“Glamorous, gripping, absolutely heaps of fun. I loved this.”—Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment
"Unexpected delights await on every page of Ram Murali’s impressive and captivating debut. Crisp as a gin and tonic and delightfully wicked, this smart, smart novel delivers a sophisticated, subversive murder mystery set in the highest stratosphere of the international idle rich. I had to force myself not to binge it in one night so I could savor it like the rare and exquisite meal that it is." —Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians
The White Lotus meets Knives Out meets Crazy Rich Asians in this devilishly entertaining debut novel: both a sophisticated locked-room mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie, and a provocative literary whodunit for the twenty-first century.
Ro Krishna is the American son of Indian parents, educated at the finest institutions, equally at home in London’s poshest clubs and on the squash court, but unmoored after he is dramatically forced to leave a high-profile job under mysterious circumstances. He decides it’s time to check in for some much-needed R&R at Samsara, a world-class spa for the global cosmopolitan elite nestled in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. A person could be spiritually reborn in a place like this. Even a very rich person.
But a person—or several—could also die there. Samsara is the Sanskrit word for the karmic cycle of death and rebirth, after all. And as it turns out, the colorful cast of characters Ro meets—including a misanthropic politician; an American movie star preparing for his Bollywood crossover debut; a beautiful heiress to a family jewel fortune that barely survived Partition; and a bumbling white yogi inexplicably there to teach meditation—harbors a murderer among them. Maybe more than one.
As the death toll rises, Ro, a lawyer by training and a sleuth by circumstance, becomes embroiled in a vicious world under a gilded surface, where nothing is quite what it seems . . . including Ro himself. Death in the Air is a brilliant, teasing mystery from a remarkable new talent.
Author Info
Ram Murali was born in New York, New York. This is his first novel.
Reviews
“An old-fashioned mystery in the model of Agatha Christie . . . . A frothy, fun, truly escapist read—offering perspective on a certain echelon that feels both hyperbolic and cuttingly real at the same time.” — Vogue (Best of the Year So Far)
"A stunning, sophisticated, scalpel-sharp murder mystery. Powerful, fun, and hugely rewarding. Immensely impressive." — Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End and All the Colors of the Dark
"An ideal set-up for a White Lotus/Agatha Christie-style ‘closed world' mystery mashup. . . . Death in the Air is certainly a page-turner: smart, funny and compelling." — The Guardian
"A warm broth of Golden Age mystery (both Agatha Christie and Richard Osman would be proud), contemporary comedy (think Crazy Rich Asians), and some nameless secret ingredient all Ram Murali's own. Evocative, provocative, and very, very fun." — A.J. Finn
"If Agatha Christie took a White Lotus trip to an Ayurvedic spa in the Indian Himalayas, she could do no better than Ram Murali’s debut novel—a murder mystery that pays loving homage to the genre while crackling with wicked humor and subversive social satire." — Rolling Stone
“Crazy Rich Asians fans will flip for this ironic and delicious debut thriller set among the international jet set at a lush mountain spa in India, where a series of Agatha Christie–style locked-room murders thoroughly disrupts Ro Krishna's much-needed vacation. The fabulous Himalayan venue, perfect puzzle-box plot, charm and intelligence of the protagonist, and a cascade of knowing details about the lives (and jewels) of the ultra-rich make this a world-class escapist read.” — Oprah Daily
"A really fun, propulsive, kind of scary, gripping book which I loved. I hope you love it too." — Jenna Bush Hager, the Today show
"[A] clever high-altitude murder mystery. . . . Samsara’s heady blend of decadence and spirituality is deliciously evoked." — Financial Times
"Glamorous, escapist fun. . . . Bollywood with a touch of arsenic on the side." — Daily Mail (London)
"A fascinating genre mashup for the discerning—and reflective—mystery reader." — Kirkus Reviews(starred review)
"A clever closed-circle whodunit . . . . There's enough originality and atmosphere on offer to keep readers on tenterhooks for Murali's sophomore effort. A nerve-jangling good time." — Publishers Weekly
"Murali’s sly, knowing, and affectionate take on the foibles of the international jet set is as charming as it is compelling." — Crime Reads
"A disgraced politician, a greedy Hollywood star, and a meditation guru are all part of the sinister underbelly that hides beneath the Samsara, a luxurious spa amidst the Himalayas. Seeking solace after a professional debacle, the protagonist, Ro Krishna finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue and murder. Treading the treacherous terrain, Murali’s debut novel offers a clever and thrilling exploration of identity and deception." — Harper's Bazaar (India)
"Murali’s debut is an engaging story in which he skillfully pulls off a compelling tribute to Agatha Christie." — Asian Review of Books
"Fans of The White Lotus will enjoy this entertaining resort-based murder mystery . . . . An Agatha Christie-style locked-room mystery that threatens a higher body count, and doubles as a wicked satire on the foibles of the ultra-rich. Murali has written a comic crime novel that mixes elements from two popular genres into a colourful and clever detective story, full of memorably eccentric characters." — Sydney Morning Herald
"[Death in the Air] seems to be following in the generic footsteps of an Agatha Christie murder mystery but offers a variety of themes and reflections on diasporic life that challenge the conventional detective fiction genre." — India Currents
"Ram Murali's Death in the Air is inspired by Agatha Christie's locked-room formula and James Hilton's Lost Horizon, but is far better than Christie and Hilton could muster. It's a smart, empathetic, provocative debut novel . . . . Death in the Air is a strong meditation on diaspora, justice, and identity that proves that formula fiction genres can be adapted to do surprisingly good work." — Reviewing the Evidence
"Glamorous, gripping, absolutely heaps of fun. I loved this." — Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment
"Unexpected delights await on every page of Ram Murali’s impressive and captivating debut. Crisp as a gin and tonic and delightfully wicked, this smart, smart novel delivers a sophisticated, subversive murder mystery set in the highest stratosphere of the international idle rich. I had to force myself not to binge it in one night so I could savor it like the rare and exquisite meal that it is." — Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians
“Twisty and absorbing, Death in the Air is a knockout mystery with a dry, dark humor all its own. It has endless glamor in the old sense of the word: as a sinister enchantment, casting a spell.” — Flynn Berry, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Harrow and Northern Spy
“Murder most rich. International and humorous at just the right times, Death in the Air will set you soaring, drinking, and guessing all the way to the last page.” — Ridley Pearson
"A romp of a whodunit, poking fun at the über wealthy whilst calmly meditating on both the horror of Partition and identity in a globalized world. I rattled through it. Ro is a very charming lead character indeed!" — Charlotte Vassell, author of The Other Half
"Littered with designer jewellery, accessories and activewear, Death in the Air fizzes with ambition, managing to be both showy and subversive, operating as it does around the axis of Partition . . . . Although it carries many of the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, what sets Death in the Air apart, leading to its unique conclusion, is its rejection of Western norms of justice and spirituality. The result is a fun, thought-provoking book—a commentary on greed, cultural appropriation and the peculiar malaise of the wealthy—a daring début." — Nii Ayikwei Parkes, author of Azúcar and Tail of the Blue Bird
