Dec, HERING AKILL

shortnewdebut novel Decipheringa Kill (published byNotion PressMedia, Cbennai, 2021), byKrishnakumar (KK) isa whodunnitset largelyin Bengaluru and Chennai. It'sa racypage-turner and movesata fastpace,and the denouementisa real surprise. KK packsa lotofpunch in thisshort novel,sketchingtheprofilesofthe maincharactersdeftly. Asgood murder mysteriesgenerallydo, thisnovelisalsoa commentaryon modern Indian society. Theebook is nowavailable onAmazon.

ravind Adiga'snewnovel, A1nnesty(Picador, 2020), short-listed forthe 2021 Miles Franklin LiteraryAward, isonewhichwill resonatewith n1any newmigrantsinAustralia. Itcleverly

• invertsthe idea of'the other', bygiving

: avoiceto an (illegal) immigrant in this

• : country. Itsprotagonistisa Sri Lankan

• : Tamil Dhananjaya RajaratnamorDanny,

• : whowadesthrough the mazeofSydney

: life tryingtoekeout a livingcleaning

: homesforcash, and generallysteering clearofthe authorities-andpolice-to avoidgettingarrested. He isin this predicamentbecause his attemptatbeing recognised asa refugeehasfailed. 1-le