For those whose view of India is shaped by The Jewel in the Crown
, conversations with a call-in center or even Slumdog 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.)
