Book Review: Scarlet Nights by Mayur Patel

Title: Scarlet Nights
Author: Mayur Patel
Publisher: Half Baked Beans

About the Author:

Mayur Patel has studied Civil Engineering. He has worked as a civil engineer and an Interior Designer. He was a part of an orchestra as a singer some years back. At present he works in a Newspaper as a sub-editor.
His first book ‘Vivek and I’ was a work of romance and was published by Penguin Books India. He writes Novels, Short Stories and Columns in Gujarati, too.
Besides writing, he enjoys a wide variety of activities like reading, gardening, singing, watching movies and playing badminton. Travelling is an addiction which enables him to bring life to his writing.
The author lives in Valsad, India with his family. He can be contacted at: markmayur@gmail.com.

Review:

In his captivating second novel, Scarlet Nights, Mayur Patel explores memory, privacy, and fear, and what happens when the jarring incidents of our past catches up with us. 

As elegantly plotted as it is—and it is—the novel stands out not only for its thrills alone but rather for Mayur’s eye for details. It is more than a classic psychological thriller: it is also a haunting portrait of existential crisis in the aftermath of a trauma. It is a gripping tale with irresistibly engaging characters who sharply illuminate psychological issues in modern times.

‘Scarlet Nights’ is the story of Malvika Chauhan. Smart, sexy and confident, Malvika lives an enviably perfect life in Mumbai. She has a flourishing career, a loving boyfriend and a promising future. In contrast to the protagonist’s character is Margarita Spiteful, fearless and mysterious, Margrita lives on the extreme ends. Self-merriment is the only thing that matters to her. Destiny plays wicked and brings the two women face to face with each other. While Malvika knows nothing about Margrita, Margrita is well-aware of the hidden secrets of Malvika's past. Malvika's life turns sour as she struggles against the insufferable circumstances inflicted upon her by Margrita. It's a situation she cannot escape. If the hidden secrets get disclosed, Malvika will be finished. She will lose every precious thing she has... her career, her prestige, her love.

The novel scores points with its beautiful cover but loses some because of the writing style. It could have been better. The narrative sounds stilted more often than not. The writer comes across as trying too hard. Some graphic scenes could have been avoided easily. But all in all, it is a well researched, pacy novel that is worth a read.

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Trailer:

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!