THE SECRETS OF THE PALAMU FORT BY RAZI: An Entertaining Mix of History and Fiction

          A sleuth story gets a unique treatment in The Secrets of the Palamu Fort. Razi creates his super-efficient detective mastermind, Detective Robin Horo. Robin, Neil, and Babulalji are one team. The narrative takes off as a typical detective story in which a difficult case was handed over by the police to Detective Horo. The case was about a ghost killing people in random. Horo discovers that the ghost does have a motive. 

           The story takes a twist when Horo discovers a historical connection with the haunting of the ghost. The narrative strategy employed by the author is simple and direct. The history of Palamu fort appears intertwined with the concurrent events narrated in line with the events that happen in the life of the renowned detective Horo. 

           The Secrets of the Palamu Fort reads like classic detective fiction. It can be compared with a Sherlock Holmes novel with fewer intricacies. Also, this book evokes the style of Agatha Christie, the English writer and the creator of the character Hercule Poirot. 

           Palamu fort is a real historical site in Jharkhand, India. The history of the place is revealed cryptically through the story. Also, a certain legend is narrated which forms the core of the modern-day adventure by detective Robin Horo. 

           If someone asks about literary significance of The Secrets of the Palamu Fort the answer is that the novel unveils a rather new atmosphere into the sensibility of the pan Indian reader: Jharkhand. Raja Medini Ray and his kingdom, the myth of Elixir of Doisa, the Palamu Fort, and the legend of Satyabhama appears to tease the taste buds of our sensibilities and taunt us to grasp more of the rich historical background of the state of Jharkhand. This is especially true for someone like me, a person from down the south of the country. I haven't encountered many works of fiction based on the historical and geographical area of Jharkhand. Satisfying as it is as detective fiction, Pa The Secrets of the Palamu Fort emboldens the reader's curiosity to find more about the historical locations mentioned in the book. 

           The cover of The Secrets of the Palamu Fort sparks interest as it portrays a warrior aiming his flaming arrow on a rider running away from the scene on horseback. As we move through the story, we realize that this scene is crucial to the story. The portrait on the cover is the depiction of a scene from the story where the fictional character from history faces his ending. Published by Storymirror, an exuberant online platform for sharing stories The Secrets of the Palamu Fort has easily readable typesetting and feels weightless while holding. The Secrets of the Palamu Fort is apt for reading on a bus or train. 

           Author Razi is a medical doctor by profession. His approach to fiction reminds me of classical writers. The construction of characters, scenes, and locations are commendable. For readers of this novel, the question immediately apparent once they finish reading the story would be: 'where would Robin Horo, the detective go after this case?'. We can hope that the author sees this clue and pens the next adventure of detective Robin Horo, perhaps a little deviated from the classical traditions of detective narratives to infuse a new vibe in the Indian detection fiction genre.