Fun and irreverent, this book took me to a world I was previously utterly ignorant of, so I had the pleasure of being told stories, while being educated at the same time. Would definitely recommend!

I wanted to love this book but just didn’t. I found it full of clichés and simply didn’t connect with any of it.
It was well written but it just didn’t connect with me - sorry.

Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read. Great read.

I was unsure what to expect when I picked up How to Kidnap the Rich, and left just as confused, but thoroughly amused.

Raina's debut novel is refreshing read, his biting satire of life in New Delhi refuses to be watered down for Western audiences. The author's complex relationship with the city and Indian culture is laid plain on the page, as the story goes at a million miles an hour.

This is Raina's debut novel, and it's a great one. I'd recommend this to anyone tired of reading narratives of India through 'Eat, Pray, Love' spectacles, fans of satire and the bizarre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a funny, compelling thriller set in Delhi and is a fabulous debut novel. The character development and sarcastic wit had me fully hooked, and would highly recommend it. What a fantastic debut!

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina is funny, edgy and riveting.

It is the story of Ramesh’s rise from working as a tea boy alongside his father’s tea cart in Delhi to becoming a professional exam taker for the lazy children of the rich and aspirational middle classes. When Rudi, a client, comes top of the national exam list opportunities open up and Ramesh and Rudi cash in on Rudi’s celebrity until things start to unwind in a disastrous and chaotic way.

This is a roller coaster read, with a great close. Highly recommended.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this novel as it's not my usual genre, but I eventually found it to be a quick, compelling, and at times comedic read. For a book so outside of my comfort zone, I enjoyed the book's dramatic and action-packed plotline, as well as the heavy satirical element which made it all the more intriguing. My main qualm, however, is that the first half of the plot seemed to move slightly too slow for my liking, and I would have liked to have seen the characters in the second half a little more fleshed out and dimensional. Overall, though my thoughts on this are still mixed, I would recommend this to those looking for a witty and highly entertaining read.

Adored this book and wanted to read it again as soon as I finished it. Funny, fresh and absolutely compulsive. Can't wait for Rahul's next novel!

An irreverent and captivating look at the nouveau-riche of India and the clash between traditional and modern, great for those who enjoyed WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga.

A brilliantly written satire that sheds light on India's nouveau riche, their crime and corruption.
I admit that it took me a while to get used to the crude writing style, but then I realised that the crudeness embodied how the main character Ramesh actually was; full of sarcasm and extremely blunt and very often, stating the obvious in a witty way through his narrative, hence, leading to plenty of laugh of loud moments.
Raina is brutally honest in his writing. Ramesh is a Dalit-the lowest caste in India. The shocking prejudice that Ramesh endures as a child was written about in length. There were also lots of satirical swipes against Pakistan; and as someone hailing from a Pakistani background, I took no offence whatsoever.
The entire depiction of society in the sub-continent was spot on. The spoilt brat Rudi and his parents, big bad boss Oberoi and single woman Priya, struggling to stay afloat in a patriarchal society.

This book is hilarious. It tells the story of Ramesh, a poor man in India who ends up making a fortune by passing exams for less intelligent, rich people.

But when he ends up coming top of the exams - in the persona of Rudi, a spoilt rich kid - his world is turned upside down.

Rudi becomes a celebrity but Ramesh makes sure that he gets his share of the rewards too. However, this ends up dragging them into chaos as they make enemies of too many people, and become surrounded by people who want to destroy them.

I was reminded a few times of A Confederacy of Dunces, one of my all-time favourite books which is a laugh-out-loud tale of one man's bizarre life. How to Kidnap the Rich definitely pulls off the telling of a fast-paced, surreal story and there are great bizarre details thrown in that work brilliantly (Rudi having to dress in a sari and make up to disguise himself, for instance).

Ramesh is a very likeable character. We really get a sense of where he's coming from as the book describes his early life with his father, who beats him and treats him like a slave. There are a few references to the fact that Ramesh doesn't have a mother, and hints that this has had a big effect on him.

