What do a sexy Bollywood star, a possessed bureaucrat, a good-hearted thief, a brave tribesman, an American redneck and a powerful politician all have in common? These six people have all been accused of murdering Vicky Rai, the son of the home minister of a northern province in India, Uttar Pradesh. This is the premise behind “Six Suspects,” the second intriguing and exciting novel from Vikas Swarup, the author of “Q&A,” the book that later became “Slumdog Millionaire.” Proof that Swarup is no one-hit wonder, this riveting novel will keep readers turning page after page to discover the secrets behind the various characters and find out just who the true killer is.
Swarup’s latest novel is split into several different parts — the murder, the suspects, the motives, the evidence, the solution and the confession — each section going deeper and deeper into the minds and lives of each character, digging up dirty secrets, past crimes and painful truths about the suspects and their families. Since the book is based on true events in India, readers will also be left guessing which parts of the story are fabricated and which are not.
Vicky Rai was one powerful and terrifying man. He ruled the world of India with his threats, bribes and murders and stopped at nothing to make himself look good. While throwing a celebratory party at his farmhouse one night in honor of a recent questionable acquittal, however, Rai ends up losing his life as a result of one gunshot wound. The police rush in moments later to seal off the exits, arresting six people who were in possession of a gun and a secret that could get them blamed for the murder.
In most novels, readers get to know a single antagonist or protagonist very well, gaining insight into their hopes, dreams, fears or what makes them tick. In this novel, however, readers are introduced to and get to know six different people in depth — their thoughts, nightmares and goals. This proves to be highly fascinating as each chapter reveals something about the specific character as well as the dirty creature Rai actually was. Instead of having readers feel sympathetic toward one or two characters, Swarup captures readers in six various forms, drawing six times the hatred, disgust and contempt toward Vicky Rai.
Many readers are sure to have never traveled to India or have extensive knowledge about Indian customs, clothes or language. For this reason, Swarup has included for the reader’s benefit a delicious array of all things Indian including expressions, terms of endearment and slang, but he does not always give the reader a clear explanation or definition of the Indian word. Only a handful of phrases like “kujelli,” which literally means “the pig has pissed” but translates to “oh shit” in English, are actually explained, so readers should be prepared to use their guessing skills. This can become frustrating, especially when the reader is left in the dark in the middle of a sentence and the word seems important. These slight road bumps tend to force the reader to skim sentences, which is a huge shame because no one likes to skim when reading a truly fascinating novel.
Despite the assured lack of knowledge many Americans will have about India, “Six Suspects” has many positive aspects to entice readers, including its across-the-board variety of characters, glimpses into Indian politics and culture and its gripping and compelling mystery. This story of how power and money can overrule justice is very eye-opening. The reality of how terror and cruelty can make a person do just about anything is enough to make anyone sick.
All in all, this novel is sure to catch readers’ attention and grab at the emotions of pity, disgust, curiosity and pure hatred for the actions of the characters and the different effects that one man had on so many people. Swarup’s first novel was translated into 42 different languages, and the eight Oscars “Slumdog Millionaire” earned was the highest number of awards won by a single film since “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” With the instant popularity his second novel has received and the buzz surrounding another possible film adaptation, Swarup is sure to see many more of those little golden statues in the near future.
4 1/2 out of 5.
