Indian Preview: Our Top New Releases from May

1. The Spy Chronicles by A.S. Dulat, Aditya Sinha and Asad Durrani

The Spy Chronicles is the first-of-its-kind book anywhere in the world that brings together former chiefs of the intelligence agencies of rival nations.

A.S. Dulat headed India’s RAW in 1999-2000, while General Asad Durrani helmed Pakistan’s ISI in 1990-91. Off the field, though, the two are friends. In The Spy Chronicles, they unite for conversations, moderated by senior journalist Aditya Sinha, who co-wrote the bestselling Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years with Dulat in 2015. The range of topics covered here include Kashmir, Narendra Modi, Ajit Doval, Pervez Musharraf, the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hafiz Saeed, Kulbhushan Jadhav, the infamous surgical strikes, the politics of war, the workings of the spy agencies themselves, and many more.

2. Knot for Keeps edited by Sathya Saran

What holds two people together for life, sometimes across continents? What drives them apart even as they share their lives under the same roof? What makes marriage the only socially acceptable goal of a relationship? Are women, and men, preferring other options to marriage these days? Why are more and more marriages failing? Is it to do with changing social norms or individual expectations?

This anthology takes a hard look at marriage and tries to decode this age-old alliance.

3. Koi Good News? By Zarreen Khan

When Mona Mathur of Dehradun had married her college sweetheart Ramit

Deol of Amritsar, there were two things she wasn’t prepared for:

1. The size of the Deol family – it put any Sooraj Barjatiya movie to shame
2. The fertility of the Deol family – they reproduce faster than any other speciesknown to mankind

For four years now, Mona and Ramit have done the unthinkable and remained childless. Of course, that also means that they’ve battled that one question day in and day out: ‘Koi Good News?‘

4. Obsessed by Ruchi Kokcha

Investigative journalist Avik has finally found the one case that could bring him glory. Or death. As the mystery behind millionaire Kalki Rajput’s murder grows thicker, Avik is forced to risk it all to bring out the truth that has eluded many before him. If only he could uncover what the victim’s daughter had witnessed. Of course, that would mean diving into the depths of her madness. He had thought he could resurface with the truth. Now he will count himself lucky if he makes it out alive. And sane.

5. Karunanidhi by Sandhya Ravishankar

Ninety-four-year-old Karunanidhi has had a six-decade-long career in Tamil and Indian politics. He has been the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam since 1969 and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu five times. With the death of J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016, he is the undisputed tallest leader in the state even though his party is not in power and he continues to be in poor health. Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics chronicles the trailblazing life of one of India’s most important politicians for the first time in English.