But Rudi is also really well-drawn. At first we get the impression he's just another spoilt rich kid. But as the book progresses, we see other sides to him, and get a sense of his vulnerability as he suffers with the sense that people are only interested in him for his fame and fortune, not for himself.

I thought it was great that ultimately Rudi redeems himself.

Mostly the book is just funny. There are great one-liners and deadpan descriptions that you might want to remember or make a note of, but since the book is so full of them it's impossible.

The book has lots of passing comment on class, inequality and corruption in society but it makes them in an engaging and witty way.

I did find the ending a little odd. In some ways it felt as though it didn't belong to the rest of the book, or as if there was some joke going on with it that I just didn't get. But this is still a fantastic book and I definitely recommend it.

I cannot get enough of writers who bring a not-a-single-f***-given attitude to their writing and Rahul Raina falls solidly in that category. He is razor sharp with the delivery of his caustic observations. The humour is so spot on in this book that it is genuinely laugh out loud.

In terms of the actual story - it’s well paced and doesn’t drag at all. The book is the right length. Although I would have preferred a different ending.

This book is begging to be made into a film and I’ll be at the front of the cinema queue when it’s released.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my impartial review.

I found the book quite difficult to get into. I didn't really like the narrator and found it hard to listen through his voice. I finished it because I wanted to see the book through to the end but sadly not to read again!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was a lot of fun and definitely portrayed a lighter side of the Slumdog Millionaire kind of narrative that can be common in fiction about India. I enjoyed the plot, which was never predictable, and Ramesh was a great protagonist. I also liked the journey Rudi went through in the novel. It would make a great film!

I was SO excited when I was approved by Netgalley/The publisher for this one. The screen rights have already been brought for this debut novel. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. ⁣
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This book is almost split into two different parts. The first half, I LOVED We follow Ramesh; our main protagonist who is an “exams consultant”. Basically he sits exams for the children of rich clients in India. He reflects on his early childhood (the best part of the book) and these elements provided depth to the character. ⁣
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The book evokes sights and sounds of India; there’s a lot of cultural elements/rich detail which I absolutely loved. ⁣
⁣
Something happens in the story to switch things around. At this point it becomes increasingly fast paced, and almost a different story entirely. I’m not a prude at all, but I didn’t care for the consistent swearing, and I didn’t care for most of the characters in the second half either. ⁣
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The writing is great and it’s definitely worth a read. ⁣
3.5 ⭐️⁣
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⁣Many thanks to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for this read.

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I'll admit, for the first few chapters of this book I wasn't sure I was going to connect with the protagonist, Ramesh. But as his back story is revealed, and it's clear why he is so acerbic and cynical, I really got into his story.

Tiny little touches of pure genius humour alongside heart wrenching details of his childhood make for a compelling story.

A highly original and brilliantly crafted plot that doesn't let up on drama and an almost farcical series of events make for an engaging and exciting read.

With an ending that isn't obvious or predictable I must admit I was somewhat saddened that life didn't pan out for Ramesh in the way I had hoped, but it was nevertheless in keeping with the originality of the story not to take the easy path.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, it has depth, brilliant humour and true heart.

From the first few paragraphs of this book you know you’re entering a shadowy world of hitmen, kidnappers, rich boys mixed up in things they really shouldn’t be mixed up in. If you’re after a fast paced, entertaining beach read then this is the book for you. There are kidnappings and sieges, double crossing and spying, but all with a wry humour that takes more than a few satirical swipes at Indian culture and politics.

Whilst there are lots of twists and turns, the basic premise is simple - The desire for rich Indian families to see their sons in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street leads our protagonist to sacrifice his own future in return for being paid to pose as said sons and achieve top marks in their final exams. One particularly successful ‘student’ becomes the toast of India, with his own TV quiz show and multiple sponsorship deals. Nothing lasts forever, and when the next year’s alumnus looks like he’s about to overshadow the housewives’ favourite (and huge money spinner for the TV channel) the top exec decides to take matters into his own hands to protect his star. So begins this wildly fantastical story that constantly has you wondering where it will go next.

