The cover is very Bollywood and I am here for it. But what’s on the inside?
60% crime fiction
40% satire
A huge scattering of wit and bite throughout

It'll have you turning the pages one minute and laughing out loud the next so if you like your crime with a dash of sharp humour, you'll enjoy this one.

A dazzling debut from a funny and perceptive writer. The early descriptions of Indian life felt genuine and realistic but I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second - where it seemed to dissolve into an almost farcical situation. But did at least justify the title! I can see why this has been optioned for a film after the success of the brilliant White Tiger as this has a very similar feel.

How to Kidnap the Rich is a fresh, feisty satire rich in Indian culture and bustling atmosphere and quickly becomes a wild adventure. Brilliant yet poor, Ramesh Kumar grew up working at his father’s tea stall in the Old City of Delhi. Now, he makes a lucrative living taking tests for the sons of India's elite—a situation that becomes complicated when one of his clients, the sweet but hapless eighteen-year-old Rudi Saxena, places first in the All Indias, the national university entrance exams, thanks to him. Ramesh sees an opportunity—perhaps even an obligation—to cash in on Rudi’s newfound celebrity, not knowing that Rudi’s role on a game show will lead to unexpected love, followed by wild trouble when both young men are kidnapped. But Ramesh outwits the criminals who’ve abducted them, turning the tables and becoming a kidnapper himself.

As he leads Rudi through a maze of crimes both large and small, their dizzying journey reveals an India in all its complexity, beauty, and squalor, moving from the bottom rungs to the circles inhabited by the ultra-rich and everywhere in between. A caper, social satire, and love story rolled into one, How to Kidnap the Rich is a wild ride told by a mesmerizing new talent with an electric voice. I found myself likening it to Slumdog Millionaire but with acerbic, scathing humour throughout. It's a story rich in culture and reflects the importance of excelling in education in India today. A compulsive, captivating and enthralling read and a thoroughly unpredictable wild ride with a whipsmart and deliciously fun plot. Set in the pulsing, crowded city of Delhi we journey with Ramesh as he gets himself into as much trouble as one possibly could. Thoroughly enjoyable, great entertainment.

Brilliant yet poor, Ramesh Kumar grew up working at his father’s tea stall in the Old City of Delhi. Now, he makes a lucrative living taking tests for the sons of India's elite—a situation that becomes complicated when one of his clients, the sweet but hapless eighteen-year-old Rudi Saxena, places first in the All Indias, the national university entrance exams, thanks to him. Ramesh sees an opportunity—perhaps even an obligation—to cash in on Rudi’s newfound celebrity, not knowing that Rudi’s role on a game show will lead to unexpected love, followed by wild trouble when both young men are kidnapped. But Ramesh outwits the criminals who’ve abducted them, turning the tables and becoming a kidnapper himself.

This is a crime novel, a dark comedy, an unshrinking satire, and the dictionary definition of chaotic neutral. It's one of the funniest, well-plotted books I've read in a long time,

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

How to Kidnap the Rich is a rollicking and sweary read featuring 24 year old Ramesh, a young man born into poverty but determined not to stay there. He earns his money by taking exams for rich kids, but made the mistake of doing too well on lazy Rudi's test earning him an astonishing second place in the country and instant fame.

The book reminded me a little of Slumdog Millionaire with the Indian quiz show angle, but was also a lot like a comic crime caper with heists going wrong and our hero battling to save himself.

A fun read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Ramesh...born into poverty, beaten and abused by his chaiwalla father, saves himself from his fate with the help of a nun, Sister Claire, who educates him against all the odds. Now he finds himself taking tests for the offspring of the wealthy in the All Indias, their excellent results guraranteeing them the benefits of a higher education and well paying jobs.
Enter Rudraksh, or Rudi as he is known, disinterested and a dullard. Ramesh manages to score the highest marks in all of India, turning Rudi into the 'topper'. Fortune awaits, and Ramesh is determined to cash in on the riches, so blackmails Rudi and Rudi's parents into becoming his manager. This is merely the beginning, with so much more to come.

