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‘The Steel Kiss’ is the twelfth book in the series by Jeffery Deaver featuring quadriplegic detective and forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme. Here, Rhyme and his partner (and lover) Amelia Sachs, New York police detective, try to hunt down a serial killer who uses smart technology to kill from afar. The enthralling tale begins with an exciting chase and what follows is a lot of twists and turns. You will never be able to guess the ending, even if you read a lot of murder mysteries and can sense a perpetrator halfway through the plot.

 The good thing is that not much has changed in Deaver’s writing style since Rhyme made his first appearance in ‘The Bone Collector’ in 1997. He still delivers the same fast paced narrative that has come to be the trademark of the Lincoln Rhyme series. The plot of The Steel Kiss begins with Sachs chasing a suspect through a busy mall when an escalator malfunctions and a mall employee is mangled to death. Though initially it seems the incident has no connection with the serial killer, it soon becomes apparent that he is hacking into home appliances and other gadgets to kill people, and used the escalator as a distraction to escape when he feared getting caught.

 A psychopathic hacker intent on turning ordinary things like a car, table saw, or microwave oven into lethal weapons is the stuff of nightmares but, besides this main storyline, there are many sub-plots in the book as well. There’s the relationship tension between Rhyme and Sachs, and Sach’s ex-boyfriend is also in the picture. He asks for her help in clearing his name after being released from prison. Then there’s officer Ron Pulaski who goes undercover to prove Rhyme wasn’t responsible for someone’s death during a case. Deaver also introduces a new character, Juliette Archer, who is a quadriplegic too. She lightens everyone’s mood with her humor and riddles.

Any other thriller writer and the labyrinth of plots and sub-plots would have made for one heck of a confusing read. But Deaver knows what he is doing and ties the different plot lines together brilliantly to come up with one engaging and engrossing story. He also manages to deliver a subtle warning about the dangers of letting electronic gadgets control our lives. Deaver is best known for complex plots and unpredictable endings and, in this cleverly crafted novel, he proves, yet again, that he is perhaps one of the very best thriller writers out there.

The Steel Kiss

Author: Jeffery Deaver

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Published: 2016

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 632, Paperback

Amar Nyaupane is a wellknown name in modern Nepali literature. The author of three path-breaking novels—‘Pani ko Ghaam’ (2009), ‘Seto Dharti’ (2012), and ‘Karodau Kasturi’ (2015)—Nyaupane has also penned poems, stories and memoirs. He had shot to fame after ‘Seto Dharti’ in 2012 got the prestigious Madan Purashkar. Nyaupane has been able to create a niche for himself due to his unique plots, characterizations and experimentation.

Aside from catapulting him to popularity, ‘Seto Dharti’ stayed atop the bestseller list in Nepal for weeks, and earned him acclaim from readers and critics alike for what was described as a unique portrayal of human suffering.

‘Literature has helped me express my inner voices and thoughts’

“Literature has helped me express my inner voices, thoughts and opinions easily through emotive storytelling,” says Nyaupane, 41. “My life, surroundings and mother nature inspire me to dabble in literature. Especially the evolution of plants with the change of season is something magical,” explains Nyaupane.

Born and raised in Parvatipur village, Chitwan, Nyaupane never dreamt of becoming a full-time writer. Instead he was interested in arts and crafts. It was his parents, father Eknath Nyaupane and mother Harimaya Nyaupane, who used to encourage him to take up creative writing since his schooldays. But even though he wrote a lot, he was too shy to show his writing to anyone else. He was so shy he never asked any of his teachers any questions right through his schooldays. Even now, he feels shy to ask questions.

He is delighted with the interest of the young generation in Nepali literature. “More and more of them are reading books and offering their invaluable feedback,” says Nyaupane.

For Nyaupane, literature is an outlet for the expression of one’s suppressed emotions, thoughts and opinions, which one cannot otherwise reveal in earnest. “Literature often connects the internal and external worlds, as well as opens portals to otherwise unimagined world,” asserts Nyaupane.

Who were his inspirations? “Diamond Shumsher Junga Bahadur Rana, Bisheswor Prasad Koirala, Guru Prasad Mainali, and Govinda Bahadur Malla ‘Gothaale’, among others,” he answers.

Nyaupane believes Nepali literature can attain even greater heights by including more voices, opinions and issues from the Mechi in the east to the Mahakali in the west. “Our literature can indirectly help raise public awareness and morals and nudge people into socio-cultural changes,” he adds.

stayed atop the best-seller list for weeks, earning him great acclaim

Nyaupane thinks Nepali literature has already undergone a metamorphosis, in terms of writing approaches, wordplay, characterization and connecting readers with literary works. He points out how there has been a massive overhaul in terms of audience segmentation, production, promotion and marketing of Nepali literature. Major publishers such as Fine Print, Book Hill, Shangri-La launch books amid much fanfare and extensive media coverage. Nyaupane believes youth-centric promotional tactics such as use of jacket ads, banner ads, expos, book tours, meetand- greet with acclaimed authors and interactive book discussions have been “major plus points” for all authors.

And what about the impact of social media on literature? “On the one hand, it has boosted awareness and sales of literary works among our youths. On the other, it has also helped reduce the circulation and readership of literature in urban areas,” Nyaupane says.