It’s not necessarily the kind of book I would choose, but I was offered an ARC from Little, Brown via Net Galley and decided to give it a go - if I’m honest it was the cover that caught my eye. As a bit of fun I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t ‘get’ all of the references, and in some parts there’s almost too many satirical references, but generally speaking it’s a great bit of escapism and definitely an entertaining read for the summer.

Snappy, witty and fast moving. Very Enjoyable. The story follows Educational Consultant Ramesh who actually takes the All India exams for the children of the rich for a fee. When he actually tops the scores, Rudi the lucky youngster, is feted as "The Topper", becomes a game show host and Ramesh can earn his fortune as his manager. But Rudi becomes a monster and the kidnappings begin. Sharp insight into Indian Society and a read that pulls you through. Riz Ahmed will voice the audiobook which is a format I think this book is ideally suited to. The Indian slang and rhythm of the story narrative lends itself particularly to the audiobook experience. Impressive writing, an author to watch out for.. .

This book read like a dark comedy as it did make me laugh a lot, while also making me feel bloody nervous as to what was going to happen to Ramesh and co. It has hints of Slumdog Millionaire and definitely MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER vibes. It was a wild ride and right until the end, I was guessing Rameshs fate. I honestly lost count of the kidnappings. They seem to happen in every chapter.🤪 I thought it was really unpredictable, fast-paced and fresh! So many of the characters annoyed me and I was quite happy to see them...well...get kidnapped 🤣 I did like Ramesh though, even though he wasn’t a saint. He wants wealth, fame and success, and not necessarily in that order. He wants to corrupt the rich and is it bad that I was cheering him on?!! Hmmm...probably. Haha!

HOW TO KIDNAP THE RICH by Rahul Raina is an entertaining and witty debut.

There are many books set in India that take a 'rags to riches' theme but this is one that dares to do so whilst still being (sometimes self-consciously) funny. It plays on the prejudices of the rich and their expectation to exploit the poor as well as the ambition of those poor people to fight their way up the ladders, whilst knowing they'll never be treated the same as the already established rich.

Ramesh is the motherless son of a libidinous chaiwallah, growing up in the dirt and decay of Old Delhi before father and son 'relocate' to the relative wealth of New Delhi, setting up on Bangla Sahib Road, near to the famous and very beautiful Sikh gurdwara. One day, a French Catholic nun spots young Ramesh and decides to change his life through education. Starting from just about nothing, he claws his way through an unwelcoming education system, supported by his other-worldly mentor. Ramesh is smart and his intelligence is his product. He sets up as an education consultant - in other words, a person who takes exams for wealthy but lazy or stupid young men. For a generous payment, Ramesh promises a place in the top 10000 examinees but gets a bit carried away and accidentally places his client, Rudi, first in the All India exams. The results open up a world of opportunities for both Rudi and Ramesh (as his 'manager' and 10 per-center).

The book touches on some of India's key themes. Prejudice between the classes, fear of Pakistan, fear of failure, the role of education in opening up opportunities and multiple aspects of exploitation. India obsesses about academic success. If you are there at the right time of the year, billboards with photos of top performers are used to advertise their schools. Newspapers are full of photos of smartly dressed and scrubbed clean youngsters beaming with joy at their results, heads filled with the prospect of top Indian universities or future success in the USA.

The kidnapping theme is bizarre and quite hard to believe. The recruitment of an intelligence officer to support the boys seems very far-fetched, but if you take this as a funny book with tough themes, it's not too hard to suspend disbelief and just roll with it. Knowing Delhi and having spent a lot of time watching (bad) Indian TV helps bring a lot of extra colour to the story, but isn't essential. Knowing a few good Hindi swear words may help but I'm sure you can guess they're rude even if you're not sure quite how specifically they're being used.

An enjoyable romp with a slightly odd ending but still worth a read.