Book picks similar to
Dead to Them by Smita Bhattacharya


thrillers
indian-lit
sappy-s-reads
paper-back

Demons In My Mind


Aashish Gupta - 2018
    His journey takes him to the three monks, known for miraculous healing and life transformation. He discovers they are no saints, but hardened criminals. The three monks - Rizwan, Murli, Joseph - narrate stories of unprecedented savagery that would make even the most cold-hearted criminals look down with shame. The dark stories of the three monks leave Dakshesh gasping, but there is something about their dishonorable lives that relieves Dakshesh from his pain.

Murder at Moonlight Cafe and other stories


Ishavasyam Dash - 2019
    Made-to-order for those with a taste for inventive idiosyncrasy, this book promises to provoke and entertain in equal measure. About the author: Ishavasyam took a sabbatical from her career in marketing to fulfil her childhood dream of writing a book. Besides weaving tall tales, she loves playing board games and belly dancing. She is a hoarder of art supplies, and has an alarming number of incomplete DIY projects. Ishavasyam lives with her husband, whom she adores to bits, to the point where she may soon give in to his incessant plea to get a dog.

The Speaking Stone


Ratnadip Acharya - 2019
    A quest to know the origin of the stone brought him to the distant part of the country. Chandannagar, December 2016: A young vivacious historian woman read an old book on a century-old secret story about a little known part of the country. Her curiosity got the better of her as the book disappeared mysteriously before she could complete it. She reached a sleepy quaint state of the country to satiate her curiosity. Eventually they both met and their search began from the city museum to a far-flung rock mountain which revealed a century-old story of a seductive danseuse, her enigmatic lover, a string of her admirers, a painter with a photographic memory, a bird that could speak in many voices, a benevolent king and a gruesome conspiracy. And the most important clue to decode the final secret was with the missing part of "The Speaking Stone" But in the process of unearthing old secrets, their life was also in danger… To know more read... The Speaking Stone.********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* About the Author: Ratnadip Acharya is the author of two successful novels, Life is Always Aimless... Unless you love it and Paradise Lost & Regained. He is a columnist for the Speaking Tree in The Times of India. He contributed many write-ups in different collections of Chicken Soup for the Soul. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, Sophia and son, Akash. He can be contacted via the following channels Website: www.ratnadipacharya.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRatnadip Facebook: www.facebook.com/ratnadip.acharya.5, Instagram: www.instagram.com/ratnadipacharya Twitter: www.twitter.com/RatnadipAcharya

Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak


Gunjan Porwal - 2018
    the only hurdle in its path is Guru Dronacharya’s son, the mighty but accursed warrior Ashwatthama, who lost all his powers following Lord Krishna’s curse and who unwittingly finds himself drawn into the quest of the lost bow of Lord Rama, the Kodanda. As ghosts of the distant past return to haunt him and the line between friends and enemies blurs, Ashwatthama must fight his inner demons to emerge victorious. He undertakes a perilous journey—across the vast plains of the Ganges, to the snow-capped peaks of the Himavant where the price of failure is a fate worse than death and death is a privilege not granted to Ashwatthama. Is this all part of Lord Krishna’s great plan? Will Ashwatthama be able to regain his lost glory?

The Avatari


Raghu Srinivasan - 2014
    They are the Avatari.An Ancient Artefact: When Henry Ashton, a retired British Army officer settled in the Yorkshire dales, receives a letter from a monk entreating him to prevent a hidden treasure stolen from a Laotian monastery from being misused, he finds himself honour-bound to respond. Assisted by a retired Gurkha Sergeant, a high-strung mathematician from Oxford with a Shambhala fixation of her own and an American mercenary on the CIAs hit list, Ashtons mission leads to an ancient map that dates back to the time of the great Mongol, Kublai Khan.A Secret that Must Not be Revealed: The group follows the trail, risking the perils of the inhospitable deserts of Ladakh, turmoil in Pakistan and the rugged mountains of Northern Afghanistan, where the Afghan War is at its height. But they are up against a deadly adversary with seemingly unlimited resources, who will stop at nothing to get possession of the anicent secret a secret that, if revealed, could threaten the very fabric of human civilization.

