Why Everyone’s Talking About the Coimbatore Book Festival 2025 (And You Probably Should Too)
Let’s be honest—when was the last time a book fair actually excited you? Not just another row of generic stalls, but something that made you go, “Wait… this sounds fun.”Well, Coimbatore Book Festival 2025 is kind of shaping up to be that event. It’s not just for the literary elite or people who quote Kafka […]
The Reader and The Reluctant – The Mystery and Thrill of Falling in Love
After having written this piece, I remembered the line ‘Ishq hua, to aane lagi Tehzeeb!’ from the song ‘Ajeeb-o-gareeb tarqueeb lagaye naseeb, ajeeb-o-gareeb.’ It is fromt he movie Azaad. If you read it till the end, you will know what I am talking about. She read like most people breathe. He… didn’t. Not because he […]
Stories in the Bath – Reading out Mystery Thrillers
He would wait till she had settle herself in the bathtub. And as a well-mannered man he would enter only with her permission. The bath was seasoned with the fragrance of Jasmine, the flower’s petals floating on the water. On their way back from their walk in the hills every Sunday morning, he would collect […]
The Throne Room Thriller – The Mystery of Bathroom Reading Revealed
There was a time, the glorious, rebellious time of my teenage years, when the bathroom wasn’t just a functional space. It was my reading sanctuary. A place where literature flowed more freely than water. Not to miss the other flowy things which-should-not-be-named. Armed with a mystery novel and a towel (only for optics), I’d lock […]
Operation Sindoor: The End of The Beginning of the Beginning of the End
History does not always announce its arrival. There are moments when it turns with a silence that follows precision. Operation Sindoor has drawn to a pause with a clear announcement that it is far from closure. In the span of 72 hours, between the 7th and the 10th of May 2025, India not only responded […]
I Love my Popcorn – But what about Indian Thriller Novels?
What is so good about the humble popcorn? There’s something about popcorn that makes everything better. A dull day lights up. A boring conversation suddenly becomes sparkling. Even silence becomes… comforting. Popcorn doesn’t have to try too hard. No sir… absolutely not. All that popcorn has to do, is pop into the moment and things […]
Under the Champak Tree – Discussions on Indian Suspense Thriller Novels
Every afternoon, like clockwork, they show up. A little early, never in a rush. He carries the flask. She brings the biscuits. Both carry books. They walk up the gentle slope behind their cottage in the hills, to the quietest corner of the community park, where a lone champak tree leans just so, like it’s […]
Behind the Scenes: What Authors Really Think During Lit Fest Panels
Ever wondered what’s going through an author’s mind while they smile, nod, and look deeply contemplative on a lit fest panel? As an author gearing up for my session at the Apeejay Kolkata Lit Fest, let me spill some of the thoughts that might (or might not) cross my mind. Warning: This is where the […]
Plot Breakdown: The Most Shocking Twists That Made These Indian Suspense Thriller Novels Unforgettable
When a Twist Leaves You Stunned Have you ever turned a page only to realize that everything you believed about the story was completely wrong? The best Indian suspense thriller novels are those that lead readers down a predictable path – only to rip the rug out from under them with jaw-dropping twists. Unlike their […]
Why Write a Mystery Thriller?
This is another question I get asked very frequently. Why did you choose mystery novel as the genre for your writing? It is exciting to write a thriller. It is tough to write a thriller. If written well, it keeps the reader hooked. In fact, if thought well, it keeps even the writer hooked, with […]