Title: Bankerupt 
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Publisher: Penguins Books
ISBN: 978-0-143-42138-2
Number of Pages: 319
Price [INR] : 299
Genre: Fiction
A university is an institution for higher education and research. It can also be a place where academic brilliance leads to overinflated egos, bitter politics and finally, murder. Cirisha Narayanan, a professor who has risen meteorically stumbles upon a cryptic message. Aditya Raisinghania, her banker husband, sets up a highly innovative financial hoax. Her profiteering father harvests Australia’s largest bird—the emu—in India. The US elections are on and the debate on gun control has reached a fever pitch.
Set in Mumbai, Coimbatore and Boston, Ravi Subramanian creates an impeccably researched world where everyone has a motive to kill. Nothing is as it seems in this cunningly vicious thriller where the plot turns on a dime.
I have read Ravi’s earlier book, Bankster and I simply loved it. So with great expectations, I started reading Bankerupt and let me tell you that I had trouble putting it down. Towards the end, as I moved from one page to the other, I had this ‘fear in my heart and excitement in the head’, as the storyline had more twists and turns than a corkscrew!
The author succeeded in keeping me on my tenterhooks with a succinct narration that has achieved a beautiful blend despite 5 different narratives in the story. The information on the banking systems and how books are cooked in organizations; the rise and fall of emu farming in India; politics in a premier educational institution, the power struggle and the funding and grants for research; the gun culture and the strong arms lobby in America is pretty interesting.
All these varied plots converge in the end so beautifully to culminate into something that is totally unexpected and simply thrilling!
I was expecting Cirisha’s showdown with her father, but that never happened in the book. Knowing about Aditya’s involvement in the scam had devastated her, wonder what would be her reaction on knowing about her father’s business processes. Also some of the characters and their stories could have been developed more. I believe, Richard’s story could have been promising and also the relationship between Cirisha and Aditya could have been explored a bit more.
Bankerupt would be a fabulous watch on the big screen too, as it has all the ingredients of a Bollywood crime thriller– murders, lies, deceit and treachery.
Bankerupt is highly recommended if you are looking for a racy pacy thriller.
Rating : 4.5/5
16 Responses
I have read his “If God was a Banker” and enjoyed it quite a bit, I will therefore have to surely add this to my To Read list, given your review of the book.
Good review, thanks for sharing 😀
You must read Bankerupt, Jairam. It is unputdownable! 🙂
I have not read any of his books…and somehow this genre is not even my type.
But you’ve given a nice round up of the book. Nice!
Oh, I love fast paced thrillers!!
Thanks Kajal 🙂
I just purchased this book some days back and am yet to read it. Thanks for the review ! I can’t wait to read it now !!! 🙂
Do read it ASAP, Sreeja and share your review 🙂
It was a good book better written than his previous works but some how I didn’t find it saucy and intriguing enough (specially the plot) as good as his last books. Probably because the banking took the back seat in the plot.
That’s true, while banking was the central theme in Bankster, it is another plot along with academic institution and Emu farming in Bankrupter.
Wow. Authors who blend narratives so well are must reads. Thanks for sharing! Will check this out.
Yeah, it is interesting to read different plots and keep wondering how they will link together in the end. And when you see them merge so beautifully, you are filled with that happy warm feeling! You must check it our, Michelle 🙂
I have not read any of his books. But a lot of people have been suggesting me that he is a must read author. And well you too are telling me the same 🙂
You must then!!
I’ve not yet read Bankerupt, but I’ve read his earlier books. They are un-put-down-able. Ravi uses his knowledge of the banking industry very well to weave fascinating tales.
Since you have read Ravi’s earlier books, then you will enjoy this one too! It has 3 main plots interwoven together and yes, as you rightly mentioned even this one is unputdownable! 🙂