Free today: the debut novel of an INDIAN writer: "The girl from Rostov" - genre: spy /lovestory

Using someone else's review on Amazon: The Girl From Rostov is an international spy thriller with an element of love that begins in Russia, but quickly moves to India. Maya, the orphaned niece of a Russian gangster, spy, and illicit arms dealer must find out who killed her uncle, Majid, and why. She meets Shamar, the son of a millionaire who has his own dark secrets from the past. Maya was the only ray of beauty that God allowed into Sharma’s small and dreary world.

In his debut novel, 19 year old author Shitij Sharma of India weaves the characters together in a masterful way. Although Sharma uses names of characters sparingly, and the reader often must go back to figure out who was talking or who was in a particular scene, the connection of characters is intriguing.

The Girl From Rostov is a journey into the dark and often chaotic world of gangsters involved in espionage. The life of one or another gangster becomes an obstacle and must be eliminated in order for any opposing gangster to remain on top and in control. One who commits misdeeds born of greed gives no thought to the value of a life snuffed out and sheds no tears of regret. Yet, there are scenes of tenderness and love and pangs of heartbreak when another person’s life does matter; when a person is valued and cherished and lost.
A diary, introduced early in the story, becomes a vital, sought-after possession. Whoever would own it may discover the location of a warehouse stockpiled with stolen arms and weapons of mass destruction that could be sold to the highest bidder making the owner of the diary extremely rich. Suspense builds when it is discovered that Maya, innocently involved in the world of gangsters, has the diary.
Resolve to the story brings an unexpected turn of events. Who ends up with the diary and how he obtained it takes a moment or two to figure out. The reader has to connect the dots.


You can buy it here on Amazon: