Book review - Vigil-Aunties

 "Vigil-Aunties" written by Richa S. Mukherjee is a thriller and humor-mixed genre book.

 The title of this book reminds me of another book I enjoyed a lot, which also contains the word 'Aunties' in its title. So, upon reading this title, I immediately got the idea that finally someone has written a story that matches my vibe, with Indian characters in it. I was really overjoyed to read this book.

As soon as I saw the author's name on the cover page, I made a vow to read this book. The cover image alone effectively conveys the genre of the book and offers us a clue about the story. This author's work is not new to me. I have already read her book 'Excess Baggage,' which explored the travel experiences of a woman in her mid-life. Whereas in this book, the lead character is a teenager. 

Now let's dive into the review of this book 'Vigil-Aunties':

The main characters of this story are Philly Waghmare, Bandhopadhyay, and the aunties of 'Adhunik Vikas Cooperative Housing Society'. The story is happening in and around the same Housing Society. This Cooperative Housing Society may seem like a place filled with elderly or middle-aged women, but it holds more than that. There is a secret investigation group within the society and they even help the police by gathering evidence or providing the necessary push/hint needed for their case. When a secret investigation group resides there, a murder occurs, and the story spikes from there.

Though the story is written in Philly's narration, I could find that all the characters presented in this book play important roles and that multiple characters make this story move smoothly without any lag. I really like the spike of the story especially after the entry of Bandhopadhyay. After his entry, the story moves in a humor-filled mystery path. But the transformation/ reveal of the aunties' secret investigating skill was my favorite part of this book. 

If you come to the conclusion that this book will be like some cliché old aunties investigating crimes as seen in cringe-worthy movies, you are absolutely wrong. This book features a unique plot that unfolds slowly alongside realistic characters, gradually revealing its mystery as the story progresses. Some twists were unexpected, making the entire plot unpredictable. I appreciate how the author provided us with the basic outline in the blurb, without breaking its suspense.

This is a huge book with over three hundred and fifty pages. While this length may be normal for some, I found it a bit long. The story is interesting and very engaging, but somehow I never felt that nail-biting experience while reading it, possibly due to the humor-filled narration I guess. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this book.

The language is lucid and beginner-friendly. I have read a few other books with the central plot set in housing societies where the language used is often rich and posh. Personally, I feel those high-end vocabularies are not necessary for the story and are infused by the author to reflect the upper-middle-class residents' vocabulary enhancement in their conversations. However, I didn't feel any cringe or overpowering in the narration in this book; the narration flowed smoothly and kept me engaged throughout the story.

Overall, it was a nice read that I enjoyed a lot.

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