Death in the Air - by Ram Murali

Book Synopsis

"A stunning, sophisticated, scalpel-sharp murder mystery. Powerful, fun, and hugely rewarding. Immensely impressive."--Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End and All the Colors of the Dark

"Unexpected delights await on every page of Ram Murali's impressive and captivating debut. Crisp as a gin and tonic and delightfully wicked, this smart, smart novel delivers a sophisticated, subversive murder mystery set in the highest stratosphere of the international idle rich. I had to force myself not to binge it in one night so I could savor it like the rare and exquisite meal that it is." --Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians

The White Lotus meets Knives Out meets Crazy Rich Asians in this devilishly entertaining debut novel: both a sophisticated locked-room mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie, and a provocative literary whodunit for the twenty-first century.

Ro Krishna is the American son of Indian parents, educated at the finest institutions, equally at home in London's poshest clubs and on the squash court, but unmoored after he is dramatically forced to leave a high-profile job under mysterious circumstances. He decides it's time to check in for some much-needed R&R at Samsara, a world-class spa for the global cosmopolitan elite nestled in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. A person could be spiritually reborn in a place like this. Even a very rich person.

But a person--or several--could also die there. Samsara is the Sanskrit word for the karmic cycle of death and rebirth, after all. And as it turns out, the colorful cast of characters Ro meets--including a misanthropic politician; an American movie star preparing for his Bollywood crossover debut; a beautiful heiress to a family jewel fortune that barely survived Partition; and a bumbling white yogi inexplicably there to teach meditation--harbors a murderer among them. Maybe more than one.

As the death toll rises, Ro, a lawyer by training and a sleuth by circumstance, becomes embroiled in a vicious world under a gilded surface, where nothing is quite what it seems . . . including Ro himself. Death in the Air is a brilliant, teasing mystery from a remarkable new talent.

Review Quotes

"[A] clever high-altitude murder mystery. . . . Samsara's heady blend of decadence and spirituality is deliciously evoked." - Financial Times
"A tale of cultural identity; of the difficulty of feeling disconnected from one's roots after moving to a new country with a different language and customs, and of ultimately finding oneself again . . . . Ro is not only solving the murders of the upper elite, but he is also figuring out who he is and what it means to be an American son of Indian parents. Peppered with dark humour, charm and cleverness, Death in the Air will make you laugh, think, and struggle between bingeing it all in one go or savouring every juicy detail." - Readings
"This novel gives me everything I love about a Golden Age whodunnit, brought bang up to date: a gloriously escapist setting (a spa nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas), a cast of overprivileged characters we love to hate (think Bollywood wannabes and heiresses aplenty), and intrigue galore. The world of the book is so richly and fascinatingly evoked that I wanted to luxuriate in it, even as things started to go very wrong indeed. It's the perfect, escapist summer read with a sting in the tail." - iNews, "The five best murder mystery novels of all time, according to Lucy Foley"
"Fans of The White Lotus will enjoy this entertaining resort-based murder mystery . . . . An Agatha Christie-style locked-room mystery that threatens a higher body count, and doubles as a wicked satire on the foibles of the ultra-rich. Murali has written a comic crime novel that mixes elements from two popular genres into a colourful and clever detective story, full of memorably eccentric characters." - Sydney Morning Herald
"A clever closed-circle whodunit . . . . There's enough originality and atmosphere on offer to keep readers on tenterhooks for Murali's sophomore effort. A nerve-jangling good time." - Publishers Weekly
"A disgraced politician, a greedy Hollywood star, and a meditation guru are all part of the sinister underbelly that hides beneath the Samsara, a luxurious spa amidst the Himalayas. Seeking solace after a professional debacle, the protagonist, Ro Krishna finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue and murder. Treading the treacherous terrain, Murali's debut novel offers a clever and thrilling exploration of identity and deception."
- Harper's Bazaar (India)
"Murali's debut is an engaging story in which he skillfully pulls off a compelling tribute to Agatha Christie." - Asian Review of Books
"[Death in the Air] seems to be following in the generic footsteps of an Agatha Christie murder mystery but offers a variety of themes and reflections on diasporic life that challenge the conventional detective fiction genre." - India Currents
"An ideal set-up for a White Lotus/Agatha Christie-style 'closed world' mystery mashup. . . . Death in the Air is certainly a page-turner: smart, funny and compelling." - The Guardian
"Murali's sly, knowing, and affectionate take on the foibles of the international jet set is as charming as it is compelling." - Crime Reads
"If Agatha Christie took a White Lotus trip to an Ayurvedic spa in the Indian Himalayas, she could do no better than Ram Murali's debut novel--a murder mystery that pays loving homage to the genre while crackling with wicked humor and subversive social satire." - Rolling Stone
"Glamorous, escapist fun. . . . Bollywood with a touch of arsenic on the side." - Daily Mail (London)
"A really fun, propulsive, kind of scary, gripping book which I loved. I hope you love it too." - Jenna Bush Hager, the Today show