Review of Into the Abyss by Ayush Ansal

Book Name         - Into The Abyss

Author                  - Ayush Ansal

Publisher              - Rupa Publications

Number of Pages -212

Publishing Year   - 2016

Edition                  - Paperback

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Rating : 3.5

Blurb

The dark nature of humanity comes alive when a criminal plan fails, and a chain of events leads to the grave conclusion of a vicious execution. With his naive eyes, adolescent Sam Winterfield watches his affluent parents die before his eyes at the hands of a stranger.
His innocence quickly becomes his greatest obstacle as he sets out to uncover the identity of the man behind the atrocity but with each step towards his goal, he finds himself slipping away from his previous self. Within London, he faces the most sadistic and strange men, each with their own twisted motivations, just so that he may have a chance at retribution.
Into The Abyss is a dark tale that follows the intersecting lives of nine people as they cross paths with Sam and his lust for revenge.

My Review

Thrillers is one the most difficult genre to pull off with conviction. The pace and suspense are quite difficult to go hand in hand. To maintain the suspense throughout the story is a task that can be fulfilled by only a highly talented writer.

Into the abyss cannot be summarised into a one dimensional crime/investigative story. It is a club of several thrilling stories interlaced to converge. Like with a collections of short stories, Into the abyss also has a set of exemplary areas as well as disappointing moments. While the readers are hooked to the murder mystery of Winterfield and his wife, new entrants in the cast take the limelight away. 

The story has an S curve in terms of interest. Narration is stupendous. While the UK background helped in the twists, author could have adopted an Indian background. Instead of encroaching the already reaped area, author could have pulled the story convincingly with a Indian flavour.

Unlike the general trend of having huge thriller books, author tried to keep it crisp and precise. While it helped in maintaining the pace of the story, some areas remained incomplete leaving the reader wanting more and more. 

Overall the book is interesting but a little more care could have been given on connecting the links seamlessly.

Reviewed for the publisher

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the author

Born and raised in New Delhi, Ayush Ansal is an author with a passion for the darker aspects of literature. While enjoying authors such as Mario Puzo and Agatha Christie at a younger age, he currently favours classics such as the works of Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. Ayush studied at Modern School Vasant Vihar and the British School in New Delhi before moving to Gordonstoun School in Scotland. He is currently in his second year at the Warwick Business School in England. In addition to his higher education, Ayush spends a lot of time working, training and in internships. Looking towards the future, Ayush aspires to enter the business environment and dynamic corporate landscape of the new generation.