Missing, Presumed Dead #PsychologicalThriller @KiranManral #MissingPresumedDead

missingpresumeddeadfrontcover

Kiran Manral writes in many genres with books that keep the readers enthralled. All Abroad, Saving Maya, Karmic Kids, Switchroo and many more prove her diverse writing prowess again and again. Not to be missed the latest thriller, just like her last release The Face In The Window

Excerpt – Missing, Presumed Dead

‘Go ahead,’ Heer told her, ‘I’ll stay back and watch the kids.’

The kids didn’t need watching anymore, she knew, they were old enough to take care of themselves. But it was a gracious offer, meant well, and she accepted it.

‘Thanks, I should be back within a few hours,’ Aisha replied, taking the keys of her tiny car off the key rack and riffling through her hand bag to check if she had all she needed. It was a risk going into town on such a day, she knew. The roads would be uncertain, and there was no guarantee she would make it into town before the post office shut down for the day. She had no clue of whether the roads were navigable, or whether the danger of landslides had passed, or whether the clear-up crew had worked on the debris that had fallen from eroding mountains, denuded of their tree cover in patches, by illegal logging.

The rain began trickling down again in uncertain dribs and drabs as Aisha carefully negotiated the slippery curves of the roads, already slick with mud and debris. She drove carefully, wary of the headlight-flashing, horn-tooting city slickers, trying to overtake her on treacherous mountain roads, with the insouciance of those who have not yet known the finality of a fall, off the edge of the mountains. There was damage from the rains, she noted, roads piled with mounds of boulders and mud, sudden treacherous gaps where the edges of the road had given way. It was greater as she climbed higher. The road dipped a bit, going down to where a sturdy bridge crossed over an angry chaos of rocks and gushing waters. She drove over the bridge without stopping, without stepping out of the car, without walking to the edge and peering over, swaying undecidedly for that short second that the swirling, dark waters lured her.

 

A must read psychological thriller.

 

Missing, Presumed Dead

by

Kiran Manral

 

missingpresumeddeadfrontcover

 

“A gripping and sinister tale. Kiran Manral holds you with every page.” – Ashwin Sanghi

 

Missing, Presumed Dead is a disturbing look into a broken marriage that has been torn apart by emotional distance and mental illness. The book takes us down scary pathways where we are forced to reckon with ugly truths about love and death, and the loss of everything we hold dear—including ourselves. The novel is a mystery cum drama, packed with all the elements that make a thriller.

The reader is left to keep guessing till the very last page!

 

Blurb:

Missing, Presumed Dead

 

In a dysfunctional marriage, it may seem convenient when the wife commits suicide, but things aren’t always what they seem…

Battling both a fractured marriage and the monsters in her cranium, Aisha leads a sequestered life on the outskirts of a bustling tourist town in the hills of North India. She struggles to stay functional, and tries to wean herself off the pills that keep her from tipping over the edge. Prithvi, the husband she loved once, seems as eager to be rid of her, as she is to flee from him. Only her children keep her tethered to her hearth.

One rainy afternoon, the last thing Aisha expects to see is a younger version of herself at the door. It is Aisha’s half sister, Heer, her father’s illegitimate daughter from another woman. Despite her misgivings, Aisha lets her into the house, and she stays over. Two days later, Aisha goes into town and never returns. Seemingly unperturbed, Heer slips into her missing sister’s shoes effortlessly, taking charge of the house, the kids, and even Prithvi, who responds to her overtures willingly.

 A note found in Aisha’s wallet states that she has taken her own life, though strange happenings leave plenty of room for doubt. But, if she is not dead, where is Aisha? Is she really dead? Did she commit suicide as the note found in her wallet states? Has she been abducted, run away or in hiding? Why does Prithvi not grieve for his deceased wife? And why does Heer walk out of the house one fine day, leaving no forwarding address?

As it examines the destruction a dystopian marriage and mental illness leave in their wake, Missing, Presumed Dead brings us face to face with the fragility of relationships, the ugly truths about love and death, and the horrifying loss of everything we hold dear, including ourselves.

 

 

About the author:

 

Kiran Manral published her first book, The Reluctant Detective, in 2011. Since then, she has published eight books across genres till date. Her books include romance and chicklit with Once Upon A Crush, All Aboard, Saving Maya; horror with The Face at the Window and nonfiction with Karmic Kids, A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up and True Love Stories. Her short stories have been published on Juggernaut, in magazines like Verve and Cosmopolitan, and have been part of anthologies like Chicken Soup for the Soul, Have a Safe Journey and Boo.

She was shortlisted for the Femina Women Awards 2017 for Literary Contribution. She is a TEDx speaker and was a mentor with Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk 2017. The Indian Council of UN Relations (ICUNR) supported by the Ministry for Women and Child Development, Government of India, awarded her the International Women’s Day Award 2018 for excellence in the field of writing. Her novella, Saving Maya, was long listed for the 2018 Saboteur Awards, UK, supported by the Arts Council England.

 

For interviews, reviews and excerpts please call or email: Megha Parmar, 9711404608, [email protected] PB | Fiction | 268 pp | Rs 350

 

 

 

 

 

 

My posts/blog contains Amazon Affiliates Links. I may earn a small fee if you purchase through the links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.

 

 

 

 

GENEROUSLY YOURS: His Gift From Beyond
Find my debut book at myBook.to/GY_Inderpreet

 

 

 

 

 

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