Disney+Hotstar,

As a product manager, growing a product is always a top priority. When it comes to Disney+Hotstar, there are a few key strategies that can be implemented to drive growth and improve user engagement. Here are my suggestions:

Focus on Content: Disney+Hotstar is all about content, and one of the best ways to grow the platform is to keep users engaged with high-quality content. This means investing in original programming and acquiring rights to popular shows and movies. Disney has a vast library of content, and leveraging that can help attract new users and retain existing ones.

Personalization: Personalization is key to improving user engagement. Disney+Hotstar should focus on understanding user preferences and recommending relevant content to them. This can be achieved through the use of data analytics and machine learning. By creating personalized experiences for users, Disney+Hotstar can increase engagement and loyalty.

Improved User Experience: A good user experience is essential for any digital product. Disney+Hotstar should focus on improving the user experience by optimizing the platform's design, functionality, and navigation. This can be achieved through regular user testing, feedback collection, and iteration. A seamless user experience can reduce churn and improve customer satisfaction.

Expand into New Markets: Disney+Hotstar should look to expand its user base by launching in new markets. The platform is already available in India and Southeast Asia, but there are many other regions that could benefit from access to Disney's content library. By launching in new markets, Disney+Hotstar can attract new users and increase revenue.

Partnership & Integration: Disney+Hotstar should explore partnerships with other companies to expand its reach and create new revenue streams. This could include integrating with other platforms, such as social media or gaming platforms, or partnering with telcos and cable providers to offer bundled subscriptions. Such integrations can help Disney+Hotstar reach new audiences and increase revenue.

Gamification: Gamification can be used to increase user engagement and retention. Disney+Hotstar could introduce gamification elements to the platform, such as badges, rewards, and challenges. This can create a sense of community among users and incentivize them to stay engaged with the platform.

Push Notifications: Push notifications can be used to keep users engaged with the platform. Disney+Hotstar should send personalized notifications to users about new content, upcoming events, and special offers. This can encourage users to return to the platform and increase engagement.

Social Media Marketing: Social media is a powerful tool for driving engagement and increasing brand awareness. Disney+Hotstar should invest in social media marketing to promote new content releases, special offers, and other platform updates. Social media can also be used to build a community around the platform and encourage user-generated content.

Accessibility: Making the platform accessible to all users is important for driving growth. Disney+Hotstar should focus on making the platform accessible to users with disabilities, such as those who are visually impaired or hard of hearing. This can be achieved through the use of assistive technologies and accessible design.

Innovation: Staying ahead of the competition requires innovation. Disney+Hotstar should focus on continuously improving the platform and introducing new features that meet user needs. This can be achieved through regular user research and feedback collection. By introducing innovative features and improving the user experience, Disney+Hotstar can continue to grow and remain competitive.

Offline Viewing: Enabling offline viewing can help drive user engagement and retention, particularly in regions with limited internet access. Disney+Hotstar should consider enabling offline viewing on the platform, which can be achieved through the use of progressive web apps or mobile apps.

Pricing Strategy: Pricing is an important factor for driving growth. Disney+Hotstar should consider its pricing strategy and ensure that it is competitive and aligned with user expectations. This can include offering bundled subscriptions, promotional pricing, and other pricing strategies that meet user needs.

By implementing these strategies, Disney+Hotstar can continue to grow and remain competitive in the digital streaming market. As a product manager, it is important to prioritize these strategies based on the platform's goals and user needs, and continuously iterate and improve the platform to meet changing user needs and market trends.

Jasmine builds on shifting sands

 

Jasmine’s life showcases the struggles, achievements and embeds the deep sense of responsibility for anyone who wishes to be at the top of any field they aspire to be.

While reading the book, I was transported to my classroom during my college days.

The teacher asked “Define Aim and Dream.”

My friends gave the obvious bookish answers and being a back bencher, I sat there listening to the answers smiling and nodding my head in union to their answers.

But my teacher took this as a sign of arrogance and asked me to share my thoughts with the class.

