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At our university, education goes beyond the classroom. Join us in celebrating their efforts and let's continue to build a more compassionate world together!
At our university, education goes beyond the classroom. Join us in celebrating their efforts and let's continue to build a more compassionate world together!
General News
30 January 2026
🖊️Sharanya Sen Walking through the lanes of the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair, detective fiction still feels familiar. Sherlock Holmes peeks through the glossy covers, Hercule Poirot’s moustache remains conspicuous, and the classic Bengali detectives like Byomkesh Bakshi, Feluda, and Kakababu continue to anchor the genre. Tucked among these giants lie some truly unconventional and intriguing detectives, on a quest to find a steady readership. This year was proof that crime fiction at IKBF is no longer restricted to traditional whodunnits; the genre’s frame is expanding to embrace fresh plots and sleuths! A prominent example would be Prithviraj Bannerjee, the protagonist in author Arindam Basu’s ‘The Calcutta Covenant’ and the newly launched ‘The Siraj Cypher’. Bannerjee investigates a series of brutal murders and uncoils a thickening crime mystery filled with knotty codes blending history and mystery. Vendors observe that these titles draw in younger readers and students with an appetite for fast-paced stories infused with intellectual depth. Adding to the frenzy, ‘The Siraj Cypher’ sold out just four days post-launch on January 25, 2026, connoting massive demand. Fans have praised its Kolkata-rooted suspense, blending ruthless murders, psychological twists, and a sharp-witted private eye keeping them hooked. Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirotstill dominates as one of the most iconic figures, while ‘Miss Marple’ quietly reasserts her presence. Paperbacks featuring the elderly amateur detective appeared across classic literature stalls. Miss Marple's strength lies in acute observation, intuition, and social acuity. It is to be noted that Miss Marple pulls in readers who prefer subtlety over extravaganza as she draws parallels between local village gossip and the criminal cases she investigates, leaning on her lucid perception of human behaviour. Chetan Bhagat’s Keshav Rajpurohit also emerged as a frequent mention through three of his books ‘400 Days’, ‘The Girl in Room 105’, and ‘One Arranged Murder’, for its addictive page-turner quality that forces the readers to stick till the end. The plots are brisk and filled with dynamic twists and pulse-pounding suspense. Bhagat’s conversational writing style resonates with readers, mirroring everyday life. Keshav Rajpurohit is portrayed as an impulsive young amateur detective who is just as flawed, emotionally raw, and far from perfect as the rest of us. The stories delve into human conundrums, social taboos, the unconscious mind, and even romance, fusing with introspective drama. Chetan Bhagat’s series alters the very essence of stereotypical detective fiction, pulling in a sea of young readers. Taken together, Prithviraj Bannerjee, Miss Marple and Keshav Rajpurohit indicate three pronounced directions in contemporary detective fiction. Their visibility and subtle but persistent popularity signal that, as classics hold their ground, readers in today’s time are also increasingly receptive to newer investigative perspectives. Amidst Byomkesh, Feluda, Poirot and Holmes, these detective fictions are reinventing themselves; one unconventional sleuth at a time. 
