New books on the shelves

CIU

Criminals in Uniform

Sanjay Singh and Rakesh Trivedi

HarperCollins

Rs.399

A furore erupts across India when explosives are found in a vehicle parked outside the house of Asia’s richest man. The controversial head of Mumbai Police’s elite Crime Investigation Unit (CIU), who handles all high-profile cases, becomes the chief investigation officer of this case. Described as a book about the “complex web of deceit spun by men in Khaki” by Sanjay Singh.

Sivakami’s Vow

Paranjyothi’s Journey

Kalki

Translated by Nandini Vijayaraghavan

Ebury Press

Rs.299

This translation of Kalki’s Tamil classic tale is the first book in a four-volume series. A thriller set in 7th century India, it is a tale of war, betrayal, secret passages, guarded forts, passions and a Pallava emperor who will do anything to save his kingdom. With different characters across generations, this will appeal to readers who like history and adventure. The next in the series, The Siege of Kanchi, will be released in April 2023.

Tears of the Dragon

An Arjun Arora Mystery 

Ankush Saikia 

Speaking Tiger 

Rs.499 

Rohit Vats was a pharmaceutical company executive who had recently returned home to Delhi from a work trip to China. Soon after, he turns up in a seedy part of Kolkata—dead. Was it a love affair gone wrong, geo-political intrigue, or corporate rivalry which led to Vats’ death? Detective Arjun Arora investigates while fighting his personal demons. 

The Stomach that Chewed Hunger

Edited by Bama

Translated by Ahana Lakshmi

Zubaan

Rs.375

Jealous of the “success” of his hardworking farmhands, a rich farmer cuts off their access to land; a free gift won by a working-class family is appropriated by their rich employer; a teacher finds herself rendered speechless by the insidious ways in which caste operates around her. The 12 powerful stories in this volume are by Nachiyal Suganthi, Aranga Mallika, Bama, Amutha Arathi, Thenmozhi, among others.

A New History of India

From Its Origins to the Twenty-First Century

Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Shobita Punja & Toby Sinclair

Aleph Book Company

Rs.999

This overarching opus covers 4.5 billion years of Indian history. from the prehistoric times up to the 21st century, blending state-of-the-art pictures and maps with a text of depth, clarity, and rigorous scholarship.

Abid Hasan Safrani

Netaji’s Comrade-in-Arms

Compiled by Ismat Mehdi and Shehbaz Safrani

Orient BlackSwan

Rs.895

Abid Hasan Safrani was a member of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army and the man who coined the slogan “Jai Hind”. This book, compiled from Safrani’s notebooks by his niece and nephew brings to life this unsung national hero even as it fills crucial gaps in the narration of India’s freedom struggle.

Dear Reader: A Writer’s Memoir

Sankar

Translated by Arunava Sinha

HarperCollins

Rs.499

First published in Bengali in 2015 as Eka Eka Ekashi, and now translated into English by Arunava Sinha as Dear Reader, Bangla writer Sankar’s memoir is a moving tribute to the writers who shaped his life, and a love letter to Calcutta and its people.

Politics of Hate

Religious Majoritarianism in South Asia

Edited by Farahnaz Ispahani

HarperCollins India

Rs. 499

In this timely study of the phenomenon of politically motivated religious and ethnic division, noted scholars discuss the role of the media and political leaders in deploying hatred for political advantage in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.