The Blue Bar Blue Mumbai Thriller Book 1

On the dark streets of Mumbai, the paths of a missing dancer, a serial killer, and an inspector with a haunted past converge in an evocative thriller about lost love and murderous obsession. After years of dancing in Mumbai's bars, Tara Mondal was desperate for a new start. So when a client offered her a life-changing payout to indulge a harmless, if odd, fantasy, she accepted. The setup was simple: wear a blue-sequined saree, enter a crowded railway station, and escape from view in less than three minutes. It was the last time anyone saw Tara. Thirteen years later, Tara's lover, Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput, is still grappling with her disappearance as he faces a horrifying new crisis: on the city's outskirts, women's dismembered bodies are being unearthed from shallow graves. Very little links the murders, except a scattering of blue sequins and a decade's worth of missing persons reports that correspond with major festivals. Past and present blur as Arnav realizes he's on the trail of a serial killer and that someone wants his investigation buried at any cost. Could the key to finding Tara and solving these murders be hidden in one of his cold cases? Or will the next body they recover be hers?

“Crime fiction with a difference. . . . A novel full of layers and depth, focusing on class and corruption in India with compassion and complexity.” —Sanjida Kay, author of My Mother’s Secret The acclaimed author of the Blue Mumbai Thrillers, including The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon, burst onto the crime fiction scene with this debut novel, which has been optioned by Endemol Shine India for a multi-part drama series. You Beneath Your Skin captures New Delhi in all its cosmopolitan complexity—from its streets to its mansions, its petty thieves to its high-ranking officials—as a serial killer stalks its most vulnerable women. Anjali Morgan is the mother of an autistic teenage son. In her professional life, she’s a busy psychiatrist. In her private life, she’s been having a secret affair with Jatin Bhatt, the married, ambitious special commissioner of crime for the Delhi police. When a string of impoverished women are found raped and murdered, her two lives will collide—with unimaginable consequences . . . The author will donate her share of the proceeds from the sale of this novel to two nonprofit agencies that help women who have survived acid attacks: Project WHY and Stop Acid Attacks. “A gripping tale of murder, corruption and power and their terrifying effects in New Delhi. Highly recommended.” —Alice Clark-Platts, bestselling author of Bitter Fruits “Suspenseful and sensitive, with characters negotiating serious issues of society, this crime novel will keep you awake at night!” —Jo Furniss, bestselling author of All the Little Children “Beautiful writing, strong characters and a story that will stay with me for a long time.” —Jacqueline Ward, bestselling author of The Agreement

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