Adhirath Sethi is a writer whose work spans the genres of fiction, satire, crime thrillers, psychological thrillers, dark comedy, and yes – even romance.

If that seems like a handful, it’s only because if there is a good story to be told, he needs to tell it; and good stories can come from anywhere.

He writes because situations intrigue him. There is a joy he finds in exploring ‘what-ifs’ and turning them into sub plots that are then allowed to run unsupervised in his mind, colliding recklessly with one another. From the ensuing chaos, he draws out a story. He does not know whether it will be funny or sad, but he hopes that his style of writing appeals to his readers and has them coming back for more.

As an individual he hopes to remain as uncomplicated as possible, most unlike what he expects of his stories. Despite all the experiences afforded to him by a childhood spent in boarding schools, he is an introvert who recognises the value of networking and measures his gregariousness carefully. His ultimate daily ambition is to go home early.

His first book – The Debt Collector’s Due – was brought to life by his own trysts in business. Having come across a debt collector he was struck by the brutal mundanity of the job. He could not help but consider how a story might unfold should such an individual be cast into an uncontrollably thrilling predicament.

His second book – Where the Hills Hide their Secrets – is equal parts murder mystery, revenge thriller and a coming of age journey all rolled into one. The inspiration for the anglicised, post-colonial town of Nalanoor comes from the experiences of the author’s own grandparents. The shocking twists within the story however, are of his own design.

Background

Adhirath Sethi spent seven happy years at the Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh. Although seen as an offbeat institution, the school is highly steeped in tradition and gave him an appreciation of Indian culture that is much a part of who he is.

At the age of seventeen he was shipped off to England, where Eton College impressed upon him a vastly western influence and pushed him to expand his outlook far beyond his comfort zones.

He considers his years at the London School of Economics as having shaped his character considerably. While the degree in economics certainly helped, meeting his future wife there was clearly the highlight of that experience.

His three years as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group were thoroughly enjoyable. The only thing that could have extracted him from retiring peacefully as a consultant someday was his own desire to be an entrepreneur.