Still smiling I said,

“Aim is something where you have to reach/ achieve something no matter the circumstances. Here you look out for your opponents and beat them to the top position.”

Whereas when we talk about dream,

“Dream is something that you just wish it comes true. No one to beat to the top. It doesn’t matter what happens to others and their ambitions. It is your dream and once you achieve it you are content and satisfied.”

Jasmine the protagonist of the story has traversed though those paths and have ultimately realized her potential. From being compared with her competitors to being a force to recon with, she was one girl you wish to become one, once you grow up.

One of the few things people forget to do is to take a break and introspect, is what imbibed in the story.

The author through Jasmine, with there incredible story telling skills, wants us to realize our potentials and discover our true self.

“Jasmine builds on shifting sands,” is an engrossing story for all ages and one book that should be handy when you need it. If you get the gist of the story, all the successive reads will be to absorb more of the knowledge that you left behind in the first read.

It’s one of the kinds of book where you can open to any page and start reading. Within the books you can scan the QR codes to discover articles on self-help and motivation. Having gone through them, I can assure you those are really good and a must read.

My personal copy of the book is annotated and underlined for future reference.

What perplexed me was the use of bombastic words in the initial few pages of the book which latter faded out in the entire book. Yes, they were used aptly but I believe could have done without it. The story plot was great but was predictable. You could easily guess what might happen in the next chapter. You have to read this book as a motivational book and not as a story to enjoy it more.

Nevertheless, the book was captivating and a joy read.

The Wrath of the Hellfires

Patience is a Drawn Bow.
Rage, its Relentless Arrow.

Shukracharya’s plan to break the unity of Vikramaditya’s Council has borne bitter fruit. Friends have become sworn enemies, and brother has turned against brother, setting Avanti on the path to self-destruction.

Even as Vikramaditya prepares to counter a Huna invasion, a rebellion brews within Ujjayini, while a devious conspiracy is hatched to humiliate him. With Indra’s spies swarming the palace and Shukracharya making a bold bid to take the Halahala, the king is dangerously close to the brink of defeat.

Alone and abandoned by those dear to him, fighting to protect his wife and his people, trying his best to keep his promise to Shiva, will the Samrat rise one last time to defend his love, his city and his honour?

As the asura and deva forces muster in a final, desperate gamble to claim the Halahala, The Wrath of the Hellfires brings an explosive conclusion to Vikramaditya’s epic tale of action and adventure.

Other Books in the Series:

About the Author:

Shatrujeet Nath is the creator of the runaway national bestseller series Vikramaditya Veergatha, a four-book mytho-fantasy arc which comprises The Guardians of the Halahala, The Conspiracy at Meru, The Vengeance of Indra and The Wrath of the Hellfires. Described as “a new face to Indian mythology” by DNA, Shatrujeet writes for movies and web shows as well. His also the author of The Karachi Deception, an Indo-Pak spy thriller.

Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Anamika Khanna Falls in Love

 

About the Book:

How far would you go in love?

A few missed calls? Liking every post of his on FB? Landing in the hospital when you fall from a tree because you wanted to see into his room?
Anamika Khanna is madly in love with Rahul…
How can someone be so blind? Why can’t she see how much I love her? Will my confession jeopardise our friendship?
Vikram Lobo, the bookworm has developed muscles and lost the soda bottle glass-es. But he can’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when he sees Anamika.
Rahul, the high society Adonis wants nothing to do with the gauche, middle class weirdo who’s following him around. Until she moves into his league…
Laugh out loud at Anamika’s antics and follow her on the roller coaster that is her life!

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon

Meet Vikram Lobo

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I’d choose to be with Anu. She’s the sun and the stars and the reason for my heart to keep pumping. We’d probably go to Coffee Day - I’d have an espresso and she would order a frappe. And of course, she would realise she’s broke and I’d pay and she’d try to calculate how much this amount plus all the frappes of the past would total to!

If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?

