is from Vikas Swarup (author of Q&A, the basis for Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire). Journalist Arun Advani sets the scene by describing the circumstances of the killing of industrialist Vicky Rai, shot to death at his farmhouse near Delhi, at a party celebrating his acquittal for a particularly callous murder. In the crime’s immediate aftermath, the authorities find six guests with firearms among the more than 300 in attendance. They include a Bollywood megastar, a corrupt former politician who may be possessed by the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, and Larry Page, an unbelievably stupid American constantly mistaken for his more famous namesake (the co-creator of Google). Alternating flashbacks among the six suspects build to multiple false endings.
The Emperor’s Tomb
By Steve Berry
P729
Cotton Malone teams up with old heartthrob Cassiopeia Vitt on a dangerous mission to retrieve a priceless Chinese lamp from the third century BC in Berry’s rousing fifth thriller to feature the ex-federal agent (after The Paris Vendetta). Two high-ranking Chinese government ministers, hardliner Karl Tang and more liberal Ni Yong, both of whom are vying to be China’s next premier, covet the lamp. Tang, in particular, has left a trail of bodies in his own quest for the lamp, which, unknown to Malone and Vitt, contains the secret to how the country will surmount its biggest obstacle to future economic growth: its dependence on foreign oil. Berry layers his narrative with well-chosen doses of Chinese history. His action sequences, particularly a shootout inside the vast network of an underground tomb, often take too long to resolve, though the payoff in the end — a goose-pimple-raising showdown in a remote monastery — is worth the wait.
Full Dark, No Stars
By Stephen King
P995
Eerie twists of fate drive the four longish stories in King’s first collection since Just After Sunset (2008). In “1922” a farmer murders his wife to retain the family land she hopes to sell, then watches his life unravel hideously as the consequences of the killing suggest a near-supernatural revenge. “Big Driver” tells of an otherwise ordinary woman who discovers her extraordinary capacity for retribution after she is raped and left for dead. “A Good Marriage” explores the aftermath of a wife’s discovery of her milquetoast husband’s sinister secret life, while “Fair Extension,” the book’s most disturbing story, follows the relationship between a man and his best friend on whom he preternaturally shifts all his bad luck and misfortune. As in Different Seasons (1982), King takes a mostly non-fantastic approach to grim themes. Now, as then, these tales show how a skilled storyteller with a good tale to tell can make unsettling fiction compulsively readable.
Luka And The Fire Of Life
By Salman Rushdie
P925
Rushdie unleashes his imagination on an alternate world informed by the surreal logic of video games, but the author’s entertaining wordplay and lighter-than-air fantasies don’t amount to more than a clever pastiche. A sequel of sorts to Haroun and the Sea of Stories, this outing finds Haroun’s younger brother, Luka, on a mission to save his father, guided, ironically, by Nobodaddy, a holograph-like copy of his father intent on claiming the old man’s life. Along the way, they’re joined by a collection of creatures, including a dog named Bear, a bear named Dog, hybrid bird-elephant beasts, and a princess with a flying carpet. As with video games, Luka stores up extra lives, proceeds to the next level after beating big baddies, and uses his wits to overcome bottomless chasms and trash-dropping otters. Rushdie makes good use of Nobodaddy, and his world occasionally brims with allegory (the colony of rats called the “Respectorate of I” brings the Tea Party to mind), but this is essentially a fun tale for younger readers, not the novel Rushdie’s adult fans have been waiting for.
The Lost Symbol
By Dan Brown
P1,399
Dan Brown’s record-breaking novel The Lost Symbol weaves a breathtaking trail through the hidden artwork, chambers, tunnels, and temples of our nation’s capital. Now the fascinating visuals appear right before your eyes, making for a sumptuous reading experience that brings alive Robert Langdon’s heart-stopping race through a little-known Washington, DC, revealing a world of ancient mysteries, stunning history, and secret societies, this special illustrated edition unveils a whole new level of intrigue and fascination within The Lost Symbol. Over one hundred full-color images are featured throughout this lavishly illustrated gift edition — an essential companion to the original.
