India’s #1 crime writer S. Hussain Zaidi is back with a riveting thriller – The Black Orphan

is proud to announce the release of

THE BLACK ORPHAN

 

Inspired by true events, this is Hussain Zaidi at his best!

Releasing 8 May 2024| 248 pp | Rs 399

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK

 

A bold and daring cop.

A passionate human rights lawyer.

A deadly terror plot.

It’s love at first sight for DIG Ajay Rajvardhan of the National Investigation Agency when he sees attractive lawyer Asiya Khan in court, representing a young woman the NIA has arrested on charges of terrorism. Despite being on opposite sides – he specializes in taking down terrorists while she defends those wrongfully arrested by the authorities – he is unable to get her out of his head.

Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose, murdering India’s most famous nuclear scientists one by one. Time is running out for Ajay and his associates, Deputy Commissioner Sagar Pratap and Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, to find the mastermind behind these incidents. And something far worse is brewing in the bylanes of Mumbai. Even as Ajay and Asiya are drawn closer, a web of crime, deception and intrigue weaves itself around them and threatens to take them down.

Inspired by true events, this riveting tale of love, terror and revenge is Hussain Zaidi at his best.

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Hussain Zaidi, author, says ‘The Black Orphan is my latest work of fiction based on real-life events. I’m keenly awaiting its release as I believe that my readers will love the blend of romance, intrigue and action in this one. This is slightly different from my other fiction books as it is a love story as much as a thriller, and I am excited to see how readers will respond to it.’

Amrita Mukerji, Managing Editor, HarperCollins India, says, ‘The Black Orphan is a riveting tale of love and terror, in Hussain Zaidi’s inimitable style. Fast-paced, engrossing and unputdownable! The fact that it’s inspired by true events makes it all the more intriguing. We are excited to publish this book and I’m sure readers will be even more so to pick it up.’

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Before becoming a writer, publisher, producer, scriptwriter and mentor to new talent, S. Hussain Zaidi was a journalist for over twenty years. He started his career with The Asian Age and The Indian Express before moving on to Mid-Day and Mumbai Mirror as editor (investigations). He bid adieu to journalism in 2016.

His first book, Black Friday, was made into a critically acclaimed film by director Anurag Kashyap. His documentation of the Mumbai mafia in books such as Dongri to Dubai, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, My Name Is Abu Salem and Byculla to Bangkok are considered some of the finest pieces of investigative journalism. His mastery over terrorism-related research is reflected in Black Friday, Headley and I and Mumbai Avengers. Mumbai Avengers was the first fiction title that Zaidi experimented with. The book was adapted into the Hindi film Phantom.

Zaidi was also associate producer, along with Dan Reed, of the documentary Terror in Mumbai, based on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, for HBO. The movie was widely acclaimed and won a number of awards. While Class of ’83, based on his book by the same name and produced by Shah Rukh Khan, is already streaming on Netflix, a web series based on Dongri to Dubai, being produced by Farhan Akhtar, is soon to be released on Amazon Prime Video.

 

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For reviews, excerpts, author interviews and more information, please contact Nandini Tripathi at nandini.tripathi@harpercollins.co.in