Coinman an Untold Conspiracy tells the story of the protagonist’s peculiar habit for jingling coins in his pocked and the incredible animosity the action provokes in the people around him.

A Novel, the debut work of the author, Pawan Mishra, Coinman an Untold Conspiracy is written as a series of vignettes or short stories complete with a Table of Contents delineating 31 chapters and a Hindi Word References page.

Beginning with ‘The Cacophonous Plight’ we find Sesha, the narrator, explaining how he had come to be trusted with the telling of Kesar, Coinman’s story. And, it all began with great expectation.

It was the sound of coins jingling in the pocket that the workers in the office had not quite learned to ignore. The coins jangled when the man walked, or even as he stood in conversation with his hand in his pocket fumbling with them. The jangle was incessant.

Co-workers began a discrete moving of their desks away from the spot where Coinman and his coins were stationed; such move caused more than a little upheaval until management was forced to intervene. As the jangle continued so did the annoyance felt toward Coinman by his co-workers. Over time his co workers discontinued using his name and simply referred to him as Coinman.

As the reader continues trekking through the narrative the reader will meet members of Coinman’s family, Gossipmongers, Tulsi the office temptress and Hukum the office bully. The tale continues as Coinman’s supervisor has a heart to heart with him about his penchant for coins.

The narrative intermingles Coinman’s recollections of interaction with family, education, social settings, an arranged marriage, work and day to day living.

Writer Mishra has produced a provocative narrative told as a series of short stories. His skill as a storyteller is well honed.

An unusual, thought provoking paperback about coming of age, finding your identity and accepting who you are while trying to fit into the expected norm of the society in which you live Coinman an Untold Conspiracyis a tale written by an author with a fine command of language. Coinman, the main character in this work, is pretty socially obdurate, inept, awkward and to top it all has a thing for coins. The sound they create as he touches them or just walks around and the way the feel in his hands is very satisfying; even though the habit tends to drive those near him to distraction.

On the pages of Coinman an Untold Conspiracy, readers step into the oddly phobic, fervent, and frustrated existence of Coinman. The triteness of typical life is explored in depth by writer Mishra who accomplishes the deed adroitly in an entertaining, provocative manner. Do we really attempt to understand real or perceived oddity in others, or are we prone to denigrate, nullify or reject those who do not measure up to our own set of what is good or not so much.

Having never worked in an office, I am a school teacher, and have wondered now and then if the intrigue portrayed in perhaps exaggerated rhetoric might actually take place. Given laws and practices here in the U.S. open taunting or bullying in the workplace is not so likely to take place. Maybe such does occur in society having fewer restrictions for victimization of fellow workers. While innovation is often difficult to achieve for writers, author Pawan Mishra has accomplished a unique, captivating, at times hilarious book which also points the reader toward beneficial moral lessons without doing so in a ‘preachy’ manner.

I found Coinman an Untold Conspiracy to be a stimulating, well written work sure to intrigue those who enjoy a non-formula, predictable read.

I received a paperback book for review.

Happy to recommend.

Interesting read … Recommended … 4 stars
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Reviewed by: Molly’s Reviews
molly martin