How to Kidnap the Rich

'A joyous love/hate letter to contemporary Delhi' The Times

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Pub Date 6 May 2021 | Archive Date 6 May 2021

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Description

'This is an absolute riot - part thriller, part satire of contemporary urban India' Mail on Sunday'

If you're fat and Indian, you're rich; if you're fat and poor, you're lying. It's only the West where the rich are thin and vegan and moral...

Ramesh Kumar grew up deprived and unloved, working on his father's tea stall in the Old City of Delhi. Now, brilliant but poor, he makes a lucrative living taking tests for the sons of India's elite. 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, Ramesh sees an unmissable opportunity.

Cashing in on Rudi's newfound celebrity, all goes well for both boys for a while. But Rudi's role on a game show leads to unexpected love, blackmail and, finally, a dangerous kidnapping.

As Ramesh 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.

Praise for How to Kidnap the Rich

'A satire on modern India...this isn't a story about poverty, it's a story about wealth' Guardian

'Conjures up a memorable world that is ghee-greased, polluted, mired in dust and corruption' Sunday Times

'Like Mohsin Hamid's How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, How to Kidnap the Rich purports to be a how-to manual but is in fact a rollicking urban adventure and a biting satire of inequality' Economist

'This is an absolute riot - part thriller, part satire of contemporary urban India' Mail on Sunday'

If you're fat and Indian, you're rich; if you're fat and poor, you're lying. It's only the West...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781408713341
PRICE £14.99 (GBP)
PAGES 304

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Average rating from 47 members


Featured Reviews

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.

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Brilliantly written hardhiting thriller that grips you from the start til the end amazing characters explosive suspense what a debut bravo.

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I needed something a bit light and this comedic cracker of a novel on fraud and ambition in Delhi hit the spot perfectly. ⁣

Ramesh is a chaiwallah’s son who has risen to become an ‘educational consultant’. He provides his clients a gateway to the ‘whitest lives’ by taking exams on behalf of lazy, entitled kids whose parents are able to purchase their 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-esque game show - with Ramesh as his blackmailer, manager/assistant, and babysitter. The novel opens with Rudi and Ramesh being kidnapped, which entangles them in a convoluted 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 hysteria of a BJP-like political party. ⁣

This is an absurdly and cruelly funny novel that casts a sharp eye on the greed, opportunism and injustice rife in contemporary India. ⁣

#HowtoKidnaptheRich #RahulRaina

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I was very impressed by this debut, it was full of humour and wit, which made for a great combination to help unwind in the present climate. I thought the characters were likely and well illustrated, it was easy to k!shine them as vivid characters id see on screen but I felt further polishing could make them more relatable in a real world setting.

Reading is for many a form of escapism and after a period of I'll health meant I've not read this as early as I would have liked, I'm glad I was afforded the opportunity to read. A very likeable dive into fiction and I am eagerly awaiting more by the author.

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A sharp tale of contemporary India that reminds you slum dog millionaire just isn’t it. Full of quips, pointed remarks at the hypocrisy of western superiority, a just about white saviour, parading as a do gooder nun, and a Whole Lot of Corruption.

Ramesh is an education consultant, a smart guy for hire, a stand in for your lazy underacheiving middle-class son who, with all the pocket money in the world, still cannot be bothered to study for his exams, but is expecting a work visa to America and a job on Wall Street to appear in thin air.

Almost a book of two halves, we are settled in learning about our narrators' upbringing and various exploits, before the stakes are driven up 10 fold with a double, or was it triple? crossed kidnapping chase across Delhi.

At times the plot may have moved a little faster than necessary, but remember I am reader of slow burns and plotless pacing, I’m sure most will find the speed compelling.

A book I would lovingly refer to as, a satirical romp. Read it and laugh and maybe learn and thing or two too.

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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

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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A very funny satire about modern-day India. Ramesh makes a living by passing exams for the children of rich parents. When he accidentally gets the highest mark in the country for his client Rudi reality TV, kidnap and blackmail follow., Loved it.

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