• Title: Deadlier than the Male
  • Author: P. Nandakumar Warrier
  • Book Type: Novel
  • Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Crime
  • Edition: Kindle eBook
  • Publisher: Leadstart Publishing
  • Year of Publication: 2020
  • Number of Pages: 206

- Blurb of the Book -

Posted as the new director of IIM Kozhikode, Sujata Das knew she was entering a hornet's nest. She has to fend with criminal elements with links to the drug mafia and other equally unsavoury organizations. But she imposes strict rules of conduct right from the start, not appreciated by faculty members and students who are used to taking unwarranted liberties as self-proclaimed geniuses. She has favourites, a girl student with a tragic past, and a dashing young professor who turns out to be gay. But questions go begging though she has her sources of information: is there widespread covert drug abuse on campus? Is there a paedophile lair nearby with links to some members of the institute? A failed suicide attempt forces her hand, and she opts for a decisive surgical strike of sorts against the forces posing a danger to the IIMK campus and the tranquil countryside itself."

- Lady Bookamore's Views -

Firstly, I would like to thank the author for giving an opportunity to review his latest work of fiction.

Deadlier than the Male has an engaging story under a very questionable title. Well, I say "questionable" because, given the cover illustration and the title of the book, it conveys a story poles apart from what the blurb promises. And I am content with it. To be honest, I have mixed reactions after reading this novel. Yes, there are equal reasons to justify why I liked and did not like Deadlier than the Male at the same time. So, on with the positive aspects!

The first reason why I loved reading the book is because of the sheer novelty of the content and themes. Deadlier than the Male brings into focus the very incidents which often make the headlines in pages 3 or 4, eventually losing their significance when pitted against political rivalry and the pandemic. However, the importance to react to and question illicit activities in an institution should never dwindle in the eyes of law and order, and Deadlier than the Male captured it perfectly. With a detailed storyline and some brilliant usage of technical devices, Deadlier than the Male gets 50 per cent of the job done as far as creating the effect of suspense is concerned. The whodunit element never disappears until the truth or truths is/are out. Another reason why I loved reading it is because of how well the author has managed to narrate all the events of the story within a span of just 206 pages. Perhaps, this is one of the shortest thriller novels I have ever read; and I can't deny the fact that I am impressed by it!

However, the only reason why I did not like Deadlier than the Male is because of the first impression it creates n the reader(s). Whether you are a reader or a hoarder, you know that "don't judge a book by its cover' is a big lie. Cover illustrations and book titles are indeed indispensable to a novel. Although collector's edition books only feed on our capitalist instincts, it is the cover illustration of the novel that convey 25 per cent of the book's essence. Another 25 per cent of it is conveyed by the title, another important element of a book. And for the rest 50, you gotta read the book! So, the first impression that was created by Deadlier than the Male was not intrigue but a mild annoyance towards the plot. Yes, it is in human nature to judge, but one cannot deny the importance of both. The fact that I did not get positive vibes from the title and cover, both of which fail to embody the essence of the book, did influence my reading of the novel. Yet, I am glad to have read such a gripping plot that explores the underbelly of organisations and institutions that are knee-deep in illegal activities. I convey my best wishes to the author for his future endeavours.

Lady Bookamore rates this book 3/5

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