I would spend the day with Alistair MacLean - the writer. He’d teach me how to research a book and how he turns simple sentences into stories that come to life before your eyes. And He’d tell me about his Marie - the one in all his books!

What is your idea of perfect happiness? And, what is your current state of mind?

I would be the happiest man in the world if Anu realises Rahul is a stuck up ass and forgets her stupid infatuation.
Right now, I’m wondering why she can’t see the love shining in my eyes? She’s such a beautiful,   fiery, crazy girl - I just can’t stop loving her. I try to chat with other girls and respond to their flirting, but my heart just isn’t in it.

What do you consider to be the most overrated virtue and why?

Honesty is overrated. If I tell Anu how much I love her, she’ll stop being my friend. It’s better to lie than risk not having her in my life. Also if I tell her what a dirtbag Rahul really is, she’d never believe me. In her eyes, he can do no wrong and I’m just not being supportive.

Tell us 3 things about yourself that the readers do not know about

- I also stalked Rahul once just to see if I was taller than him - and I am! Take that, you arrogant Richie Rich!
-I’m even ready to join Dad in his sanitary ware shop if that means I can have a steady income to support Anu.
- I’ve begun writing a romance novel (under a pseudonym, of course!) - a far cry from the violent detective stories I always write. 

About the Author:

Words have been the centre of Shraddha’s existence for as long as she can re-member. Fed up with her constant demand for books, her parents asked her to write her own. And so, it began!

She’s an ophthalmologist with a specialisation in Glaucoma. She juggles her profes-sional demands with her new label of tennis mom and the larger than life charac-ters that live in her mind, demanding to be manifested.

She has written A Doctor in the House (Partridge), A Great Fall (Juggernaut) and The Case of the Counterfeit Currency (Mango Books) and also has an anthology of poems (F.I.S.T) (Pothi Books)

Shraddha finds herself attracted to stories about women – strong ones, funny ones & kick ass survivors. Her selfdeprecating humor tends to stay with you long after you’ve shut the book.

Author Links:
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Youtube

Dalal Street Book Review

We should be aware of the “TRUTHs” of life, but truth more than required makes us uncomfortable. Learning about the harsh realities of life, is different from facing it.

Dalal’sStreet speaks the naked truth about the stock market world. It speaks those uncomfortable tales, that everyone knows but is rarely penned down.

Varun, Anil, Devika and Pooja are the protagonist of the story, will unravel the mysterious world of stock markets and you too can ride the market horses with them (only if you want).

How you may ask? Keep reading and you will be transported into a world of disbelief, lust both for love and money and some eye openers.

Money is the root cause of all evil. It makes human do the unthinkable and some will blindly follow anyone who shows the lust of money.

Very few in this world understand the limits of greed and fear.

Though being very common emotions, they can have extraordinary effects on human life. Being a trader myself I could read between the lines as I kept turning the pages, what the author is trying to convey to his readers.

The first quarter of the story lacked the excitement, speaking about the love, struggles of teenage guys. I had started judging the book by now.

Excitement took to its heels when I reached the second quarter of the story, where the story really catches pace and the book was gulped in a few hours.

Never ever have I learnt so easily about the intricacies of stock market. Even before I could have finished the book, I had recommended the book to many of my trading companions and shared on endless WhatsApp and Telegram channels.

You might see a bull run in the sales of the book very soon.

All the protagonists fight their own battle and exceed the expectations but the lust for money reigns supreme. And “Stock Market” is one such place, once you have tasted blood, you can never let go of it.

On the endeavour to make money some of the protagonist pay a hefty price.

How will it change their attitude and how will they succeed?

With stories weaved inside a story, I have to say it is well scripted and one such story will change the course of the plot in the latter half of the book. Well it will be a decisive one. Having played a cameo role throughout the book, it takes center stage and changes the destiny of the protagonists forever.

What is that? You will have to buy the book for it.

Varun one such protagonist will play just the right cards, at the right time, proving his foresight and cunningness in dethroning the reigning king of a company. What happens to the others?

