{"product_id":"how-to-kidnap-the-rich-9781408713341","title":"How to Kidnap the Rich","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cfont size=\"+1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e''\u003c\/i\u003eThis is an absolute riot - part thriller, part satire of contemporary urban India'' \u003ci\u003eMail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e''\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIf you''re fat and Indian, you''re rich; if you''re fat and poor, you''re lying. It''s only the West where the rich are thin and vegan and moral...\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRamesh Kumar grew up deprived and unloved, working on his father''s tea stall in the Old City of Delhi. Now, brilliant but poor, he makes a lucrative living taking tests for the sons of India''s elite. When one of his clients, the sweet but hapless eighteen-year-old Rudi Saxena, places first in the All Indias, the national university entrance exams, Ramesh sees an unmissable opportunity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCashing in on Rudi''s newfound celebrity, all goes well for both boys for a while. But Rudi''s role on a game show leads to unexpected love, blackmail and, finally, a dangerous kidnapping.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Ramesh leads Rudi through a maze of crimes both large and small, their dizzying\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA fun, fast-paced debut...HBO and the Oscar-nominated actor and producer Riz Ahmed have wisely already bought the screen rights to this Delhi-set, society-skewering debut caper...Raina, 28, was inspired to write \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap the Rich \u003c\/i\u003eby the US \"Varsity Blues\" admissions scandal, but \u003cb\u003eit is his depiction of bustling, hustling Delhi and its grafting populace that makes this tightly written, fast-paced, often sharply savage societal satire such a rollicking read\u003c\/b\u003e. He conjures up a memorable world that is ghee-greased, polluted, mired in dust and corruption, but also thrusting...\u003cb\u003eA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003en impressively entertaining but also insightful debut\u003c\/b\u003e * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is an absolute riot - part thriller, part satire of contemporary urban India\u003c\/b\u003e...Ramesh is a wonderfully vivid character and this is an explosively funny, surprisingly moving debut * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA joyous love\/hate letter to contemporary Delhi \u003c\/b\u003e. . . Genuine feeling flows beneath the potty-mouthed satire as it gradually spirals into farce. Rahul Raina suggests life may be \"a relentless parade of fear\", but it is far better to laugh than cry * The Times (The month's best crime novels) *\u003cbr\u003eIndia's politicians, endemic corruption, national obsession with the West and above all its super-rich come in for a bashing in \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003ethe Rich\u003c\/i\u003e...what stands out in this book is its unapologetic depiction of a Delhi that's frankly a bit rubbish...\u003cb\u003eBut there's a fondness in this biting negativity, which convinces more than the graceful descriptive passages of other India-set novels. Chuck in twists and double-crossings, just the right amount of violence and a denouement in a besieged TV studio and you can't fail to be entertained\u003c\/b\u003e * Novel of the Week, Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLike Mohsin Hamid's \u003ci\u003eHow to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap the \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eRich\u003c\/i\u003e purports to be a how-to manual but is in fact a rollicking urban adventure and a biting satire of inequality.\u003c\/b\u003e Mr Raina adds a fast-paced crime caper and a stream of caustic humour....\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ea \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ehighly entertaining first novel from a writer to watch\u003c\/b\u003e * The Economist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA satire, a love story and a thriller\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHow To Kidnap The Rich\u003c\/i\u003e by Rahul Raina has shades of \u003ci\u003eThe Talented Mr Ripley\u003c\/i\u003e that also casts an unerring eye over the huge disparity in Indian society. A rollercoaster of a read, this is going to be big * Stylist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnergetic, vivid and funny, Ramesh's narrative voice is magnificent and full of vigour\u003c\/b\u003e * Scottish Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e[A] \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003esavage cinematic caper\u003c\/b\u003e . . . In Rahul Raina's satirical state-of-the-nation debut, which slices into the soul of contemporary Indian society, things aren't always the way they appear . . . \u003cb\u003eSocial commentary meets stand-up comedy, as with a biting wit reminiscent of Binyavanga Wainaina's essay \"How to Write About Africa\" or Paul Beatty's Booker-winner \u003ci\u003eThe Sellout\u003c\/i\u003e, Raina stretches stereotype and cliche into incisive satire\u003c\/b\u003e * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eRahul Raina's \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap the \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eRich\u003c\/i\u003e has already been optioned by HBO: \u003cb\u003ea Delhi-set, reality TV-based literary crime crossover, it will appeal to fans of \u003ci\u003eParasite\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Crazy Rich Asians\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFans of \u003ci\u003eMy Sister the Serial Killer\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eParasite\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCrazy Rich Asians \u003c\/i\u003ewill be enthralled by this riotous tale from the very first line\u003c\/b\u003e . . . A hugely entertaining and unique debut that satirically dissects India's inequalities * Cosmopolitan *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou can absolutely imagine \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap the Rich\u003c\/i\u003e blazing across the screen\u003c\/b\u003e. It roars through New and Old Delhi , sending up new money and old money, and taking an acerbic yet affectionately head-tilted, eyebrow-raised look at the corruption, hypocrisy and dynamism of modern India...