 Asked about the place of Nepali literature in the international arena, Nyaupane replies: “Nepal still lags in the international arena, as reading of Nepali literature is still limited among Non-Resident Nepalese (NRNs). Only a handful of literary works such as ‘Palpasa Café’, ‘Muna Madan’, ‘Radha’, ‘Seto Bagh’ and ‘Aaj Ramita Chha’ have been translated into other languages for non-native audiences.”

Nyaupane hopes the trend of translation gathers speed and more Nepali literature will be available for the global audience.

In the end, what is next for the acclaimed author? “I have finalized a draft of my next novel. But I am yet to get a launch date from my publishers”.

On February 14 at around 6 pm, Base Camp, an outdoor bar and restaurant in Arun Thapa Chowk, Jhamsikhel, was buzzing with a young crowd. ‘Single ready to mingle—a speed date event’ was taking place and I was excited to take part. I have never met potential partners using dating apps like Tin­der and Tantan, which are gaining in popularity in Kathmandu and Pokhara, because I do not want to just look at a photo and a descrip­tion of a man and decide whether to meet him or not. Speed dating, on the other hand, was an idea I found interesting in that it gives you an opportunity to meet scores of single people in one spot within a short period.

Organized by a youth-cen­tered souvenir shop called Little Things, the speed date event allowed me to meet 20 men in less than two hours. (I would talk for five minutes with one man and immediately with anoth­er for the next five minutes, and so on until I talked with all 20). We couldn’t reveal our last name during the event, but after it was over, we could give a card with contact details to people we found interesting.

“These kinds of events now are popular among the youth because it is an easier and cheaper way to find people to date,” Chaitanya Mishra, sociologist 

When I reached the venue, I saw groups of people talking and laughing. There were a few who had come alone and looked nervous; they were sitting in a corner with a drink. We were all assigned a num­ber. I got number ‘7’ and a man in his late 20s came and sat beside me. “So how do we do this?” he said with a nervous laughter.

I giggled and told him I had no experience with speed dat­ing. Later I found out none of the men had been to a speed date before. The concept is still new to Kathmandu and many aren’t famil­iar with it. When I told my parents about it, they were confused. But after I explained it to them, they found it interesting.

The conversation with the first man I met started off with where we live, what our hobbies are, how long we have been single and why we decided to come to the event. He said that a friend of his had just come back from the US and wanted to take part. And he had cajoled him into registering too.

It didn’t take me long to realize I was having almost the same con­versation with each guy. But a few did manage to add some spice to our conversation. One guy, as soon as I sat beside him, said, “Let’s play a game. I am going to tell you three statements, one of which is a lie. You win if you can say which!” I lost but it was fun. As I looked around, I could see the participants laughing loudly, playing blinking games, some eager to impress and some having very awkward interactions.

Most women in the event were writers and most men engineers. Many men told me they were introverts and found it difficult to approach a woman and ask her out, so this event was a good opportunity for them. “Where do you find singles anyway? I do not have the time to go around ask­ing people if they are sin­gle. One of my friends told me that I w o u l d have to wait until s u m m e r when cou­ples usual­ly break up, because in winter, they need a part­ner to cuddle! I was not able to find a woman I liked, and here I am meeting many. It’s convenient,” was how a man responded when I asked him why he was taking part.

Abha Dhital, the organizer of the event and co-founder of Lit­tle Things, says she organized it because many singles who visited her shop requested her to do so. “We had been toying with the idea for a while but did not know what to expect. We are pleasantly surprised that it created a buzz. As many as 114 people registered.”

There were two time slots: 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm, and 56 people participated in total. The participa­tion cost was Rs 500 per person. Dhital says since the Valentine’s Day event was so successful, she is think­ing of organizing such events on a regular basis.

This was my first experience with speed dating and I am glad I went. Even though it was quite tiring to talk to 20 men continuously and I did not find anyone who I want to see romantically again, I met some great people who I would like to meet again.

Chaitanya Mishra, a professor of sociology at Tribhuvan University, says that the changing dating sce­nario in Kathmandu is a result of young adults becoming increasingly more individualistic and trying to assert more freedom. “These kinds of events are now popular among the youth because it is an easier and cheaper way to find people to date,” says Mishra.

The Na: Pukhu Café at Ittachhen, Bhaktapur, is every­thing the historic city stands for. It’s a multi-cuisine food court, a coffee shop selling exclusive flavored coffee and a bakery with various assorted sugary delights. Located right across the ‘Na pond’ in Bhaktapur, the Na: Pukhu is a favorite joint of locals and tourists alike.

 Na: Pukhu is housed in a vintage building which is a part of the historic settlement of the Bhaktapur city. It overlooks the crowded streets of Na: Pukhu, Ittachhen and lets its visitors witness the colorful lifestyle of the busy antique city. Specializing in momos, Na: Pukhu serves a variety of other food and also takes orders for birthday, anniversary or any other celebratory cake too.

If you’re looking to hang out around the Bhaktapur Durbar Square or Siddhapokhari, you might want to grab a bite at Na: Pukhu, for it is both cheap and delicious.

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Flavored Coffee

- Cheese Cake

- Momos

Opening hours: 7 am-8 pm

Location: Bhaktapur

Cards: Not Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 800

Reservations: 9869489221