Natasha Mehra Must Die is the first book in the Doomsday Trilogy by Anand Sivakumaran. It is an extremely fast paced thriller based on a mythological legacy spanning two millenniums which culminates in the present.
As the title succinctly suggests, someone is out to obliterate every female named Natasha Mehra regardless of age and nationality. The protagonist, Natasha Mehra (of course!) is a college student who is spunky but a social outcast of sorts due to her past experiences. She catches on to this deadly plan and rounds up all Natasha Mehras. Unanticipated friendships spring up despite the arduous circumstances. The plot gets even more intriguing with a two millennia old secret organisation, an assassin and a Natasha Mehra (obviously!) who has the sight of precognition. At this point in the book, it does not matter that you do not believe in the concept of precognition, how much violence people get away with, without the police anywhere in the picture or the graphic images the gruesome murders evoke. By then, you cease to bother about these trivial matters. The only thing you care about is what happens next!
For a racy thriller, the characters are very well defined. Most of them have shades of grey that make them realistic and easy to visualise. This book defies the notion that the first book of any trilogy sets the ground and eases into the storyline. Anand Sivakumaran thrusts you headlong into the eye of the storm. You continue with bated breath up to the end, until the last few pages calm you down just enough to eagerly wish that you had the second book in the trilogy in your hands. Like many reviews have declared – truly unputdownable!
Title: Natasha Mehra Must Die
Author: Anand Sivakumaran
Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
Genre: Fiction
