I’d like to share this Mystery Books review that came out this weekend, describing Haunting Bombay as a “beautifully crafted mystery of amazing depth, sensitivity, and complexity… as haunting in its style as in its substance.”  Click here for the full review.

My first India interview appeared in this Sunday’s Daily News and Analysis: Grew up in America, Haunted by Mumbai.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1254559

With the April 6 US release date for HAUNTING BOMBAY fast approaching, I am thrilled to announce the release of the book trailer, an artistic and atmospheric glimpse into the novel.

A true labor of love by friends and family, the 90-second trailer was directed by a close friend, Los Angeles actor/director Shishir Kurup.

A very special thank you to: Shishir Kurup (director), Alan Caudillo (cinematographer), Marcos Najera (editor), James Brennan (composer), Tonia Wallander/20TWENTYvfx (Visual Effects), Albert Gasser (Sound Design), Eric Budlong (Key Grip).

Visit hauntingbombay.com for reviews, an excerpt and a chance to win a signed copy of the novel.

I am excited to share the news that my debut novel will be released by Soho Press on April 6^th.

Set in 1960’sIndia, HAUNTING BOMBAY is the story of Pinky Mittal, a girl raised by her grandmother and extended family in Bombay’s old colonial enclave. Together, they partake in an ominous twilight ritual – the vigilant locking of a bathroom door every evening before sunset.

One stifling summer night, Pinky is driven to unbolt the door, accidentally unleashing the ghost of a girl child who had drowned there years earlier. As the monsoons erupt over Bombay and the ghost plunges the bungalow into chaos, the Mittal family struggles to come to terms with tangled memories of the child’s death. In the center of it all, Pinky must find the courage to uncover the drowning’s mysterious truth before the ghost enacts its revenge.

A richly evocative tale that unfurls from the luxurious heights of Malabar Hill to the squalid depths of the city’s underworld, HAUNTING BOMBAY illuminates a nation’s darkest fears and desires, and underscores the singular power of utterance.

I have always been intrigued by stories that have been passed down through generations and the idea of voice – who is empowered to speak and who is not – within in a family, a community, or a nation.  What would happen, I wondered, if the voices of the silenced were at long last heard, whispering their version of truth?

I have been thrilled at the response so far to the book and welcome you to visit my website and learn more about the novel: www.hauntingbombay.com.

kindly,
Shilpa

“stunning debut novel… like finely wrought mirror work, a glittering tapestry of vibrant contradictions, characters, and mysteries…”—Aimee Liu, Flash House

“With deft lyricism and authority, HAUNTING BOMBAY tells a big story in swift and bold strokes…”—Saher Alam, The Groom to Have Been

“A journey through the caverns of India’s passionate, complex heart… Savor it.”—Michael Bernard Beckwith, Spiritual Liberation