A COMPELLINGLY IMAGINED, TIGHT-PACED STORY OF SPIRALLING RUMOURS AND MASS HYSTERIA. In the foothills of the Western Ghats, the village of Vaiga is enduring the worst storm it has seen in decades: ceaseless rain, fallen trees, flooded river, severe power cuts … But another, more insidious storm is brewing beneath the surface. It begins as a rumour of an illicit affair—a rumour that brings Saud and his sons to Vaiga in search of Burhan. The rumour soon takes on a life of its own, fuelled by feverish WhatsApp messages. In the ensuing chaos, as Vaiga erupts into violence and a mob takes to the street, baying for blood. Tautly written and vividly imagined, Chronicle of an Hour and a Half is an engrossing, unsettling read.