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Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:55
#TalkTo Divyaroop Bhatnagar Author Of The Mussoorie Murders
It's in Missouri. Year 1909. The ghastly murder of Margaret Menard label in a hotel room locked from the inside shocks the public. Its ripples reach the author Canon Doyle and Rudyard Kipling, who can only guess the identity of the killer but never prove it. Around 60 years later, a wealthy Harris is found similarly murdered in the Quinn of the hills
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:50
Author Devy Rup studied at IIT Khan and IIM Kolkata and had a long career with consumer products companies in India and abroad. As a CEO and an MD, he has been writing since 2018. Hello sir. Welcome to my swell cast and congratulations on the book. To begin with, the Masuri Murders is a catchy title with a beautiful premise. So how did the idea for this story happen to you? Was it always there on your mind or it was a you a come moment
I've always had a great attachment for Missouri. I have an old house there and go there often. The idea of the book emerged in a conversation with my literary agent, Suhail Mathur, of the book Bakers. The first unsolved murder in a hotel room locked from the inside is based on a true story that many people have written about. So?
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:28
Vasuri is such a prosperous and fertile place that no wonder the story was born there. So Kiplin and Dole aren't able to solve the mysterious murder case of Margaret Lidl. And years later, Avijit Sikdar happens to come across a similar murder case. He's a fan of dole and Kipling and sounds quite interesting. Can you tell us a bit more about this character, Avijit Sikhtar? Is he a peculiar, a detective like Holmes with quirky traits?
His interests are wide ranging. And unlike Holmes, who believes in not overloading his brain, attic Sikhtar is a person who believes in understanding everything he can about the world around him. He's not difficult or domineering, he's not cranky and cantankerous, but he operates smoothly carrying people with him. So, yes, he's part Poirot, part Holmes, but really speaking a unique person in his own right
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:14
Quite a picture I had in front of my eyes while you were narrating Sikdar. Moving on to my next question, I'm sure there are other characters in this book and I would love to know more about them. Also, where did you get the insight for crafting your characters?
He tends to dismiss his wife's misgivings rather casually, adding to the rift between them. As Watson to Avijit's homes, he presents a solid, loyal figure whose feelings are deeper than he would easily share with others. Apart from this, of course, the other interesting part was using real historical people like Arthur Conan Doyle and Ruddyard Kipling. Here, the characterization should gel with what is known and written about them. Fortunately, in both these cases there is enough material that I could work on
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:14
That's so very well explained, sir. Thank you so much for introducing us to your characters. So, while writing a who done it? What are some quintessential elements, in your opinion, and what strikes a chord with the readers?
Hello. It's important to understand that a thriller is different from a whodunit. The latter is a cerebral puzzle that intrigues the reader and encourages him to guess the solution. A thriller, on the other hand, is action based, and the puzzle may be a secondary part of the plot. It is amazing how popular Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle are in India, even though their locales and characters are quite alien to the Indian context
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:13
It's lovely how we all now have a formula to write a good whodunit. Thank you so much once again. So the book is soon to be adapted to screen. Can you tell us who will play the leads?
Ha. That's a good one. No, I really have no idea at this stage on who is going to be acting in this movie or TV series or indeed when and how it's going to be produced too early
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:15
All right, then we will wait for an announcement from your end. So, talking about the authors in same genre of writing, who are your favorite authors in crime thriller? Genre of writing? Those that have inspired you to pen this book
It's quite evident that Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie have been inspirational for me. In fact, in one of my earliest job interviews, just after completing my MBA, the interviewer asked me whether I like to read. When I answered yes, and that I like detective stories, he asked me who was my favorite detective. When I said Sherlock Holmes, he seemed to perk up, and he asked me, can you tell me what happened to the guilty student in the adventure of the three students?
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:16
So very interesting anecdote from your life, and I'm so glad that you shared it with me. So, during the process of writing this book, how was your writing schedule like, and any particular character or incident that you've picked up from real life and infused in the narrative?
You to answer your first question. I try to be disciplined, but it doesn't always work. I find that when the words are flowing, I may land up writing 2000 words at a stretch. If not, I can scratch away at it, but nothing emerges. The second part of your question is interesting because there are many scenes describing food and restaurants in Missouri in the book. These are drawn from real life, and many of the dishes and eateries described in the book are my favorites too
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:16
So the book is not just going to be an engaging crime thriller, but also Gomez's paradise. Coming to my last question for this session, I would really like to know, how has the response been so far for the book, especially from your friends and families and from your readers?
The response has been really amazing, to say the least. Quite apart from sales, reader feedback has been very heartwarming, and that is coming not only from friends and family, but also from people who are posting reviews on Amazon and on Goodreads and other sites. People have loved the location, it the time periods which are shown, and the differences between them, the puzzles and the red herrings and the characters
Siddhi Palande
@Book_gobbler · 0:12
I'm sure, sir. And much more success coming your way. Wishing the best for the book. The Masuri murders. Thank you so much for doing this interview session with me. It was a pleasure talking to