India Post News Service

It is said that cinema has a bad influence because, in several instances, it teaches how to commit crime. The same could be said about the proliferating crime thriller books and novels which glorify crime. There is another way of reading about a criminal mind - to avoid the pitfalls such a mind falls into.

The short novel by Dr Ramesh K Sharma, 'Lucky Thirteen', could provide tips for committing crime but it can also teach that crime doesn't pay. It is a wonder that a doctor practicing in AIIMS could think up the ingenious crimes that his protagonist commits.

The blurb claims "In his professional life, Dr Sharma has observed many diverse aspects of human emotions ranging from beauty, love, passion, hatred to horror. He has tried to put them in words through his fiction."

The money-making schemes of the youth coming from a poor family makes for a fascinating read. Rajan makes his first big catch by blackmailing his boss about his extra marital affair. With this money, he starts a bogus finance company.

He disappears with the money and all blame goes to his partner. His partner commits suicide and the case closes. He then becomes a diamond merchant. He earns a big fortune by getting his business colleagues kidnapped.

He is finally undone by superstition and a scheming sexy woman he falls for at a party. After a graphic description of how smoothly a criminal mind makes money, the author shows that crime doesn't pay. What will you buy?