If you’re looking for a gripping dip into detective fiction, the Grave Intentions series is the place to start. Using the classic pillars of whodunit crime fiction as a leaping-off point, R. V. Raman’s story adds a modern twist to the beloved genre.

Complete with its fair share of twists and turns and unexpected outcomes, Grave Intentions has everything crime fiction lovers could ask for — and yet kindly offers us so much more between the pages.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Agatha Christie and Poirot, R. V. Raman engages in a sophisticated and illuminating conversation with a genre so set in its ways, respecting tradition while asking readers to reevaluate everything they know about murder mystery — and to great effect.

Set in India, the pages of Raman’s novel are filled with beauty and the story unfolds against a timeless backdrop of well-described landscapes and cultural settings. The second in a series, Grave Intentions follows the actions of the iconic Detective Harith Athreya as he is called in to investigate an archaeological dig with a hidden secret.

It is at the point when his mission takes a turn that readers can assuredly kiss goodbye to the typical form of detective fiction they thought they knew. After this, enthralled readers encounter near misses with mythical beasts, come toe to toe with ancient traditions and legends, and meet a series of enigmatic and prophetic characters who tie all the threads together.

Tying and weaving are excellent metaphors for the work Raman does in this novel, as he is deftly able to draw together multiple concomitant chains of events into one compelling story that moves forward with impressive force. Allowing readers to slowly mull over the various possibilities and solutions themselves, Raman tricks us into a false sense of security, allowing us to assume we have all the information we need before pulling the rug out from beneath us in an exercise of brilliance and storytelling.

Despite the complicated twists and turns in the plot, however, Grave Intentions is a rewarding and fun read. Perfect for anyone who may be stuck in a reading slump, Raman’s novel is engaging and will leave you on the edge of your seat.

If anything else, it’s the vivid characters that we enjoyed the most. Much like the affinity and awe readers felt with Poirot, our connection to Harith Artheya runs equally as deep. Raman has worked hard to create a central character charismatic enough to not only carry the narrative but to become somewhat of a figurehead. An esteemed, intelligent man with ordinary mannerisms but an extraordinary mind, we can easily see Harith Artheya becoming a household name in years to come.

Who is R. V. Raman?

R. V. Raman is a character as intriguing as his own. After a vast corporate career spanning over three decades — and four continents — Raman decided to step back from full time positions and focus on his writing.

Teaching business strategy at the Indian Institute of Management, Raman mentors young entrepreneurs and advises financial firms too. And we can definitely see this strategic, academic mindset seeping through into his prose works in the form of elaborately constructed plots and timelines.

Other books by R. V. Raman

R. V. Raman has written a very extensive collection of detective fiction indeed, After four corporate thrillers, he launched his new protagonist (Harith Artheya) and created whodunits, including A Will to Kill, Grave Intentions, Praying Mantis, and The Last Resort.

His mission when he writes? To scope out what decidedly Indian detective fiction would look like and how the core tropes of crime fiction would manifest on an Indian stage. He asks, “Surely, there must be men like Professor Moriarty in corporate India?”

Want to read more?

Like the sound of Raman’s crime fiction? Why not browse the books we’ve reviewed in similar genres like Thrillers or Drama to feed your appetite for mystery?

In the meantime, check out our blog for insightful literary advice and keep up to date with our latest reviews page to see what we’ve been reading in our spare time too.