How to Kidnap the Rich A Novel

Raina's debut novel lives up to its billing as a fun caper and social satire thanks to strong characterization, a fast-paced plot, and an eye for the ridiculous. His delicious skewering of the social mores of Delhi's über-rich and clear-eyed rendering of India's social hierarchy propel sheer entertainment into striking elucidation in the mode of Aravind Adiga. Ramesh grew up poor and found a way to support himself and subvert the system that has done little for him by turning himself into an educational consultant who takes exams for his rich clients' kids. He ends up elevating 18-year-old Rudi to fame when he earns a first in India's university entrance exams. When Rudi lands a spot on a televised quiz show, Ramesh serves as his manager, and then things spin wildly out of control when the two young men are kidnapped. Ever the entrepreneur, Ramesh manages to switch from being a hostage to being a kidnapper. There is drama in the dizzying turns of events, which Raina makes good use of with his unerring ability to neatly capture whole segments of Indian society and their corresponding absurdities, while his keen depictions of rich, ambitious, and unscrupulous parents, the frenzied media, and systemic inequities are universally recognizable.

Irony and satire collide in Raina's sparkling debut about a crooked college consultant and his inadvertent role in the making of a celebrity. Ramesh Kumar grows up in poverty and is forced to work in his abusive father's tea stall in Delhi, until he meets a nun who helps him get an education. By the age of 24, he's become a self-described "charming, witty, urbane man-about-town," and a successful con artist. He tutors elite high school students, scams their parents for extra cash to cover "expenses," and takes their college entrance exams in their place. After Ramesh achieves the top score in the country for sweet but dim Rudi Saxena, Rudi receives nationwide TV coverage and Ramesh becomes his manager. The two consume a great deal of drugs and alcohol as Rudi basks in the spotlight. Then, during Rudi's appearance on a game show, Ramesh and Rudi are kidnapped from the set. They escape, and the experience gives Ramesh the idea for his biggest hustle yet, with Rudi as an accomplice. Raina ably shows both the seedy and privileged parts of Indian society through Ramesh's biting wit ("My hate could have made India the world's leader in renewable energy," he reflects on his time in the tea stall). Readers will enjoy the ride. (June)