Book Review: Eve's Tomb

It's a mysterious book with recognizable elements. A suspense where you have a sense of deja vu. Maybe the characters, the setting, the episodes sound familiar, but you will stay hooked till the last page. That is the beauty of Eve's Tomb, a novel by D.R. Hadrian, and published by Blackbuck Publications.

The book follows the trials and tribulations of Vinamzi Lance, an Oxford graduate who suddenly discovers that his professor has been murdered. What complicates the situation and implicates him in the matter is that the last message by Professor was addressed to Lance. But to get to the message, Lance must crack the code. To unravel the mystery, Lance undertakes a journey spanning various regions of religious and spiritual importance, and brace the rivalry of the Church. References of church, mystic code, Vatican makes one notice a strong resemblance to 'The Da Vinci Code'. But then, a good read is a good read.

The initial chapters have a sense of deep, dark mystery. There's ambiguity, there's fear, there's speculation and there lies the power of the writer to pull you in. The book flows nicely, with a strong sense of 'what-lies-next?', and overall nicely defined characters. There is a problem with the editing though, with some misspellings, and some loose ends to the storyline. For instance, Yodakani, an Indian origin woman, unknown to Lance, accompanies him on a secret, high-profile mission without any hitch. Too fictional.

I liked the book for its balancing of a complex story in a simple narrative. The book doesn't feel heavy, and I read through the book easily, which wasn't a case with most other writers who have attempted this genre. I hope this is a new wave of writing, which sees better avenues and goes on to develop our indigenous sets of Dan Browns. Eve's Tomb may well break some ice.


Book: Eve's Tomb

Author: D.R.Hadrian

Publisher: Blackbuck Publication

Price: Rs 150