Two Indian workers dig up an evil that has been sealed for thousands of years and release it. The Indian secret service send in their own super-spy, trained in modern arts and mysticism to take it on and prevent the end of the world.

The real problem I have with this book is that it doesn’t feel like a complete story. Part One might be more accurate than Book One. By the end of the story the lead character has not even encountered the enemy. If it is, then it ends with what seems very close to a literal deus ex. Other than those words, Book One, there’s no indication that the author planned a continuance, and yet the resolution features a character never before seen apparently fixing part of the problem.

There are a few content issues: the first two pages read rather like a checklist of india – bollywood, doctors, cricket, english issues, social aspirations, basmati rice and the British Raj all mentioned, sometimes in somewhat contrived fashion. The scene setting is taken somewhat to extremes. The free-roaming comma can be found scattered in liberal abundance though its natural home: the five-line sentence. Also you can expect explicit material in chapter three – for the entire of chapter 3.

I won’t spoil it, but the ending did have me laughing, which was probably not intended.

Spy fans and lovers of indian fiction might like this, but be aware it is not a full story. There’s a lot of set-up but little pay-off.

Spoiler: For the Indian secret service it was a once in a lifetime, world ending threat. For the Vatican’s deep cover stealth Christian it was Tuesday.