India, March 15 -- It's not every day that an army chief writes a novel. In fact, it's only happened once during the 77 years since Independence. This is what makes General Manoj Naravane's book almost unique and special. That's also why I'm writing about it today.

Called The Cantonment Conspiracy, it is, as its subtitle says, a military thriller. Though not a Le Carre, it is pacey and very readable. I finished it in a single sitting. The pages seemed to turn themselves.

The story centres around two young newly commissioned officers, Lieutenant Rohit Verma, a third-generation officer, and Lieutenant Renuka Khatri, the first woman to join an infantry regiment. Rohit is accused of molestation and assumed by most people to be guilty. Renuk...