While I was mesmerized by the story plot, I’m also in awe at the storytelling skills of the Author.

It was informative and worthy of being on the bookshelf of any trader.

I envy the hard word put by Anurag in writing the book. A well written one!

“Irrationally Passionate”

“Jason Kothari” is a rare breed of entrepreneurs that are ephemeral.

One that is rare and has been bred to shine the brightest. In a fast paced and engrossing book Jason shares his entrepreneurial journey and the of the business world.

“ତୁଳସୀ ଦୁଇ ପତ୍ରରୁ ବାସେ”

Is a Odia proverb that means “Tulsi spreads its fragrance right from the first two leaves.” Much similar to the proverb, Jason’s entrepreneurial journey had spread its wings at a very early age of 8. One which he very proudly shares with the readers in the first few pages of the book.

Even being in the 30’s he has been the go-to man, when a falling business needs him the most. Having turned a bankrupt Valiant Entertainment to a multi-million company, he had already proven himself as a business model and a CEO most sought after.

Valiant, Housing.com, Snapdeal, Free Charge are some of the businesses that he spearheaded as the CEO and forever changed their destiny.

Does this come easy?

Absolutely not! You have to exhaust your resources while working on a project, work with people from all types of backgrounds, learn the business laws and even know when to leave, after having built it from scratch.

The experience never comes easy. Jason describes on once such journey with the Valiant Entertainment, when things were going though the storm, he was so frustrated that he began to question his own decisions.

Why has he started, with a future that is still unknown?

What is to be gained and lost?

Was it money? NO, it wasn’t, then what was it?

The experience of it, the evolving process, understanding what the customer wants and needs, working closely with the team responsible, being responsible to name a few.

Now even having gone through the turbulent times and triumphantly overcoming the obstacles, no one really understands the mindset of an entrepreneur and how it functions. A sad reality. Only the success counts when seen from the eyes of the society you live in. Not the experience, the countless hours spent researching, gaining information, facing real life situations, overcoming them. If one realizes that, they will find themselves sitting on a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom of generations.

Jason shows you the way in this book. And makes you rethink on some of  the basic facts of life.

What drives you?

What will make you get out of your bed and do things passionately?

If you find the answers to these simple questions, you will be unstoppable and find that burning desire to excel at everything you do, still accepting the fact that not every seed is meant to bloom a forest.

“Irrationally Passionate,” will change your way of viewing entrepreneurship and will delve you into a hidden world of unseen experience and treasure.

It is a journey which you can make your own, no strings attached. The knowledge, experience and the thought process of changing the course of a business is all for your taking. If and only if you have the hunger for it.

Not withholding anything with him, Jason is a living reality that perseverance pays off multifold.

Wishing him all the success for his future endeavors and wish he continues his writing journey.

Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur by Jason Kothari

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

The Speaking Stone

The Speaking Stone by Ratnadip Acharya

~Book Tour~

11th to 17th November

About the Book:

Mumbai, December 2016:

A young man found an ancient-looking piece of stone with strange images and Sanskrit inscriptions. A quest to know the origin of the stone brought him to the distant part of the country.

Chandannagar, December 2016:

A young vivacious historian woman read an old book on a century-old secret story about a little known part of the country. Her curiosity got the better of her as the book disappeared mysteriously before she could complete it. She reached a sleepy quaint state of the country to satiate her curiosity.

Eventually they both met and their search began from the city museum to a far-flung rock mountain which revealed a century-old story of a seductive danseuse, her enigmatic lover, a string of her admirers, a painter with a photographic memory, a bird that could speak in many voices, a benevolent king and a gruesome conspiracy. And the most important clue to decode the final secret was with the missing part of The Speaking Stone. But in the process of unearthing old secrets their lives were also in danger…

Book Links:

Amazon * Goodreads

Read an Excerpt:

Chapter 1

December 2016, Mumbai





“Sir, we are about to close,” a courteous but curt voice materialized from near his shoulder. These words, however, had barely any effect on him as he just groaned sleepily, without budging even an inch.





