KAALKOOT The Lost Himalayan Secret PDF
Preview KAALKOOT The Lost Himalayan Secret
Excerpts from an interview with S.Venkatesh, Author, KAALKOOT, in The Statesman
Would you tell our readers what KaalKoot, the book, is all about?
KaalKoot is a modern-day crime thriller with a historical twist. The book brings a forgotten Himalayan legend, a dark secret from the days of the freedom struggle and an international conspiracy together in a high-stakes environment where time is running out. The book has also been appreciated by readers with a fondness for travel and adventure.
What made you pick a story dealing in weapons, war and subterfuge for your first novel?
The book brings together a number of things that have enchanted and engaged me for a long time.
I have loved reading thrillers for the sheer intensity of emotions that they generate, and I started writing one for the joy of being able to tell a story that would have the reader riveted.
I have also been inspired by travel, and places form an important backdrop to the story as the plot moves from the crowded by-lanes of Mumbai to one of remotest corners of the Himalayas.
Lastly, I have been fascinated by our philosophy and history right from my college days at IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta, and that led me to choose a strong historical and spiritual underpinning for the book.
What made the private equity investor S Venkatesh turn into spy-fiction author S Venkatesh?
I have nurtured the desire to write for a while now, but being in high-pressure corporate roles with the likes of JP Morgan, Credit Suisse and Macquarie meant that the inspiration often got buried in a blur of deadlines and presentations. On the positive side, this enabled me to travel and meet people, and gave me a rich reservoir of life experiences that I could tap into.
A few years ago, when I was travelling extensively on business, I ended up taking more than three hundred international flights over just a couple of years. That’s when I got a chance to silence the external noises, listen to my inner voice and act on the inspiration. A lot of KaalKoot actually got written on those flights.
What next?
The publisher, TreeShade Books, has announced the title of my next book ‘Agnibaan – Guardians of the Fire Chamber’. Agnibaan will also be a suspense thriller with a strong historical connect.
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