Vimal Kodai's Critic of V.M Gopaul's TAINTED JUSTICE

V. M. Gopaul’s

“TAINTED JUSTICE”

By Vimal Kodai

(Dated the 13^th of October, 2013)

             V.M. Gopaul’s Tainted Justice is a novel which has truly fascinated me, whereby I have enjoyed slaving through it: “I was entertained and my curiosity was quenched with a sigh of soothing comfort – as I put the book on my office desk, I felt that I had really read something out of ordinary.” The novel is of high calibre. There is an original story in play. A reader, who goes through the author’s first fiction novel, will definitely depict realistic challenges faced by those working for private companies. Mr. Gopaul acknowledges the many facets caricatured by today’s job market through the eyes of his protagonist, Jason McDeere. How politics may have ties to privately run firms, and how their invaluable support to the private sector, erodes the rights of those belonging to the working-class. There is an amalgam of events which are taken upon in the story, as we come to terms with issues related to lay-offs at the workplace, friendship, love, romance, family-ties, hard-work, a struggle for a rightful cause; and finally, a remarkable attempt to settle for a better lifestyle within the society. In his quest for setting things straight and rightfully, the protagonist goes the distance to prove that his being a truthful, honest and a dedicated Senior Software Engineer (a software analyst) at a certain computer firm (Softek) is worth fighting for. The pathway chosen by Jason McDeere, takes him on a road that leads to dignity and self-respect. He challenges his superiors, and he is determined that he will be victorious at the end.

           

A brief outline of the book

Chapter 2, p. 16

Shallen Xu: “Are you blaming the management?”

Jason McDeere: “Absolutely. And politicians too.”

                     Chapter 9, p. 118

V. M. Gopaul: “Jason suddenly realizes he was in the middle of a political storm.”

                     Chapter 14, p. 190

          The clean-shaven driver: “This Company is secretive. You need an insider. Rocky is a good start. Someone who handles money. Rocky and I are techies, not in the money circle. The CEO, CFO, and top management—those are the ones you need to talk to. I hope you can nail the Senator. The politicians use our money and then they look after themselves first.”

          Chapter 15, p. 205

          Terrance’s text message: “Something has to end. Maybe my life.”

                     Chapter 16, p. 215

   Shallen: “This conspiracy theory isn’t new. But Rocky’s lack of cooperation is disappointing. Did you tell him we were in danger?”

                     Chapter 17, p. 243

V. M. Gopaul: “After hours of driving, a sense of relief flooded him, vibrating down his hands as he let go of the steering wheel…. He stared at the falling flakes and reminded himself that it wasn’t a dream. He remembered the pushy reporter from the Post… How my world has changed.”

                     Chapter 18, p. 259

          Jason McDeere: “I don’t believe it. My worst nightmare is ending. Thank God.”

           

          Chapter 18, p. 261

Jason McDeere:  “After I left Corvallis last month, my life completely changed. I entered a war zone. I was engaged in many fights at the same time. I was also fighting a politically corrupt system. Finally it boiled down to discovering a corruption scheme hatched by Senator Quest. Whether you support him or not, it’s none of my business.”

           

          Chapter 19, p. 267

          Kara McDeere:  “Life is a journey, a path of self-discovery. Sometimes we find out more about our strengths, other times about our weaknesses. See, you just became better aware of yourself.”

          Chapter 19, p. 272

          V. M. Gopaul: “Jason admired her room from top to bottom. The sunlight danced in her eyes. Her skin vibrated with fresh color and wisps of dark black hair gently blew as the wind passed through it. His heart was filled with pride for sharing this moment with her. She is beautiful.”

               The approach which Jason McDeere adopts (although, he is no lawyer, no private investigator) upon handling the case of several hundreds of lay-offs from work, is thoroughly based on solid proofs - these lead him to come to the rescue of his estranged family members. Tainted Justice sets the tone as being a novel which portrays an act of great valour, a case which is solved in the midst of conspiracy, and a love-story which entails passion and courage. V.M. Gopaul is a writer who has thoroughly done minute research prior to taking the stand of a fiction writer. He has combed through bits and pieces of various aspects of life within the political arena. A novel of such calibre deserves much esteemed recognition. Also, the author deserves keen merits for having so diligently mastered his writing skills. “It is a novel which shares a blend of each: Courage, Struggle, Love, Respect and Dignity.”