Manjiri Prabhu’s latest outing, Legend of the Snow Queen, is a destination thriller that deftly weaves three distinct threads into one seamless adventure. These three threads are: the destination (in this case the Lake Starnberg region of the Bavarian Alps), the history (in this instance the German-Austrian narrative) and finally, the mystery. All three aspects are integral to the story and are judiciously used to create a multidimensional mystery novel.
Prabhu’s writing style is immersive, allowing the reader to fully appreciate all three strands — destination, history and mystery. Tension and suspense is built steadily throughout the book. Her characters are well-developed and the writing style is engaging and descriptive, making it easy to visualize each scene and become fully invested in the story. The dialogues are authentic and home-grown to the extent that nowhere does one feel that they are written by an outsider (although the true test for that would be a reader from that region).
An important aspect of this sub-genre of destination thrillers must necessarily be the historical references on which the novel is based. It is evident that the author has done significant research in crafting the Legend of the Snow Queen and her study shines through. Her attention to detail in the fictional crime investigation is also to be appreciated which ensures that the book’s realism quotient remains high.
The story is set around a key event: a five-nation peace treaty being signed to commemorate the 182nd birth anniversary of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The five national representatives are complex characters with traits that force the reader to suspect almost everyone. The author still manages to reconcile the conflict between surprise and suspense and provide a resolution that is unpredictable yet satisfying.
{{/usCountry}}The story is set around a key event: a five-nation peace treaty being signed to commemorate the 182nd birth anniversary of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The five national representatives are complex characters with traits that force the reader to suspect almost everyone. The author still manages to reconcile the conflict between surprise and suspense and provide a resolution that is unpredictable yet satisfying.
{{/usCountry}}I have always believed that storytelling is distinct and separate from writing. A good writer must agonize over her choice of words and expression; a good storyteller should sweat over getting the reader to turn the page. Prabhu uses several clever techniques to achieve this objective including plot twists, red herrings, character flaws, and timing. It is evident that she has honed her skills as a mystery writer over the years. Each chapter reveals new clues and leads one deeper into the mystery. This onion-peel effect ensures that a reader remains invested.
What separates Prabhu from other mystery writers is the fact that she brings several dimensions that are not usually associated with such writing into her mix. For example, one often gets the feeling of being a traveller in a time machine that teleports one back and forth — between the royal German-Austrian past and the Bavarian present. There is also the emotional and romantic element that is often missing from such writing but which the author manages to successfully bring to the mix.
Ultimately, good storytelling, much like good cooking, is about using ingredients in the right proportions. Overuse any one ingredient and the end product is ruined. Manjiri Prabhu sticks to the genre that she loves —destination thrillers — and ensures that she balances investigation with emotion, character with plot, suspense with resolution, history with mystery, action with intrigue, and research with pace. The final read is immensely satisfying and well worth the time spent.
Ashwin Sanghi is an author of bestselling works of fiction.