Girl in the Green Villa (Mansol Mysteries)


Yash Pawaskar - 2021
    Their honeymoon plans go puff as India announces a nationwide lockdown.Months after living under the pressures of joint family, social distancing rules, and work-from-home stress, they get an opportunity to venture out. Viraj plans a trip to the inviting Green Villa for an intimate weekend getaway. But something is lurking beneath the surface.Will it pan out to be the exciting honeymoon that Viraj thinks they desperately need?What is Jhanak scared about?Who is the girl in the Green Villa?Key highlights of the story:• Fast-paced narration• Non-linear storytelling• Interesting twists and turns• Flavours of the supernatural• Imminent dread, doom, and deceit

Done With Her...


Chirasree Bose - 2019
    It’s a kick in the guts. Love that’s raw, lust that’s insane and obsession that’s frantically irresistible. Twists will keep you on the edge while the truth will stab at your subconscious.Avesh Mathur, a techie stumbles upon the enchanting and sultry Spreeha at work. Every man in his office wants to have her. But he is struck with horror. She happens to resemble a girl from his past. The past that he’d do anything to keep under wraps.Spreeha lives next door to Avesh. She watches him furtively day and night even though she has a lover. He intrigues her, however, she’s not done with her lover. She wants them both because they remind her of someone. What tragedy awaits Avesh? Is the girl he’s madly falling for as beautiful on the inside as on the outside? Will he finally have to face the frightening truth that he’s been stashing for two years?

The Secret Of The Palamu Fort


Razi - 2019
    Xavier’s college is murdered at his home. The witnesses claim he was killed by a ghost! The police is clueless. Inspector Patrick Minj ropes in Detective Robin Horo, who unearths a clue which indicates that the murder has a bloody trail running as far as 350 years in the history of Jharkhand. A poisonous conspiracy was plotted centuries ago in the Kingdom of Palamu that designed the downfall of an empire and forced the king to hide his legacy in the unforgiving and indifferent womb of time. The ghost is leaving behind a trail of dead bodies and to solve the case Robin has nothing but an Artifact that is said to have an ancient curse over it and a centuries old riddle that if solved, could lead to an Elixir. Witness the conspiracy unfolding that spans 350 years in the making and takes Robin and his companions on a labyrinthine adventure involving deadly secrets, dangerous threats and a lethal encounter with a beast in the jungles of Palamu.

Rewind and Play


Tarun Gautam - 2018
    Rahul has mixed feelings before the meeting. He had never considered his graduation years as important in his life. As he waits for the others to turn-up his mind wanders to memories of those four years. Random incidents keep coming to his mind. Those incidents were hilarious, scary and traumatic. Each of those incidents had something deeper hidden in them. Something that he had never thought of in the past. Will Rahul find meaning in those memories? Will those memories find answers to his current problem?

Inside the Heart of Hope


Rishabh Puri - 2017
    But unlike others around him, he sees this not as a curse, but as an opportunity to cherish life and all the bitter-sweet gifts it brings with it.Amidst frequent visits to the doctor, multiple surgeries that risk his life being, and a life that meant surveillance all the time, Rick has to fight for himself each day. But he pulls through, thanks to his family and friend Jacob, who become his pillars of strength.And then, at a time when he is least expecting it, and with someone he meets by accident – love happens. It’s a new feeling for his heart and he is scared to lose it.Will Lisa really understand the goodness of his heart or just walk away?Inside the Heart of Hope is a story of strong will, perseverance and optimism which will make you wonder if sky is really the limit.

