Many Thanks to Vandana at VInfluencers for giving me a chance to review this book.

K Vijayakarthikeyan is a medico turned bureaucrat author and it is easily evident in his writing. Heartquake is partly a medical thriller but like watching an Indian movie, there are subplots with a ruthless politician, romance and friendships. The Indian Administrative Service, shortly IAS is a job that most students aspire to. Very recently too there have been multitude of coaching centers helping students achieve this dream. But being an IAS officer in the Indian political system is not an easy task as evidenced by the numerous accounts reported in the media.

Vikram is an IAS trainee who inadvertently gets embroiled in a scandal when the video of a simple Q&A session with a minister of the state becomes viral and the resulting fiasco destroys his peace of mind. Vikram’s family gets targeted and instead of being let go he is forced into servitude at Laxmipur, the minister’s hometown unable to do anything for the people but follow the cunning and greedy politician’s orders. The face-off between Vikram and RPR were cracking and left me wanting more.
Along with dealing with RPR, Vikram faces an immense problem of widespread heart attacks and who in the world can believe an epidemic that causes heart attacks. The mystery behind the illness causing the heart failure and the subsequent drama made for some nail biting reading. And of course Vikram is heartily supported by Veda who is a doctor and Raghu, a police officer.

The story feels like any commercial potboiler in an Indian movie without the larger than life hero characterization. But honestly the story is captivating and scary with the idea of inducing heart attacks in your enemies. The romance part of it could have been handled better, it was more like an afterthought ‘oh the hero needs a heroine’ and Veda’s approach to things were a bit childish for a cardiologist.