The middle-aged man standing behind him hesitated for a moment before placing his fingers on his shoulder and tapping on it.





“Sir, it is well past one-thirty. We must close now at any cost. You know those Colaba police, na?” the man in uniform urged him. After all, he could not afford to speak in an authoritative manner with someone who frequented their pub, always drank enough to make the pub owner richer by a few thousand, behaved well with all the butlers unlike many other young men his age, and, above all, was always generous to give tips to the workers in the pub. He was quite a favourite with the staff of this famous pub, Voodoo, a little behind Hotel Taj Palace in Colaba. They looked up to him for another reason, too. It was his demonic capacity to drink and remain composed and collected even after that. Never before had it happened that he placed his head on the table, pillowed on his locked arms and slept blissfully. Whenever he visited Voodoo on weekends he was accompanied by one or two friends and the attendants in Voodoo knew that one of those friends, who didn’t drink, was always at the wheel while they returned from the pub. But tonight he was all alone and completely drunk. They were not sure as to how he would ride home.





“Sir,” the uniformed man called him again, tapping on his shoulder, a bit impatiently now. This time as he leaned to touch the young man's shoulder the hanging end of his tie touched his ear and earlobe. What the earnest request and tapping of the attendant couldn’t do, the hanging end of the tie seemed to have done it effortlessly. Probably it sent a tickling sensation down his spine as he raised his head with a sleepy smile.





“Sorry,” said he, looking up.





“Sir, we are well past our closing time,” repeated the man. He passed a searching glance about and as he found the pub empty except for him a sheepish smile came over his lips.





“I am sorry,” said he, trying to get to his feet. A pleasant sweet smell of Black Label whisky issued from his mouth.





“May I use the toilet once before leaving?” he asked with his usual politeness and then headed to the Men’s with an unsteady gait.





He returned from the toilet after a few minutes, wiping his face with a handkerchief.





“Are you sure, sir, you can manage to go all by yourself?” asked the concerned attendant.





“I will,” replied he and staggered to the entrance of Voodoo.





The attendant watched his six-foot-tall frame leaving the pub and hoped he would reach home safely. He consulted the watch. It was a quarter to two.





Outside the pub the young man stood for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts. He looked around then. The street in front of him was deserted. At the corner of the street, two stray dogs were sleeping, coiling themselves against each other to feel warm in the cold winter night. A thin wisp of smoke was spiralling up from a small heap of ashes. He knew the durwans from the nearby buildings might have lit the fire with the foliage and old discarded cardboard to warm themselves up. He did a mental calculation and tottered ahead at a slow pace. All that accompanied him was his hesitant footfall and a faithful shadow. He walked past Kashmir Emporium, Rustic Rajasthan, and an antique shop whose targeted customers were usually foreign tourists, and arrived behind the Taj Continental where scores of four-wheelers were parked. As he looked at the cars, parked in an astonishingly disciplined fashion to make the most of the space, a thought struck him. Most of the cars were white. He had no difficulty in finding his car. He opened the rear door of the car and plopped himself down on the seat. It was not long before he stretched at full length, occupying the entire back seat.





Soon he fell asleep when the crashing waves of the Arabian Sea, in front of Hotel Taj Continental, played a lullaby for him. It was the first night he slept in the car.

About the Author:

Ratnadip Acharya is the author of two successful novels, Life is Always Aimless... Unless you love it and Paradise Lost & Regained. He is a columnist for the Speaking Tree in The Times of India. He contributed many write-ups in different collections of Chicken Soup for the Soul. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, Sophia and son, Akash.

Contact the Author:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

The Sinners

The Sinners by Sourabh Mukherjee

~ Release Day Blitz ~

12th November

About the Book:

Vikram Oberoi is found dead in his penthouse. A few hours ago, his involvement in a sex scandal in NexGen Technologies made headlines across the world.


