‘The Killings in November: A Play On Toxic Terror’ by Rajesh Talwar is a play set in New Delhi where a killer is on the loose who is always dressed up elegantly in a grey suit and a red tie.
The story starts with a scene at Delhi Police Headquarter where Police Commissioner is holding a high-level meeting with the two famous detectives- Col. Ranjeet and Herlock Homes (sounds familiar, Right?). The meeting discussed the fact that how Delhi witnesses an enormous amount of murders in the month of November.
The killer behind all the murders has a unique style and is no ordinary killer. The killer also has a different sense of dressing style. He is tall, puts on a red lipstick and always wearing a grey suit with a red tie. He has grey Mercedes and before killing a person he puts out his guitar and started singing a song. His targets are generally women, children and elderly people. Factors like religion, status, etc. is irrelevant to the killer. The story moves forward by introducing new characters in the play and how they were affected by all the killings happening in the month of November.
The book is written in a form of a play, so instead of the chapters, there were scenes. Every different scene has a different set of people in it. The scene depicts how the lives of the people are affected by all the killings. The play is well written and keeps the reader hooked till the very end.
Pollution- A major concern
The Play talks about the environmental issues mainly pointing out the increase in pollution in Delhi. The play brings a light on the reasons for the increase in pollution in Delhi and sooner or later the grey monster will come and get you. Nowadays, to live and breathe in the clean air seems like a luxury. In the play, the author emphasized that political parties, instead of using the slogan like “Roti, Kapda aur Makan”, they should use “Hawa, Paani aur Bijli” i.e air, water and electricity. This is an alarming situation and the author did a very splendid job on his part by giving us a reality check and telling us to do something to save our environment. The author not only brought awareness about pollution through this story, but also mentioned a few ways to overcome this problem
The characters are well described as are the situations and landscapes, which would seem that you are watching them. This is a bold and corpulent thriller, with plot and characters that are really good and fit together creating an almost perfect novel.
Overall, the book is written in a simple drama pattern and is very entertaining and is an altogether different experience while reading. Simple language and a strong plot are the fundamentals of this book. This story brings to light the much-needed awareness of pollution through this story and also mentioned a few ways to overcome this problem..