Delhi Noir (Akashic Noir)
Starred Review. For those whose view of India is shaped byThe Jewel in the Crown, conversations with a call-in center or evenSlumdog Millionaire, this anthology in Akashic's noir series will register simultaneously as a shock, an education and an entertainment. All 14 stories are briskly paced, beautifully written and populated by vivid, original characters. Standouts include How I Lost My Clothes, Radhika Jha's account of the bizarre robbery of a yuppie drug addict; Hissing Cobras, Nalinaksha Bhattacharya's tale of a meddlesome mother-in-law who meets her death in a temple; and Siddharth Chowdhury's Hostel, which concerns the horrific history of a piece of real estate. Small Fry—Meera Nair's unforgettable story of a young con artist—depicts the day he deserts his mentor/abuser and the scams they run in a city bus station. Few books can alter one's perception about the state of a society, but this does, while delivering noir that's first-class in any light.(Aug.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.