See You At The Book Launch on December 1

As the days whiz past, there is so much that needs to be done. Preparing for a book launch is exciting but demanding at the same time. You need to pay attention to so many details. I am delighted that the day is coming up fast. On December 1, my second thriller, “Lucky For Some, 13” will be released at Reliance TimeOut @ Mantri Square, one of Bangalore’s snazzy malls at 6.00 p.m.I am delighted that Mr. & Mrs. K. Unnikrishnan, parents of the late Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Ashoka Chakra, have graciously accepted my invitation to be the Guests of Honour in the event.  Mr. Bijou Kurien, President & CEO, Lifestyle, Reliance Retail Limited has kindly agreed to release the book.

I must admit that in some part, this story was inspired by the events following the infamous terror strikes in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, which has gone down in history as “26/11.” I was awed by the bravery of many who laid down their lives doing their duties. In this context,  I consider it a privilege to have the Unnikrishnans as the Guests of Honour as their son was killed in the operation by the NSG to flush out the terrorists holed up in the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

“Lucky For Some, 13” is a fiction thriller but it raises issues we need to ponder about:

• Does it make sense to capture terrorists? Is it justified to keep them in high security prisons at great expense? Would it result in another terror strike to negotiate their release, which is the central theme of this book?
• Opponents of capital punishment argue that the death sentence is not a deterrent and does not stop terrorism. Does sentencing them to life imprisonment instead, as has been suggested, reduce terrorism in any way?
• How do we erase the image of being a “soft target”? Certainly prevention is better than cure.
• In my book I have described how even the best of technology falls before the base emotions of human greed and fanaticism. How can one tackle these root issues?

I hope you will be there on December 1. I hope that you will enjoy the book and let me know what you think of it.