Who is behind the sinister conspiracy that destroyed Vikram Oberoi, the philandering India Head of NexGen? Rivals within and outside the firm? One of his many jilted lovers or the miffed wife? A mysterious conspirator laying out honey traps to sabotage his plans? Or, is it the ghost of a sinful past that continues to haunt the Oberois?


The Sinners is a fast-paced thriller with a shocking twist that unravels against the backdrop of corporate warfare, illicit relationships and ruthless seduction games.

Book Links:

Amazon * Goodreads

Read an Excerpt:

Agastya picked up the call from a private number after the third
ring, taking his eyes off the monitor in front of him.

“Is this Agastya Bakshi?”

“Yes… who’s this?”

“Agastya, my apologies for calling you late. I assure you this won’t
take too long. But, we need to talk in private. Where are you right now?” The
male voice at the other end of the line sounded authoritative. Agastya could
not recall having heard the voice earlier.

Agastya looked around the near-empty office and said, “I am at
work, but we can talk. Not too many people around at this time of the night.” His
curiosity, by this time, was at its peak.

It was past eleven. It was the third time that week that Agastya had
to work through the night. Hired a couple of years back, his work as an engineer
in the Network and Systems Division of NexGen kept him rooted in front of
computer screens through his days and very often, his nights. Agastya did not
have much of a social life. A clumsy desk littered with pizza crumbs, empty cartons
and soda cans, and a paunch growing at an alarming rate – that was what his life
had been reduced to. But, he did not complain. Agastya loved his job.

“Great! Then let’s talk business. I’m sorry I cannot disclose my
name. I belong to a private investigation agency that’s currently looking into
the dealings of the company you are working for. There are reports of certain
financial irregularities in the business.”

Agastya sat up straight in his chair.

“Okay! But, what - what do you want from me?” Agastya asked tentatively. “I work in Network and Systems. I
don’t think you have the right number!”

“Agastya, I know who I am talking to,” there was an almost
imperceptible hint of annoyance in the voice of the man at the other end of the
line. He went on, “We need access to the e-mail accounts of some of the top
guys in your company to check their correspondences. And I’ve been told that you
are the right man for the job.”

Agastya took a sip of the cola that had already gone flat.

“Why - why me? You can
speak to my Manager in the morning. He -“

The voice at the other end of the line did not let him finish.

“Agastya, this is a covert operation and we are a private agency.
We cannot turn up at your office with an order to gain access to these
accounts. Also, right now, we’re not sure how many of the big guys are involved
and in what ways. For all you know, your boss – the Systems Manager you are
referring to - might as well be a party! Let’s not forget that, he has access
to all records of transactions. We do not want anyone getting alert and
tampering with the data we are looking for. We cannot risk exposure. It’ll take
us some time to complete the basic investigation. And I’d really appreciate
your cooperation while we are at it. Once we have enough evidence at our
disposal, we will make this official.”

Agastya thought for a few minutes. The whole thing could be a
hoax, for all it’s worth!

“Look… how do I trust you?”

“I knew you’re going to ask, Agastya. We’ll be completely
transparent with you. One of my agents will get in touch with you. You’ll be
working with her. I want you to hand over the details to her in person. This is for reasons of
safety. And also, to make sure that you put faces to names. We want to win your
trust and make sure that you are
comfortable working with us because, as I said, this investigation isn’t going
to get over in a day. We’ll need to work together for a while.”

“I - I’ll need to think this through. What’s in it for me?”

“We’ll most certainly compensate for your time and your
cooperation. And I can assure you that, you will have no reason to complain
about the money. Don’t worry about that,” the voice sounded reassuring. Agastya
did a quick mental calculation of the remaining EMIs for his new car. Almost at
the same time, the full front-page advertisement of the upcoming apartment complex
in South Mumbai flashed before his eyes.

The voice continued, “So I gather we’re good to go here, right?”

Agastya mumbled an uncertain “Well…”

The voice did not seem to care.

