Death in the Air

Knives Out meets Crazy Rich Asians in this entertaining and witty whodunnit where murder has never been so glamorous. Everyone who’s anyone goes to Samsara, a luxurious and extravagant spa at the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. When Ro Krishna, a lawyer in training and expert in living the most opulent lifestyle possible, goes for some much-needed R&R during the Christmas period, he is fully prepared to undergo the true meaning of ‘samsara’, which is Sanskrit for the cycle of death and rebirth. However, there is more death than he was bargaining for when he stumbles across the dead body of a woman. As more and more people are found dead, the guests of the spa become suspicious of each other and of Samsara, and what secrets lurk beneath its glittering exterior.

With the familiar features of the classics such as those by Agatha Christie and Richard Osman, yet contemporary and sparklingly unique, Ram Murali’s debut offers something new to the crime genre. With commentaries on race and class, he explores discussions surrounding greed, cultural appropriation, and the horrors of Partition. Death in the Air is a tale of cultural identity; of the difficulty of feeling disconnected from one’s roots after moving to a new country with a different language and customs, and of ultimately finding oneself again. In this story, Ro is not only solving the murders of the upper elite, but he is also figuring out who he is and what it means to be an American son of Indian parents.

Peppered with dark humour, charm and cleverness, Death in the Air will make you laugh, think, and struggle between bingeing it all in one go or savouring every juicy detail. This is the perfect book to read between friends, for a book club, or for one’s own enjoyment!