The Accidental Apprentice

Swarup (Six Suspects) puts a distinctively Indian spin on this thoroughly enjoyable crime novel with a scenario that will remind many of The Hunger Games. Vinay Mohan Acharya, a self-made industrialist and one of the richest Indians alive, approaches 23-year-old Sapna Sinha, a salesgirl struggling to support her family on the meagre salary she earns from an electronics store in the heart of Delhi. The 68-year-old Acharya claims to have no worthy successor to his empire and offers to tap Sapna for the role, should she pass seven tests “designed to gauge [her] mettle and potential as a CEO.” Reluctant at first to submit to the whims of an apparent madman, Sapna is forced to accept Acharya’s deal as she needs the reward he’s offering. But, as she proves her mettle over and over again, questions arise: Is Acharya a benign spectator of the travails she has agreed to suffer or is he responsible for them? Is Acharya the person behind an ongoing financial scam that comes to light, and does he intend her to be the scapegoat? Or is the conspiracy elsewhere? It’s not until she’s falsely accused of murder that Sapna really understands her own capabilities or what she wants from life. Agents: Peter and Rosemarie Buckman, Ampersand Agency (U.K.). (July)