It all sounds rather pedestrian, but this novel is the equivalent of cycling down a very steep hill littered with rocks, without the benefit of a helmet, unable to catch your breath, exhilarated and terrified at the same time. It's whip smart, whilst at the same time highlighting some serious themes written in a funny, laugh out loud way. There's social climbing, blackmail, poverty, inequality, corruption, greed....and plenty of swearing. It inspired me to practise some cultural appropriation in the swearing department.

Rollercoaster prose and plot aside, there are some moments of contemplation and sadness in the novel. The are consequences for Ramesh, obviously, which come to light at the conclusion of his story. He falls in love with Priya along the way, and how this resolves itself means you have to read the book to find out. There are only two women in the novel, Sister Claire and Priya, both of whom support Ramesh but there is a price to pay, although not in monetary terms.

A wild ride, and the constant funniness can be slightly wearing, but well worth the read.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This is a really interesting book and so different to so many stories around at the moment. The description and energy in the writing is captivating and transports you totally to the setting. The story is original and engaging and totally believable. Reading this was almost like seeing it play out as the movie that I'm sure it will soon become.
A fantastic escape and definitely worth reading.

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina

This is a fast-paced, zippy commentary on modern Indian life and society. It's a funny and satiric insight into a fast-growing economy where the wage and earning gap has grown incrementally over a very short period of time and technology is driving an economic boom. It's not easy for people to know where they stand or how they cope when all that is happening around them and there’s a constant fear of missing the next wave!
Ramesh Kumar, whose story this is, identifies himself an educational consultant but earns his money taking the prestigious public examinations for lazy, rich boys. These competitive exams in India are a gateway to the best universities and career opportunities so Ramesh has seen a way, albeit immoral and probably illegal, to make good money. He simply arrives at the examination venue with his client’s ID.

Things start to go wrong when Ramesh, impersonating Rudi who is one of his clients, unfortunately comes out with the top mark in all of India. That guarantees celebrity status and Rudi becomes a TV and media personality despite still being the stupid and lazy boy he has always been. Ramesh, quick to see the opportunity for more money, becomes his manager and everything takes off from there.
There's a television show and lots of money until Ramesh and Rudi rip off another young man which turns out to be a big mistake. This one has a very rich and marginally criminal father. There are threats and then kidnappings and then faked kidnappings, and Ramesh and Rudi are forced to go on the run. From this point, the book becomes a romp, a pursuit across India with the heroes trying to manipulate events and escape from criminal and self-interested media moguls. Along the way, Ramesh and Rudi are saved by a friendly female detective who seems to have a better understanding than they do of social realities, and Ramesh falls in love.

It's a slick and rapidly moving story and it's easy to lose the thread or to remember which bad guy is which. It's often funny as well but the impressive bit is that it's a picture of a chaotic Indian society, of massive wealth, of greed and aspiration and a country where technology has overtaken morality and values. It’s a good read!

Whipsmart, fast-paced and overflowing with sarcastic humour and commentary about contemporary India and its class system. You will never be able to predict what happens next!

I enjoyed the story and the characters in this book and the. acerbic wit and comments of the narrator. However, I did find it really difficult to get into with its disjointed narrative particularly in the first half. Fortunately this improved in part two as it came to a rollercoaster conclusion
Thank you to netgalley and Little Brown b for an advance copy of this book

Sharply observed and brilliantly scathing satire about one young Indian boy's quest for success. I really enjoyed this, and I think that it has the potential to be a best seller, also it would make a fantastic film so fingers crossed for that.
It was very entertaining and well written. Some of great characters and an eye opening window into modern India.

My oh my, this is acerbic. This is scathing. Funny in places, but not in a laugh out loud way. Tragic in many places. A wee bit overly long perhaps, but only a wee bit. It kept me entertained.

Wildy entertaining, outlandish plot, bizarrre twists, funny — this book was a riot of a read.
Raina manages to enthral with the breakneck speed at which the story moves. I wished this was a TV adaptation more than once while reading (There will soon be one, I hear). I was reminded of the recent adaptation of Arvind Adiga’s White Tiger. There are parallels between the books, but Raina’s debut progresses faster and memorably with quips, conflicts, and resolutions. How to Kidnap the Rich promises wit, satire, strange twists and will leave you entertained, frantically turning page after page to see how Rudi and Rakesh get out of the mess they thrived on. This one’s a wild ride.

