Necropolis

Someone is cutting off victims’ fingers in New Delhi and vampires and lycans are suspects in this ambitious mix of detection and the supernatural from Singh (The Beauty of These Present Things). Deputy Commissioner of Police Sajan Dayal and his colleagues pursue a kaffiyeh-wearing man who may be responsible for the crimes. Razia, an ageless woman with whom Dayal becomes sexually intimate, may also be involved. Meanwhile, the DCP and his team investigate various cases, including the death of an African drug dealer and the kidnapping of a three-year-old. The crimes may all be interconnected—or not. Singh explores the treatment of women, racism, and poverty in contemporary India, but if he is raising the salient points to reflect issues of corruption and the imperial class struggle, he needs a sturdier framework. Too often, the social commentary seems as forced and convenient as the supernatural elements. (June)