An ode to Crime Thrillers (IANS Books This Weekend)

With Delhi all geared up to host India's first Crime Writers Festival Jan 17-18, IANS picked up some new and some old writers who have delved into the world of thrills and chills. Take a look.

1. Book: Revival; Author: Stephen King; Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton; Pages: 374; Price: Rs. 699

In a small New England town in the early 1960s, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls - including Jamie's mother and beloved sister - feel the same about Reverend Jacobs. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity.

Then, tragedy strikes the Jacobs family; the preacher curses God, mocking all religious beliefs, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Now in his mid-thirties, he is living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Addicted to heroin, stranded and desperate, he sees Jacobs again - a showman on stage, creating dazzling 'portraits in lightning' - and their meeting has profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

2. Book: My Name is Abu Salem; Author: S. Hussain Zaidi; Publisher: Penguin Books; Pages: 248; Price: Rs.299

Best known for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts and the murder of music composer Gulshan Kumar, gangster Abu Salem is one of the most "colourful" dons of the Mumbai underworld.

In this gripping book, Mumbai-based journalist S. Hussain Zaidi has portrayed Salem's life giving out "unknown details and first-hand accounts".

Third in Zaidi's mafia trilogy after "Dongri to Dubai" and "Byculla to Bangkok", though the actual research took four years, the book had been in progress since Aug 5, 1997 - the day the author first spoke to Salem.

The book also touches upon Salem's relationship with Bollywood actress Monica Bedi.

3. Book: Breach; Author: Amrita Verma Chowdhury; Publisher: Hachette, Pages: 337; Price: Rs.350

Dr. Udai Vir Dhingra finds himself being blamed for breach of security and negligence when, weeks before pharma-giant Acel is to file a global patent application for a cancer drug, its offshore Mumbai-based data centre is hacked.

Now, to save his job he must reach the matter's core despite all odds. However, in his quest for the truth, he comes face to face with the world of masked online identities, making his journey a difficult one.

Set across Mumbai, Guangzhou and Washington, this "cyber thriller" takes the reader on an exploratory journey into the world of cyber crime and safety.

4. Book: Karam; Author: Aditya and Arnav Mukherjee; Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 262; Price: Rs. 195

Mumbai 2020: Rising above it, a flattened obelisk of polished black granite, stands the Rustom Group's imposing headquarters - the One World Tower. And at its very tip is Babylon, Vishnu Rustomjee Mistry's famous garden on top of the tallest building in the city - the centre of its wealth and power.

It's the day the flamboyant billionaire will make his big announcement. Yet, it will be one of the few days in the year when his won't be the biggest story.

It's the day a letter will be found that could change the meaning of everything. A simple letter, signed "The People's Guardian", which threatens the state's chief minister with dire consequences.

When model-turned-newscaster Tara and rookie journalist Sudhir Navkar stumble upon clues about this possible vigilante, they are led on a breadcrumb trail from the eerie slums of gangland Mumbai to the high-rise towers of glitzy neighbourhoods.

As the two of them try desperately to solve the mystery, they begin to uncover a frightening conspiracy that threatens to cast a shadow on the entire nation - and on their lives.

In a choice between love, life and their karma, will they have the courage to pursue the truth?