“Thanks for your co-operation, Agastya. Ruchika will get in touch
with you shortly. Have a good rest of the night at work.” The man hung up.

Agastya looked disbelievingly at his phone. Agastya wondered if he
should call someone and discuss. The next moment, he decided against it. The
man did sound like he meant business. And, in any case, Agastya was the one in
charge. He was the one who had access to the data the agency was asking for. He
was willing to give it a shot if the money was good. If, at any point in time,
he had any reason to doubt the authenticity of the agency, he could always step
back. Maybe even report the guy to appropriate authorities. He could always
make an honest confession.

He put the phone down on his desk and went back to monitoring the
data backup jobs. In a couple of minutes, his phone buzzed.

“Hey, this is Ruchika” – said the Whatsapp message.

About the Author:

Sourabh is the author of two psychological thriller novels The Colours of Passion: Unravelling Dark Secrets behind the Limelight (Readomania) and  In the Shadows of Death: A Detective Agni Mitra Thriller (Srishti Publishers and Distributors); Romance Shorts, a collection of dark-romance short stories; a 2-part series Beyond 22 Yards (Srishti Publishers and Distributors) on stories of Love and Crime from the world of cricket and a 7-part series of short stories titled It’s All About Love (Srishti Publishers and Distributors). The titles in the series are The Gift, The Cookery Show and a Love Story, A Special Day, Masks, An Autumn Turmoil, The Hunt, The Death Wish.


A keen observer of human behaviour and cultural diversities, Sourabh loves travelling and has travelled widely across five continents. An avid reader of fiction, Sourabh is equally passionate about photography, movies and music.

Connect with the Author:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog

Giveaway:

A Paperback Copy of The Sinners by Sourabh Mukherjee.

Open till 25th November, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Justice Gone

About the Book:

When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down.

A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran's counselor, is caught up in the chase.

Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa's patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers gets there first, leading to Darfield's dramatic capture.

Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield in time, when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge?


Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

  

Winner of Three Awards:

2019 American Fiction Award

National Indie Excellency Award - Best Legal Thriller of 2019

Silver Medal Winner 2019 - Readers' Favorites Awards

Chosen by Wiki.ezvid.com among their list of 10 Gripping and Intelligent Legal Thrillers

Reviews for Justice Gone:

The courtroom scenes are wonderfully written...the characters are well described and the author paints a picture of each in the mind of the reader...Strong plot, strong characters and a strong writing style that I really enjoyed. This one is a definite "thumbs-up." Strongly recommend! I look forward to reading additional works by N. Lombardi, Jr.

Kim M Aalaie, Author's Den


One of my favorite suspense novels of the year. It will make you question the legal system.

The Eclectic Review


The courtroom action is excellent, trimmed to the most gripping parts of the trial, with plenty of emotional impact...a fairly realistic portrayal of the way small-town US society works...a fast-moving story with plenty of dramatic moments, and a big twist in the final pages.

Crime Review 


Read an Excerpt:

The expected law enforcement professionals responded to
Angela Fratollini’s 911 call—not all at once, but in prompt succession. Two patrol units  showed
 up,  followed
 shortly by
an ambulance with two paramedics who approached the prone body and attempted to find a pulse  before
 looking  at
each other and shaking
their heads. Not long after, Bruntfield Homicide Detectives Cavaluzzi and Ryan arrived, already aware of the identity of the deceased as one of the officers involved in
the Felson beating, and immediately examined the car and the
dead body slumped in its trunk before calling in the crime scene forensics squad. Having done that, they entered the
house to interview
Mrs. Fratollini. They had hardly exchanged
introductions when someone from the Medical Examiner’s Office had
turned up, interrupting the questioning. Following him was the Crime Scene Investigation
Unit from the New Jersey State
Police, who had accepted
the request for help from Len Peterson, acting chief of police for Bruntfield Township. A photographer, a fingerprint specialist, and
a crime
scene mapper from the same unit joined their Bruntfield
counterparts.

It was only then that Cavaluzzi and Ryan were able to sit
down and have a chat with Mrs. Fratollini.