Full review in link

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I’m a big Bollywood buff and love stories by Indian authors (I’m of Christian Pakistani background myself). This was a fun read, with a witty, satirical narrative set in contemporary Delhi. Unfortunately this book didn’t quite work for me, even though it started off as promising.
This follows our protagonist, Ramesh, a 24-year old who makes his living taking exams for sons of wealthy parents so they can get their visa and go to America, as well as brag about their offspring’s educational status. His luck changes though when sitting the exams for Rudi. Rudi’s results show that he got the top marks. In. The. Whole. Of. India. His parents cash in on his son’s status, as he’s offered advert deals, and even the chance to host a TV game show called Beat the Brains. And Ramesh wants his cut too. His fate is tied with Ramesh as he blackmails his way into becoming Rudi’s assistant. Ramesh does the work behind the scenes while Rudi gets the glory. All is well. They’re practically millionaires. Until they both get kidnapped...

I loved the voice of the protagonist. The writing holds no punch. Rahul Raina is straight up direct. The characters are morally messy and grey, which is fine. But there were several plot problems I couldn’t get on board with:
* first of all the first half of the book sets up the pictures and most of the narrative is set in the past showing how Ramesh was ‘saved’ from poverty by Sister Claire. The actually kidnapping doesn’t happen until 50% into the story.
* Poor female characters. All Indian men in this book are perverts and constantly horny. All women are there to be f***ed or are nurturers aka Sister Claire and Priya, the protagonist’s love interest. I felt the writing got really repetitive.
* The last 25% of the novel. You’ve got to really suspend your disbelief. Things were just happening. Some of the action wasn’t even shown. It was over in a sentence. I found the last act: hammy and OTT. Tbh I found the last act really confusing and the ending was meh. Like what was the point of this story exactly??! Also in the ending things happen ridiculously fast for Ramesh. It defied the logistics of the story. It’s basically rehashing Netflix Wild Wild West documentary. Also if it’s that easy then what was the point of the whole book. Who knew it that easy for an Indian to get a visa to America, buy a mansion and set up a successful business. Especially for a man just out of jail 🙄 Where was the editor??????
This had potential. I liked the parts where Ramesh was the assistant; it flashes of The White Tiger, an exquisitely observant book on class in modern India. However outlandish plotting let this book down for me. It’s 2/5.

After seeing this on a list of books to look out for in 2021 and being drawn in by the synopsis I was not disappointed. This darkly humorous crime thriller gripped me immediately. I was drawn in by the main protagonist Ramesh, the more we find out about his childhood as the story progressed the more I wanted him to have a happy ending (even with his deeply flawed character). I've never read a novel quite like this and it was marvellous.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

This book is a rollercoaster ride, full of sarcastic wit and humour as well as a totally unpredictable plot. Every time you think you know what will happen next there’s a huge swerve and you’re in uncharted territory. Its incredible that this is the author’s debut book. As I was reading this book all I kept thinking was when is this going to be a film? Having recently seen ‘The White Tiger’ I felt this story was also ripe for a wider audience. So, I was delighted to find out that the film rights have been optioned by HBO & Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed.
The main protagonist is Ramesh born in the slum dwelling part of Old Delhi, the son of a chai seller whose mother died in childbirth. Ramesh’s daily existence is pure misery from working for his unreliable father grounding the spices for the chai to the emotional and physical abuse he endures. The one thing he has going for him is his intelligence and street smarts. His one ambition in life is not to be his father. One day he encounters a nun, Claire, and from that moment on his life will never be the same again. Despite the resistance of his father and Claire’s colleagues Ramesh goes on to become an ‘examinations consultant’ and encounters Rudi a spoilt teenager who dreams of fame and fortune but certainly has no intention of working for it. Following Ramesh’s involvement, Rudi passes the prestigious All India exam coming second and India is at his feet. Of course, Ramesh is not going to slink back to his lowly life and blackmails Rudi into letting him become his manager. Teenager Rudi is inherently lazy so soon Ramesh totally controls his life and shares the spoils of celebrity that come with it. However, Ramesh’s lucky run comes to an end when the TV show that Rudi presents humiliates the son of an affluent businessman. There’s kidnapping, torture, corrupt officials, a determined investigator, double crossings and blossoming romance. Ramesh and Rudi (dressed in a sari) dash around Delhi trying to find their escaped kidnapping victim, and clear their names with hilarious results.
This book has the most incredible sense of humour and I actually found myself chuckling at Ramesh’s caustic wit and observations. Although the start of the book is not exactly a laugh a minute, I found Ramesh’s sheer determination to better himself despite the obstacles put in his path to be heartwarming. His honest portrayal about the realities of modern day India and the challenges its people face is eye-opening and thought provoking, the level of corruption and inequalities at its heart is dismaying. One minute this book is tragic and the next its hilarious. All of the characters are well drawn and credible, I was rooting for Ramesh throughout.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, I loved it.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the e-arc in return for an honest review.

