Title: The Curse of Mohenjodaro
Author: Maha Khan Phillips
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Review:
Maha Khan Phillips’ The Curse of Mohenjodaro is an evocative,
meandering tale that creates an intriguing milieu. There are familiar
elements in this story — an archaeological dig, people dying in a mystery fire,
an ancient civilization, a fanatical cult, a super-successful writer of teen
horror, a blond assassin, a discovery that hints at an adventure — but they are
synthesized in a fresh way in this keenly observed, quietly powerful novel.
It all begins with a university-backed excavation at
Mohenjodaro, when the young intern, Layla, apparently blows up the entire team.
Later she goes missing and it is up to Nadia to go looking for her missing half-sister.
Along the way she picks up Liam, Layla’s teammate from the expedition. Together
they set out to look for the missing sister. Then there’s Jaya — a girl who
frequents Nadia’s dream. She is undoubtedly connected to the Mohenjodaro
mystery.
The narrative of the book is such that it goes back and
forth between two time frames. But there is nothing that confuses the reader. The
material is enhanced by the author’s well-realized rendition of time and place.
Khan Phillips’ detailed world-building provides plenty of insight into the
world of 3800 BC Mohenjodaro. The flow of the events makes it a page turner
with a decent plot and good characterization. There isn’t really anything I can
fault about the book and I’d recommend it as a must read for 2017.
About the Author:
Maha Khan Phillips is a multiple award-winning financial
journalist and the author of Beautiful from This Angle and the Mystery of the
Aagnee Ruby. She grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. She has a bachelor’s degree in
Politics and International Relations and a master’s degree in International
Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent at Canterbury. In 2006, she
completed a master’s degree in Creative Writing from City University in London,
where she currently lives with her husband and son.
Buy Link:
I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!
* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in
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