The Seventh Cup | Nitesh Jain | Book Review

The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain is a mystery set in the scenic settings of Switzerland and Goa. So, read the book summary, genre, publication date, similar book recommendations, and book review of The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain in this post below.

A Mystery debut that starts slow but once it picks speed it is a crazy and engrossing journey, read #BookReview The Seventh Cup by @nitsgoa on #NjkinnysBlog #BookBoost Share on X

About The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain:

No. of Pages: 311

Publication Date: 19 September 2013

Genre: Mystery, Indian Writing, Murder Mystery, contemporary Fiction, Debut

Reading Age: 16 years and above

Buy From: AMAZON

The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain Book Summary:

The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain starts in a cafe in Zurich where an Indian chemical engineer and amateur writer, Avinash Roy sits at a corner table writing his book. Here he meets a beautiful Swiss woman, Verona Schmidt who soon becomes a weekly fixture to his cafe visits. They discuss his life, Bollywood, Indian cuisine, and in turn, Avinash asks for her help in finishing the last chapter of his book. Amidst all this, he also tells Verona that he will make her fall in love with him no matter that she already has a boyfriend!

Then in another settings we meet two Detective couple who are joining the Zurich police and are handed two missing persons cases. Seemingly unconnected, we meet several other players like a group of Indian Archeology students in Zurich who are here for an archeological dig, the two missing persons and people connected to them, and Avinash’s college friends.

Verona is missing for ten months but Avinash insists she meets him every week. Is she really missing? Is Avinash lying? What is the truth?

Everything slowly comes together in this multi-layered mystery with Avinash and Verona at the centre.

The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain Book Review:

I was attracted towards The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain because of its title and blurb. This is a book with an ordinal number in the title, and that intrigued me. But the cover is confusing and gives the idea that this is a nonfiction. 

Then I am always looking forward to meeting new authors and Nitesh Jain fit the bill. This book is his debut book, and he introduces very intriguing and challenging concepts through his book. 

Things that could be better:

The story starts slow and the initial chapters test the readers’ patience because they are lengthy, the story meanders all over the place, and Verona and Avinash’s conversations drag. While I enjoyed seeing India through a foreigner’s eyes, the banter could have been shortened. 

It is only after at least half the book is done that the story picks up pace, and the things start falling into place. Before this I was so confused with all the characters getting introduced all over the world with no connection among them. And the dates and place shifts further added to my confusion. So, I had to frequently go back and reread a part again to stay in the loop.

Things I liked:

However, once the story starts making sense, it was a crazy and engrossing ride. So, I sat engaged as the Detective couple raced all over the world to make sense of what happened to Verona who has been missing for ten months. Then one of the Indian archeology students is found dead in her room with a suicide note which further adds to the mystery. How are these two events connected? And what is Avinash’s role here because he knows them both!

In a race against time, will Detective Suzanna and her husband be able to solve the mystery and find Verona? 

I loved how Nitesh plans and then joins so many angles together to bring a riveting, and complex mystery with paranormal elements to the table which is a refreshing change from the mysteries I have read in the past years.

However, at times, he put a lot of casual romance between Avinash and Verona. The length of the book could have been a bit shorter. But the characterisation of Avinash, and the introduction of revolutionary concepts like “mind transportation”, “the power of making the universe give you something you desire”, and “after death communication with loved ones if we have faith” add a novelty to this book.

Then I was also hooked by the debate of believers vs non-believers with the author giving multiple examples to support each side. So when, even the practical Detective investigating Verona’s disappearance starts to believe in the paranormal, and the philosophical, it was an interesting twist to the mystery.

Conclusion:

All in all, The Seventh Cup by Nitesh Jain is a book that starts slow, is confusing at first with too many players, and no connection among them, but which when it gains speed will leave you shocked and in thrall! And the significance of the intriguing title is only understood when you read the book.

So, 3.5 out of 5 stars to it and Njkinny recommends this book to all mystery, and philosophical concepts enthusiasts who are looking for a book which explores areas of faith, science, power of the mind, the paranormal and after life philosophies.

So, if you are looking for a different kind of story that combines mystery, intrigue, humour, and human psychology then this is the book for you. 

I enjoyed this story that tested my patience, my investigative skills, and then left me shocked. And look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Buy From:

AMAZON

Meet Author Nitesh Jain:

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