Aratrika Reddy, the charismatic CEO of ARYA Holdings Ltd., has just 8 Hours to save her company from certain bankruptcy.

The multi-billion dollar hotels to steel conglomerate, founded by her mercurial father, liquor baron Madhusudhan Reddy, has many suitors, all of them plotting a hostile takeover. Aratrika’s estranged husband, Siddhartha is one of them. His inside knowledge is the real ace up his sleeve. The Rathores, the Reddys’ arch-rivals are looking to buy ARYA too and thereby settle old scores.

Aratrika has to weave her way through a litany of lawyers, politicians, bankers, bureaucrats, investors, power brokers and her dreaded family. Behind the scenes, Jagannath Rao, her wily uncle, is playing a dangerous double game of manipulation. Her father Madhusudan is furiously pulling the strings from behind the scenes. To add to the confusion, overseeing the whole sale process is her old flame, Peter.

Over the course of a single night, 8 Hours to be precise, Aratrika must fight the demons at the gates of her company and those within. It’s a fight to the bitter end.

A fight that Aratrika does not want to lose…
My review:

8 Hours! 8 very long and happening hours that we mostly spend sleeping. But for Aratrika, these 8 hours will redefine her life and everyone and everything she holds dear in her life. The story opens with Aratrika fighting a lone battle to save her company ARYA from her foes and family. She can trust no one and yet she is determined to save ARYA and herself from the impending doom. There are other forces in play, like her childhood friend and ex-lover, Peter; her husband Siddhartha; her father and her uncle; Rajyavardhan, her father’s enemy; and other companies looking at the take over as a very profitable deal. The events take place between 1a.m. and 9a.m. and all the battles are fought ruthlessly.

The author, Upendra Namburi’s 8 Hours is quite an intriguing tale of lies and betrayals. He has created a world where all lines between emotions and business are blurred and the situation gets murkier with each passing minute. With the turn of each page, you will be left wondering who is on which side. The story is good and moves at a good pace. Though, I have to admit that for me, the first 15-30 pages were a little tough. But once I crossed that mark, I had to finish this book in one go.

Aratrika is a tough lady, a protagonist that I like. A woman holding her own in the corporate world and fighting a lone battle to save her company, she makes for a perfect super woman. The characters are good, some men like Siddhartha, Aratrika’s husband and Madhusudan Reddy, her father, are loathsome. A lot can happen in 8 hours and this book shows that.
My rating: 3.8/5

P.S. Thank you Writersmelon and Westland Books for the review copy of this book.