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An Indian Goes Around the World – II

An Indian Goes Around the World – Ii: What I Learned from My Thirty-Day European Odyssey by [Prabhakaran, M.P.]

M.P. Prabhakaran takes readers across ten countries in Europe. The exciting journey is filled with amazing experiences, new trials, immense learning, and lovely interactions. Reading the book made me understand why the author modified English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley’s words and said: “The more I travel, the more I discover my ignorance.” Traveling the world is truly fun, at least that’s what I got from M. P. Prabhakaran’s book. I learned quite a number of things as I read.

The first city the reader is introduced to is Stockholm. The fact that the author visited the Swedish city twice confirms just how much he loved being in Stockholm. One can say that M. P. Prabhakaran is inquisitive in nature. That is perhaps the reason why he knows about a lot of people, their culture and the political climate in their respective countries. He is also charismatic and easy to talk to. I loved the conversation he had with the Swedish woman married to an Iraqi while riding a bus in Vaxholm. I empathized with the woman and her baby. I loved their conversation though. Mr. Prabhakaran knows how to keep the conversation going and that’s why the woman felt comfortable talking about her life with a stranger.  The author’s conversations are among the things that made the book a lovely read.

It was interesting reading about the author’s encounter with the Russian Mafia on a St. Petersburg street. Being a target because you are a foreigner is no fun at all. There was a lesson at the end of it all; don’t put all your cards in one pocket.  You would have imagined that his trip would have been smooth without any trouble. His harassment with the mafia was however just a little problem that was averted without the author being harmed. His trip was mostly pleasant, with only a few incidents that can be ignored.

From Stockholm to Bergen, to Helsinki, Prague, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Moscow, and all the amazing places the author went made the story exotic, for someone that hasn’t been to all these places. Having to travel through all those countries in just 30 days is not a simple thing. The author enjoyed walking, taking the train and even flying to go see the world and learn about societies.

The author is knowledgeable in the political state of the countries he traveled. I admired that in him. I would be there reading about his beautiful trips, then out of nowhere, he would throw in a fact about the leadership of a country either in the past or present. I love that he reminded the reader of a little history that may have been forgotten.

I understand why M. P. Prabhakaran took to traveling in Europe. Given an opportunity, I would travel the world as he did. I loved that he also documented every interesting thing because I enjoyed reading his tales. “An Indian Goes Around the World – Ii: What I Learned From My Thirty-Day European Odyssey” is a lovely book that will make you want to travel.

Pages: 270 | ASIN: B0794N38FB

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Science Hasn’t Yet Been Able to Explain

Author Janet Hannah takes some time to have a quick discussion about her book, Mystery Time.

Mystery Time is set in the beautiful and history rich city of Prague. Why did you choose this city for the setting of your third book featuring microbiologist Alex Kertesz?

I chose Prague because it’s a beautiful and intriguing city.  I read mysteries for entertainment, and my goal in writing them is to provide entertainment for other readers who enjoy the same things – interesting settings and  characters and entertaining dialogue.

There is an antique watch that is at the center of Mystery Time. But the watch is more than a simple time piece and even seemed to come with its own moral compass. Where did the idea for this magical watch come from? Did any of its effects develop organically in the story?

The mysterious watch is outwardly one of  the early watches created by Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, but I brought it into the story as a link between modern times and the fascinating Louis-Joseph-Amour, Marquis de Bouille, on whom the character Julien-Christophe is based.  The marquis, who was a contemporary of Napoleon, wrote one of the most impressive memoirs I have ever read, bringing the events and personages of his era to vibrant life. As for the unusual qualities of the watch – people do “see” things that science hasn’t yet been able to explain. This is something that has always interested me.

There was a mysterious bond between Alex and Hildegard that I found to be intriguing. How did their relationship develop while you were writing the story?

That developed as I tried to follow a relationship between two such people through its natural progression.

Will there be a fourth book featuring microbiologist Alex Kertesz? If so when can your fans expect it to come out?

There is a fourth book in the series, but it has only been published as a Kindle book.  It takes Alex and his son on a trip to Albania in search of a missing Gypsy.

Author Links: WordPress | Tumblr

Mystery Time An American microbiologist dies on stage as he is about to lecture at a scientific congress in Prague, an apparent victim of local criminals. Professor Hildegard Kraus from Heidelberg and her Hungarian born colleague Alex Kertész from Jerusalem, who hear his last words, are left wondering whether one the the assembled scientists might be the real killer. Whoever it was has also taken Hildegard’s watch, a treasured family keepsake with an intriguing history.

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