"The driver grunted, looking at me with hatred in his eyes. Not Rudi. Just me. Why am I so hated? What have I done, apart from commit many crimes that would shame me in the eyes of the gods?"

How to Kidnap the Rich is a big ol' fuck you.

It's a fuck you to lots of things - the corrupt Indian middle class, Westerners' over-romanticisation of India, the naivety and feel-good factor of Slumdog Millionaire, politicians, influencers, the entertainment industry, and basically everything. Rahul Raina has had it up to fucking here with society and he's not afraid to show it, with dark comedy that cuts with surgical precision and an unflinching journey into the corrupt heart of the rich and powerful.

There are two things that are immediately made clear about the protagonist, Ramesh. One is that he is deeply flawed, and the other is that despite those flaws - or because of them - he is very likable. Rudi, the spoiled son of a rich couple who accidentally became top of the All Indias exam after Ramesh took the exam for him, is far less likable, but his character development throughout the novel is absolutely excellent. Raina is under no illusion that someone can change at the drop of a hat after going through a traumatic experience and suddenly experiencing a moment of spiritual clarity that turns you into an enlightened philanthropist; Rudi certainly changes for the better, but not entirely, in a way that's realistic and true to human nature.

This is a crime novel, a dark comedy, an unshrinking satire, and the dictionary definition of chaotic neutral. It's one of the funniest, well-plotted books I've read in a long time, and along with This One Sky Day , is part of a list of books that had better be longlisted for the Booker Prize 2021 or I am going to be sick as a parrot.

This is a comedic cracker of a novel about fraud and ambition in Delhi.

Ramesh is a chaiwallah’s son who has risen to become an educational consultant. He provides clients a gateway to the whitest lives by taking exams on behalf of lazy, entitled kids whose parents are able to pay for their children’s futures. His life changes when his client Rudi becomes the All-India Topper, catapulting him to fame and wealth as a television star on a Slumdog Millionaire type game show. Ramesh is his blackmailer, manager and babysitter. The story opens with Rudi and Ramesh being kidnapped, which entangles them in a web of events that includes a few further kidnappings, accusations of spying for Pakistan, a construction magnate and his Tendulkar signed cricket bat and the saffron infused madness of a BJP type political party.

This is a mad, absurd and funny novel that casts an all-seeing eye on the greed, opportunism and injustice that it rife in contemporary India.

I would like to thank Little, Brown and Netgalley for an Earc in return for an honest review.

Please see LoveReading.co.uk for the full review of How to Kidnap the Rich. Chosen as a Liz Robinson Pick of the Month and a LoveReading Star Book too.

It's been ages since a book made me guffaw loudly and publicly. This one managed it, more than once. Its wit is gut-punchingly quick, unexpected, cynical, but best yet, interspersed with moments of perfectly observed truths, delivered by the feisty, likeable chancer who narrates the action. A low caste Indian boy made good,, whose "hate could have made India the world's leader in renewable energy."

Does he make good? He leaves his violent, poverty-stricken past, he totally transforms his life, but are the changes an improvement? The violence and ambition remains constant despite the alteration in material fact. What, then, is this good life we should endeavour to pursue, try to create for our children? The question is posed throughout, sometimes cynically, sometimes with heart-felt urgency, but never truly answered, which I admired. A lesser writer would have tried to answer the questions his characters posed. Indeed, in the hands of a lesser writer this could easily have become a saccharine, cliche-ridden bildungsroman. Instead it's clever, philosophical, knottily plotted, thought provoking; escapist, yet grounding; moving though comedic.

I am sick with jealousy of this young man's talent and his marvellous work, and ca't wait to read what he creates next.