In Loving Memory


Daniel Paul Singh - 2021
    His impulsive antics irk her, but also attract her. From the day Dhruv enters her life, she starts getting anonymous threatening late night calls and scary nightmares that seem too real. Who is this Dhruv? What’s his connection with the strange happenings in her life? Can she trust him?Nivas is a guy you wouldn’t notice in a crowd. Rimi is a chatterbox and the polar opposite. Naturally, Nivas is drawn towards her and gains the courage to propose to her, desiring more of her. Things turn ugly from then on between the two.As the stories of the two couples converge at an unexpected turn of events - Kevin, the best detective in town, ends up with a peculiar case. Everything about the case is confusing, contradictory and downright clumsy! A cat-and-mouse game ensues with everyone’s life at stake.Every story has one ending, will this one too?

WE CAN, WE WILL, WE MUST - A story of love & inspiration to win life when it hits you hard


Saranya Umakanthan - 2018
    And if she falls, he will be there to catch her, lift her, and push her again until she flies to stars…” Love…does it mean going around the trees in Switzerland, singing tra-la-la-la in the snow? Is it chanting “I love you” mantra a thousand times a day? Is it about gifting teddies and roses to your partner? Or is it bombarding each other with a thousand and one pings in Messenger from morning till night? Life batters Samaira. Stuck to these clichés, she loses everything…her love, parents, and wealth. Hopeless, she collides against the dynamic boss of Creative Tanks (CT), Vivian, who basically holds great contempt for losers. He aims to be the top entrepreneur in India, whereas Samaira has not even a notion of her dreams. Fate plays its own game when she goes in search of work, where she encounters him again. An air of mystery surrounds her, which tugs at him. Despite being opposites, sparks fly, and they are attracted. Vivian is perfect, but she vows that she will never fall in love again. He reaches a point where he would do just about anything to bring back the smile on her face. The chase begins. She keeps running away…from love, hope, and aspirations, and he keeps trying to bring her back on track. Thus their journey begins from the end, with oodles of inspiration and love… Vivian breaks Samaira’s shell and guides her into pursuing her broken dreams. He promises that he will be there for her if life pulls her down and hold her tight when she needs support. Together, they vow to each other, “We can. We will. We must.” But when Vivian tumbles and it is Samaira’s turn to break his fall, will she catch him? Walking on the arduous path of life, will they climb the ladder of success together or crash and burn? Can love be enough of a catalyst to attain their dreams? And now life threatened not to throw just lemons but huge melons…

My Happily Ever After


Sanjay Sharma - 2019
    The twist in his tale is – he does not want to be an engineer. He wants to be an author. When fate brings him face to face with Aditi, he is stumped by her beauty and heavenly voice. Like him, her dreams lie elsewhere. She aspires to be a singer, and not an engineer. They bond over their dreams and passion, and a deep bond is forged. But just when things are going great between the two, a turning point pulls them apart. While she leaves him to pursue her dreams, he plunges into depression and anxiety. My Happily Ever After is a heartwarming tale of electrifying friendships, life-altering dreams, and everlasting love which will motivate you to live the life of your dreams.

Table for One


Neha Bindal - 2018
     She grew up seeking her “happily ever after’ but amid various heartbreaks and culture of modern age short term relationships, her believe in “true connections" got replaced by the comfort of being “emotionally disconnected.” After she turned 31, her parents persuaded her into meeting a guy for marriage who sounded just perfect for her. Acting on impulse, she told her parents that she would meet him only if they let her go on a trip to Europe. As Taara went on to explore the world, she experienced what actually happens when a single Indian girl travels to Europe all by herself. Is it only about dancing, singing or falling in love? What happens after you fall in love? Does love conquer all? Only her story would tell.

2 Day Down


Nikita Lalwani - 2018
    Each story digs into one of the five period related problems: Pain | Staining | Sexual Inhibition | PMS | Taboo, through each one's journey. The title signifies the second day of a woman's period, which is said to be the toughest of the five days. The stories are a reflection of the less acknowledged society around us. Through menstrual problems as a window, the book is an attempt to bring light to the intriguing yet briefly understood aspects of womanhood in different age groups.