Escape from India (Helga Suspense Series #3)

“Escape from India” opens during the Reagan administration in the 1980’s. Marvin travels to India with his wife, Helga, and their daughter, Happy. His goal is to start up a tech company in India. Helga and Happy’s plans include attending a nude yoga ashram during the six weeks they’re abroad. All is going well until Helga and Happy do not return from a visit with a local prince. Marvin’s ability to speak several Indian languages allows him to eavesdrop on guards who discuss the fact that the prince is holding his daughter and wife for their singing abilities. When they fail to please him, they will be sold at a slave auction in Mumbai.

Normal channels do nothing to help Marvin locate his wife and daughter. He decides to stage an escape using his nano-technology. The over-the-top escape is movie-worthy and causes uproar in the press and the political arena.

“Escape from India” is written as if a file compiled by the State Department. Marvin’s statements are in first person. The players exist as names, as opposed to being rounded characters. The tale is reminiscent of several action movies with the feel of various scenes from a number of scenes cobbled together. It lacked credibility and didn’t invite the reader in. Chunks of information arrive with the same subtlety as concrete blocks falling from a flatbed truck, and failed to pull together a coherent story arc. This is an action tale delivered in the most passive way possible. 

Morgan Stamm