How to Kidnap the Rich: A Novel

An entrepreneurial Indian con artist gets wrapped up in a criminal caper in this satirical look at modern-day India.

The first kidnapping wasn’t my fault. The others—those were definitely me.

Meet Ramesh Kumar, “examinations consultant,” who makes a lucrative living taking tests for the sons of India’s elite. He is just a cog in the wheel that keeps the middle classes thriving, until he takes India’s national university entrance exam for a lackluster student and inadvertently comes in first.

Ramesh sees an opportunity—perhaps even an obligation—to cash in on the newfound celebrity of this client Rudi, who’s soon juggling stardom and his new job as the host of a quiz show. The young man’s meteoric rise brings material wealth and romantic intrigue, until they’re both kidnapped and held for ransom.

But the way out of their predicament will lead Ramesh and Rudi through a maze of crimes both large and small, their dizzying journey revealing a modern India in all its complexity, squalor, and beauty.

Praise for How to Kidnap the Rich

“A monstrously funny and unpredictable wild ride.” —Kevin Kwan, New York Times–bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy

“Brimming with rat-a-tat wit, breezy prose, and a keen observation of colorism, casteism, and social inequity. Unputdownable!” —Alka Joshi, New York Times–bestselling author of The Henna Artist

“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.” —Booklist (starred review)

© 2024 Harper Perennial (Ebook): 9780063028791

Release date

Ebook: March 19, 2024