Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup

by Suzan Abrams

Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup who is currently India's High Commissioner to South Africa, publishes his second novel in London, a thriller titled Six Suspects.

You tend to get a sackful of emigration stories from the majority of Indian writers worldwide but a good old-fashioned whodunnit makes for a fascinating change.

I've read parts of it already and like it. The plot has murder and dark secrets embroiled into India's complicated caste sytem which I thought to be a fabulous selling point. The book's official launch date is July 28 but the Dublin bookstores have already displayed the title.

Swarup received glowing accolades for his first novel, the award-winning Q & A which has already been translated into 34 languages, optioned for musical rights, bought over by Film Four of British television and is currently being made into a film called Slumdog Millionaire.

Six Suspects is a chunky read that still lends itself to the tone of serious fiction and I love the cover which straightaway spells intrigue. The novelist dedicates his second novel to his wife, the artist, Aparna Swarup.