The Story of My Assassins

Tarun Tejpal's The Story of My Assassins is ostensibly a mystery novel about a journalist who finds himself (unsuccessfully) targeted in an assassination attempt. But the mystery itself is frustratingly complex and difficult to follow. Instead it's the background scenes that take place on the margins of Indian society — the slums of Northern India, the train platforms of Delhi, and the corrupt legal system everywhere — that are the highlights of the story. Some of these scenes are truly outstanding but the overall novel feels like a bit of a lost opportunity.