Book Review: Hussain Zaidi's 'Eleventh Hour' is perfect for binge read

Book: Eleventh Hour
Author: S Hussain Zaidi
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Pages: 256 
Price: Rs 167

Eleventh Hour begins with several parallel stories in a way that's somewhat confusing. It takes 125 pages or so for the loose threads to come together. What follows is a gripping thriller with one twist after another thrown at the reader, until the very end.

The plot revolves around the two big terrorist attacks on Mumbai – 26/11/2008 and the serial blasts of 1993 – and a possible third attack, bigger than these two. There are rumours that large quantities of explosives unused in 1993 are still present in many parts of the country.

Pegged around real issues such as the strained relationship between India and Pakistan, the book begins with Vikrant Singh, a senior police office in the National Investigation Agency, punching the Pakistan High Commissioner in the face. This ruffles feathers in the corridors of power in New Delhi, following which an inquiry is called. But before his fate is decided, five operatives of Indian Mujahideen (IM), who had been arrested by Singh, break out of jail, and he is asked to work on the case as a consultant.

Meanwhile, a cruise liner is hijacked on its way to Lakshadweep from Mumbai by Somalian pirates demanding the safe transfer of the IM members to the ship. They also demand control over Lakshadweep island, failing which they threaten to attack Mumbai. This creates panic in the city, because the threats are broadcast over live television, and people start leaving the city in droves – when their cars choke the highways, they start walking in their desperation.

But of course, our security agencies won't let the terrorists' plan succeed; the rest of the story is about how they foil their plans.

Zaidi writes vividly, so that one can almost imagine the exchanges with the terror outfits, the panic among the agencies and in the top offices of the country. Many parts read like a script ready to be turned into a film.