They Go To Sleep by Saugata Chakraborty

#blurb: A young widow of a drug overdose victim disappears from Goa. Three years later, a British National claims to know her whereabouts minutes before departing for London Heathrow. The Police of two states is pressed into a joint manhunt. ‘They Go to Sleep’ is a racy thriller on police procedure and criminal psychology.

In the year 2043, when nobody sends a letter anymore, an unlikely candidate decides to write about his springtime memories that are soon going to be erased. When his identity gets revealed, the impact on several individuals and the society at large assumes epic proportions. ‘A Man of Letters’ is a science fiction with humane emotions at its core.

A promising poet meets his muse on board a train. They share a captivating conversation but forget to ask each other’s name. Will they be able to meet again in an Indian metro? ‘What’s In a Name?’ is a humorous look at everything Bengali: gossip, fish, cutlets and the Kolkata Book Fair.

These three stories are joined by nine equally exhilarating tales of ordinary people and the choices that they make under extraordinary circumstances. The compilation will surely compel the readers to keep their midnight lamps burning

Author: Saugata Chakraborty

Publisher: Notion Press

Pages: 116

Buy it here

My Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

It is an anthology of 12 short stories filled with twists and turns. The book is fast paced and not more than half an hour is needed to finish a story. These are short twisted tales which will put your grey cells to work. The writer has wonderfully built the suspense in such few pages which is really commendable. The title of the book depicts the name of the first short story ‘They Go To Sleep’. Also the black cover gives you the hint of the nature of most of the stories which are dark and intriguing at the same time. The plot of the stories is based in Kolkata and doesn’t fail to keep you engaged. Two of my favourite stories from the book are Six Days, Seven Lives and The Short Lives of Shazia Sultana. Both the stories are intriguing and beautifully portrayed. Some of the plots are needed to be read very carefully to solve the underlying mystery.
Overall it was a good read which will keep you engaged for a few hours. If you are into crime and mysteries and looking for some short stories of the same genre and then you can surely go for this book. It is difficult to develop a suspense story within few pages but the author has done the job beautifully which deserves appreciation. Each of the stories has a different tone thus avoiding it to become a monotonous read. The characters are well casted and the setting is well described. If you are ready to dive into some short and mysterious stories then don’t forget to pick up this book.

Follow me on Instagram for more bookish update