She had heard him pull up, she told them, heard him get out and open the trunk of the car. Then she thought she heard her
husband say something, to which she replied, “What?”
but got no response. As she was in the middle of a TV show, she sat
down again on the couch. After fifteen minutes, when Mr. Fratollini had still not entered the house, she went outside to see what he was up to, and
that’s when she
discovered her husband flopped inside the trunk, “and all that blood!”

At that
point, Mrs. Fratollini lost her
control and wept.
While trying to calm her down, Cavaluzzi got a call on his mobile. The story
he got over the phone was that an evening paperboy
had seen a body on the ground in a pool of blood, and had raced home
to promptly tell his mother, who in turn had promptly
called the police. And would you believe it? What seemed to be yet another chillingly similar shooting had taken place just a few miles from this one!

And so they all exited the scene in the order they had come, proceeding to 74 Elmore Lane. Cavaluzzi, in the unmarked car that
Ryan was driving, had the instinct to call the Motor Vehicle Department to get an ID that matched that address: John Fox. He went into emergency mode and grabbed for his cell phone.

“Hello, Chief Peterson, have all
units proceed to the house of Rafael Puente…look up his address…and all the other officers involved in the Felson incident…send all available units to those residences!”

But by the time two of the available units got to where
Puente lived, he and his dog had been dead for at least an hour. Orders had by then already been given to cover the homes of the
remaining three officers involved in Jay Felson’s death, who were so far spared a similar fate. A dragnet
that encircled all six sites was implemented by both the Bruntfield police and the
New Jersey State Troopers, with barricades set up on all the exit roads out of town. Everyone was stopped,
told to get out, and interrogated. Bruntfield units patrolling the side streets
hauled in any suspicious
person they saw, but all of them were eventually
released after irrefutably ruling them out
as
suspects.

It seemed that the perpetrator had already fled, staying one step
ahead of his pursuers.

Murders are the stuff of local news. Nobody could have been more
exuberant about
such events than the press
and TV people who regularly
make a living from the dark side of human behavior. They swarmed over the story like ants on a ham sandwich dropped in the woods. As expected, it was received as a gem of a headline, not only by the Bruntfield
Daily, but also by
regional papers such as the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. And this time,
because of the extraordinary act of pulling off three similar murders within a few hours—the victims, cops, no less—the story even made it to the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington
Post.

Tessa sat and stared at the newspaper in front of her, silent
tears streaming down her cheeks. Ten minutes perhaps, she sat
there quietly anguished
before she dumped her face onto the
newspaper and began to sob. Her worst fears had materialized. She lifted her face up a few inches,
opened the paper, and wrapped it around her head insulating
herself like an ostrich submerging
its head in the sand, bawling away. She felt someone touching her hands and looked up with black newsprint smudged all over her face to see Ed, Penny, and Casey standing
before her with
equally mournful faces.

Meanwhile, a hundred miles to the
west, at the same time that Tessa was crying into her newspaper, Bruntfield was
practically on lockdown. A shelter-in-place order was in effect, meaning in
simple terms, stay where you are and don’t leave until further notice.
Checkpoints prevented people from entering or leaving the areas of the crime
scenes, as well as the neighborhoods of the three other ex-officers, even
though those men were apparently being protectively sequestered by the
authorities in undisclosed locations. Schools were closed, not only in
Bruntfield, but in the nearby townships as well. People locked their doors and
windows and slept with the lights on. The police, through the news anchors of
local television, advised everyone to keep all garage doors and sheds closed
and secured. Gun owners had their weapons locked and loaded. Law enforcement
officers were everywhere to be seen.

About the Author:

N. Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. Nick can speak five languages: Swahili, Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Khmer (Cambodian).

In 1997, while visiting Lao People's Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.

Nick maintains a website with content that spans most aspects of the novel: The Secret War, Laotian culture, Buddhism etc.

His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.

His latest novel, Justice Gone was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.

Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia


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