Zero Day

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Being a fan of Hussain Zaidi's investigative works, I was excited to delve into his fictional novel and wasn't disappointed.  Zero day by Hussain Zaidi is definitely one of the best espionage themed books by an Indian author.


The book played itself like a season of a TV series. The synopsis is simple i.e. key government services in Mumbai,  are made defunct one after the another, and are falling prey to cyberterrorism. The cybercrime division  led by a handful of daring officers are looking to foil the plot and capture the perpetrators. I could imagine the key characters being played by Manoj Bajpayee and KK Memon. Suspense was maintained throughout the book with the major reveals justifying the built-up.  The sequence of events were logically connected. Breakthrough happening in the cases was due to planned efforts by the protagonists and not some lucky chances or random realisations. The experience of the author was clearly visible in the accurate depiction of police investigation,  modus operandi of operations being carried out and how seemingly independent plots were linked to the main storyline. 


The theme of cyber crime in such a large scheme of things was a very fresh idea, and is entirely possible to happen if cyber security is not strengthened in a country like ours. The plot was believable. The dark web and the transactions there fascinated me. Such places exist on the internet. So dark. Gives me chills. Including these in mainstream cinema would make people aware of the banes of the changing times. I hope this books gets adapted to a movie or a series. 


However the book doesn't exclude a few cliches that are atypical of any Bollywood movie. There was room for creating a strong story line with a female NSG officer. However the few scenes provided to her, I felt, doesn't do justice to her character. Also giving her a romantic past with another officer working on the case was utterly irrelevant. Seemed forced in fact like a tried and tested Bollywood trope. 


All aside the book is a wonderful read, guaranteed to keep the reader engaged and entertained. I should pick up more fiction by the author next. 



I thank Blogchatter for sending this book across. #TBRChallenge


This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.


You can buy the book at Zero Day.

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Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundh...
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