\u003cb\u003eRamesh is a bracingly cynical and funny narrator: endlessly snarking about insincerity and greed, with a side helping of self-flagellation for being no better than he ought to be\u003c\/b\u003e - just a kid from a chai stall, plucked from poverty and educated by a saintly white nun, who's somehow ended up a serial kidnapper. * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eIntelligent, witty and sublime. I'm hooked. Remember the name. You'll be hearing more of it in future -- Abir Mukherjee, author of A RISING MAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFunny and satirical, this is like nothing else I've read\u003c\/i\u003e * Clare Mackintosh *\u003cbr\u003eBrutally funny and fast-paced, this debut from Rahul Raina proves he is a star in the making -- Nikesh Shukla\u003cbr\u003eA satirical crime thriller-cum-profound social commentary, this is \u003cb\u003ean uproarious ride through the caste system of Delhi\u003c\/b\u003e, new and old. \u003cb\u003eEnergetic wit pours out of Raina's prose\u003c\/b\u003e, while an acerbic bite highlights inequalities in race, sex and social class . . . \u003cb\u003eVeering from ridiculous to heart-rending, Raina's exhilarating debut is pure entertainment\u003c\/b\u003e -- Rebecca Wilcock * i Paper *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA wild and wildly funny ride through a modern day India\u003c\/b\u003e that pits the poor against the rich, high tech against ancient traditions and one smart hustler against anyone who gets in his way * Red magazine *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEye-opening and huge fun \u003c\/b\u003e. . . . A merciless attack on the iniquities of new India in the guise of a comedy thriller -- Claire Allfree * Metro *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn exciting blend of crime caper, satire, love \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003estory and social commentary\u003c\/b\u003e . . .\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eRaina, who was born in Delhi, neatly skewers the inequalities of Indian society, racism (education is merely a tool to a \"whiter life\"), sexism, and celebrity . . . \u003cb\u003eAlong with the fast-paced twists, Raina also satirises the state of modern India\u003c\/b\u003e: the repercussions of the ongoing rivalry with Pakistan; the spectre of China as the predominant world superpower; the shallowness of modern culture; and the country's pervasive corruption. * May's Best Reads, Independent *\u003cbr\u003eThrough a thrilling cross-sectional tale - that feels like a crime caper-meets-reality TV show-meets-time-hopping love story - \u003cb\u003eRaina lets loose a real rollercoaster of a read, complete with a delightful twist\u003c\/b\u003e * Apple Books Best of the Month *\u003cbr\u003eSparky satire on modern India . . . a lot of fun * Sainsburys magazine *\u003cbr\u003eRahul Raina's voice crackles with wit and the affecting exuberance of youth. \u003cb\u003eHis ripping good story grabs you on page one and doesn't let go, taking you on a monstrously funny and unpredictable wild ride through a thousand different Delhis at top speed\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003ci\u003eHow To Kidnap the Rich \u003c\/i\u003eroars with brilliance, freshness and so much heart -- Kevin Kwan, author of CRAZY RICH ASIANS\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhite Tiger\u003c\/i\u003e meets \u003ci\u003eCaddyshack\u003c\/i\u003e the movie in Raina's lively novel, brimming with rat-a-tat-tat wit, breezy prose and a keen observation of colorism, casteism and social inequity. Unputdownable! -- Alka Joshi, NYT bestselling author of The Henna Artist\u003cbr\u003eRaina's debut novel lives up to its billing as a fun caper and social satire thanks to strong characterisation, 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 -- Shoba Viswanathan * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003eWith its witty, ruthless skewering of the Indian middle classes, Rahul Raina's \u003cb\u003eroistering, whip-smart and deliciously fun\u003c\/b\u003e Delhi-set crime caper, \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap the Rich\u003c\/i\u003e, is the first great state-of-the-subcontinent novel of the 21st century * The Bookseller *\u003cbr\u003eReading \u003ci\u003eHow to Kidnap the Rich\u003c\/i\u003e by Rahul Raina was like being put in a sports car with no seat belt. Rakesh Kumar, the protagonist, gets your attention in minutes . . . \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow to Kidnap the Rich\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e promises wit, satire, strange twists and will leave you entertained, frantically turning page after pag\u003c\/b\u003ee . . . This one's a wild ride -- Resh Susan * The Book Satchel *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e[A] funny and touching satirical action thriller\u003c\/b\u003e, in a setting that feels very fresh * Morning Star *\u003cbr\u003eA splendidly enjoyable farcical crime caper * Daily Mirror *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48885549859159,"sku":"9781408713341","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781408713341.jpg?v=1722536877","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/how-to-kidnap-the-rich-9781408713341","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}