Six Suspects A Novel [Paperback]

From the author of theNew York TimesbestsellerSlumdog Millionairecomes a richly textured social thriller.

Seven years ago, Vivek Vicky Rai, the playboy son of the home minister of Uttar Pradesh, murdered bartender Ruby Gill at a trendy restaurant in New Delhi, simply because she refused to serve him a drink. Now Vicky Rai has been killed at the party he was throwing to celebrate his acquittal. The police arrest six guests with guns in their possession: a corrupt bureaucrat who claims to have become Mahatma Gandhi; an American tourist infatuated with an Indian actress; a Stone Age tribesman on a quest; a Bollywood sex symbol with a guilty secret; a mobile-phone thief who dreams big; and an ambitious politician prepared to stoop low.

Swarup unravels the lives and motives of the six suspects, offering both a riveting page-turner and an insightful look into the heart of contemporary India.

1. What were the flaws of each of the suspects? Did you find each of them likeable, despite their flaws? Who did you identify with most? Did you have a favorite?
2. When we first meet the suspects, each is making a decision that will change their lives. In what cases were these good, bad, or foolish decisions? Could any of the characters have avoided their downfall? Do you believe in fate?
3. Do you believe that Mohan Kumar was actually possessed by a spirit, or do you take the doctor's view? What do you think the author intended? If Mohan had been your husband, father, or employer, would you have preferred he stay Gandhi?
4. Vikas Swarup has chosen to relay each character in a different way. The chapters about Shabnam Saxena are told through her diary entries. The chapters on Jagannath are told through phone conversations. The chapters on Eketi are often actually told from the point of view of Ashok, the welfare officer. Did you find this method effective? How did it contribute to your understanding of each character?
5. The Motives selCG