'The Huntsmen': Global espionage, secret missions, rescue effort et al.

New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) International espionage, illegal trading, secret missions and a race against time with innocent lives at stake, Bappaditya Chakravarty's novel "The Huntsmen" promises an old-fashioned noir with a twist.

A series of seemingly random events around the globe are slowly found to be interconnected to an unnamed top-secret Indian government agency. Two clerics are murdered in London, a professor goes missing while researching in Goa, a terrifying explosion in New Delhi creates a hotchpotch with armed assailants, with a mysterious diary at the heart of this trefoil - who could be causing these flow chain of events, and with what motive? Rudra Sengupta, a special forces officer of the army, is dispatched to Kolkata to investigate the matter. Professor Deshmukh, a geologist and professor at Bombay University is suddenly reported missing while conducting research. He had couriered some documents to his friend and another geologist, Prof. Mitra, to vet some top-secret information that he had stumbled upon.

Prof. Mitra, very anxious about his friend being missing and the curious documents now left with him, passes them on to his PhD scholar, Sushmita, to meet Mrs Mitra and hand it over to her in person.

Sushmita, a geologist is accompanied by her friend Sharmila, on this trip. They are soon getting followed by curious shadowy men, and have to brave a few murder attempts from armed assailants.

Using their contacts they understand that they are embroiled in an insidious conspiracy, all because of the documents they are now entrusted with. Rudra rescues the women and to escort them halfway, but suddenly there is an insane, nail-biting car chase with a risk of the women's lives. He must act fast before it is too late.

Chakravarty deploys all the tropes of the genre of thrillers and adventure tales in the book, published by Olive Turtle, an imprint of Niyogi Books.

The plot involves interesting and realistic details about the communication styles and day-to-day routines of army men, middlemen and agents dealing in extra-legal procedures and government security forces.

The book, spanning 380 pages, was released at the Kolkata Book Fair in January. PTI ZMN RB ZMN