Mrs Krishnamurthy was found dead in her apartment in Greater Kailash 2, her body cold and lifeless. No one knew how or why she was killed—or who was behind it. Now, it was up to Ragini Malhotra to unravel the mystery and hunt down the murderer amidst chaos of Delhi. Feisal Alkazi’s The Artful Murders (Speaking Tiger Books) sets the stage for a gripping murder mystery that unfolds in the backdrop of a missing MF Husain painting, and coldblooded killings.
Alkazi's first foray into fiction with a detective novel is inspired by childhood favourites. He was an avid reader of sleuth-driven books, like those of Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys. “I think all young people, when they grow up, go through the same reading trajectory. By our early teens, we are reading books—at least in my generation—and discovering various characters, starting with Sherlock Holmes stories, then moving on to James Bond,” he says.
The idea for the book took shape during the lonely months of COVID-19, as Alkazi spent hours gazing out of the large glass window of his home, wondering what was happening beyond it. “The scene outside felt a little too dramatic, almost pretentious. The only thing that seemed planned was the movement of people and vehicles, ready to shift in any direction,” he says.
A theatre artist and director, he found the story unfolding naturally in his mind. “Every morning, from about seven to nine, I would pick up the thread and write. Overnight, the story would take shape in my mind, and by morning, I would simply put it down on paper. It was a strange yet effortless process. Within a couple of months, I had completed about ten chapters.”
Delhi as a setting
The novel moves back and forth across different parts of Delhi, weaving together a diverse cast that reflects the city’s layered social fabric. Alkazi’s deep familiarity with Delhi is evident, as the setting becomes a character in itself. “I didn’t want to focus just on the upper middle class with their houses and cars,” he explains. “Delhi is home to people from all walks of life, from migrants seeking stability to those immersed in its cultural circles.”
This idea comes to life through well-known landmarks like Mandi House, Triveni Kala Sangam, and Connaught Place—places that hold personal significance for the author. Beyond these cultural hubs, he also depicts Delhi’s less privileged side through characters like Raunaq, the auto-rickshaw driver, showing the realities of those living in single-room tenements in South Delhi. The novel captures the city’s complexities, its intersections of class, culture, and ambition.
Just as Delhi belongs to everyone, The Artful Murders brings together a diverse cast, mirroring the city's social fabric. With its broad ensemble, the novel takes its time developing characters, which can slow the pace, but Alkazi sees this as essential to crafting an immersive, layered narrative. “That was my choice from the beginning,” he says, drawing inspiration from real-life crime cases reported in newspapers.
Crime stories, he notes, are shaped by power dynamics and unexpected perpetrators—sometimes a small-town individual executing a sophisticated heist. “I wanted each character to have an independent life beyond the central mystery, only to find themselves inadvertently entangled in the case.” His theatre experience helped him craft distinct, layered personas. “In theatre, actors play multiple roles, each with a different personality,” he says. “That same attention to detail was crucial in writing this novel.”
Women’s voices
The novel follows two detectives—an observant housewife-turned-sleuth, Ragini Malhotra (Mrs M), and a seasoned pre-marital investigator, Premlata Puri (PP). As they work together, they develop a close friendship, challenging traditional detective archetypes. Through Ragini and Premlata, the novel offers a fresh perspective on crime-solving, emphasising the female gaze and its attention to detail.
Alkazi sought to portray women not just as heroic figures, but as complex individuals. "Women have agency, exercise self-control, and act out of compulsion, or choice," he says. In the book, Ragini Malhotra, for instance, stumbles into the mystery, driven by curiosity rather than expertise. “She’s quite an amateur detective, who falls into this, gets very gripped, and even caught in it just like that,” Alkazi reflects, highlighting how ordinary people can become entangled in extraordinary events.
Shades of noir
Set in Delhi’s art world, The Artful Murders blends crime and culture. The novel falls in noir territory—an emphasis on cynical attitudes and motivations of characters with the right and wrong left ambiguous. “I don’t think any of my characters will ever be purely evil. I see them in shades of grey—some darker, some lighter.” says Alkazi. While the novel is rich in setting and character depth, the sheer number of characters may slow down the reading for some readers.
The murder investigation reveals hidden tensions in the art world but doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, it focuses on solving the mystery, piecing together clues rather than emphasising the darkest aspects of human nature. “When I wrote the book, I saw it as a cosy murder mystery with Ragini Malhotra at the centre. But it turned out to be a layered story, exploring darker sides of society—whether it’s drug dealing, prostitution, or power struggles,” says Alkazi. “That said, it’s not a deeply psychological novel either. It’s driven by research, by real-life stories.”
While the novel captures the city’s shifting morals and the link between crime and culture, The Artful Murders is more of a copybook detective story than a bleak, hard boiled thriller. Readers intrigued by the art world and Delhi’s social layers will find it engaging, while those expecting a deeply grim noir novel may find it lighter than expected.