(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Private India which releases tomorrow features the usual Mumbai suspects: Bollywood the mafia religious gurus politicians and business tycoons.
For a city considered to be among others the underworld capital of India Mumbai indeed has been the subject of many a book by crime and fiction writers. The city’s colourful mafia dons provide ample ammunition for writers.
Two noteworthy examples are Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts an Australian convict whose book became a huge hit and Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City.
On Monday yet another book on the city is being released by Random House and Cornerstone. Private India a collaboration between James Patterson — whose ‘Private’ series includes thrillers such as Private London Private LA and Private Berlin — and top-selling Indian fiction writer Ashwin Sanghi is a suspense thriller and part of the Jack Morgan series.
Private is the fictional global investigation firm owned by Jack Morgan which solves criminal cases around the world. In the new book Private India is headed by Santosh Wagh a former Indian spy who investigates a series of murders. The book features the usual Mumbai suspects: Bollywood the mafia religious gurus politicians and business tycoons.
James the award-winning American author has also created the top-selling detective series Alex Cross whose adventures have been adapted for the big screen three times. His books have sold about 260 million copies worldwide and he holds the New York Times record for most best-selling hardcover fiction titles by a single author.
Ashwin has authored three best-sellers — The Rozabal Line Chanakya’s Chant and The Krishna Key — which have also won many awards. A member of the MK Sanghi business group which has interests in automobile distribution real estate development engineering and industrial gases Ashwin considers writing historical fiction as his passion and hobby.
“My previous three books have been thrillers but with a historical theological or mythological backdrop” says Ashwin when asked about his latest launch. “This collaboration involved writing a thriller in an entirely contemporary context. That was my key concern.”
But the concern vanished rather quickly when James suggested that the story idea should come from him. “That particular approach gave me the flexibility to frame the plot in accordance with my strengths and sensibilities” he adds.
Was co-authoring the book a daunting task “No it wasn’t daunting primarily because James wears his extraordinary success rather lightly” points out Ashwin. “My focus has always been on research and plot while the Patterson formula is pace and character. This book has given us a chance to combine our respective strengths. You need more than one voice to create harmony.” James provided the guideline as well as an existing set of characters — from the Private series — that need to be woven into the story.
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