by: Deepti Kapoor
Goodreads description:
This is the age of vice, where money, pleasure, and power are everything,
and the family ties that bind can also kill.
New Delhi, 3 a.m. A speeding Mercedes jumps the curb and in the blink of an eye, five people are dead. It’s a rich man’s car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime. Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold.
Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family — loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all.
In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family’s ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Against a sweeping plot fueled by loss, pleasure, greed, yearning, violence and revenge, will these characters’ connections become a path to escape, or a trigger of further destruction?
Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓
Incredibly entertaining with cinematic description, I found the beginning of Age of Vice to be similar to American Dirt with elements of Slumdog Millionaire– fast paced and gritty. Reading an Indian Mob story was a new genre for me. It was a nice change of pace from my regular chick lit and historical fiction. It got a little long and ambling closer to the end. It could have been tidier in the second half. I really enjoyed it though and couldn’t put it down. I am dying to go to India now! Maybe one day….
Holly says:🤓🤓🤓1/2
Indian Mafia – scary stuff! This one started like gangbusters – the first couple hundred pages were great. Then things lulled a bit, and the ending was a little disappointing. This is sort of like an Indian Godfather. Also a little reminiscent of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. If you haven’t already read that one, I highly recommend it! Power, corruption, greed, caste system abuse – a scary and deadly combination. Worth reading!
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 